A Large Regular

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- 13 reasons why anyone can benefit from a daily writing habit

- Always makes me chuckle

- How John Steinbeck used the diary as a tool of discipline

- 20 cognitive biases that screw up your decision making

- The Greek philosopher who was exiled for claiming the moon was a rock not a God

- The 7 step process used by Navy Seals to achieve goals

- I would so love to buy a copy of this painting

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Would be amusing to see an all-black comedy remake of Woody Allen's pretentious movie Interiors. Dave Chappelle would be great in the EG Marshall role of the father... Holy crap! Talk about bad omens - a prototype Starship blows-up during testing a day before today's SpaceX Crew Dragon launch... Larry Page's original name for Google was BackRub proving that Google was creepy from the git-go... I agree with this. Especially Rule 10... I admire how some people refer to the lockdown as the "current crisis." To me that infers that not only are we dealing with some shit right now but that we've also dealt with shit in the past and will do so in the future. So buckle-up buttercup... Analysis - true!...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This is flying a little under the radar but worth keeping an eye on - Canadian Supreme Court rules Huawei CFO can be extradited to face charges in the US

- Scientists try to understand Earth's weakening magnetic field.

- Cool Infographic on Scott Adams' the Math of Life

- 10 chance meetings that changed the world

- Dr. Stanley Ho: Father of modern Macau. The man's obituary reads like a James Clavell novel.

-  Matt Taibbi on the growth of digital censorship as a weapon

Via

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Seems unfair that people remember Wally Pipp as the man who was replaced by Lou Gehrig but hardly anyone remembers Babe Dahlgren who was the man who replaced Lou Gehrig... When it comes to politics I second this viewpoint 100%. As a reminder I am a registered Independent who tries to see things as they are not view things on how they'll help my Party or candidate... When I feel a little down or depressed - I picture Bill Belichick dancing to Dee-Lite's Groove is In the Heart. And I am made happy... I'm an awful person because if I ever did see Joe Scarborough out and about I'd probably yell "Murderer!" at him just for a laugh. Has nothing to do with politics just my strange sense of humor... Columnist Howie Carr has given Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker the nickname "Tall Deval" - that's going to stick... One of the bad things about living alone is there's nobody to blame but yourself if you happen to run out of toilet paper... If kids are forced to wear face masks at Disney World can you imagine how many will go flying off on Space Mountain and the other roller coasters? Could those masks get lodged into the tracks and become hazards? What about the water rides? Do you have to wear masks on those and then have the kid wear the soaking wet mask for the rest of the day? Wearing masks in this country is not going to last...

Love that Kurt Vonnegut worked once at Sports Illustrated:

Kurt Vonnegut worked briefly at SI until being told to write a story about a race horse that had jumped the rail and terrorized the infield at a local track. Vonnegut stared at his desk for what seemed like hours before finally departing the building without a word. Inside his deserted typewriter was this: ''The horse jumped over the fucking fence.''

Heh heh - great story.

These Infographics are fantastic.

How to Get Rich (without getting lucky)

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Life Lessons from Naval Ravikant

Miscellaneus thoughts and observations.

Just saying but if Governor Andrew Cuomo's disastrous COVID-19 policy of putting infected patients into nursing homes did cost 10,000 lives - that's well over three times the number of people who died in the Twin Towers on September 11th...  Prediction - any Power Five Conference college that does not allow football in the Fall of 2020 will have a new University President by the Spring of 2021... "To bankrupt a fool, give him information." - Nassim Taleb (note to self - never play poker with Nassim)... Disney World to reopen in mid-July but among other conditions they will require patrons to wear face masks. Little kids being forced to wear masks in the Orlando heat of July and August? No fucking thank you! Someone should start a DisneyWorldMeltdowns Twitter feed now. That or you'll see everyone pretty much ignore the rule after a week of operation. My money is on the latter... "Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts." - Richard Feynman. When this is all over I think the phrase "experts say" will be equated with "bullcrap"... In other space news Virgin Orbit had an "anomaly" on Monday's attempted launch. I'd rather have a delay...

- The Focus to Say No

- How Darwin Thought: The Golden Rule of Thinking

- Rethinking Fear. "What we fear the most is rarely what ends up happening. Fixating on particular dangers blinds us to others."

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- How can you not like Steve Buscemi?

- Interesting thread on the clash on the India and China border.

- Analysis - True!

- "The last time I checked Illinois citizens are also Americans and Americans don't get ruled." Amen!

- VDH "Obama's policies are in tatters, and the worst scandals of his White House are coming to light." I've long said that history would not be kind to the Obama Administration.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Monday was the first Memorial Day without baseball since 1880. World War I, the Spanish Flu, and World War II couldn't stop the tradition but the Wuhan Virus managed the feat... "We are often more frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality." - Seneca. Always makes me think of the Dune quote, "Fear is the mind-killer." Seems like a couple of apt quotes these days... Hooray! The NHL has announced its return! There will be a 24-team playoff this summer... After the Wuhan Virus say goodbye to blowing on the dice or having someone blow on your dice in Vegas or at any casino while playing craps. In fact also so goodbye to crowding around the table of a hot shooter. Craps will be a completely different game from now on (though I hope someday it will return to how God intended)... Salt (NaCl) is the only family of rocks eaten by humans... Wuhan Virus confession - I was really taking my gym for granted. I miss my gym...

NASA and SpaceX will make launching USA astronauts and USA rockets from American soil a regular thing again - STARTING TODAY!

EDIT: STARTING SATURDAY!!

Brazilian scientists and acedemics write an Open Letter on the "science" of the coronavirus Wuhan Virus pandemic.

Nicely done. Takes an axe to the idea of "settled science."

Is it bad that while reading the article I kept thinking that a prophylaxis dose regiment of Hydroxychloroquine and Zinc could be used to save the upcoming college and pro football seasons? And as a refresher - here's the molecular biology behind using  chloroquine and Zinc.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Cam Newton is an NFL QB without a team. Cam Newton is also a vegan. Do you think those two facts are somehow related? I do... "Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" - Rumi. A piece of advice I've tried to incorporate into my everyday speech... The FCC will not classify SpaceX's Starlink LEO (low Earth orbit) satellites as "low latency." This will make it tough for Starlink to win any federal broadband funds. This is not necessarily bad news for many reasons... Analysis - true!... Might finally create a non-profit called the Lynch Institute for Thought (LIFT). I would create business cards with me as President and CEO and a Go Fund Me page. All proceeds would go towards books, beer and cigars. Which as we all know are the necessities for proper thought... More good advice, "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." - C.S. Lewis...

On this Memorial Day it is good to remember not just those who have given their last full measure in the past few generations but also the earliest Americans who gave their all. The story of the HMS Jersey is a good place to start:

One of the most gruesome chapters in the story of America’s struggle for independence from Britain occurred in the waters near New York Harbor, near the current location of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. From 1776 to 1783, the British forces occupying New York City used abandoned or decommissioned warships anchored just offshore to hold those soldiers, sailors and private citizens they had captured in battle or arrested on land or at sea (many for refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown). Some 11,000 prisoners died aboard the prison ships over the course of the war, many from disease or malnutrition. Many of these were inmates of the notorious HMS Jersey, which earned the nickname “Hell” for its inhumane conditions and the obscenely high death rate of its prisoners.

Abraham Clark of New Jersey was a signatory of  Declaration of Independence. Both of Clark's sons were captured and held prisoner on the HMS Jersey. His eldest son died there of STARVATION! More that twice as many Americans died aboard those British prison ships that actually died in battle during the Revolutionary war.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This "flying wing" concept plane from Airbus looks pretty cool. But it's really just a model plane at this point.

- Analysis - true!

- Still one of my favorite headlines ever!

- An argument that Joe Rogan got ripped off by Spotify. Don't agree with the premise because Joe Rogan has made it clear that the model suggested is not something he'd ever be interested in. Joe wasn't trying to maximize the business profits off his podcast (which is why he does his ads at the beginning and end of the podcast instead of spreading them out).

- Heh Heh - Ancestry.com revokes genealogies of African Americans who don't support Biden

- The economist as scapegoat

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

At this point would anyone be surprised to find out that abortions at Planned Parenthood are being counted as COVID-19 deaths?... College football will be played in the fall - because financially the colleges can't afford not to. The landscape of college sports will be completely remade these next 12-months... The nine words that will win every Presidential Debate for Donald Trump; "I yield my remaining time to Vice President Biden"... "A mistake repeated more than once is a decision." - Paulo Coelho. Such wise words... Longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan passes. He was always a class act and a great ambassador for basketball, the NBA and the Utah Jazz... Christians who believed the Rapture was going to take millions of souls on May 21, 2011 were roundly mocked. Meanwhile statisticians who said the Wuhan Virus was going to take millions of lives are not being publicly mocked. How is that consistent? We didn't shut down the economy for the Rapture... "I plan to skip the pursuit of happiness and just be happy" would have made a great high school yearbook quote...

Bill worked in a pickle factory. He had been employed there for a number of years when he came home one day to confess to his wife that he had a terrible compulsion. He had an urge to stick his penis into the pickle slicer. His wife suggested that he should see a sex therapist to talk about it, but Bill said he would be too embarrassed. He vowed to overcome the compulsion on his own.

One day a few weeks later, Bill came home and his wife could see at once that something was seriously wrong.

"What's wrong, Bill?" she asked.
"Do you remember that I told you how I had this tremendous urge to put my penis into the pickle slicer?"
"Oh, Bill, you didn't!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, I did." he replied.
"My God, Bill, what happened?"
"I got fired."
"No, Bill. I mean, what happened with the pickle slicer?"
"Oh...she got fired too."

HT American Digest

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris featured a live pigeon-shooting event. It never appeared in the Games again. If the Olympics ever come to NYC maybe they could bring that back... Just a reminder but 9-years ago yesterday the Rapture was supposed to have happened. It didn't... HBO should reboot the show Entourage but just make it a pseudo documentary (The Office style) about Charlie Sheen's every day life... The "current net migration rate for Iraq in 2020 is 0.308 per 1000 population." That means more people are moving to Iraq than leaving it. That's something the States of California and New York can't claim. Think about that for a minute... Just a reminder but 10-years ago Vice President Joe Biden promised a growing economy with 250,000 to 500,000 new jobs each month. That never happened (well at least not under President Obama). Maybe those jobs were Raptured?...  The 1982 Grammy nominees for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance were Wendy O Williams (of the Plasmatics), Lita Ford and Pia Zadora. I would love to watch a documentary about how that came about and the lasting damage done by it to women in Rock... Of all the Thompson gunners, Roland was the best...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Cult of Elon is Cracking. The Atlantic starting to take shots because Musk isn't toeing the Progressive talking points. Sentence that stuck with me, "Sometimes it seems like smarter people are, the more vulnerable they are to overestimating how much they know about something outside their specialty." The author was talking about Musk but this sentence seems to be projection as it would fit perfectly with almost every "journalist" working today.

- Covid-19 not transmitted via swimming in pools, lakes, or the ocean. So open up the beaches and gyms already. I want to start swimming laps again!

- Georgia seems to be doing just fine after its re-opening. Other States should take note.

- Taking health advice from these folks may be problematic.

- So many Starlink satellites continues to be an issue for astronomers (and just people who enjoy the night sky)

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

"I'm kind of looking forward to the day the Musk announces he's a nuclear power, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were to happen soon." - Stephen Green of PJ Media. More evidence that Elon Musk may be morphing into a Bond villain in front of our very eyes.... So if Spotify is the big winner in signing Joe Rogan to an exclusive deal - who is the big loser? My guess might be Pandora as some will switch preferred music streaming platforms just to get the Joe Rogan Experience... Once baseball comes back one of the big differences will be - NO SPITTING. Chewing tobacco may finally have met its match... Still say there was a missed opportunity about a decade or two ago to transform Sears back into a catalog store but one who only sold products Made in USA. "Yes the prices might be a little higher but the quality is better and it is made in America" could have been the overall message. That would be pretty popular right about now... "What's up my Glip Glops." - Rick...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This makes me sad. The last candlepin bowling alley in Worcester is closing for good.

- Ernest Hemingway on symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea.

- How to plan your day like Marcus Aurelius

- Wow - Joe Rogan bringing his podcast exclusively to Spotify. This really does seem similar to Howard Stern moving to Sirius XM.

- And speaking of Spotify and podcasts - an update on Bill Simmons and The Ringer

- Great Robert Parrish / Michael Jordan story

Is it wrong that it makes me happy that they are not wearing masks.

Do you recall how it seemed almost every year the police of the city hosting the Super Bowl would run a sting operation telling wanted felons that they had won tickets to the big game? The wanted criminals would show up to the location all excited about winning some raffle they didn't remember entering and then BAM they were clasped into handcuffs and arrested. The sting seemed to work every year. In every city.

Can you imagine if ICE did something similar but instead of Super Bowl tickets they used phony Stimulus checks instead? The illegal alien shows up looking for their $1,200 and then BAM they get deported instead. The very same media that wrote glowing stories about the Super Bowl stings would write scathing articles about the ICE sting. You can picture it now.

The sting would absolutely work in Blue States because given the lawlessness of Sanctuary Cities - why wouldn't the government just be giving away money? Then BAM - they get deported.

Just a thought. (I know it would never happen but the thought amused me.)

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- New poll shows 40% of Americans won't buy Made in China products.

- Coalition of 116 countries back Australia's push for independent Wuhan Virus inquiry

- Unbelievable is right!

- What Shakespeare actually wrote about the plague.

- Space Force, the X-37B, and microwave energy from space satellites

Here's the books I'm currently reading.

The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. The book is both a history of physics and quantum mechanics and also the case for String Theory. About half way done - slow reading because of the material. Reading with a grain of salt because the more time passes by the more skeptical I become about String Theory.






Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Re-reading this for the I don't know how many times. Just felt like picking it back up. About half-way through. In my opinion perhaps the most under-rated of the Harry Potter books.





Things That Matter by Charles Krauthammer. Just started this one and it may take a while. It is a collection of essays and I'm keeping myself to reading at most one essay a day. Feel this is the best way to get the most out of Dr. Krauthammer's prose.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the States of Illinois and New Hampshire you are required by law to wear a mask when in public. However, in both those States you are free to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. How does that make any sense?... I would pay good money to watch a re-make of the movie Barfly with Jay Cutler in the Mickey Rourke role... At least in Iowa they are consistent. You aren't required to wear either a mask or a motorcycle helmet... Lee Marvin - Hollywood was different back then. Marvin's big break may have been when John Wayne turned down the lead in The Dirty Dozen opening the door for Marvin's biggest role... Aldous Huxley, C.S. Lewis and John F. Kennedy all died on November 22, 1963. We only remember JFK... "You have to be odd to be number one." - Dr. Seuss. A quote that I have loved on many levels for many years now...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- University President responds to those who have suggested the school should dip into the endowment

- The magnetic North Pole is "rapidly" moving

-  Laird Hamilton's morning routine

- Save Ron Jeremy's WOOD (not a euphemism)

- Video of Kevin Kelly giving his 68 pieces of advice. Worth 14 minutes of your time.

- 12 Facts about The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I would propose that President Trump should offer former President Obama and VP Joe Biden full Obamagate Presidential pardons on the condition that they fully confess their illegal abuses of power. Anything they confess to (short of murder) they will be forgiven for.

President Trump could say that even though he was the true victim and intended target of these abuses that in the best interest of the country he is willing to move forward and past these transgressions.

However, if former President Obama and VP Biden do not take up this offer of peace and forgiveness then of course they would be subject to the full force and weight of criminal investigations. You know that Obama and Biden won't take Trump up on his offer of Presidential pardons so Trump gets to make this offer and look like the good guy. Anything that happens after the Presidential pardons are refused is out of his hands.

And if the offer is accepted but crimes are uncovered that weren't confessed to - then those crimes would be liable for prosecution. And if one accepted the pardons - Obama or Biden - while the other did not. Oh get out the popcorn for that!

Just saying.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Is Deflation the real danger facing the economy?

- Interesting article from 4-years ago by Naval Ravikant - American Spring

- I've become a big fan of Richard Grenell

- Dana White - tell us how you really feel about the New York Times

- Matt Taibbi - Democrats have abandoned Civil Liberties.

- NASCAR set to return tomorrow at Darlington

- Heh Heh

The library of Professor Richard Macsey.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that next winter the big fashion accessory will be a scarf or a muffler. Everyone will be wearing them just so they can pop them over the mouth and nose whenever someone goes into a store or enclosed public place. Where can I buy stock in scarfs?... It's funny because its (almost) true... If I ran a university in a State that is open right now I would announce that the fall semester is definitely happening and that the university will be extending "in-state" tuition rates to any US citizen. Make sure my classes (and coffers) are filled while schools in places like California drive students away by being closed or being 100% remote learning... Interesting - the misunderstood python hunters that are saving the Everglades... Business idea - a competitor to Gold Bond powder called "Swamp Ass Powder." People would buy it just for the name and if it was a good product people would keep on buying it. EDIT: Someone beat me to it!..

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Victor Davis Hanson on the strange case of the Cuomo brothers. I could see the DNC trying to shoehorn Andrew Cuomo into the top spot (elbowing Biden out of the way) oblivious to the fact that Democrats across the country loudly dismissed other NYC options like Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio. Making Cuomo the VP would be even worse... Dan Wetzel makes the case that being able to hear Conor McGregor's trash talk in an empty arena during a fight would be must see TV. I agree. And McGregor/Diaz 3 is getting my money no matter where it is fought... Sure technically Eli Manning "retired" in January but as far as I'm concerned until another regular season game is played Manning is still the "active" NFL leader in interceptions thrown... Matt Taibbi on how Covid-19 the Wuhan Virus bailout gave Wall Street a no-lose casino... I think Goodyear and Ameriquest have missed a big marketing opportunity by not having their blimps traveling around the country. With nothing else to do people would have come out and stared at those blimps for hours. Huge missed marketing opportunity... "Blue states are about to get hit twice - massive budget deficits just as remote work makes the tax base more mobile than ever." - Naval Ravikant. Excellent point. There's no tax revenue coming in from all those businesses that were closed down. Meanwhile no State government employees or programs have had any cost or personnel reductions. Work from home employees will flee States with high taxes (Blue States) for those that don't (Red States)... 

Same sunset different months.

Via

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Interesting profile of Dr. Myron Rolle former college and NFL player. Talk about setting an example! Not the first time I found inspiration from Dr Rolle.

- Who knew? Elon Musk was an Executive Producer on the movie Thank You for Smoking.

- Burger King, Popeye's, and Tim Horton's to turn off the self-service soda machines. Self-serve refills may be a thing of the past as the communal soda machine could be a vortex of potential infections. Wonder what other things we took for granted may also be things of the past?

- Steven Pressfield on the female in Lawrence of Arabia

- The WHO is fucking useless

- I'm rooting for Elon Musk and Tesla to forgo California for Texas. Do it Elon!

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So if I understand the news - Apple is looking to decouple from China while Tesla is looking to decouple from California... I don't think history will be kind to President Obama... With all these revelations coming out that were clear for anyone with eyes to see in the first place - it makes me extra pissed off at Mitt Romney for supporting the Impeachment fiasco (and I was a huge Romney fan at one point)... Got an email yesterday about "Closing the Tech Conference Gender Gap." Talk about clueless. First off do you think anyone cares about gender gaps at this specific moment in time? Secondly in-person conferences are now DEAD. And if any industry could do things remotely and not in-person it's the friggin' tech industry!... It's funny because it's true!... It's going to be so cute in 15-years as young Elon takes blossoming Khaleesi to the prom... PSA - if you are alone in your own car there's no need to wear a mask. No reason... "The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature." - Joseph Campbell...

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I've lost track of things - how did that World War III thing with Iran a couple months ago work out?... Cool - Winners of the 2020 Big Picture Natural World photography competition... Social Darwinism? Is that like Social drinking? I only believe in evolution when with friends and then only in moderation... The soundtrack to the movie Grosse Point Blank is one of the best and most underrated in history... And speaking of music the great Dave Grohl on the power of concerts. Going to see live bands is one of the things I miss most. Never been a fan of crowds but if you give me the opportunity to see a band like Foo Fighters at a place like Fenway - I'm there in a heartbeat... Apple looking to move a big chunk of manufacturing out of China and into India. The move supposedly will make Apple India's largest exporter. This is on top of Apple moving some other production to Brazil. But if Foxconn is still its primary contractor is this really decoupling?... And once again speaking of music - what a nice way to start your morning reading about and listening to the song The Highwayman sung by The Highwaymen...

- The Surprising Power of the Long Game

- How to Do Great Things

- The Antilibrary: Why Unread Books are the Most Important. "A good library is filled with mostly unread books. That's the point." Amen!

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- I laughed too much at this.

- Good for Elon Musk. I hope he follows through on moving Tesla out of California.

- The golfing yogi: The man who says Michael Jordan lost $1.2 million to him. I agree with Tom Cruise on this one. I also agree with Jordan that writing the book canceled the debts.

- Victor Davis Hanson with some truths. I know many are fatigued by the news - especially regaring the Wuhan Virus - but these truths need to be said over and over so that the wool cannot be pulled over the public's eyes.

- Elon Musk is 100% right about this. Tesla is being targeted by an un-elected bureaucracy. Can't help but recall that it was an un-elected bureaucrat that forced the Dodgers out of Brooklyn too.

Today would have been the great Richard Feynman's 102nd birthday. Who is this generation's Richard Feynman?

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

"You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants a magical solution for their problems, and everyone refuses to believe in magic." - Alice in Wonderland... If I could listen to just one artist on a desert island I think I would probably end up choosing between Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits and solo) or George Harrison (The Beatles and solo)... Convinced that the very best obituaries of Little Richard will mention his crucial role in the movie Mystery, Alaska... "Life is short, break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that makes you smile." - Mark Twain (emphasis added for the tip I really want to take to heart)... Michael Jordan's Bulls were swept twice in the NBA playoffs by the great Larry Bird Celtic's teams of 86 and 87 (the 86 team is considered by many to be the greatest NBA teal of all-time). These were best of 5 series so the sweeps were just 3 games. If you put the 33-year old Jordan on those Bulls teams they don't get swept by the Celtics. And I still say if you put a 33-year old Jordan on the Cavs instead of LeBron James they don't get swept in 4-games in the 2018 NBA Finals by the Warriors...  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The bailout miscalculation that could crash the economy. This is a scary aspect of the CARES Act that I don't think has gotten enough attention. Forget Murder Hornets - a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis might be the next Biblical plague we face.

- And now I will always think of the word this way.

- The rest of the US should be pissed off at how badly NYC has handled the Wuhan Virus. When can NYC get a new mayor?

- Possibly true

- Some of the flexibility built into the NFL schedule if pandemic delays are necessary

- Excellent advice

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

No dog in the LeBron vs Michael debate but I do wonder if you put Michael Jordan on the 2011 or the 2014 Miami Heat instead of LeBron James (with Jordan being the same age as LeBron those seasons) does anyone think the Heat lose to the Mavericks or Spurs? I doubt it... Not for nothing but if someone started a rumor that "Joe Biden needs to wear adult diapers because he's lost control of his bladder"- many, many people would believe it. Such a rumor is easy to believe at this point because it is not out of the realm of possibilities. That's a problem for the Democrats... Doctor Strange would have made a fantastic Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Phrasing... LeBron James' Cavs were swept in the 2018 NBA Finals by the Warriors. Do you think Michael Jordan would ever allow one of his teams to be swept in the Finals? Jordan's competitiveness would not have allowed that... Bill de Blasio seems like the sort of politician that would try to reintroduce pay toilets...

Just wanted to mention how great Clare Torry's vocals are on this song.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

SNL should do a "Murder Hornets" vs "Killer Bees" West Side Story based skit. Might be easiest as a Robert Smigel cartoon... Too bad Charles Bukowski's Beer Shits is too long for a fantasy baseball team name. Also too bad that many fantasy leagues won't even bother this year... Murder hornets may be getting all the press but its Tarantula Hawk Wasps that are the real nightmare insects. These beasts literally eat tarantula's for breakfast... "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." - General George Patton... I think HBO really should look into making a series on Jonathan Wild (1682-1725) the "Thief Taker General" of London. The true story is almost unbelievable and the historical and literary connections are heavy and ready for the telling. I picture a Rome meets Monty Python type of series.  I'm also adding Henry Fielding's The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great to my book wish list. That book is not just a retelling of Jonathan Wild's life but also a satiric send-up of British Prime Minister Robert Walpole. Come on HBO - make this happen!...

Very cool. Did you recognize the tune?

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This made me laugh

- New Ghost Rider project in development at Marvel? Please let Keanu Reeves play Johnny Blaze! Please! Please! Please!

- Victor Davis Hanson - The scab and the wound beneath. A fairly comprehensive long-read look at the history of and current ramifications of the Wuhan Virus.

- And speaking of China and the Wuhan Virus

- Good Advice

- The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals

- Go Fast and Break Things: The Difference Between Reversible and Irreversible Decisions

- The Decision Matrix: How to Prioritize What Matters. This article goes hand-in-glove with the one above. It's like the Eisenhower Decision Matrix and Jeff Bezos' decision matrix had a baby.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations..

Do you think when George Conway now shaves in the morning he looks in the mirror and asks himself, "Do I really have a moonface? Damn it! I do have a moonface don't I"... Trump ratchets up the pressure on China's economy. Not a fan of the name "Economic Prosperity Network" and I'd also expand the group to include Mexico and Brazil since some manufacturers may wish to move back to or at least closer to the US... "First and above all else, you must secure life, liberty and the right to pursue your own happiness. That's politics done right, hard earned, often by war." - a Charles Krauthammer quote that seems appropriate today... Very quietly Israel has been kicking Iran's ass in Syria. "The Israeli officials refused to comment on these reported attacks, maintaining Israel's policy of ambiguity, under which it generally acknowledges taking action against Iran in Syria without specifically confirming individual strikes"... The Democratic Convention in August is shaping up to be very entertaining. You have certain Dems mumbling that Joe Biden shouldn't be the candidate because of his mental decline while others say Biden should withdraw because of the Tara Reade allegations. The hardcore Bernie Bros will be vocal that Bernie Sanders should be the candidate if Biden withdraws while the Democratic establishment will do anything to keep that from happening. Then you'd have all the women and their supporters of those who were not picked to be on the ticket. Look for many of them to refind their "Me Too" religion. Would anyone be surprised that the DNC actually hopes to cancel the circus that will be their Convention this year? Get the popcorn out... "If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough." - Meister Eckhart...

The 1970's were the Golden Age of beer commercials.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I still don't see why Michele Obama would agree to be on Joe Biden's ticket. Then again I didn't see why Tom Brady would want to play for any franchise other than the Patriots... This post on Things We're Missing sums up my feelings pretty well. Though in my own personal case I'd replace church with playing pool, seeing live music and golf (don't judge me)... "Sin that pays its way can travel freely, and without a passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all frontiers." - Herman Melville... Don't judge me... There's not much enthusiasm for Joe Biden and outside of Michele Obama there probably won't be much enthusiasm for whoever is picked as VP. None of the women who campaigned for President had much support (otherwise they wouldn't have lost to the desiccated husk of Biden to begin with). And Hillary? She would negatively impact his appeal. The only outside the box solution I can see is Tulsi Gabbard but the DNC would never allow that. The lack of enthusiasm could really harm the down-ticket Democrat candidates... The Irish have long memories... 

Via QAspire

Had two thoughts regarding Musk World that I wanted to share. First regarding Starlink; I had been skeptical about the logistics, business model, and efficacy of the Starlink satellites providing broadband services but I'm starting to come around.

The FCC granted Starlink 1 million licences for service in the US. One of the most recent proposals in Congress to close the digital divide in this country included funding for WiFi on school buses. There are roughly 480,000 school buses in the US. Let's say that School Districts accounting for 250,000 buses apply for and receive subsidies for the roughly $80 per month service. That's $20 million per month in revenue. What better way to get WiFi on buses?

Now let's assume for purposes of argument that's there's at least another 250,000 RV's and boats that are in remote areas or traveling cross country that would love to have reliable high speed Internet. With roughly 1 million living in RV's full time in the US this number is easily doable. Now that's 500,000 subs or $40 million per month in revenue.

There's about 2 million 18-wheeler trucks in the US - easily another 500,000 of them may opt for the pizza box sized receiver for WiFi wherever they roam. Boom - that's $80 million a month in revenue which should be enough to maintain the fleet of 12,000 satellites (when finished) meaning any subscribers outside the US becomes gravy. This is the thought process on why I'm starting to change my tune about Starlink. Haven't even mentioned the possibility of airplanes using the service as a reliable way to provide passengers with WiFi.

Now regarding Tesla. In a very short period of time Tesla has become THE car manufacturer in the world. May not be the biggest (yet) but they have become the bar against which all else have come to be measured. When you think of EV's (electric vehicles) a Tesla automatically comes to mind. How are the other car manufacturers or others new to the space to compete? A possible answer would be not to try and catch up with Tesla but instead to leapfrog them. How? Flying cars.

When Tesla first started they began with a high-end sports car - the Tesla Roadster which now sells for about $200,000. Porsche in a joint venture with Boeing is poised to come out with an autonomous flying vehicle. Other car companies like Hyundai, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin and others are also working on "flying cars." Other new entries to the field like Lilium are pretty close to offering product. And don't forget Google's Larry Paige is quietly amassing a "flying car" empire.

First the rich buy flying autonomous vehicles as status symbols (like they did with the Tesla Roadster) while taking a "flying taxi" becomes a hot new things to do - exposing many to the ease and safety (hopefully) of such travel. Suddenly there a whole new class of competition to Tesla that currently doesn't exist. Just saying but The Jetsons was set in 2062 and there were flying cars and robot maids - but no electric cars.

My two cents.

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Can genetic engineering bring back the American Chestnut? The Chestnut blight is the biggest ecological disaster this country has ever faced but it is so little known and so little discussed.

- If this is what casino poker will look like when things re-open I'll pass

- The strategic side gig

- Perhaps the smartest person you've never heard of. In my world Frank Ramsey played for the Celtics teams that won 7 Championships.

- Type 2 diabetes: remission in just one week.

"A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that." - Douglas Adams

I think living a good life can be boiled down to three simple rules.

1. First simply try to live life by the Golden Rule - treat others as you'd want them to treat you.

2. Try to make good decisions in life. For the most part you know instinctively a good choice from a bad choice. Try to make good choices.

3. You will make some bad choices - it's unavoidable. However when you do - treat your bad choice as a learning experience and take the words of Douglas Adams to heart and try not to make the same mistake twice.

Rinse, lather, repeat. A good life doesn't need to be complicated.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Are we at that stage of the quarantine where it might be a good idea to start re-running those old "Never shake a baby" PSA videos?... Pretty good explanation on why people should wear masks... If the NFL returns but doesn't allow fans in the stands look for the TV production crews to be sent to sports bars in States that are 100% open for fan reaction shots... This was pretty cool... Also I think the Wuhan Virus may make reporters in the lockerroom a thing of the past. In this environment who wants reporters of questionable hygiene so close to the people who actually play the games and make the TV revenue possible... The over/under for Tom Brady's passing yards next season is 4,099.5. I really like the over with the caveat that if Brady stays healthy he easily surpasses that number. But remember Brady will be 43-years old this season. Playing all 16 games would be a huge accomplishment for a player of that age...

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Inevitable Coronavirus Censorship Crisis is Here. My respect for Matt Taibbi increases with each article I read. Excellent stuff!

- Too funny!

- Steven Pressfield - Getting Ready for Tomorrow

- Heh Heh (HT Stephen Landry)

- And in the same vein

- "Who's laughing now, assholes?" A letter from Henry David Thoreau

- I've written for years that Alice Cooper should be the Poet Laureate of the US. Not even kidding. Make it happen President Trump.

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If the Libertarian Party would simply change their official name to "Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash" they would quadruple their votes. Easily!... The movie Heat would have been much more interesting if Al Pacino hunted Robert DeNiro with just a bow and arrow...  Alex Jones "I'll eat your ass." How many people click on that thinking "Eat your ass" meant something else altogether. Or maybe I'm just watching too much porn in quarantine... Starting to worry that Elon Musk is slowly morphing into the origin story of a super powerful Jame Bond or Doctor Who villain. He has an army of autonomous cars he can control and a fleet of spaceships. And nobody in history has been better prepared to build a giant underground lair with his Boring Machine company... I'm at the point where I'm concerned that some of my favorite local bars and restaurants may not re-open. And those that do re-open - I'm concerned I won't remember the bartender's names or the bartenders will be newly hired... For the record - put me in the camp that's perfectly happy seeing what Jarrett Stidham can do as the starting QB for the New England Patriots. If he stumbles Brian Hoyer can step in much better in this offense than an outsider like Andy Dalton... If the bars and restaurants open in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine before those in Massachusetts - I will be spending my weekends up north. Enough already!...

"You got to lower your ideal of freedom if you want to suck on the warm teat of China." - South Park

Why was the US so late to recognize the China threat? As they say - the first step in recovery is recognizing you have a problem. We may have been late to the reality of China but now, hopefully, both sides of the aisle see the danger in front of them.

The businesses in China see a "dark future" and dealing with Chinese manufacturers has become a headache. "China in the last year has become far riskier on nearly all fronts. It is important you recognize this and act accordingly."

Even Apple cannot prevent knock-off Apple stores operating in the open in China. Manufacturers are crazy to keep their supply chains in China at this point. And consumers should be sure to buy only from reputable sources. The poison dog food from China was just the beginning.

And don't forget "Don't trust China! China is asshole!"

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It should be remembered that one of the driving forces behind North Korea developing nuclear weapons in the first place was as a deterrent to China... The struggle for Democracy in Hong Kong continues. Let's not forget... Can't wait for football to come back so we can get all those "Jameis Winston is in the best shape of his life" stories coming out of Saints camp... Who knew? Hall of Famer Andre Dawson now works as a mortician... Part of me would like to create Chemistry Trading Cards of all the elements of the periodic table plus one scientist per pack (along with a stale piece of gum). Probably won't do it because the realist in me recognizes this would appeal to a limited niche market... Speaking of science related business ideas - instead of a Jack in the Box toy how about an Einstein in a Box toy? But instead of Pop Goes the Weasel we would need a better tune... 

Leadership Covid-19 and Beyond from QAspire. If you manage people or even if you're just part of a team this is some excellent advice