{"channel":"cities","content":" the town of Earling, Iowa is located near Panama, Westphalia, and Defiance.\u2002i had never heard of any of those towns.\n\nONE\n\nwe begin with the election in Bangladesh.\n\nbecause, there is not much to be said about it.\u2002By all accounts, it is a farce.\u2002The main opposition party is in shambles, with most of its leaders arrested for \"terrorism\".\u2002The party in government is openly running a few \"dummy candidates\" so the results will only give them 95% of the vote instead of 100%.\n\n--MORE--\n\n note https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/6/vote-doesnt-count-bangladeshs-bizarre-election-tests-ties-with-west and https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240106-bangladesh-votes-in-election-without-opposition\n\nWill anything happen as a result?\u2002No.\u2002Certainly not from America.\u2002The Americans have many things to worry about other than Bangladesh.\n\nAs far as an international ideal, \"democracy\" is dead.\u2002The forces of fake democracy are stronger.\n\n as far as what this would mean as an allegory for democracy in America, no comment\n\nTWO\n\nwe consider the so-called \"split in darts\".\n\n Wikipedia is no longer dying, Wikipedia is dead.\u2002So we shall save our breath on topics like << \"Split in darts\" is a terrible title for an encyclopedia article >>.\n\nThe first thing to note is: Why would anybody care?\u2002It is a hagiography of all sorts of darts superstars, none of whom I have ever heard of, and none of whom seem distinguishable from any other.\n\n much like in professional wrestling, it is important to remember that every participant is a superstar.\u2002If you don't hype up even the most middling of your opponents, how will the television audience understand how great you are?\n\nThe playbook of a federation banning people for participating in a competing effort is very familiar.\u2002The PGA has been running a similar tactic recently.\u2002And, similarly, failing miserably at it.\n\n never pick a fight with people who print money by the barrel\n\n I have a different take on this.\u2002I view the 2017 \"Trump-orb\" incident as part of a secret treaty Mr. Trump made with the various Arab states as part of his peace-in-the-Middle-East effort.\u2002The terms included that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, etc. would be allowed to take over Qatar.\u2002(Of course, Mr. Trump didn't control Qatar.)\u2002In the event that failed, Mr. Trump gave them the sport of golf, as a forfeit.\u2002(Of course, Mr. Trump didn't control the sport of golf, either.\u2002Giving away other people's things as part of agreements has been his modus operandi for decades.)\n\n from a societal view, the question is: how much televised darts does society need?\u2002The answer is: not very much.\n\nThis is a very common failure pattern.\u2002The chess world saw something similar in the 1990s.\u2002Golf is seeing it now.\u2002There appear to be multiple backgammon world championships as well; although nobody cares about backgammon enough to make it a \"split\".\n\n and, once again, as-to whether this is an allegory for American democracy, no comment.\n\nTHREE\n\nthe NFL is on.\u2002because it is an ever-expanding blob.\n\nthe AFC playoffs are settled.\u2002Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Kansas City.\u2002all in the playoffs.\u2002all AFC cities.\n\n AFC is code for \"second-rate\".\u2002Chicago isn't in the AFC.\u2002New York ... well, New York has both.\n\ni had not been watching.\u2002and i will go back to not watching soon.\n\nbut it seems that the Powers That Be have decreed that the NFL is the only thing one can watch on TV on Sundays.\u2002so I will leave it on for another ten minutes.\n\n it is a rule of American society: anything that is good must expand and bloat until it is no longer good.\n\nand they are back to openly talking about \"most of the games this week don't matter; the only stars who are playing are the ones with contract bonuses on the line\".\u2002so we're done here.\n\n as far as whether this is an allegory for American democracy: no comment","created_at":"2024-01-07T21:19:11","id":448,"llm_annotations":{},"parent_id":null,"processed_content":"

\n \u2699\ufe0f\n the town of Earling, Iowa is located near Panama, Westphalia, and Defiance.\u2002i had never heard of any of those towns.\n

\n

ONE

\n

we begin with the election in Bangladesh.

\n

because, there is not much to be said about it.\u2002By all accounts, it is a farce.\u2002The main opposition party is in shambles, with most of its leaders arrested for \"terrorism\".\u2002The party in government is openly running a few \"dummy candidates\" so the results will only give them 95% of the vote instead of 100%.

Read More ...

\n \u2699\ufe0f\n note https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/6/vote-doesnt-count-bangladeshs-bizarre-election-tests-ties-with-west and https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240106-bangladesh-votes-in-election-without-opposition\n

\n

Will anything happen as a result?\u2002No.\u2002Certainly not from America.\u2002The Americans have many things to worry about other than Bangladesh.

\n

As far as an international ideal, \"democracy\" is dead.\u2002The forces of fake democracy are stronger.

\n

\n \ud83d\udd25\n as far as what this would mean as an allegory for democracy in America, no comment\n

\n

TWO

\n

we consider the so-called \"split in darts\".

\n

\n \ud83d\udca1\n Wikipedia is no longer dying, Wikipedia is dead.\u2002So we shall save our breath on topics like &lt;&lt; \"Split in darts\" is a terrible title for an encyclopedia article &gt;&gt;.\n

\n

The first thing to note is: Why would anybody care?\u2002It is a hagiography of all sorts of darts superstars, none of whom I have ever heard of, and none of whom seem distinguishable from any other.

\n

\n \ud83d\udd25\n much like in professional wrestling, it is important to remember that every participant is a superstar.\u2002If you don't hype up even the most middling of your opponents, how will the television audience understand how great you are?\n

\n

The playbook of a federation banning people for participating in a competing effort is very familiar.\u2002The PGA has been running a similar tactic recently.\u2002And, similarly, failing miserably at it.

\n

\n \ud83d\udd25\n never pick a fight with people who print money by the barrel\n

\n

\n \ud83c\udf0e\n I have a different take on this.\u2002I view the 2017 \"Trump-orb\" incident as part of a secret treaty Mr. Trump made with the various Arab states as part of his peace-in-the-Middle-East effort.\u2002The terms included that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, etc. would be allowed to take over Qatar.\u2002(Of course, Mr. Trump didn't control Qatar.)\u2002In the event that failed, Mr. Trump gave them the sport of golf, as a forfeit.\u2002(Of course, Mr. Trump didn't control the sport of golf, either.\u2002Giving away other people's things as part of agreements has been his modus operandi for decades.)\n

\n

\n \ud83d\udca1\n from a societal view, the question is: how much televised darts does society need?\u2002The answer is: not very much.\n

\n

This is a very common failure pattern.\u2002The chess world saw something similar in the 1990s.\u2002Golf is seeing it now.\u2002There appear to be multiple backgammon world championships as well; although nobody cares about backgammon enough to make it a \"split\".

\n

\n \ud83c\udf0e\n and, once again, as-to whether this is an allegory for American democracy, no comment.\n

\n

THREE

\n

the NFL is on.\u2002because it is an ever-expanding blob.

\n

the AFC playoffs are settled.\u2002Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Kansas City.\u2002all in the playoffs.\u2002all AFC cities.

\n

\n \ud83d\udd25\n AFC is code for \"second-rate\".\u2002Chicago isn't in the AFC.\u2002New York ... well, New York has both.\n

\n

i had not been watching.\u2002and i will go back to not watching soon.

\n

but it seems that the Powers That Be have decreed that the NFL is the only thing one can watch on TV on Sundays.\u2002so I will leave it on for another ten minutes.

\n

\n \ud83d\udd25\n it is a rule of American society: anything that is good must expand and bloat until it is no longer good.\n

\n

and they are back to openly talking about \"most of the games this week don't matter; the only stars who are playing are the ones with contract bonuses on the line\".\u2002so we're done here.

\n

\n \ud83c\udf0e\n as far as whether this is an allegory for American democracy: no comment\n

","quotes":[],"subject":"earling"}