Aaron Meeker

In 1970, a Mexican-American musician named Sixto Rodriguez released an album in Detroit, USA that critics described as genius. It sold approximately six copies in his home country. His record label dropped him. He went back to work in construction and demolition, swinging a sledgehammer in the streets of Detroit for the next two decades. Somewhere across the ocean, a single copy of that album found its way into South Africa. Nobody knows exactly how. The most repeated story is that an American girl brought it over during a visit. Her friends copied it. Their friends copied it. Under the apartheid regime that ruled South Africa at the time, the country was almost entirely cut off from the outside world. No internet. Severe media censorship. International cultural boycotts. Music from other countries circulated almost entirely through bootleg copies passed hand to hand. Rodriguez's music spread through an entire generation of young South Africans that way. His anti-establishment lyrics became a quiet soundtrack to those who opposed apartheid. By the 1980s he was considered as significant as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Half a million copies of his album are estimated to have been sold or copied across the country. Nobody knew anything about him. Rumours spread that he had died on stage. The most common version said he had set himself on fire in front of an audience. In the late 1990s, two fans in Cape Town, South Africa decided to find out if any of it was true. They searched the early internet. They followed a chain of contacts. They eventually found him. Sixto Rodriguez was alive. He was in Detroit. He had no telephone, no computer, and no idea that millions of people on the other side of the world knew every word of his songs. He was fifty-six years old. He flew to South Africa and played six sold-out concerts to crowds who had believed for twenty years that he was dead. When he walked on stage for the first time he said: "I'd like to thank you for keeping me alive." He passed away in August 2023. He was eighty years old.

@Mirijan @DPearsonPHL @jongeeting The fields will create more profit - bottom line is more important than top line. Permits for leagues create decent revenue…not having the overhead/maintenance cost of a GC (or even mowing a “meadow”) should equate to less losses. More usage as well as th city needs turf fields

@DPearsonPHL @jongeeting The golf course created revenue. The ball fields do not.

A golf course is not "nature" it is a park. It is entirely appropriate for the city to prioritize additional field space in the renovations. I don't love turf over grass, but the people who are going to use these fields have made their preference clear. inquirer.com/news/philadelp…

@goJohnnyA @GeriPerna The great American lie. “Technology is so cheap now and fast-fashion works”…then things that actually matter (housing, medical, etc) are so much more expensive as a proportion of income (or better yet compared to a living wage) but we are blinded by the cheap tech, etc

@GeriPerna And there were TV stores in 1980, and a VCR cost $1000. This is 2026 not 1980.

When I worked at Macy's back in the 80's, people who worked there raised families on what they made. It was their career. I remember the guy in electronics retired after 30 years, and my boss in the cash office did the same. The guys who worked in the suit department did very well for themselves. Despite that, the store profited greatly every year, and we were given a beautiful Christmas party in appreciation. What changed in this country? When did it become nearly impossible to support oneself at a job that didn't require a degree or technical school?

@howardeskin @PhillyInquirer Taxing soda is also a health benefit. This uber-tax is simply dumb. Comb the expense lines of the budget before adding more revenue first

@PhillyInquirer This is wrong!!! Wasn't that what soda tax was for. How much can you tax people. Disgusting !

Mayor Parker now wants a $1-per-ride tax for Ubers and Lyfts to lessen Philly School District classroom cuts ebx.sh/dlwESj

Amazing letter by @Cornell President rejecting the resolution. Should be read by all: Dear Zora, Thank you for conveying SA Resolution 61: Calling for the Termination of Cornell University’s Partnership with the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology While Preserving Cornell Tech. I reject this resolution, which fundamentally conflicts with Cornell’s principles of academic collaboration and our core commitment to academic freedom. Cornell Tech is not a political entity. It is an academic partnership, created through shared investment by Cornell University, the Technion, and the City of New York for the benefit of the city and the state, according to a negotiated set of conditions that govern its development and the terms of its 99-year ground lease on Roosevelt Island. As one of Cornell University’s many international partnerships and collaborations, Cornell Tech deepens, enriches, and strengthens the ability of our students, faculty, and staff to pursue knowledge and advance the university’s academic mission. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, the core international partnership upon which Cornell Tech is based, is an extraordinarily valuable collaboration focusing on education and research in health tech, media tech, and urban tech, and supporting the development of new startup companies. Severing our relationship with the Technion—or with any entity affiliated with governments, institutions, or enterprises with which some of our community members disagree—as a statement of political protest, would not only hinder our research, teaching, and public engagement; it would imperil our academic principles. Our university, like all of our peer institutions, regularly faces pressure—from across the political spectrum, from within and beyond our own community—to make academic decisions according to political priorities. The phenomenon is not a new one: universities have grappled with such pressures from governments and societies for as long as the institution of the university has existed. When we yield to these pressures and proscribe specific collaborations or collaborators on grounds other than merit, we compromise our principles of academic freedom, undermine our own institutional excellence, and damage public trust in our work.   Moreover, this resolution inaccurately asserts that “the continued operation of Cornell Tech as a Cornell University campus does not require an ongoing partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.” Cornell Tech, while part of Cornell, is a joint effort of the university, the Technion, and the City of New York. It is no more possible for Cornell to unilaterally terminate that effort and claim full control of the campus than it would be for the Technion or the City of New York to do the same. Finally, I am deeply troubled by the selective manner in which this resolution singles out the Technion, alone of Cornell’s many international partners, for censure. Cornell currently maintains 159 active agreements with institutions in 59 nations and regions; all of these institutions have some government affiliation, and many conduct research with military and security applications. Cornell itself has military research contracts, conducts research with potential military applications, and has relationships with companies whose products are used in military contexts. Cornell also has relationships with institutions in countries whose governments have been accused of human rights violations—as our own has been.  None of these publicly available facts are mentioned in the resolution; only our partnership with an Israeli institution is targeted for erasure. The political bias evident in this selective approach is deeply disturbing, and the resolution is incompatible with both the Student Assembly’s purpose and Cornell University’s core values. I reject it fully and forcefully. Sincerely,   Michael Kotlikoff President and Professor of Molecular Physiology Cornell University

It Happened Last Night: Guitar heroes Derek Trucks & Nels Cline gave a master class in the instrument last night in NYC when the @Wilco guitarist sat-in with Tedeschi Trucks Band. Watch Cline join the TTB for "Loving Cup" + more at @BeaconTheatre ... jambase.com/article/tedesc…

@DivotDiplomat Hamilton Farm 🤤

Overrated: Bayonne Underrated: Old Memorial, Hamilton Farm Perfectly Rated: Crystal Downs

@plus5handicap @Cliff_waterfall Well played. I just don’t find many of the holes to be compelling without the ocean holes. That said it was two decades ago when I last played it and know there are a lot of changes. Another trip sounds on the cards.

@whyknowinphilly @Cliff_waterfall You’re kind of justifying Pebble’s high ranking then 😂

Off*ce thought. What is everyone’s most overrated, underrated, and perfectly rated course they have played. Mine are the following: Overrated: Aronimink Underrated: Fenway Golf Club Perfectly Rated: Friars Head

@Daniel_Rapaport The fact 90 Lafitte is less than current Salon is a travesty - or that two bottles of a very good vintage Yquem could be had for less than the others - “drink more sweet wine”!

Used wine-searcher to look up the wines on Rory's Champions Dinner menu (not including taxes etc) —2015 Salon “S” Brut: $1,326 —2022 Domaine Leflaive: $2,371 —1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild: $1,273 —1989 Chateau d’Yquem: $530 Fancy, fancy, fancy

Allow this Korn at Woodstock 99 vibe cleanse to wash over you.

It is still crazy to think about how one day changed the world. On October 6, 2023, the Islamic Republic was at the height of its power. It had spent decades developing well-coordinated terror proxies throughout the Middle East. It had effective control of Lebanon via Hezbollah, Gaza via Hamas, Yemen via the Houthis, Iraq via militias, and Syria via Assad. It had encircled Israel and was spreading destabilizing violence and Islamist ideology throughout the region. It killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocents in that effort. It was also steadily developing a powerful ballistic missile program, heading toward obtaining a nuclear deterrent, and regularly backing terror attacks abroad. Meanwhile, it had completely crushed dissent on the domestic front. The United States was retreating from foreign interests, so other countries were turning elsewhere. China became a substantial player in both the Middle East and South America. Arab states were looking to form a partnership with Israel to counter the Islamic Republic. Then everything changed on 10/7. Hamas launched one of the deadliest terror attacks in world history. They massacred 1,200+ people, thus beginning a war they couldn’t win. Hamas was clearly hoping that the Islamic Republic and all its other proxies would jump in, killing any chance of an Israeli-Arab alliance to counter the Islamic Republic. But they only did so to a limited extent, which spelled doom. Israel then systematically took out each of the Islamic Republic’s terror proxies and all their capabilities. They started with Hamas, then Hezbollah, and then strategic strikes on the Houthis (with U.S. help on this one). Leading terrorists for the last 3–4 decades, including Nasrallah, Sinwar, and Haniyeh, are all dead. Then Turkey took advantage of the moment and backed militants to help take out Assad. Suddenly, the entire terror infrastructure that the Islamic Republic had spent decades building was gone. When Israel came for the head of the terror snake, they showed no ability to defend themselves. This inspired Iranians to believe they might finally be able to stand up to the regime. The regime panicked; in fighting for its survival, it massacred Iranians and decided its only path to survival was to rush toward a nuclear deterrent. Now that might spell the end of the regime because the U.S. retrenchment it had heavily relied on is no longer a reality. This shift isn’t just affecting the Islamic Republic, but the entire world. The Arab Gulf states are no longer as threatened by the instability caused by the Islamic Republic, which also means they do not feel the same sense of urgency to partner with Israel. But it has made them more interested in seeking close relations with the United States at the same time as China’s alliances and strategies are falling apart. The changing environment also led the United States to seize the opportunity to combat China’s growing influence in South and Latin America. That’s what our actions in places like Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil have really been about. In Europe, Russia became heavily reliant on shifting focus to the Middle East to allow it to regroup and recover from its losses in Ukraine. But it was also building an alliance with the Islamic Republic, which became a major weapons producer for them—and that is now effectively dead. You will notice that Europe’s role in all of this evolution is extremely limited because they can’t seem to even figure out how to deal with their ongoing domestic issues. In summary, we live in a completely different world than we did on 10/6/2023. Some of it is worse, and no doubt many innocents have been caught in the crossfire, but a lot of evil has also been taken off the board. What happens next is what matters most.

Congresswoman Tlaib… Listen Lady… You’re throwing around the word “genocidal” like it’s a slogan. Genocide has a legal definition under the 1948 Genocide Convention. It requires specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Not “military strike.” Not “civilian casualties.” Not “war.” Specific intent to destroy a protected group. If you are alleging genocide, present evidence of that intent. Cite it. Now let’s address the Geneva Conventions claim. Article 52 of Additional Protocol I prohibits targeting civilian objects unless they are being used for military purposes. Key word: unless. If a facility is being used for weapons storage, command activity, or military coordination, it loses protected status under the law of armed conflict. That determination depends on intelligence and military assessment, not on viral posts. Second… the United States has not ratified Additional Protocol I. It follows core law-of-war principles under customary international law and the original Geneva Conventions, but it is not bound by every provision of Protocol I in the same way ratifying states are. Those are legal realities. If a school was deliberately targeted knowing it was purely civilian with no military use, that would be a war crime. If a site was assessed as a military objective under Article 52(2), the legal analysis changes entirely. The difference matters. Now on rhetoric. Saying “international law clearly doesn’t apply to the U.S. and Israel” is demonstrably false. Both countries operate under military legal review systems. Every strike is subject to rules of engagement, proportionality assessments, and collateral damage estimation protocols. You can debate policy. You can debate strategy. You can argue escalation is dangerous. But throwing out “genocide” and “lawless” without evidentiary grounding turns a legal question into propaganda. If your standard is law… apply the full law. Definitions. Thresholds. Intent. Military necessity. Proportionality. Not just the parts that fit a narrative. #SilentMajoritySpeaks #AStoneGroove

@bear_ing 😂

Holy fuck I haven’t checked twitter for 24 hours and America is in full on Iranian invasion mode. Are all the lefties pro-Ayatollah yet?

@gtconway3d @LesBowen Wrong side of history on this one fellas…

I am hopeful that the war in Iran will bring needed democratic change to … the United States of America.

My statement on Iran-related hostilities in the Middle East:

@realstewpeters OK Stew… 🙄

I trust Iran with nuclear weapons much more than I do Israel.

@SenatorAndyKim Just resign now for being on the wrong side of this one Andy

Americans don’t want to go to war with Iran. By launching strikes, President Trump has made the same dangerous and foolish decision President Bush did a generation ago. He put Americans in harm’s way without clearly showing there’s an imminent threat to our national security. He put the Iranian people in harm’s way by calling on them to rise up without a broad coalition of partners to assist in their protection. And Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control. This is unacceptable. The Senate should vote on Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution immediately. I stand ready to do so today.

Blue cities are out of control, promising more, spending more, delivering less and pushing off fiscal problems to some future day. Democrats in city halls should stop governing as if the goal is to announce new entitlements, and instead make government work. My take:

@Daniel_Rapaport Pine Valley says hold my beer 🍺

I don’t think there’s a better golf course on the planet than Riviera. It doesn’t have the views of Cypress, the iconic moments of Augusta, the history of St Andrews. But for pure golf, from 1-18, you can’t beat it.