Recently, I have taken an interest in Eastern European and Russian literature. During my youth, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky were sometimes discussed in the academic world (Usually in a comical tone spoken by sophisticated “cultural enthusiasts” that mocked the encyclopedic length of their most famous novels). But the only interest I ever had during my youth was a fear of having to absorb them. Discovering Soviet films over the last decade was an eye opening but satisfying experience. Watching a film style that is completely unique and original relating to a specific region of the world was fascinating and got me interested in Russian culture and history. This lit that fire of curiosity in my soul that got me pursuing Russian novels. A few months ago, I started my first, the historical novel THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. For a good majority of my life, I was told that this novel would help me understand what the Soviet Union was. After reading this 616-page classic of literature, I have to admit that my understanding was severely lacking. But it also had an influence on my thought process that was unexpected.
Solzhenitsyn weaves the dark reality of living in the Soviet Union during this time with his own experience of surviving the Gulag for over a decade. The book is broken down into three main parts: An opening section that explains the history of the Communist uprising from the author’s perspective, the chaos of rule under Lenin, and the creation of the prison industry including the Soviet bluecaps who ran them. The second part is an attempt to explain ever-changing Soviet law and the dozens of non-defined reasons that led to the imprisonment, torture, and death of millions of citizens. Finally, the last part is an analysis of the constant movement and synchronicity that this expanded prison system eventually had on the Soviet landscape. The book has moments of pure hilarity especially when Solzhenitsyn explains the history of Communism and his memories of the people who ran this “sewage disposal system.” But he also dives into philosophical thinking often with religious overtones when it comes time for the reader to understand his mindset during this evil time. The second chapter, THE SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM is truly heartbreaking. As the Communists became more authoritarian and started cracking down on the people of Russia, he comes to the realization that a lack of understanding about how evil human beings can become and the systems of oppression that they create could have been stopped with acts of resistance. “How we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?...Or what about the Black Maria sitting out there on the street with one lonely chauffeur — what if it had been driven off or its tires spiked. The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin’s thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!” He also describes the lack of understanding about the miserable circumstances that were about to engulf the Russian people, “We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation.” While contemplating why some of his Russian brethren could torture, and in the worst cases, murder their fellow countrymen, he contemplates the idea of good versus evil, “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” As I thought when reading this quote, the world would be a lot easier to enjoy if every villain was as easy to recognize as they are in Hollywood movies or the novel THE LORD OF THE RINGS. But in our own reality, the world is much more complicated than that. In Communist Russia, the legal rules were this, “If the state accuses you of a crime, then you are a criminal.” Nowhere was a jury of your peers or an appearance in front of a non-partisan judge ever possible. The administrative state already had determined your punishment even before the trial had begun. Many were sentenced to death. Then, a general amnesty was given before death sentences became part of the Gulag again. Jail terms were often handed out indiscriminately. Two people who got charged with the same crime would get different sentences, one for only five years, the other twenty-five. Political prisoners would often get ten to fifteen and treated better than the common criminal. Even then, they often faced execution at a higher rate. The” educated” would get the worst treatment of all. Engineers, professors, authors, electricians, and civil servants would often be blamed and imprisoned for the mistakes or impossible production expectations of the government. When questioning the government on meeting quotas, this would automatically lead to a long prison sentence. Because as the Communists leaders always believed about themselves, they were never wrong. You are just a spoiled bourgeois traitor. When reading about the horror of the Gulag which was enforced on anywhere between ten to twenty million Soviet citizens (According to various opinions) and led to millions of unnecessary deaths and the starvation of millions more, there is only one thought that comes to mind. How could the people of the Soviet Union allow this to happen? These two quotes put this whole historical experience into perspective. It is the inherent flaws which every human being carries with them. “It was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains … a small corner of evil.” And about the purpose of religion, “Since then I have come to understand the truth of all the religions of the world: They struggle with the evil inside a human being (inside every human being). It is impossible to expel evil from the world in its entirety, but it is possible to constrict it within each person.” The impact this book had on me was unexpected. As an individual who is quickly approaching the half century mark on this planet, a clear understanding of our present-day circumstances overwhelmed me. Over the past two years, and nine months of my life, authoritarianism has made its way into my own life in ways that were unforeseen just a short time ago. Every single thing that has been enforced on us by the government, our jobs, or the medical pharmaceutical industry can be explained by Solzhenitsyn’s past experiences. But here is the real kicker of my analysis. I no longer consider the politicians that govern in California or in DC as anything other than a threat to my way of life. These people are criminals, vandals, and arsonists. As the FTX scandal clearly showed, we have reached the point in our empire where the elitists and wealthy loot the country before its collapse. It is bi-partisan and if the American people don’t wake up soon and fight back, our wealth will be gone, and we will be living under an authoritarian surveillance state. Politicians throughout history have always been out-of-touch with the people. This was also the case in the Soviet Union as Solzhenitsyn explains, “The old proverb does not lie: Look for the brave in prison (Lock downed in their homes), and the stupid among the political leaders!” Not to mention, the most dangerous men/women on this planet are the true believers. The people that are doing this for the good of humanity (Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci). Why was Adolf Hitler more dangerous than Benito Mussolini? Because Hitler truly believed in his vision of fascism while Mussolini only did it to accumulate power. There is a significant difference between these type of people. “To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he’s doing is good, or else that it’s a well-considered act in conformity with natural law. Fortunately, it is in the nature of the human being to seek a justification for his actions.” When an alternative viewpoint became the popular narrative, our leaders would not accept it. The default option was to censor any information that they personally did not support. This basic lack of human intelligence when it comes to actual tolerance and accepting differing viewpoints is the norm for most politicians. This is why governments are the worst tools of oppression in the world. “It’s a universal law– intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.” The mainstream narratives involving every aspect of the pandemic (COVID-19, biolabs, masking, hospitalization, deaths, and vaccines) were all lies masquerading as political opinions in a propagandistic push for more control over our lives. Unlike Russia though, U.S. citizens have defeated this power grab by our politicians and governmental agencies for the time being. There is a quote from THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO that explains why, “You can resolve to live your life with integrity. Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” Thank God we have so many Americans with integrity. Even though the lies have been exposed and a sense of “freedom” has returned for now, the damage that our politicians, corporate leaders, and the globalists have done to this country maybe irreparable. Who knows if they are going to make another attempt at enforcing the technocratic state they crave? And if this is the case, what are we going to do about it? Well, the best way to win is through two effective means. First, ignore the government and the media. Live your life the way you want. Do not let fear or intimidation take away from the beauty of this world. Enjoy the short amount of time that you have. If a law seems ridiculous, ignore it especially if it leads to no consequences. Second, accounting for his long prison term, the beauty of life can always be found in little things. Solzhenitsyn found plenty of it in his locked cage, “The rule of your life is this: Do not rejoice when you have found, do not weep when you have lost.” Gain different perspectives and wisdom and travel as much as possible, “Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.” Rulers and prison wardens believe they can control it all. But this is in contradiction to human nature. Anyone with nothing to lose can regain their freedom no matter the circumstances, “You only have power over people as long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything, he’s no longer in your power—he’s free again.” Learn to appreciate everything and everyone in your present-day life who have personal importance to you. Don’t let the need to accumulate goods ruin your happiness. “Our envy of others devours us most of all. Rub your eyes and purify your heart -and prize above all else in the world those who love you and who wish you well. Do not hurt them or scold them, and never part from any of them in anger; after all, you simply do not know. It may be your last act before your arrest, and that will be how you are imprinted on their memory.” And finally, some great philosophical advice, “Live with a steady superiority over life -don’t be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn for happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn’t last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing.” As you can probably surmise, I recommend this book to everyone. It should be required reading in colleges across the country (It currently is in Russia). To compare this to a film, THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO is THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION of prison novels. Read about the stupidity and pure evil of Lenin and Stalin and the crimes they committed against their populations and see how it compares to many of our present-day problems. Appreciate the fact that as a free citizen (For now), you did not have to suffer the horrors that were inflicted on so many undeserved people in a time not too far removed from our present. Personally, reading about terrifying incidents throughout history has always given me positive vibes. Not because I am a sick masochist. Because it makes me appreciate everything I have and everyone who loves me. There is nothing better that that.
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No matter whether you agree with me or not about my personal media choices, I hope that your mind has at least been opened to these alternative possibilities. The mainstream media currently is dying a slow and painful death and as the Twitter Files continue to be released and CNN, ABC, NBC, etc. continue to be exposed as propaganda outlets for big corporations and the government, the media that most people became familiar with during their lifetimes has begun to fade away. A new generation of media outlets is taking over. And who knows what is going to happen with these new platforms? They may become just as corrupted and pointless as CNN is currently. But until that day arrives, I will continue to put faith into the information that they provide over anything that the mainstream outlets try to promote.
The last alternative media outlet is Antenna Pod. My current version is downloaded thru an alternative app store called F-Droid, which only provides downloads for open source, Linux based applications. Antenna Pod can also be found on the Google Play Store (It is not available on Apple). So instead of subscribing to Audible or using the hellish advertising and tracking platforms posing as podcast players like Podcast Republic, Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Apple Podcast, Antenna Pod is open source and has access to over a million podcasts free of charge. I highly recommend this service (Even the Google Play one is better despite the tracking) for listening to your favorite podcasts. Below is my current selection of podcasts that are in my Antenna Pod application. NOTE: This list changes constantly. It really depends on my mood and interests at any particular time. ANYTHING BETTER? – Podcast hosted by Paul Virzi and Bill Burr, friends, and comedians. Bill Burr started the ALL-THINGS COMEDY NETWORK and hosts multiple podcasts with his close friends. This is my favorite one of the bunch. I used to listen to his twice weekly published MONDAY MORNING PODCAST, but the episodes started getting too long. Under two hours is the sweet spot for my attention span (This is why I DO NOT LISTEN to Joe Rogan). CONAN O’BRIEN NEEDS A FRIEND – Will continue to promote this podcast on EarWolf. It is still the funniest thing in the podcast universe. The show is based around Conan interviewing a celebrity weekly in a long form interview. FATMAN BEYOND – Another Podcast from another independent company, Smodcast. Owned by film director Kevin Smith, this is one of the half dozen podcasts that he hosts. Topics revolve around our present-day movie culture obsession with comic books and updated information on upcoming films. GOLD, GOATS, N GUNS – Speculative geo-political podcast from Lew Rockwell veteran, crypto enthusiast, and quasi-libertarian Tom Luongo. There is an independent podcast network with 20 to 30 minute long, four to five times a week podcasts based around every professional sports team in the NFL, MLB, NHL, College Sports, and the NBA. It is called the Locked On Network. I limit myself to three podcasts about my three favorite professional sports teams. LOCKED ON RAMS LOCKED ON KINGS LOCKED ON PADRES LORE – From the independent podcast company Grim & Mild comes a 30-minute podcast based on historical folklore with a few ghost stories thrown in for good measure. RAMS ICONIC – My first podcast owned by a billion-dollar business. In this case, it would be the Los Angeles Rams. This revolves around conversations with classic Rams players from their long and storied history and hosted by ex-Ram D’Marco Farr. THE COUNTERJAB – Brand new podcast hosted by Dr. Peter McCullough and John Leake that focues on COVID-19 misinformation. This can also be found on Dr. McCullough’s COURAGEOUS DISCOURSE Substack page. But it can be listened to for free on Antenna Pod. DANGEROUS HISTORY PODCAST – My favorite history podcast hosted by CJ Killmer, a now-retired history professor. This discusses alternative histories and stories not known by the majority of Americans. His recent focus on war propaganda has made this podcast a mandatory listen. JIM ROME PODCAST – Another podcast owned by a large corporation (Audacy); these are long form interviews by sports journalist Jim Rome with some of the most famous athletes of the current and previous generations. Jim has always been a fantastic interviewer, so these podcasts are always fascinating. TOM WOODS SHOW– Five times a week podcast about liberty and individuals fighting back against the government. TULSI GABBARD SHOW – Another new podcast focusing on long-form interviews related to topics close to Tulsi’s heart, stopping the military-industrial complex, the protection of female rights, media corruption, and more. And finally, YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS – A history podcast about 20th Century Hollywood that airs a handful of times a year in a seasonal format. This podcast is one of my favorites and the show will often analyze interesting film actors from the last Century. Finally, during this final part of my five-part series on Alternative Media, I want to make an announcement. Starting in 2023, Expert of Some will be creating a Twitter account. Due to monetizing this website, my future book, and classes that I want to start releasing on my website (More information on the latter two in 2023), I am going to start a Twitter account for promotional purposes only. It will be some version of my name, Expert of Some. When the account becomes active, I will send an email and post it permanently at www.expertofsome.com. In terms of the podcasts, feel free to reach out with your own personal favorites. Next week, I will provide a review for a historical book that I just recently finished. After that, there is going to be a deeper dive into history related to a topic that has become incredibly fascinating to me. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2023! Facebook is evil!
Facebook is run by an alien posing as a human being. Facebook is bad for everyone psychologically. What other reason is necessary to not use one of the worst inventions of the 21st Century? I decided to use Facebook for a short period of time in the mid-2010s under an alias. My account lasted a little over a year before it was suspended. Since I refuse to send a tech company my driver’s license and Social Security Number (Through their request to keep my account open), I decided to abandon my account. Something about Facebook has never felt “morally ethical”. Why does a company need so much personal information to use their services? What guarantee do I have that my privacy will be protected? As we have come to understand, Facebook cannot give you this guarantee. During the rise of social media website MySpace, I enjoyed the anonymity that it provided. You could get into interesting group conversations with people, dive deep into topics of personal interest, and debate with people interested in the same bizarre subjects without revealing anything personal about yourself. When Facebook rose from the ashes and began the destruction of MySpace back in the late 2000s, something about this felt like it was being forced onto our culture with an “invisible hand.” The website had minimal content and felt sterile like walking into a room with bright white walls, floors, and doors. There was no character with Facebook. But my opinion did not matter. Facebook was on its way to a hundred-billion-dollar valuation and would soon become the owner of Instagram, WhatsApp and would dominate the chat and social media categories. Skip ahead to 2020 and the creation of my https://www.expertofsome.com website. One of my goals in creating this website was to promote my blogs, future novels, and any other creative activity without using the marketing power and prestige of the evil Big Tech companies. While Substack is used to support independent journalists, and Rumble is used to support my favorite independent video creators, I needed to find a Facebook and Twitter clone to help build my audience. This is when I discovered MeWe. Like Telegram, MeWe is not a perfect defender of Constitutional Values. MeWe succeeds because it protects your privacy, does not bombard you with advertisements, nor track you with insidious cookies (I was able to confirm this through my own privacy evaluation of the website on Linux). MeWe has no problem with individuals using aliases for communication on their social media website. Under my alias, Expert of Some, I have become very active on MeWe (Especially in Sports chats). Listed below are the groups in which my participation is active. Anarchy: To discuss the philosophy of rule by “no government.” This group is often filled with unhinged people as well as a tremendous amount of spam. College Basketball: College basketball fans are more interesting to talk with than the NBA. NFL Chat: A discussion about the most popular sport in the United States. NHL Fans for Life: A group discussion about the NHL. MLB: The best MeWe chat with the most educated baseball fans I have ever encountered. Minor League Hockey: I am a big fan of AHL minor league hockey. I have three teams that play within an hour of my house and two of those teams are affiliated with my two favorite teams, the Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. Parrots USA: A fun chat about my favorite pet, the parrot. Hiking and Outdoors: A chat group of people mostly posting beautiful images from their hikes or camping trips. Linux and Open Source: As a Linux user, I am still fascinated with this topic. But this group is a very unsavory and obnoxious group. Here are the publications I follow on MeWe (Many of these were moved over from Telegram). Babylon Bee: Best online satirical website that focuses on religion and conservative/libertarian humor. The Epoch Times: Independent news source covering topics outside of the mainstream hive mind. American Thinker: Complex stories written about complex issues. Schiff Gold: Goldbug investor Peter Schiff and stories about economics from his unique point of view. Gateway Pundit: Often covers conservative and contrary opinions that the mainstream media will not talk about or ignores. Slashdot: Covers tech industry breaking news. Sports Illustrated: Breaking sports news and interesting long form stories about sports-related topics. Here are the charities and institutions I follow on MeWe (Many of these I support financially). Children’s Health Defense: RFK Jr.’s charitable organization that focuses on chemicals, vaccines, and medical malpractice that can be linked to the rise in childhood diseases and medical issues throughout the United States. Tenth Amendment Center: An organization that focuses on states’ rights and the need to swing the power structure back to the states and away from the Federal government. Free Thought Project: Has a libertarian perspective and focuses on the abuses of state power in the United States. Californians for Vaccine Choices: Also known as Stand-Up California. An organization to fight back against the oppressive vaccine mandates and masking imposed on the state. So there you go. Four different alternative websites, four complete lists of news organizations, individuals, and charities that have become my primary topics of research. Since 2020, my interests have changed dramatically. There are no film or television history, cryptocurrency, or music websites to be found. The overwhelming change in our culture towards authoritarianism that was brought about by these COVID-19 lockdowns, masking, and vaccine mandates really focuses your brain on what is important not only for yourself but your family. Next week will be my final post on this topic. I use an open-source podcast application called Antenna Pod. I highly recommend this program over the advertising infested garbage provided by Amazon, Apple, and Google. Until then! So with Part 1 of this “alternative media option” series, I discussed the rise of Substack, a new subscription-based journalism platform where the best writers of our era that have been “dismissed” from their jobs for ‘wrongthink’ have found a home to engage in investigative reporting which included a short list of some of my preferred writers. Part 2 was a short discussion about Locals and Rumble, the alternative video streaming platforms that are in direct competition with Google’s YouTube and have found success as free speech alternatives for creators who have been removed by Google for speech violations usually related to COVID-19 lockdowns or Hunter Biden’s laptop. In that article, I also listed a few more video creators that are my personal preference. With Part 3, we will be looking at another alternative platform that is in direct competition with other mainstream chat services like Discord, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Telegram, which started on August 14, 2013, is an end-to-end encryption app that has expanded onto desktop and other OS’s like Linux and has over 100 million users. From a security aspect, Telegram is not without controversy. Of the applications I have recommended, this is the one that still does not inspire 100% confidence. There are a couple of reasons for this. Unlike Rumble, Telegram buckled and began censoring Sputnik and RT News, two Russian-based news services that have direct ties to the Russian government, after the invasion of Ukraine. This is unacceptable and is the company’s first strike (As a baseball analogy, you get three strikes and then you are out!). Telegram has had some confirmed security issues which to the company’s credit, they usually resolve quickly. But if this has happened once before, how sure can anyone be that this won’t become a problem again? Third, they recently disclosed user data to a government that requested the information. This is the second strike. Finally, the founder of Telegram has big plans for the platform. It appears he wants to turn Telegram into a decentralized marketplace (CBDCs anyone?) for crypto wallets while creating a marketplace for exchange. This goes along with my recent discovery that he is a member of the World Economic Forum, the organization mainly responsible for “The Great Reset”, the political push by the elitists for global governance and a fascist public-private partnership that will obliterate individual freedom for every person on the planet.
My only defense for continuing to use Telegram is that my extended and immediate families use this application as our main communication tool through encrypted group chats. I can also send encrypted “chats” to any of my family and friends (If permission is given) on my contact list. This is the main reason for my continued usage of this application. In addition, there is a better messaging application that is more secure than Telegram called Signal which has better encryption and security. But, teaching your uneducated family how to use this application with keys and passwords is a difficult concept. So until this problem is resolved, Telegram is my default option for messaging. As I discover new dependable applications, I will update this post to a different chat service once I become comfortable with its usage capabilities and security details. Due to Telegram’s increasingly “shady” history, I have moved most of my trusted news-gathering services over to MeWe, the alternative social media application that is the free speech alternative to Facebook (More on this in Part 4). As a messaging service, Telegram has the ability to create groups with hundreds of thousands of members able to follow every post. Because of this, many news gathering organizations, celebrities, and corporations use Telegram as another tool for promotion. Since I default to prioritizing Substack and MeWe before using Telegram, here are the groups I follow on this application that do not have an option available on those alternatives. Dr. Peter McCullough: Probably the most important doctor in regard to the COVID-19 lockdowns, masking mandates, and vaccines. He is one of the first doctors who learned how to treat COVID-19 with medication on his patients and saved dozens of lives. Dr. McCullough has begun a divine calling in bringing attention to the evils of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and the broken and corrupt medical system. If you have Telegram, this is a mandatory “follow.” LifeSite News: A Canadian based Catholic website that has been an incredible news source for two specific topics that have become important to me. First, they have been at the forefront of news about the freedoms being destroyed by the COVID-19 masking requirements and lockdowns. Second, they have published multiple in-depth articles on the corruption of the Catholic Church. CounterPunch: An independent, well-researched, journalistic website that posts articles that often focus on the behaviors, deeds, and corruptions of corporations and governments throughout the world. Strategic Culture Foundation: In-depth analysis, research, and policy opinions about geopolitical issues in the Eurasian region. An interesting alternative viewpoint to the American one when it comes to world affairs. Mintpress News: Covers global imperialism, corporatocracy, and the loss of civil liberties of individuals all over the globe. James Delingpole: A unique British perspective on the events and global problems of the past two years. Antiwar.com: Best geopolitical news source that takes a strong libertarian, anti-war perspective to global events. Glenn Greenwald: Mentioned in Part 1 and Part 2. His Telegram chat is more of a Twitter summation of a thought or topic of interest that he is tracking on a particular day. Whitney Webb: Independent researcher and journalist that often focuses on the globalists/elitists and their plans for the world. Armstrong Economics: Economist and geopolitical analyst who makes often successful predictions about present-day issues with a focus on investing for the future. Next week, our 4th and final post about MeWe will conclude this series. At the end, I will be announcing a potential bonus 5th post with some updates on my personal life. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and spent some valuable time with their families. Until then! After explaining the long-term grievances against the media last week, our post this week will be shorter. For Part 2, we are going to focus on Rumble. Back on October 30, 2013, Chris Pavlovski launched Rumble, the alternative to the largest video sharing platform on the internet, YouTube. Like many up-and-coming websites competing against the tech giants, Rumble had a difficult task ahead of it. YouTube is the dominant force in video streaming. It was purchased by Google on October 9, 2006, for 1.65 billion dollars. YouTube makes its parent company 20 billion dollars in advertising money every year. Other streaming video sites like DailyMotion and Vimeo exist but pale in comparison to the market domination that YouTube has achieved. Part of the appeal of YouTube is that it shared advertising dollars with its content creators, a form of monetization that Rumble has copied.
Like many people, YouTube was my favorite online video streaming site. I went there for a handful of content creators (If you have not discovered VideoGameDunkey, please go there now), movie trailers, sports highlights, and political debates. I was not a cat or bird video guy. I actually tried to learn something on YouTube. My trust in YouTube all started falling apart during the COVID lockdowns. It did not take very long to discover that YouTube from a political perspective was a propaganda operation. All content that contradicted the statements of our “health” officials or the US government were quickly removed and after a certain number of warnings, were actually eliminated. If you had an opinion outside of the acceptable mainstream one, it was not long before YouTube brought the ban hammer to your content. This became an issue across multiple social media websites (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) especially after the recent discovery that the DHS was leading this “disinformation” campaign online. So, I decided to close my YouTube account in December of 2020. Thankfully, the switch to Rumble was almost seamless. Of the 20 subscriptions I had on YouTube, Rumble already had 12 of them. I have whittled YouTube down to 3 channels now, Dunkey, Screen Junkies, and Team Coco. Here is my list of subscriptions on Rumble. All of these were discovered on YouTube and were moved over to Rumble for different reasons. THE HODGE TWINS: The very funny conservative leaning, African American twins who perform comedy shows throughout the country and make hilarious videos in the Jon Stewart tradition by skewering cultural icons and politicians in our present day. PAUL JOSEPH WATSON: Founder of SUMMIT NEWS and collaborator with Alex Jones. He is highly opinionated but can often be very funny with his analysis on our culture. THE HISTORY GUY: A short collection of videos on certain aspects of history that most people do not know about. He keeps it informative and non-political. AWAKEN WITH JP: Comedy sketches from JP Sears who has undergone a transition from liberal technocrat to a libertarian defender of freedom since the COVID-19 lockdowns. THE TULSI GABBARD SHOW: Defender of freedom who focuses on personal rights and an anti-war message. Used to belong to the Democratic Party until they lost their minds in pursuit of power. I also follow her Substack where her written articles are published. RAND PAUL: My favorite son of my all-time favorite politician. His attacks on Dr. Fauci have been an inspiring light in the tunnel of darkness that is the US Congress. RT News: News presented with a Russian bias. Understanding this bias is important. Think of RT as the opposite of MSNBC and CNN that often counters their narratives. I follow it because understanding the Russian perspective when our two nations are sliding into war is important despite disagreeing with much of their content. But I also do not agree with the United States’ censorship of the channel. The opinions on RT should be heard by everyone. Ron Paul Liberty Report: A channel that I supported financially in the past. It is a short, daily broadcast by Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams on the important issues of the day with a strong freedom and libertarian perspective. Glenn Greenwald: This channel airs Glenn’s video recordings that are separate topics of discussion from his Substack writing. This channel may disappear due to a new venture that Greenwald is undertaking (More on this in a moment). Academy of Ideas: MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE and now RUMBLE CHANNEL. A channel I also support financially. Videos presented in a research format that analyze many elements of our present-day culture, philosophies, religion, and politics by analyzing the great thinkers of our past and comparing that to our modern times. Russell Brand: Actor and ex-YouTube content creator. Brand is an open-minded chap from England who is just looking for truth and reason in a world going mad. His open-mindedness has gotten him in trouble with the YouTube censors. So Rumble is his home! Epimetheus: An analyzer of historical civilizations and ancient cultures. As you can see, the content I consume on Rumble has a few carryovers from Substack but it differs in a few significant ways (Especially when it comes to history). Before closing this post, I have to mention LOCALS, the new live feed broadcasting application that was recently launched by RUMBLE. LOCALS differs from RUMBLE in one significant way. RUMBLE pays out money to the content creator based on their overall views. This system is similar to YouTube’s monetary compensation. LOCALS also has streaming videos, but they can be watched via subscription. So far, I only follow three people on LOCALS and two of those names you already know. GLENN GREENWALD: Because of my Substack subscription, his LOCALS feed is complimentary. Glenn is launching an hourly newscast in November which will air five nights a week and discuss political issues from a civil liberties perspective. TULSI GABBARD: Since I watch her Rumble videos, read her Substack, and listen to her podcast, I am not sure how LOCALS will differentiate from her other content. So this channel is a wait and see. PETER SCHIFF: My favorite metal investor who has been screaming about inflation for years. Peter has his own podcast and YouTube channels also. But, his best content is his writing on SchiffGold. There you go. Don’t let the censorship tactics of the gigantic internet companies slide you into depression. Even if you are not interested in the same channels (And who would be), there is something to enjoy on RUMBLE. So move your membership to RUMBLE and make the strongest political statement you can make towards Google about their views on censorship. If you continue to violate the Constitutional laws and traditions of this country, you will end up in the dustbin of history. RUMBLE is the future! Before beginning this post, I would like to apologize again for the minimal output of content on this blog. There have been a couple of reasons why this output has declined. First, October is usually a busy month socially. Halloween is usually a chaotic time for the family. We often attend concerts, horror movie related events, apple-picking at farms, family and work-related vacations, and other cultural attractions which eat into personal time. Besides this, my beloved San Diego Padres went on a surprising playoff run which was completely unexpected. Enjoying these games with my recent discovery of quality whisky (More on this later) has been a soul affirming experience, but it also has destroyed many evenings. Finally, I have been suffering from a case of writer’s block. Usually, ideas just flow like a healthy, streaming river out of my confused but active brain. But over the past two months, my brain has resembled the emptiness of Homer Simpson’s. But because of an article that hit my inbox yesterday, my inspiration has returned. Starting with this blog, I am beginning another series of at least three blogs regarding alternative media platforms and the options available to counter the increasing amount of censorship occurring online with the Big Tech companies. Today’s blog will discuss the publishing platform Substack.
It is hard for the common person to believe that their life is being controlled by some form of propaganda. Human beings take solace in the fact that our actions and decisions in our daily lives are guided by our free will. The decision you make about what to buy at the grocery store, what politician to support, and who you choose to converse with on a personal level are based on your own internal code of morals and the human behaviors and personalities that you find most appealing. Because every human being lives a different experience in their life, this divergence creates different opinions about almost any societal topic. It is difficult to pinpoint any issue that every human being would agree is a universal truth. Even a subject like the murder of another human being, which almost every person on this planet would describe as an evil and punishable act, often happens because individuals become lost in their angry thoughts. So in this present day of social media and rampant, narcissistic individualism, it is difficult for most people to understand that many of the things which have occurred and changed our society over the past two plus years were planned by a collective group of organizations, corporations, and governments to fundamentally change the world and create a “Great Reset” (Their words) towards a new more centralized, technocratic, and authoritarian future implemented on a global scale. This war took decades to plan and began during the implementation of the COVID-19 lockdowns in March of 2020. Without diving into this incredibly complex topic, I have decided to discuss this problem in relation to subjects that I understand and find personally important, the impact these changes have had on the media. Besides my increased activism in reversing the propagandists who pose as professional “journalists”, there are other things I have begun doing to protect myself and my family from whatever world maybe coming in the future. I have been participating in anti-war movements (A passion of mine throughout my life) and anti-vaccine movements (More because of concern for my daughter and junior high aged son). Plus, I think it is important to understand something about these globalists and their push for control. They are not winning. They are not united, and the personal ambitions of these powerful individuals will likely lead to the movement fracturing due to their own selfish interests. It is already happening with individuals like Elon Musk and Tulsi Gabbard who were trained by the WEF as “future leaders” both coming out publicly against the globalists’ motives. Jerome Powell, head of the FEDERAL RESERVE, is also under attack by these same forces for trying to save a governmental institution and the banks that support it by reversing policy mistakes dating back to 2008 which has led to our current inflation crisis. With the complexity of the moving and interlocking parts fighting with each other, it is important for citizens to get fair and factual reporting to sort out the tremendous amount of information that is being thrown at us. Unfortunately, the media maybe the most controlled element of this globalist push. Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, Big Tech has decided to show its true nature. These tech companies have become nothing other than mouthpieces of propaganda for the largest corporations and governments on the planet. Not only are they censoring information that contradicts the official narrative with their internal algorithms, but the war on the American people has escalated where individuals who have an alternative viewpoint that opposes these narratives are being removed from the internet and in some cases, being financially eliminated from our economic system. It is hard to believe that the United States in 2022 has devolved into this authoritarian nightmare. But this is our current reality. If you want to understand the background of this escalation, I highly recommend this article from Glenn Greenwald. It is long and detailed but gives a fundamental and historical background that explains how this has happened. Counting mainstream publications and broadcasters like THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE ATLANTIC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX NEWS and FOREIGN POLICY MAGAZINE (Among many others), I have removed myself from all subscriptions and email lists from these media institutions. As a substitute, I have become a dedicated follower of the Substack platform. Voices who have been fired, resigned, or removed from mainstream publications because they did not promote the ‘approved narrative’ during the COVID-19 era of censorship have found their voices here. Substack has journalists that write about an incredibly diverse range of topics. Do you want financial advice? Substack has it. How about an evaluation of our culture? YUP. What about ex-Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura’s opinion on the world? They have it. The one difference from normal, mainstream media is the abandonment of the commercial advertising model which has kept over the air television free for over half a century. Many writers require a subscription to access their content. Because they are content creators and Substack refuses to put advertising on its platforms, this new subscription model is likely the future of independent journalism. Some of the biggest content creators have tens of thousands of subscribers usually paying a flat rate of 60 dollars a year so they are free to produce written articles, podcasts, and videos without relinquishing editorial control. Because of this, the best journalists on the planet have been producing incredible content here after many of them were removed from their mainstream publications for not “promoting the proper narrative.” Here are the subscriptions that I pay for: Chris Hedges (Formerly of the NEW YORK TIMES, PBS FRONTLINE and TRUTHDIG. Famous liberal anti-war voice who has covered wars for decades) Matt Stoller (Independent journalist and leftist who covers corporate monopoly power in the United States) Edward Snowden (Yes, THAT EDWARD SNOWDEN who is a fantastic writer) Michael Tracey (Formerly employed by Cenk Uygur’s YOUNG TURKS before he lost his mind) Glenn Greenwald (Formerly of SALON, THE GUARDIAN, and THE INTERCEPT. Another ex-liberal who has seen the light and is becoming more libertarian by the day) Matt Taibbi (Formerly of ROLLING STONE. Became famous writing about the 2008 financial crash. Also, a wonderful observer who comments on the destruction of the American left) Dr. Robert Malone (Inventor of “THAT MRNA” technology that has been injected into almost 2 billion people who has now dedicated his life to stopping it. As well as some political commentary) There are also some free memberships I follow. These sometimes have limitations where articles are paywalled. Only the first person listed below allows people to read all their content for free. Caitlin Johnstone (An anarcho-communist who writes about imperial propaganda and war) Igor Chudov (Data Analyst who analyzes the COVID-19 vaccines and health statistics. Yes, they are as bad as you think) Mark Crispin Miller (Besides his amazing middle name, he is a leftist professor from NYU who is in rebellion against the Democrats. Specializes in propaganda analysis) Alex Berenson (Formerly of the NEW YORK TIMES. Been a thorn in the side of Dr. Fauci and his COVID-19 vaccines and lockdowns from the start. This used to be a paid subscription) Doomberg (My favorite collective that writes incredibly in-depth articles on energy policy and economics and the fraud that is the “green energy” movement) Eugyppius (A chronicler of our failing culture and society) Tulsi Gabbard (Ex-Democratic Party representative and strong anti-war and civil liberties supporting voice) Based on the people I read and subscribe to; you can see what has been important in my life from a political perspective over the past couple of years. As an individual with their own unique interests and taste, you don’t have to listen to a damn thing I say about these people. The choices on Substack are defined by every person and their personal interests. But no matter what the topic may be, Substack will have a well-informed journalist covering it. I highly recommend engaging with this platform and becoming a member even if the idea of paying a subscription rate goes against your personal morality. You are supporting an alternative media platform that has spoken more “truth” over the past two years than all mainstream media publications have over the past decade. If you find any other writer that should be brought to my attention, feel free to post it in the comment section. Have a fantastic Halloween and I will be back after my upcoming trip to New Orleans on Election Day. Part 2 about the Rumble Platform will be next. Welcome to my 3rd annual Major League Baseball postseason prediction blog, the one sport that is often impossible to correctly predict. The 2022 season was the first one since 2019 that did not have the stench of COVID-19 attached to it. There were significant rule changes that modified the games for a modern day audience including the National League adoption of the designated hitter, a radical change to extra innings in which the last batter of the previous inning starts the next extra inning as a runner on second, and finally, the addition of a 6th playoff team in each league. After 162 games, the playoff field has been set.
Here are the National League Playoff Teams:
Here are the American League Playoff Teams:
The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN playoff teams until the expansion of the playoffs was incorporated in 2022. The playoff format is set up similarly to the NFL until they decided to add their 7th playoff team per conference in 2020. The division winner with the worst record now has to play a wild card series against the 6th and final seed. The first and second wild card teams meet in the other playoff series. The wild card has also been expanded to a three-game series instead of a one game elimination that takes place at the home stadium of the team with the higher seed. Unlike the NFL, the postseason also has one other minor difference. The playoff brackets are fixed. The top two seeds both receive byes. The top seed in each league plays the winner of the 4/5 seed wild card series. The second seed plays the winner of the 3/6 seed wild card series. The NFL readjusted its playoff bracket where the higher seed always played the lowest remaining seed. The MLB did not do this with the new playoff format. Since my own busy schedule is forcing me to post this blog late, here are my predictions for each round of the playoffs. Additional Note: I have a rooting interest in this 2022 postseason. My beloved San Diego Padres have made the field and my picks regarding this team is based on pure emotional attachment. But logic also wins the day. So, I am realistic about where their season ultimately ends. AL WILD CARD SERIES Cleveland defeats Tampa Bay 2 Games to 1 Seattle defeats Toronto 2 Games to 1 NL WILD CARD SERIES St. Louis defeats Philadelphia 2 Games to 0 San Diego defeats N.Y. Mets 2 Games to 1 AL DIVISIONAL SERIES Houston defeats Seattle 3 Games to 1 New York Yankees defeat Cleveland 3 Games to 0 NL DIVISIONAL SERIES Atlanta defeats St. Louis 3 Games to 0 L.A. Dodgers defeat San Diego 3 Games to 1 AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES New York Yankees defeat Houston 4 Games to 3 L.A. Dodgers defeat Atlanta 4 Games to 3 WORLD SERIES L.A. Dodgers defeat N.Y. Yankees 4 Games to 1 I will make this prediction very specific. The Yankees will likely win Game 1 against Clayton Kershaw. After that, the Dodgers’ pitchers will dominate the Yankee lineup and wipe the team out in 4 straight games. This will be the Dodgers 8th MLB Championship and 7th for the city of Los Angeles. This will also give the city of Los Angeles its 2nd championship in less than a year (Los Angeles Rams are the defending Super Bowl Champions from the 2021 season) and the state of California its 3rd championship during that same timeframe (Golden State Warriors are the 2022 NBA Champions). The only teams that fell outside this California domination would be the 2022 Colorado Avalanche who are the defending 2022 Stanley Cup Champions and the NYC Football Club who are the defending MLS Champions in 2021. Enjoy the postseason! Due to a busy schedule, I can not put in my normal amount of research required for a typical blog post. Despite being distracted, I read a couple of fantastic articles this week which are going to be linked below. I have become fascinated with Benito Mussolini’s THE DOCTRINE OF FASCISM published in 1932 and found in a PDF format here. Inside this article, Mussolini boasted that fascism would be the dominant ideology for the next 100 years. Taking this into prediction into account, was he actually incorrect? The term “fascism” is technically a dead definition with negative connotations. But what if a similar ideology exists that is just defined in a different way?
To further enhance the question I posed in the last paragraph, THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE ran a fascinating article titled PLUTOCRATIC SOCIALISM AND THE WAR ON THE MIDDLE CLASS. This article makes a lot of important points. One of the most important is that the “billionaires” due to benefitting off government largesse and their internal connections believe arrogantly that they are smarter and more intelligent than everyone else. This arrogance is why they have gotten aggressive in promoting their ideologies onto the world which must be paid for at taxpayer expense by the middle class. The whole article is fascinating and enlightening. Second, for people who want to understand the political situation in Los Angeles currently, read THE FALL OF LOS ANGELES by Spiked. This gives a formal breakdown on the factors leading to the destruction of my beloved hometown. Finally, I am posting this one so my friends and acquaintances can have a better understanding of what I have been going through personally. Since this pandemic, the things that interest me has rapidly changed. My personal disgust with the all-consuming liberal culture of the cities and the authoritarian tactics used the last two years has completely rewired my brain. I have become fascinated with owning land and living a life in small-town America outside of the city centers. I have become proficient with weapons. I am reading books on how to grow proper potatoes. I love enveloping myself in long five-mile hikes through winding meadows and scenic forests. The allure of our technocratic future no longer appeals to me. This article is about another individual who has had similar thoughts and is going through their own personal growth while expressing disgust for elements of her previous life. This is wonderfully written and highly recommended. Have a great Wednesday. Until next week! What could possibly top last year? For the 2nd time in my life, my beloved Los Angeles Rams (For the record, their first Super Bowl happened in St. Louis in 1999) won the Super Bowl. Thinking back about how this occurred, it is interesting to focus on the small details. What would have happened if Matthew Stafford had not hit Copper Kupp for a long pass to get the Rams into field goal range to beat the Buccaneers? A game that the Rams dominated but almost lost because of four fumbles. What if the 49ers had not upset the Packers because their Achilles heel (The Special Teams) rose up and ended their season with a blocked punt disaster? The Rams have not been able to beat this modern-day version of the Packers. Could they have beat the Packers in the frozen tundra if they had survived the 49er playoff game? What about the 49ers 4th quarter meltdown in the NFC Championship? A game that they had under control until the wheels came off. Or if Sean McVay had not opened up the Rams offense for the last drive to allow Copper Kupp and Stafford to do their thing and drive the team to the Super Bowl championship. Lots of small decisions and fortune are often required for a team to reach the pinnacle of the NFL. So will it happen again?
Before I go into my pre-season predictions and team-by-team analysis, I want to bring up something that came to my attention. This observation is mainly focused on the NFC. Going back to 1998, the AFC has been the elite conference for quarterbacks. Looking at the teams that have won AFC Titles and Super Bowls, it is a pretty short list of superstars. The New England Patriots possess all 9 AFC Titles out of the AFC East winning 6 Super Bowls with Tom Brady. Peyton Manning possesses 4 AFC Titles. 2 with the AFC South Indianapolis Colts and 1 Super Bowl win and 2 more with the AFC West Denver Broncos with another Super Bowl win. Ben Roethlisberger won 3 AFC Titles and 2 Super Bowls with the AFC North Pittsburgh Steelers. This accounts for 16 of the last 24 Super Bowl appearances for the AFC. Throwing Patrick Mahomes into the equation, the modern-day elite quarterback of the AFC, who has won 2 AFC Championships already and a Super Bowl. John Elway even belongs on this list as his last AFC Title and Super Bowl occurred in 1998. The remaining AFC Super Bowl appearances belong to the Baltimore Ravens who have won 2 AFC Titles and 2 Super Bowls with incredible defensive teams and an average quarterback (For the record, Trent Dilfer in 2000 and Joe Flacco in 2012). The other appearances are the Tennessee Titans AFC Championship in 1999 guided by the incredible and now deceased Steve McNair, the Oakland Raiders AFC Title in 2002 with Rich Gannon, and in 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals AFC Title with Joe Burrow. If Mahomes and Burrow end up in the Hall of Fame, this means that the AFC has been dominated by elite quarterbacks with only the 2 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Championships and the singular appearances by the Titans and Raiders as outliers. The AFC is 14-10 in the last 24 Super Bowls. There has never been a greater argument for why quarterbacks are the centerpiece of any NFL team. So let’s dive into the NFC. There are two interesting trends here. If you go back to the early years of the Super Bowl, the NFC East was the dominant conference during the first 32 Super Bowls ending in 1997. The NFC East participated in half of these Super Bowls. Dallas (8), Washington (5), N.Y. Giants (2), and Philadelphia (1) with 16 NFC Titles and 10 Super Bowl wins amongst themselves. The next closest division would be the NFC Central/North with 9 NFC Titles and 4 Super Bowls. Green Bay has 4 NFC Titles and 3 Super Bowls, the Minnesota Vikings have 4 NFC Titles, and the Chicago Bears earned 1 NFC Title and Super Bowl. The NFC West was the outlier back then with only the San Francisco 49ers 5 NFC Titles and Super Bowl wins giving the division any value during this time. The Los Angeles Rams and the eventual AFC bound Baltimore Colts (Now Indianapolis) are the only other teams during this time with an NFC Title out of the West. Since 1998, the history of the NFC has shifted west. The NFC East, thanks mainly to the Giants, has only had 5 NFC Titles over the last 24 years. The New York Giants have 3 NFC Titles and 2 Super Bowl wins while the Philadelphia Eagles have 2 NFC Titles and 1 Super Bowl win. The Cowboys and Redskins have been shut out over this last quarter of a century. The NFC North is even more pathetic. The one team that left the old NFC Central division has had more success than all the NFC North teams combined. The Green Bay Packers are the only team in this division with a Super Bowl win in their only appearance during this timeframe. The Chicago Bears are the only other team with an NFC Title from this division. The North has had 2 Super Bowl appearances in 24 years. The NFC South has been the second most successful division. Every team in this division has played in the Super Bowl since 1998. Atlanta has 2 NFC Titles (Their first one was when the team was in the NFC West); the old NFC Central Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 2 NFC Titles and 2 Super Bowls. The Carolina Panthers also have 2 NFC Titles, and the New Orleans Saints have 1 NFC Title and Super Bowl win. That is 6 NFC Titles and 3 Super Bowl wins for this division. But the NFC West has been the class of the NFL for the past 24 years. Counting the Atlanta Falcons NFC Title in 1998, the NFC West has 11 NFC Titles in 24 years. In order, the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams have 4 NFC Titles and 2 Super Bowls, the Seattle Seahawks have 3 NFC Titles and 1 Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers have 2 NFC Titles, and the Arizona Cardinals have 1 NFC Title. Even though they have won as many Super Bowls over the past 24 years as the NFC East and South (With a miserable 3-8 Super Bowl record), the West has been the most competitive division in the NFC by far. The quarterbacks who have won in the NFC are present or future Hall of Famers. Kurt Warner in 1999, Eli Manning in 2007 and 2011, Drew Brees in 2009, Aaron Rodgers in 2010, Russell Wilson in 2013, Tom Brady with the Bucs in 2020 and Matthew Stafford in 2021. The only exceptions were Brad Johnson who won with the Bucs in 2002 with a ferocious defense and Nick Foles and his magical run in 2017 with the Eagles. So why am I writing all this? Because another geographical shift is likely happening in the NFL. The elements are in place for this to develop and it should become noticeable over the next few years. But until then, the AFC and NFC West remain the dominant divisions for at least a few more years. HERE ARE MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2022 NFL SEASON AFC EAST Buffalo: Division Winner Miami New England New York Jets It is really hard to see Buffalo being stopped this season. Despite losing one of the most heartbreaking playoff games in recent memory, they have managed to shore up some of their obvious weaknesses. Unless injuries ravage this team, they should win the AFC East easily and cruise through the AFC Playoffs. Miami has been quietly good especially on defense these past few years. Because of slow starts, the Dolphins sabotaged themselves over the past two years despite finishing 10-6 and 9-8. This season, they should have a winning record again. The problem is their offense. Can Tua Tagovailoa play better? Probably, but they also play some incredibly good defenses this year. Look for them to have 9 or 10 wins again and just miss the playoffs…again. New England will fall back into mediocrity again. With a difficult schedule that never seemed to occur when Brady was quarterback, the Patriots should sit around .500. The New York Jets will be competitive this year as they begin their rise from the ashes. But this is a team that is looking at being in the playoffs in 2024 and beyond. AFC NORTH Baltimore: Division Winner Pittsburgh Cincinnati Cleveland Baltimore had a miserable season with injuries and terrible luck as their season came apart in December and January. Expect this to change in 2022. They should win this division easily. Pittsburgh has a developing upper echelon defense in 2022. Their problem remains at the quarterback position which needs to get resolved now that Roethlisberger has retired. I love the Cincinnati Bengals. But I can not help but think that the Super Bowl appearance is going to lead to health issues this year. I expect this season to be a wash. But I would not be surprised if they are Super Bowl contenders again in 2023. Finally, the Cleveland Browns. That is it. AFC SOUTH Indianapolis: Division Winner Tennessee: Wild Card Jacksonville Houston With Matt Ryan, I expect the Colts to pass the Titans and win the division this year. But the underlying weaknesses on the Colts team will likely lead to an early playoff exit. Tennessee seems like they will take a step back this year. Can Henry remain healthy? Can Tannehill play better in the clutch? My answer to these questions is NO. I hope they can prove me wrong. I still see them fighting with Miami and the Raiders to slide into that 7th and Final Playoff Seed. Jacksonville should be much improved. I expect seven to eight wins with this team in 2022. Houston is in a full rebuild. Come back in 2025 if you want to discuss their future viability. At least Houston has the Astros. AFC WEST Without a doubt, the best division in the NFL this year. I believe all four teams could represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year. Denver: Division Winner Los Angeles Chargers: Wild Card Kansas City Chiefs: Wild Card Las Vegas Raiders I expect every team in the West to finish over .500. I expect the Chargers and Chiefs to dispatch the Ravens and Colts in the playoffs advancing three AFC West teams to the divisional round along with Buffalo. The hard-luck Raiders will miss the playoffs barely losing a likely tiebreaker to Tennessee. The Denver Broncos with Russell Wilson and that defense will be a completely new team this year. I expect them to surprise and win the division. As a Rams fan, I am uniquely aware of how competitive Seattle was even when the team was mediocre. With a defense like the Broncos have, they will be a tough out in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Chargers will have one of their best teams of my lifetime. With Herbert maturing, they are going to be a tough team to defeat all season. The fallback of Kansas City seems inevitable. I fully expect that they will be a Super Bowl caliber team again in a few years. But with the competition in the West and their slow starts, I expect the season to be an uphill battle. But when all 17 games have been played, they will be in the playoff field again. Finally, the Las Vegas Raiders are going to be the odd man out. This is a good team. But can you argue that they are better than the other three teams in the AFC West? NFC EAST The worst division in the NFL by far. Philadelphia Eagles: Division Winner Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Washington Commanders I am not going to tell you that the Eagles are going to be much improved. I don’t actually believe that. I just think they will benefit from a likely Cowboys meltdown and come out of this division with a 9-8 record. Dallas is going to waste this season and realize that Mike McCarthy is not the answer. After this tumultuous season, we will revisit Dallas in 2023. The New York Giants are on the path of rebuilding. I expect them to be more competitive this season. But it will be a long year. The Washington Commanders with Carson Wentz seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Expect a disappointing season if you are a Washington fan. NFC NORTH Green Bay Packers: Division Winner Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions Chicago Bears Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers remains the class of the NFC North. Until one of their divisional foes proves that they are better, there is no reason to pick against the Packers. If they can fix their special teams, they are a definitive Super Bowl contender. Minnesota has a talented team that can win this division. But there is no escaping the incredibly average feeling that Kurt Cousins gives to this team. I expect Minnesota can win 10 games and get into the playoffs. But until they prove themselves, I am keeping them out of the playoff field. I do have a soft spot for Jared Goff. He is only one of six quarterbacks in Rams history to take my team to the Championship game. He is also a flawed quarterback. But the kid can fling it and with Detroit’s talent in a better place this season, they could be the surprise of the NFC. Chicago seems rudderless. They felt like a team with no motivation last season. Until this changes and they get some decent quarterback play, I expect them to bring up the rear in the North. NFC SOUTH The most improved division in the NFC this year (Atlanta Falcons excluded). New Orleans Saints: Division Winner Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Wild Card Carolina Panthers Atlanta Falcons The Saints have a fantastic team. The defense is top notch, and the offensive talent is great. The problem revolves around Jameis Winston and his health. I expect him to have a good season. A good season by a Saints quarterback usually leads to a division title. Tampa Bay has Tom Brady. Even though the talent does feel like it has slipped since their Super Bowl winning season in 2020, expect Brady and the above average defense to get into the NFC playoffs again. Carolina could be a wild card team this year. They could also win 4 games. It all depends on the quarterback play of Baker Mayfield. This will be an exciting team no matter the outcome. Atlanta is going to be bad. That is all. NFC WEST The best NFL division of the last 24 seasons. It will be very good again. Los Angeles Rams: Division Winner San Francisco 49ers: Wild Card Arizona Cardinals: Wild Card Seattle Seahawks The Rams are the champs. Other than injuries plaguing this team, they should have no problem winning 12 to 13 games again. The talent level has only increased since the Super Bowl winning team from last year. The Rams can definitely repeat if they remain healthy and motivated. San Francisco is a scary team. With a team that may have the most talent in the entire NFL, the 49ers success is going to be directly tied to Trey Lance. If he proves that he is an elite quarterback in the Patrick Mahomes mold, this could be a 15-win team that will run away with the NFC. Until that question is answered though, they still have enough to easily qualify as a wild card this season. Arizona is an interesting dichotomy. Again, the talent on this team is incredible. Now that Kyler Murray has signed a huge contract, can they take the next step? This is another wait and see question. I can see the Cardinals being NFC Champions. I can also see a team that slides to a losing record. I choose to pick the middle. They will get into the playoffs again as a wild card. Finally, the Seattle Seahawks. With the Russell Wilson trade, this is a team that is beginning its offensive rebuild. But they are not too far away from competing for a playoff spot again. Feel free to strike back with your own predictions. I hope everyone enjoys the 2022 season. Go Rams! Before I begin the next part on my evaluation of higher education (Also related to the fact that I am temporarily locked out of my Arizona State University account), I want to answer a question forwarded to me. “Hey Expert, are you really an expert in anything?” Unfortunately, I can not give a definitive answer to this question. In my life, I have discovered that on quite a few topics (Let’s say 50), I can hold a basic conversation as long as the details remain at a basic level. For instance, if we are talking about cars, I know they run on four wheels and move forward when I switch the transmission to D. There are car brands like Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Toyota…ummm…Mazda, Nissin which I think also owns a ramen company, and something called Hun-Day. I know that a flux capacitor is necessary for the battery to operate, or the car won’t move. There are also the pointy metal “thingys” that show up after you remove a tire and circular metal device from the tire. As you can see, I know quite a bit about cars to have a decent conversation about them over a beer. I have learned a few things about guns. Mostly from the safety perspective (Thank you California). I know more about the paperwork required to transfer gun ownership than I do about bullet calibers. Because when it comes to defending yourself, it is important to know where my signature is needed on a piece of paper when my daughter inherits my weapons after I get shot and killed trying to figure out the state’s laws. On about 20 topics, my knowledge is at a higher level than the average person. I can write or blog about these topics when researched. Two new additions to this category are travel and energy (More on this later). I will not pose as an expert on these topics but can dive into complex details and even take risks if it relates to an issue like investing. Because as the financial overlords always say, metal never goes down (Except it has consistently over the past ten years), real estate never goes down (Except in 2008), and stocks always trend up (Except when they don’t). So how could I be any worse than these supposed “experts” who paid a 100,000 dollars for a Finance Master’s Degree where they are always right? Except when they are not! When I got my Master’s Degree last year, I undertook testing at Arizona State University on a diverse range of topics. If I passed a specific topic (And got my proper six to twelve months of being a teacher’s assistant) and qualified, I could create a curriculum and teach these subjects to students. So here is my delayed answer to this question. I am an actual EXPERT on a few things. I am the EXPERT OF SOME. Again, here is the list. AMERICAN POLITICS ARTS AND MEDIA ENGINEERING COMMUNICATION PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY CREATIVE NON-FICTION WRITING CULTURAL STUDIES AND TECHNOLOGY DEMOCRATIC AND POLITICAL THEORY DIGITAL MEDIA FILM STUDIES MEDIA AND NEW MEDIA STUDIES SPORTS TELECOMMUNICATIONS VIDEO PRODUCTION WAR AND SOCIETY That is right. My knowledge on these thirteen topics is at a level that God forbid, I can teach these subjects to people. What is missing here? Music for one. I thought my overall deep knowledge of this topic would qualify me as an old clarinetist and saxophonist during my high school and college years. Apparently, I arpeggio’ed where I should have staccato’ed and did not qualify to teach it. I never believed I was more than an average musician. This test proved my theory once and for all. So why do I bring all this up? I like to send emails to my friends, acquaintances, ex-lovers, co-workers, the man who lives under the bridge near me, etc. I will read or observe something that I feel needs to be forwarded along. Do I expect you to watch, read, or listen to it? Absolutely not. But if I decide to send it to you, the main reason is because intellectually, I believe it is something that would interest you or maybe even expand your mind. I sometimes will focus on these topics listed as my “expertises” above because I do have strong opinions on all these topics and spend many hours a week reading and researching them. So even if you don’t agree with my point of view, these forwarded topics are coming to you with a great deal of knowledge attached to them. Sometimes, I am not even sure if a topic is true. But the article is so fascinating, I think it is worth opining over or having a bizarre discussion about. I feel my clarity on this needs to be emphasized again. Because there are individuals who mistakenly believe that if a topic is sent to them, then the words inside the article stand for my beliefs. This is not true. l sometimes write with strong emotions and passion. But it will be prefaced with words like, “If this is true”, or “Let’s hope this does not happen.” I will give strong opinions on people like Dick Cheney. Because I think he has a secret cave somewhere in Wyoming with imprisoned children that he likely eats once a month to keep his heart beating for another 30 days. My tone maybe confusing but as a person with strong journalistic instincts, my only motivation is to inform. You can make your own judgments on what I send and that is fine. I am just trying to share my own intellectual curiosity with as many people as possible. So let’s do a test. The last two days, Tucker Carlson has opened his show with a monologue on the "coming" energy crisis. There are divergent opinions on whether there actually is a crisis. This is not my point for sending it. The information he provides in both these monologues is fascinating. As a person who is beginning to rebel against the green energy transition (I am a person that understands the electric grid on a pretty complex level and would like for these "climate change" activists to answer a few basic questions about this), I am having my doubts on whether these initiatives will ever work. Don't let my cynicism make you think there is no problem. We have energy problems that need to be resolved. Personally, I think our concern should be on pollution, not 'climate change.' Let me know what you think. Just want you to think outside the box. |
AuthorEXPERT OF SOME Archives
March 2024
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