WDMoor

🐚Wing Island Trail Brewster MA 📚 Librarian🗽NYS 🎸Prog
🇺🇸

[Hector Resendez - Trade School Secrets @TS_Secrets]

One of my buddy’s sons skipped college and became an electrician at 18.

He was told either college or military were his only two options.

His parents weren’t exactly excited when he went to trade school. Actually they were a little embarrassed.

Most of their friends’ kids were going off to universities. Their son was showing up to job sites at 6am.

By 21 he was making $90k

By 24 he had his master electrician license making over $120k

At 27 he started taking his own jobs on the side for a total of $200k

Last year at 29 his little “electrician business” did $1.8M with 4 vans.

Funny how that works.

His parents used to explain why he didn’t go to college.

Now they tell everyone he owns an electrical company.

We need more 18-year-olds to know this path exists.

Day 229 tagging @mikeroweworks until more parents start bragging about trade school too.

Consider to RT if you agree.

[Jason @letstalkksports]

🏀I WENT BACK AND CHARTED THE FILM. NOW I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR THE WNBA.

I didn’t want opinions. I didn’t want narratives. I wanted to see it possession by possession.

So I rewatched Indiana vs. New York and charted the contact on Caitlin Clark myself.

And I DIDN’T EVEN FINISH THE 4TH QUARTER.

My film chart:

63% of the possessions I tracked with Clark handling the basketball featured what I graded as a hand-check, grab, pull or bump.

54% featured contact I graded as a defensive foul.

I counted 82+ separate instances of illegal contact.

On ONE POSSESSION, I counted 11 separate contacts that could’ve been whistled.

Now here’s the punchline:

Caitlin Clark officially went to the free-throw line FOUR TIMES.

FOUR. 🤣

So somebody at @WNBA needs to explain something to me.

Either New York suddenly assembled the greatest collection of perimeter defenders basketball has ever witnessed…

OR CAITLIN CLARK IS BEING OFFICIATED UNDER A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STANDARD.

Because you cannot pick somebody up 94 feet, face-guard her, chase her through screens, hand-check her, grab her hip, redirect her movement and bump her off her path possession after possession and convince me that almost all of it is legal defense.

At some point, when the SAME PLAYER repeatedly receives this kind of physical treatment without a proportional whistle, people are going to start asking whether this is incompetence…

OR AN AGENDA.

And THAT is the conversation the national media seems terrified to have.

@espn @espnW @WNBA — ROLL THE FILM.

Don’t show me Clark complaining afterward.

Don’t show me her facial expressions.

Don’t debate whether she needs to “control her emotions.”

SHOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BEFORE SHE REACTED.

Because after charting this game possession by possession, I’m convinced the biggest Caitlin Clark officiating controversy isn’t the fouls they call.

IT’S THE ABSURD NUMBER THEY DON’T.

🎥 WATCH THE CONTACT. COUNT IT YOURSELF. THEN TELL ME I’M WRONG.
@IndianaFever #feverrising

[Ricky Gervais @rickygervais]

This billboard wasn't allowed in public, so please don't look at it or retweet it. Thanks https://t.co/mRWHMOKn4F

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@TheCinesthetic Towards the end of Field of Dreams. "Hey Dad, you want to have a catch?" That tore me up thinking about my recently deceased father

[Philip Letsou @philipletsou]

Congratulations to Alex Vindman and his whole team on duping ActBlue boomers out of $16.2m only to lose a DSA nobody

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@87_CR500 @Master_Of_Coins It's great, isn't it. I taught my kid how to fish and 20 yrs later he's an avid bass angler who texts me goofy pics when he goes out. It's a great feeling.

[middleclassparty @middle_class_us]

Fast food companies are learning a very expensive lesson: The middle class has a breaking point.

They got tired of paying restaurant prices for food that was literally created to be cheap.

Fast food was the exhausted parent's dinner.

The construction worker's lunch.

The cheap meal after your kid's soccer game.

The road trip stop when you didn't want to spend $60 feeding the family.

Then corporations raised prices, cut portions, reduced quality and told everyone to download an app if they wanted the old price.

Now customers are walking away.

Good.

Fast food forgot what business it was in.

The middle class is reminding them.

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@middle_class_us I recently had a Big Mac lunch and was shocked at the quality of my burger. I can deal with price hikes and smaller portions but when there's something obviously off with the quality of my burger then you've lost me as a customer

[David Hazony @davidhazony]

Okay here’s a story about my father who passed away yesterday at age 94.
When he was 76 and retired, he told me he was doing research with his brother Dov. Who was 81.
Me: “so what are you researching?”
Him: “you sure you want to know?”
Me: yes
Him: well, um, do you know what phonons are?
Me: Sure… wait, actually I have no idea.
Him: okay so you know how you learned in high school that light is both a wave and a particle? Well, it turns out sound is, too.
Me: WHAT
Him: Yes, and the particles are called phonons. So anyway, Dov and I were shooting phonons through different materials, and we were running mathematical models on the results, and it turns out our measurements were extremely precise.
Me: okay
Him: I mean really precise. Like—seven orders of magnitude more precise than the Heisenberg uncertainty principle allows for.
Me: So…. Wait… Are you saying that you just disproved Heisenberg, which all those philosophers used as proof that we can’t know anything and should stop trying? You just disproved THAT?
Him: Just a part of it, yes.
Me: um
Him: now we have a big problem because he and I did the whole thing ourselves, designing the experiments and writing the programming to analyze it and doing the mathematical analysis—it’s too many different fields and we are worried nobody will be able to understand what we did or replicate it.
(Follow-up: my brother Yoram subsequently helped them figure out how to break it into separate papers and they eventually got it published. I asked him whether they would now be celebrated for their achievement, and he said that in his experience it would be ten years or more before anyone actually even reads it.)
Proof that even when you’re fully grown, you never know what your parents are really up to.

[MAZE @mazemoore]

BREAKING: Hamsters are vicious, possibly demonic.

My wife and kids are in DC for the weekend seeing the sites with their grandparents. I'm holding down the fort with the doggie, watching Columbo.

My daughter called me earlier to make sure her pet hamster Margie has food. I just checked.

Margie looked lonely so I took her out of the cage and held her in my hand. I was not prepared for the violence that was about to happen.

Margie rubbed her claws together like Mr. Miyagi, gave me a snarky look, grabbed my finger with both claws, and bit down.

The bite strength felt somewhere between that of a salt water crocodile and a full grown silverback gorilla. I'm in terrible pain but instead of resting I'm posting this so no one else gets hurt by these monsters.

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@60sPsychJukebox John Lennon would get offended by a basket of puppies and kittens curled up together

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@Penbat1 @60sPsychJukebox @markwhiteTV I know. It breaks my heart. I recently had a young acquaintance who slipped after five years and hung himself in his basement. Didn't reach out, didn't call anyone, just ended it.

[wretchardthecat @wretchardthecat]

The very word "Pied-à-Terre" provides a glimpse into Mamdani's world that few ordinary people are familiar with. It goes back to a world before motels, air BNBs and time share.

In that world the well-to-do person had a country house and primary residence. Then he had a town house or pied-à-terre as a private urban foothold for the family or individual during the Season. Then he might be a member of a gentleman's club where he might lodge, drink, dine and gamble with people of the right sort.

I know a Sydney gentleman who has decided to spend his retirement traveling the world these last three years staying only at clubs which have reciprocal arrangments with his. So echoes of that era still exist.

Perhaps Mamdami still sees the world in terms of the top-hatted, tuxedo wearing, diamond tie pin garbed, pied-a-terre dwelling capitalist elite which it is his moral duty to tax. But I think the world has changed.

https://t.co/yXQG07Hl3k

[Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh]

🚨 JUST IN: Republicans just hit an all-time high in the odds to WIN the 2026 Wisconsin Governor's race because Democrats are set to nominate anti-white, socialist psycho Francesca Hong (D)

60% chance Trump-backed TOM TIFFANY (R) wins, per Polymarket 🔥

This would be a HUGE FLIP!

Hong is an insane woman, wanting to abolish Christmas and Thanksgiving, and she doesn't like white people...in WISCONSIN of all places

MAKE WISCONSIN RED 👏🏻

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@60sPsychJukebox Cousin Brucie is a New York icon

[planefag @planefag]

PrSM literally just started full rate production and I flat out don't believe the ATACMS claim given how few targets would be in range of it (same thing that limits its usefulness in the Pacific.) And Tomahawk numbers are similarly hearsay and an aging system besides; JASSM and JASSM-ER plus Marintime Strike Tomahawk will be the flagship weapons.

Above all none of this is ever weighed against the immense scale and threat that has just been removed. Had they not been fired they'd have to be held in reserve in CENTCOM as a hedge against possible Iranian action while the US was engaged elsewhere, which they'd then undertake at a time and place of their choosing.

Deliberate agitiprop from known bad actors regurgitated by self-identified enemies.

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@PittsburghPG Only to liberals. Normal people loved it

[Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans @pittparents]

My Response to my Estranged Son,

“…you are both men who are afraid of growing up. You got confused by media and video games and rejected maleness because you associated it with responsibility.”

by @pittparents https://t.co/YnaTaXvnNw

[The Real Mike Rowe @mikeroweworks]

Not the way I planned on spending my afternoon, but 7,600 comments should not be ignored! Bots, trolls and personal attacks notwithstanding, the critics of yesterday’s post were dominated by a large and vocal contingent who rushed to remind me that there’s “a difference between socialism and communism,” an obvious indication that they didn’t actually read the post.

Shelley Armour writes… “Mike! You know there is a difference between democratic socialism and communism, right?”

Hi, Shelley. Yes, I know there’s a difference, and I understand what the difference is. The larger point, and the fundamental flaw with your comment, is that you seem to believe the candidates within the Democratic Socialist Party are both “democratic and socialist" simply because that’s the name of their club. Well, maybe some of them are. I really couldn’t say. What I can tell you for sure is that more than a few have called for the complete dismantling of capitalism, free markets, representative government, property rights, borders, police, prisons, and the Constitution in general. My post referred to them, as well as a number of elected Democrats who have agreed to campaign on their behalf – including Gavin Newsom, who said, "The Democratic Party must accept the DSA in order to take back the Congress.” His words, not mine.

Tracey Steele writes…“Wow! I cannot believe Mike Rowe said this. He has a huge reach, and he is actually spouting the word “communism” like it’s the 1950s! Wow Wow Wow!”

Wow indeed, Tracey, and thanks for noticing the size of my reach! (Contrary to popular belief, size does matter!) To say it again, I am not the one “spouting” communism or conflating socialists and communists. The word is being “spouted” by members of the DSA who are using it to describe themselves. I am not accusing them; I am quoting them.

John Engles… Hey Rowe, what’s the difference between the Communists who want to run the country and the Nazi/fascist who currently is?

Several differences, John, but the only one relevant to this conversation is the fact that the communists currently running for office have clearly identified themselves as such. They do not dispute or reject the label. They embrace it. It is who they are, who they claim to be, and who they want to be. The president, on the other hand, has never claimed to be a Nazi or a fascist. That doesn’t mean he isn't, but it is worth noting he has rejected the accusation outright. Obviously, you are entitled to that opinion and the right to share it publicly, thanks to our Constitution. Unlike in a fascist, Nazi, or communist regime. (Also worth noting, Nazis and fascists are not the same thing.)

Chris Tomaloff writes… “Kinda like how the political right didn’t shout down the extreme rhetoric coming from their candidates?”

No, Chris, not like that at all. In the video I shared, we saw examples of prominent Democrats saying things like, “We need to elect more communists!” (Cea Weaver, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office.) Mamdani himself literally tweeted, "Each according to their need, each according to their ability." That’s a direct quote from the Communist Manifesto.

But what exactly is the corollary from the right? Are prominent Republicans tweeting, “We need to elect more Nazis! We need to elect more fascists! Eat the poor!” I don’t think so. John Engles may think Trump is fascist and a Nazi, but Trump disagrees, and so do a majority of voters. Communists, on the other hand, say it loud and say it proud. I’m inclined to take them at their word.

Beto Ojeda… “Mike has always leaned to the Trumpian view of things but never states it, so as not to alienate anyone, but we know how to read between the lines. This “communist” talk is McCarthyism 2.0.”

I wasn’t around in the 1950s, Beto, but from what I’ve read, it was indeed a very difficult time to be a communist in this country. Lots of private citizens were dragged before Congress, made to take “loyalty oaths," and blacklisted in their places of work. I can’t justify it or condone it, but I can explain it. We had just fought a hot war against fascism and Nazism and just begun a Cold War against a communist regime. The existence of an organized Communist Party in this country at such a time strained the limits of tolerance. But do you really think we’re less tolerant today than we were seventy-five years ago? Do you really believe my comments about communists who claim to be communists are synonymous with another Red Scare? If you haven’t noticed, Chris, no one in the DSA, including the communists, is being dragged before Congress and made to swear a loyalty oath to the Constitution. Today, a communist in America can run for office…with the endorsement of the governor of California! And the tacit approval of a major political party! Seems to me we’re about as far from McCarthyism as we can get.

As for my desire not to alienate anyone, I suppose I am guilty of that. I run a foundation that is open to people of all political beliefs, and we’ve assisted lots of Americans who lean to the left. I also know for a fact that many Democrats have supported mikeroweWORKS historically, and I have no desire to run them off. But do you really have to “read between the lines” to understand where I’m coming from?

True, I’ve never endorsed a candidate or publicly encouraged people to vote. But I’ve been very transparent about the fact that I’m a registered Independent who favors policies and programs that often align with conservative principles. Obviously, I would not characterize those conservative principles as “Trumpian,” because a) they were around long before him, b) Trump is not a conservative, and c) I do not agree with or support everything the President says and does. So, is it possible, Beto, that your accusation is rooted in the fact that I have never publicly denounced the president to your satisfaction? Is it possible you think I'm a Trumper, simply because I've never called him a fascist, or a Nazi, or a liar, or a conman, or a traitor, or whatever else you believe him to be?

Gretchen Seipp… Mike, the fact that you still act as though you’re not political after all this time is a bit ridiculous. I still support your work and foundation because I believe in it, but the folksy act has worn thin.

Aw, shucks, Gretchen. Folksy? Lil' ole me?
Honestly, how am I acting as if I am “not political?” This entire conversation is the very definition of “political.”

Christopher Pugh… I would have voted for Mike Rowe and Freddie a few years ago before he went full-on MAGA, and I’m all in favor of his project, but it’s pretty clear the political direction that he’s moved in and the money trail that has influenced it.

It’s Freddy, not Freddie. (I don’t much care, but he’s a terrier and particular about such things.) As for the “full-on MAGA” moniker, is there something I did specifically to earn that designation? Is there some kind of general definition you can share? Or, are you coming from the same place as Beto? Is calling me “Full-On MAGA" your way of saying that I’ve failed to condemn Trump to your satisfaction?

For the record, MRW is supported by liberals and conservatives alike. I have no idea what “money trail” you are referring to. Also, regarding my personal politics, think about the implications of what I wrote. I said that the Democrats have been given a gift – an opportunity to appear reasonable by speaking the truth to their own party, just as Bill Maher has done. All they have to do is distance themselves from candidates who have called for the complete dismantlement of our Constitution. All they have to do is say, “Hold on, comrade. Our tent is not that big. We respect your right to hate America, but we don’t want you in our party, and we will not support your candidacy.”

If they say that, I think a lot of Independents would see them as they see John Fetterman, who has, in the eyes of many voters, become the most “rational” Democrat currently in office. If they don’t – if they actually welcome communist candidates into their party – then I’m afraid the Democrats, by default, will offer the American people a very simple choice in November – a party that disavows communism vs. a party that doesn’t. I think such a choice would be very positive for Republicans because I don’t think most Americans want to align themselves with a Democratic Party that welcomes communists. The question for you, Chris, is why would a “Full-On MAGA” like me encourage Democrats to act in a way that would disadvantage the Republican Party? And the answer is simple – it’s because I support the existence of a Democratic Party that believes America is still a fundamentally good place.

I think there’s a lot of room for improvement in our country, and I believe the best way to realize those improvements is for Democrats and Republicans to have continuous, robust and public debate about all the issues. But if one of those parties is affirmatively determined to transform our democratic republic into a communist state, then we’re no longer debating the various ways to make our country better; we’re debating the merits of destroying it. And really, what’s the point of tolerating that?

America is already a big tent, filled with hundreds of millions of people with wildly differing views and lots of political parties that represent those views. We’ve got the Green Party, the American Freedom Party, the Socialist Workers Party, the Constitution Party, and of course, the Communist Party USA, as well as the Democratic Socialist Party. America’s tent is so big, we can even tolerate fringe parties like the KKK, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and so forth. Why then, does Gavin Newsom want to make room in the Democratic tent for socialists and communists? There’s only one reason, and he’s already spelled it out for us – he believes the Democrats need them to win back the Congress. I think it’s a bad bet for the Democrats and for America. And if a prominent Republican reached out to the KKK with the same “big tent” offer, you’d better believe my vote would be in play.

Michael Tillman… When are you going to throw your hat into the ring, Mr. Rowe?

Ha! When it no longer fits my head!

[WDMoor @wdmoor]

@E_IS_Ferguson @BowTiedMarmott Agree 100%. My 27 year old son is still friends with kids he went to preschool and elementary school and they all make the effort to stay in touch. They're good kids and it's heartwarming to watch.