The Scales of Truth

From a (pretty tame, NON-Nick-Wright) Chiefs fan perspective.* - How Tyson and DeMarcus have done so far, including more week 8 details, along with general reactions to the very unusual week in NFL history. - Short reactions to Thursday Night Football (Ravens over Dolphins, 28-6) - Division standings - Playoff standings - Playoff chances, per power index - Power index generally, with analysis of trends for strengths of schedule (SOS) through week 8 versus remaining strengths of schedule for last nine weeks. - Game Previews  Bears at Bengals (midday) Vikings at Lions (midday) Panthers at Packers (midday) Broncos at Texans (midday) Falcons at Patriots (midday) 49ers at Giants (midday) Colts at Steelers (midday) Chargers at Titans (midday) Saints at Rams (afternoon) Jaguars at Raiders (afternoon) Seahawks at Commanders (SNF) Cardinals at Cowboys (MNF) Chiefs at Bills (Sunday afternoon) - Closing thoughts and shoulder punching, including Demarcus wondering about the sexual preference of the entire state to the west of his.  *Since before the 2-14 season, and BEFORE Matt Cassel was the "big upgrade" at QB, so don't think we can't empathize a little with regular fandom.

Love this guy.  Joe Hoft. I knew nothing of him, but the ether brought him to me. [My new Sports Scales of Truth listeners - here's where you are warned if regular, non-sports content may bother you.  ;-) ] Not "breaking news" as he is saying here, in the sense that the capture here is not a recent one.  But it is still about a very important topic, and a great repetition of not gaslighting yourself. Remember, URGENTLY and "RANTILY" to be stubborn about things you know.  And be stubborn about important, KEY pivots, issues, and facts.  Do not let everyone else impliedly or expressly moving on to the next topic make you think that the important thing you were focusing on is no longer worthy of speaking of, or of going back to to continue the fact-finding or discussion.   

Bad offensive 1st half, exceptional defense whole game, excellent offense second half. Overall, a professional outing, taking care of business as necessary in a very tight AFC West, with Indy and the Pats having a chance to go hide out front in the AFC playoff seeding.  0:00 Intro, high-level thoughts, some game background. 5:21 Commanders' first drive 5:32 Chiefs' first drive 6:40 Commanders' second drive 7:51 Chiefs' second drive 8:34 Commanders' third drive 10:22 Chiefs' third drive 13:31 Commanders' fourth drive 14:51 Chiefs' fourth drive (last before halftime) 16:39 Chiefs' fifth drive (first in second half) 20:32 Commanders' fifth drive 21:39 Chiefs' sixth drive 26:06 Commanders' sixth drive 30:06 Chiefs' seventh drive 35:23 Wrap-up of rest of game 38:07 Box Score Discussion Final thoughts for this game and going forward. 

Sheesh. sometimes I'm slow.  I've covered the Steele "Dossier," or, rather, the Steele Falsified Hearsay Fable, plenty. And I've talked about the likelihoods of Trump's involvement with Epstein, give or take Trump's (idiotic, unnecessary, negligent) dismissing of the entire scandal.  But I've never connected the dots.  Here, input from Assange and the Wikileaks release of emails from Hilary's Secretary of State emails (off of her should-be-illegal private server) helps us clarify. (And gives us insight on the ever-predictable corruption of HRC and her crowd) Related episodes: QROT-087: Not Only Could $50K not incentivize Steele to confirm dossier, even a MILLION dollars could not QROT-084: DOJ says FBI omitted known contradictions about Steele Dossier when using it as source to get warrants against Trump team

Tyson and DeMarcus preview the remaining 2025 week 8 12-game slate, and react to the Thursday Night Football result that has already occurred. As usual, with a tinge of Chiefs fan slant (but SOMETIMES ya can't even tell!) (recorded Friday morning) -Opening -How we're doing -Playoff Picture -TNF Results ( -Dolphins (1-6) at Falcons (3-3) -Bears (4-2) at Ravens (1-5) -Bills (4-2) at Panthers (4-3) -Jets (0-7) at Bengals (3-4) -49ers (5-2) at Texans (2-4) -Browns (2-5) at Patriots (5-2) -Giants (2-5) at Eagles (5-2) -Buccaneers (5-2) at Saints (1-6) -Cowboys (3-3-1) at Broncos (5-2) -Titans (1-6) at Colts (6-1) -Packers (4-1-1) at Steelers (4-2) -Commanders (3-4) at Chiefs (4-3)

Tyson and DeMarcus finish up picks, plus a couple of other miscellaneous topics - Falcons (3-2) at 49ers (4-2) (SNF) (plus aside on Pro Football Focus) - Buccaneers (5-1) at Lions (4-2) (MNF) - Texans (2-3) at Seahawks (4-2) (MNF) - Raiders (1-5) at Chiefs (3-3) (Sunday noon game) (plus an aside on "preferential" calls)

Tyson and DeMarcus continue game previews: - Giants (2-4) at Broncos (4-2) - Colts (5-1) at Chargers (4-2) - Packers (3-1-1) at Cardinals (2-4) - Commanders (3-3) at Cowboys (2-3-1)

[CORRECTED - WHEN FIRST POSTED WAS MISSING MOST OF AUDIO] Tyson and DeMarcus preview and predict: - Rams at Jaguars (in London) - Saints at Bears - Dolphins at Browns - Eagles at Vikings - Panthers at Jets - Patriots at Titans

DeMarcus and Tyson made a "humdinger" of a preview episode, so we've decided to split it up here. This is part one, A bit of hello, then. . .  - How we've done to this point - Thursday Night Football Reactions (Icy Hot Bowl / Uncle Bowl) - Division standings - Estimated percentages to make the playoffs. Specific game previews and predictions start in Part 2

A sign that supports the victims is apparently par for an argument of "breaching the peace" in the UK these days.  I've told you, over and over, that alleged intentions for people to be nicer to each other by keeping their thoughts to themselves will only result in bullies of all kinds using those laws to ensure opinions they don't like don't challenge their opinions.  And guess what, using the power of these ambiguous laws to sic law enforcement on your idea rivals literally is the opposite of getting people to be nicer to each other. It's instead just another version of lawfare.  The proper reaction for an adult in a free society who doesn't like a sign is to look away. They need not worry their pretty little head with the troublesome idea any longer, if they so choose. For the situation to instead allow them to use the force of law to harass someone is the recipe to encourage despots. 

Kidney failure.  Bones, tendons, and ligament problems. Heart issues.  Stomach and intestine damage.  Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen are not your daily or weekly friend. Keep your use VERY minimal. 

DeMarcus and I have very few critiques! Overall, granted a week late, but a performance that shows a turning of the corner by the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs squad.  A 30-17 victory against a team who will hang 50 on you if you give them the reason and momentum to do it. Night and day difference in their full focus versus how they looked a week ago against the Jaguars. A great performance to build on, as Rashee Rice can now be a part of the approach. Congrats all around. Even, and I NEVER thought I'd say this, to Matt Nagy.  (ouch... I felt like I SHOULD say that, but it still feels weird to ever think that is the right thing to do, in any possible universes)  ;-)

NOTE: Please be gracious regarding audio quality. Tyson apologizes for not realizing his keyboard sounds were so loud!  ( GAH! ) We'll be better next week! Still only like my fourth episode recording with someone else and for this one I'm keeping track of our opinions.  In order of slate, not including TNF and Monday Morning London game. 

Good and bad signs, but overall, the Chiefs waste an at-times quite crisp performance, showing no urgency after being up 14 - 0 in first half but then allowing Jags to cut it to 14-7, dinking around like high schoolers for two three-and-outs instead of understanding the known commodity known as "any given Sunday" (or Monday).  As a result of that, plus some tendencies towards mistakes and penalties, and several moments of low-probability desperation instead of belief  (or ability? Or practice?) in precise execution, they find themselves on the wrong side of the clock scenario in the fourth quarter.  A solid Jaguars team that the Chiefs should have seen early were very game today give the Chiefs a very disappointing loss, considering what was at hand. 

The first official purposefully scheduled episode with DeMarcus. As we are both (native-born) Chiefs fans, we emphasize and spend a lot more time on that, but that game is at the end.  We will tighten up, and already have planned for a tighter structure for the next episode. Due to length, we've added the convenience of time stamps below. But it is here, so have fun disagreeing with us!  0:00 intro 2:16 Last Thursday react - 49ers over Rams 6:24 Browns at Minnesota (London) 15:19 Texans at Ravens 23:25 Raiders at Colts 34:59 Dolphins at Panthers 41:50 Giants at Saints 51:25 Cowboys at Jets 59:10 Broncos at Eagles 67:22 Titans at Cardinals 73:51 Buccaneers at Seattle 79:15 Lions at Bengals 82:41 Commanders at Chargers 88:17 Patriots at Bills 94:05 Chiefs at Jaguars

You can have a list of people and groups who do not agree with you, or who do not 100% support you.  Sensible. But what that list is NOT is a list of who hates you. That requires more and would be a much smaller subset.  Never mind that by even making such a claim you've basically proclaimed that what you hate is free speech.  (Recorded before FBI's parallel announcement about the jackass SPLC. AKA Tyson dot connecting again.) 

(A follow-up to TSOT-131. Please note I added significant specific information and links to the description that I did not particularly emphasize during the episode.) EXCELLENT work by Daily Caller News Foundation. They likely had this information, and were deciding when to drop it, considering they dropped it only four days after RFK Jr's "fanciful" press conference*. Regarding internal Tylenol monitoring and knowledge over a period of time of studies in 2018 and before that showed connections between use during pregnancy, and activities that prove that they were very aware of those studies and concerns by customers and doctors, up to and including specifically monitoring how much the public was becoming aware and mentioning it on social media. The information comes from discovery documents related to a class action lawsuit against Kenvue / Tylenol. =============================================== This is about where deniers stop thinking. So I'll add on CHANCE it turns their brains back on (I'm ever optimistic and idealistic), that as part of actions towards a summary judgment in favor of Tylenol, the judge supported the "noble lie" by throwing out the expert testimony from the case. After all... their testimony, I shit you not, would have "great public health implications” of pregnant women not having the drug) Ummm... Well, that's circular, don't you think? If there are great health implications, due to a lot of usage, then would not the harms alleged, have great health implications?? ============================================= Besides... on one side of the scale is pain being reduced. The other, potential life-long deficits mentally and physically, and possible lifelong dependency on caregivers. ============================================== In 2018, not just ANY employee that happened to see emails, but Janssen's U.S. Director of Epidemiology Rachel Weinstein "The weight of the evidence is starting to feel heavy to me.” Janssen was the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson. For one 2018 study, which was a review of existing literature, Weinstein specifically reached out to those involved in the study to compliment them on how sound their study set-up was and how that bolstered the study's conclusion. She has since retired. But J&J first got indications of the problem a decade earlier, via queries and concerns by doctors and customers, which were flagged for internal note and safekeeping. Also in 2018, a Johnson and Johnson internal presentation "High-Level Overview of Epidemiological Studies" pointing out 16 individual studies, 6 systematic reviews, and one meta-analysis expresses the internal opinion of there being among the 16 individual studies a "somewhat consistent of increased occurrence of neurodevelopmental outcomes with prenatal exposure" (AKA, the exact conclusion Trump and RFK Jr announced). Conveniently (?), in 2022, Johnson & Johnson spun off its consumer products division, to Kenvue. Kenvue became entirely separate from Johnson and Johnson in 2023. Discovery has also revealed, I kid you not, an internal Kenvue 2023 presentation about "Project Cocoon," which addressed "Acetaminophen and Neurodevelopmental/Urogenetical Abnormalities." ===================================== *That dude doesn't do anything fanciful. He has studies memorized. ====================================== Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a sibling-controlled cohort study 2013, International Journal of Epidemiology Maternal use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in childhood: A Danish national birth cohort study 2016, Autism Research - Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research The role of oxidative stress, inflammation and acetaminophen exposure from birth to early childhood in the induction of autism  2017, The Journal of International Medical Research Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: A review 2018, Hormones and Behavior Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action 2021, Nature Review Endocrinology

Things are looking up in Chiefs kingdom.  And other week 4 results imply further potential reshuffling. 

A Sports Scales of Truth (SSOT). Turns out DeMarcus was up for my idea for breaking out a new episode type about which we both share an interest, so welcome to the show, nephew! We spin through the NFL week 4 matchups. This is NOT the final product or final plan, as we decided impromptu to just extend our initial equipment check. We look forward to an approximate weekly cadence. 

With source audio. He thinks the term, which echoes exactly what Trump and others say* about unhinged lefties going over the top with their characterizations of people who disagree, is a "brilliant" term. He goes on to tell the young influencer skulls full of mush, who LOVED that term, that the "Woke Right" (wait what?) is just as  bad as the "Woke Left" as they're both "insane." Wait... aren't American religious conservatives by definition closer as a class due to that whole upholding of "Judeo-Christian values"? PFF... No. Only a certain segment are. The rest are "insane." Hmm.. wonder what the dividing line is? Ahem. ( Stay asleep little "Christian" babies, we love and accept you as long as you don't take that whole "Prince of Peace" thing too seriously. If you don't make Old Testament PRIMARY over your New Testament that we don't believe in, you're insane and you're the equivalent of Nazis.)  My Obligatory Attempt for rabids to not misstate and mis-take me: This is not not NOT about saying Yahu and his kind deserve anything EXCEPT the very same case-by-case questioning of motives and actions that we all deserve. No regime or authority is above reproach or above the law. Let alone when they recruit the money, weapons, and manpower of other countries to continually spread death and destruction upon their neighbors. BTW... It's The Old Testament that says "Love Thy Neighbor". Hmmm... *You compare Americans speaking their mind to literal historical mass murderers and you wonder why violence occurs?