Monday Overnight Open Thread (12/16/24) - Doof

Longshoreman Strike Revisited

As the old saying goes, politics makes strange bedfellows. Labor unions typically do not lend any kind of overt support to Republican candidates. However, Donald Trump benefited from an atypical amount of labor union support and endorsements in the recent election. As a January 15 deadline approaches for an agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association and employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance, Trump recently met with ILA President Harold Daggett, at Trump’s residence, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida.

Trump again backs longshore union as possible port strike nears.

President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend doubled down on his opposition to automation as a possible strike by union dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast container ports draws closer.

President-elect Donald Trump over the weekend doubled down on his opposition to automation as a possible strike by union dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast container ports draws closer.

On Saturday, Trump reposted to more than 8 million followers on his social media platform, Truth Social, a Facebook message by Dennis Daggett, International Longshoremen’s Association executive vice president, praising Trump for his support of the union in its protracted contract fight with employers at Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast container ports.

Taking an opposing view in a recent Stossel TV video, John Stossel "explores how automation will make the future safer and richer, if only unions get out of the way."

While Harold Daggett is the epitome of a thug union boss, Trump's support for the actual workers is understandable. However, the concept of opposing automation seems to be at odds with someone who is trying to implement efficiencies within his own upcoming administration. Stay tuned.

Strange Geography - Maine

From a blog entry "Weird Geography: 10 Bizarre and Unusual Facts About the United States" - Here are some weird facts about the state of Maine.

Maine is the closest US State to Africa. Quoddy Head, Maine sits just 3,154 miles from El Beddouzza, Morocco. For comparison, Florida is more than 4,000 miles from its nearest point on the African continent.

If you take a road trip through the Lower 48, passing through each state only once, you always end in Maine. That’s because Maine is the only state in the continental United States that borders only one other state.

Nobody knows how Maine got its name. All they know is that the name first appeared in writing in 1622.

Despite the mystery behind its name, Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1819.

Maine is larger than the other 5 New England States combined.

If you visited one island per day, it would take you more than 9 years to visit every island in Maine

At 3,478 miles, Maine’s coastline is longer than California’s (3,427 miles)

More facts about Maine at the link, along with a bunch of other strange and interesting facts about US geography.

Bonus Strange Geography - Daylight Savings Time Anomoly

Lots of discussion last night about Daylight Savings Time and a recent tweet from Trump about doing away with it. While it exists, there is a strange occurrence once a year where there is no time difference between portions of two coastal states on opposite sides of the country. Notice from the timezone map below that an eastern part of Oregon is in Mountain time and the western panhandle of Florida is in Central time. Because the Mountain and Central times zones are adjacent, parts of Oregon (a Pacific coast state) and Florida (an Atlantic coast state) have the same time for one hour each year in the fall when clocks are turned back.

Pickleball in Prisons?

Yes - Pickleball in prisons!

From banker to investments to writer and professional speaker, [Roger] BelAir now finds himself in the role of a pickleball advocate and coach in the unlikeliest of places – correctional institutions. From Rikers Island to Cook County Jail, BelAir has traveled the country teaching pickleball to prisoners.

“It’s fun and rewarding,” he said. “I’ve never done anything so satisfying in my life.”

He continued, “there are people who come from the perspective that there shouldn’t be fun or games in prison and say that they are there to be punished. I understand both sides, but even if you don’t want them to have joy, the guards use force 15-20 times per day at Rikers. If you could cut that in half, isn’t that better for everyone?”

Getting to play pickleball in prison is a reward for many of the inmates and co-existing on the court with someone of a different color, age, or even someone in another gang, is a necessity.

Anyone who’s played pickleball can certainly relate. We’ve all shared the court with someone of a different skill, age, or background. You have to figure things out together if you want to win and that figuring-things-out part is all the fun.

“You have prisoners who are enemies and, all of a sudden, they are playing as a team and laughing together,” BelAir said. “You have groups of people who won’t talk to each other, but then voluntarily get involved playing pickleball on the same court. Guys in different gangs giving each other a high five. There’s something positive that comes out of each hitting session. I had no idea that something like pickleball could be so powerful until I saw the dividends for myself.”

More here

“Going into a prison is a lot like going into a Catholic church in Italy—they’re all the same, but they’re all different,” BelAir says. “Most people in prison are pretty good at sizing people up. If they weren’t, they might be dead. They’ve got real street smarts. So, within 20 minutes or so, they’ve got me figured out. They know I’m not there to talk about my hip replacement or my grandkids—I’m there for them. And they go out and play pickleball, and all they care about is hitting the ball over the net. I go from ‘OG’ (Old Guy) to bro or dude within a half hour.”

Pickleball is changing lives everywhere. 💗

(via: @nbcnews) pic.twitter.com/NCSjqdS8EU

— The Kitchen Pickleball 👨🏻‍🍳 (@TheKitchenPB) December 14, 2024

As the yet-to-be disputed AOSHQ pickleball champion, you humble host endorses this program!

DJ Doof – Sounds of the Season (Part 6)

Christmas with Coldplay. Christmas Lights.

Christmas with The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus.

Your feedback may or may not be very important to me. Follow AoS_Doof on X @doof2112 or do the email thing – doof2112 at proton dot me. All I want for Christmas are some Rush deep cuts!

posted by Open Blogger at 10:00 PM

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