Strangely mesmerizing.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Is the Australian Open in Question?
Leaked emails reveal twists in the Australian Open vaccine drama. Supposedly nobody who wasn't "double vaxxed" would be allowed into the country but now it looks like some exceptions may be made.
World Number One Novak Djokovic has not revealed his vaccine status (good for him) and his participation may be in question. And why would a person of Djokovic's stature and accomplishment want to quarantine himself for 14-days in a hotel as the exceptions require? If Djokovic and others decline to participate or are not allowed to participate - the winners of the Australian Open should have a huge asterixis next to their names in the record books.
If I were in Djokovic's shoes - I'd hold a competing tournament at the same time as the Australian Open and hold it in one of the Nordic countries that has completely removed all COVID restrictions. I'd sell the TV rights to this competing tourney and use those funds to pay the participants. The IFT (International Tennis Federation) should question why Australia has one of the four tennis major tourney's in the first place. Open up a competition to replace Australia and generate so much more exposure and interest for the sport. Australia has no one to blame but themselves. Going forward the Australian Open should be relegated to the status of a local tourney and nothing more.
Cancel Culture Takes a Big "L"
Agree with Taibbi that the "coverage across the board was ridiculously one-sided" and the press basically once again revealed themselves as being not only completely biased but also bereft of any sense of humor. Those in the media who argued that Chappelle "defended" the rapper DaBaby also probably thought he was defending Jussie Smollett in an earlier special.
Dave Chappelle, himself, speaks out about the "controversy." And for the record - Hannah Gadsby is completely unfunny.
Peter Thiel Thinks People Should Be Concerned About Surveillance AI
I think Peter Thiel is 100% right.
"If we say crypto is libertarian and that it is fundamentally a force for decentralization, then I think we should also be willing to say that AI, especially the low-tech surveillance form, is essentially communist."
"If you want to frame it as a technological race... I want the crypto decentralized world to work," he said.
(HT Meanderthal)
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"It is amazing how much panic one honest an can spread among a multitude of hypocrites." - Thomas Sowell
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus
"That which we need the most will be found where we least want to look." - Carl Jung
"I'm only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand." - John Wayne
Monday, October 25, 2021
Bob Neumeier RIP
Not an exaggeration to say that Bob Neumeier may have been my favorite sports broadcaster from my youth. It would also not be an exaggeration to say that Neumy, along with Mike Lynch and Dan Roche were and are among the nicest people in Boston sports. He was one of a kind.
I Think It's a Great Idea
Governor Ron DeSantis wants to offer "anti-vax" police offers bonuses to come to work in Florida.
Was talking about this very thing this weekend with some friends. Florida and Texas are the perfect landing spots for these cops. Two things to add:
1. Many of these cops would be taking retirement and then moving to Florida. They would thus be both experienced but also fairly flush with cash which would also help the State's economy.
2. The article originally appeared on the Huffington Post and you can see the clear lefty bias in the article.
What We Lose When We Lose Thomas Jefferson
New York City takes down statue of the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Even though I have conflicted feelings about Jefferson - the author of the piece provides a compelling argument and some interesting history. One thing I'd point out is that removing Jefferson is not about slavery - it's about removing traces of our history and what this country was built upon. The statue of Teddy Roosevelt was removed from outside the Museum of Natural History in NYC and he never owned slaves.
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new Flotsam and Jetsam column up at Substack.
As always if anything in the column made you smile or think please hit the Like button and share with your friends. Also please subscribe. Thanks in advance.
Cortes and Mexico
Some historians are revisiting "the accusation of treachery, arguing that Tlaxcalans and other city states were in fact fighting a war of liberation against the oppressive Mexica (as the Aztecs were known)." Interesting history.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Obscurity is the refuge of the incompetent." - Robert Heinlein
"Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." - Adam Smith
"Poems are always better than a bloody turkey foot in the mailbox,. Few would disagree." - Jim Harrison
"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." - JRR Tolkien The Hobbit
Sunday, October 24, 2021
If You Were Wondering What to Get Me for Christmas
The Jetson One only $92,000! Too bad there's only 20 minutes of flight time and that they're not in production until 2022. Next Christmas then!
Good!
Beyond Meat implodes after reporting catastrophic Q3 sales.
You couldn't pay me to eat fake meat. Who the hell is buying $106 million's worth of this crap?
Our Purgatory is Their Nirvana
VDH's columns can seem repetitive at times but that may be because he seems to be among the few in the media who recognizes that these things are BIG deals. And people need to pay attention to them. For instance we still have many Americans stuck and seemingly forgotten in Afghanistan since their plight is almost universally ignored by the corporate media who seem to prefer to cover what Netflix will do about Dave Chappelle instead.
Indexing the Creator Economy
Interesting look at how the "creator economy" has not only become a real thing but big business. Next year expected to pass $10 billion.
Stripe is an interesting business.
Quotes for Today
Here are some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.
"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." - Ernest Hemingway
"You will not be punished for your anger. You will be punished by your anger." - the Buddha
"The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself." - Peter Thiel
"The secret to being likable is to not care if people like you." - Ed Latimore
Saturday, October 23, 2021
I Stand with Enes Kanter
More info on why the Celtics' Enes Kanter spoke out against China.
Kanter is a brave man living in exile from his own country. He knew he'd get death threats but spoke out anyway.
Dem's Vaccine Mandates for Police are Bound to Backfire
Agree 100% with Glenn Reynolds on this.
I would also add that most of those who get the shots to save their jobs - there is bound to be a lot of resentment. That resentment will manifest itself in many ways - not least in who they vote for in upcoming elections.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"You have to be odd to be number one." - Dr. Seuss
"If you propose to speak, always ask yourself, is it true, is it necessary, is it kind." - the Buddha
"Depend on nobody. Take pride in yourself. And fight for everything. That's the way it has to be." - Bob Gibson
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self." - Ernest Hemingway
Five Years Ago Today
Five years ago this was the prediction made by The New York Times. Just a reminder not to believe what you read in the New York Times.
Friday, October 22, 2021
KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov's Warning to America
Must watch video. The video has been posted at many places the last couple of years but it is one of those things that NEEDS to be watched periodically to remind us of what this country is really dealing with.
A Sad Story
A movie's cinematographer has died after being shot by a prop gun on a movie set. The gun was fired by Alec Baldwin but until proven otherwise I'd hold him completely innocent. In fact - I'd say he's also one of the victims. Can't imagine how awful he must feel.
On the other hand - Hollywood has had so many cop show plot twists where someone switches blank prop gun bullets with real ones that I'll be following this story to see what the investigation finds. If only Columbo or Castle were on the case.
EDIT: Seems like it was a real gun loaded with one real live round - not a "prop gun." Still giving Baldwin the benefit of the doubt - for now.
Can Elon Musk Become the First Trillionaire?
Musk is currently the world's richest person with a net worth of $241 billion. Or as Morgan Housel puts it, "Elon Musk's net worth is now higher than the market cap of all but 25 public companies."
The US Navy is in the Best of Hands
NCIS wished the Navy a happy birthday with a picture of a Russian ship.
Good enough for government work I guess.
Web3 - the Future of the Internet
As always if you could share my post and perhaps let some of your audience try my writing and viewpoints - it would be greatly appreciated!
Is China a Paper Tiger?
China's economy slows amid power cuts and real estate crisis. "The world's second largest economy could contract even further as the year draws to a close."
Increasing energy costs and food shortages will further hurt the Chinese economy and trust/obedience to the CCP. Also do not trust China's self-reported growth numbers. The CCP is not to be trusted.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.
"All cruelty springs from weakness." - Seneca
"Professionals are people who can do their best work when they don't feel like it." - Alistair Cooke
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan
"If you take care of the minutes, the years take care of themselves." - Tibetan Proverb
Especially True When It Comes to Sports Betting
Via Shane Parrish's great Knowledge Project podcast.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Good on Enes Kanter
How do you insult a pig by calling it a pig? Don't trust China - China is asshole! Free Tibet! Free Hong Kong!
What if the Universe Had No Beginning?
Interesting look at casual set theory and how it fits into quantum physics.
This theory competes against string theory and loop quantum gravity. In my opinion string theory is a waste of time. It should be noted that it's not just casual set theory which imagines a universe without a beginning - loop quantum gravity does the same. In fact even Georges Lemaitre, who came up with the concept of the Big Bang, thought the Big Bang may not have been the beginning. Lemaitre, who was a Catholic priest, even persuaded the Pope not to say that the Big Bang was confirmation of the Biblical creation story because there was a chance it may not have been the beginning of things.
"A huge part of the casual set philosophy is that the passage of time is something physical." This - right there is why I lean towards casual set theory as being correct according to my intuition.
(HT Newmark's Door)
Thursday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new Flotsam and Jetsam column up on Substack.
As always if it makes you smile or think - please hit the like button and share with people.
Operational
Steven Pressfield on the military term "operational" and how it applies to writing.
If you have been thinking about a project - declare yourself "operational" and get to work.
As always the comments on these posts are also well worth your time.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"If you're trying to fit in, you'll never reach your potential." - Shane Parrish
"Socialism is astrology for beta males." - Jack Posobiec
"Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense. But the real universe is always one step beyond logic." - Frank Hebert Dune
"Practiced execution become game results." - Mike Lombardi
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Keith Olbermann has Been a National Joke for a Long Time
The moment Keith Olbermann became a national joke.
And it should be noted that the take-down came from the left - SNL and Ben Affleck.
How to Rev Up Innovation
Matt Ridley's article is geared towards the UK but the principal it true for all free counties.
As Lord Ridley states, "Innovation is the source of all prosperity." And as he emphasizes, "One of the key elements that is required for innovation to flourish is freedom." That underscores how voluntarily giving up your freedoms through censorship, vaccine mandates and other way is not just morally wrong but in the end also economically damaging.
Big Media Brought to You By Pfizer
If you were wondering if "Big media" and "Big Pharma" were working together.
You could probably do a "Congress brought to you by Pfizer" as well seeing how much of Congress is making money off their sudden investments in the company. In journalism and politics "follow the money" used to mean something completely different than how the media and Congress are profiting today.
Lectures from Limousine Liberals
Bridget Phetasy with a tremendous look at the narcissism and hypocrisy of elitist liberals and how it was laid bare by their actions during the pandemic. Bravo! Make sure to read the whole thing.
Think it was Naval Ravikant who observed that if politicians and journalists stopped getting paychecks - the lockdowns would end tomorrow. How true!
Southwest Airlines Backs Down
Southwest Airlines scraps plan to put unvaccinated workers on unpaid leave.
Chalk this up as a win for the pilots union. Common sense seems to have prevailed.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." - C.S. Lewis
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."- Stephen Hawking
"Don't eat a scorned woman's spaghetti." - Chris Lynch
"Eternity is a mere moment, just long enough for a joke." - Hermann Hesse
Tom Petty - Don't Do Me Like That
This song was written by Tom Petty back in 1973 back when he was still in Mudcrutch. It was offered by his record label to the J. Geils Band who turned it down. The song ended up being Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers first Top 10 single in 1979 on the Damn the Torpedoes album.
Today would have been Tom Petty's 71st birthday. Gone way too soon.
Today would have been Tom Petty's 71st birthday. Gone way too soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)