Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Heh Heh

 












Via

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If 2020 was to have a sequel to 2014's Too Many Cooks it would have to be called Too Many Kooks... If President Trump wanted to troll Kamala Harris he could pardon any parent that was jailed as part of California's controversial Truancy Law - a law Harris as District Attorney supported... Who knew? Erwin Schrodinger didn't even own a cat... Can't help but think that if I tried to write a Raymond Chandler-type noir book I would call it The Woman with the Larry Bird Mustache... I seriously spend time wondering if the Harry Potter movies could have been better if they were made by Pixar instead. Perhaps someday Pixar will get the rights to reboot the series... Hard to believe but the last head coach of a Cleveland Browns team to win an NFL playoff game is none other than Bill Belichick. And it was against the Patriots... George Orwell's 1984 had the "two minutes of hate" meanwhile modern America has the "hour and a half of hate" but we call it the Presidential Debates... 

Linky Links

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

- The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards

Walmart Canada triples Tesla Semi order

- From last year but Bob Weir's workout is still inspirational

- Photobombing in the 15th century

- Laird Hamilton's 5 rules for healthy living

- Beautiful women wearing nothing but milk. (One of my all-time favorites)

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

If You're Wondering What I Want for Christmas

Quotes for Today

 Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." - H.L. Mencken

"The goal of media is to make every problem, your problem." - Naval Ravikant

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... Stay hungry. Stay foolish." - Steve Jobs

"The ability to stay calm during conflict is a superpower." - Naval Rvikant

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"All bookshops are full of stories, and stories want to be heard." - Jen Campbell

Monday, September 28, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thought and observations.

Just wondering but do you think the FBI has ever gotten a sample of Hillary Clinton's DNA to see if it matched any unsolved murders? Just saying might be worth it... WiFi connected coffee make hacked - demands ransom. I would never use an IoT enabled coffee maker or any kitchen appliance for that matter. Then again I'm not so lazy that I can't make my own coffee... Think most short term disability insurances won't cover you if you get hurt from active participation in a riot. Not sure if that's also true of Obamacare... Awesome in the literal sense... I think one of the keys to a healthy and happy life is to avoid both processed food and processed information (i.e. Social Media). Eat real food and read books... The European Union makes its choice - the US over China. This is important but I have to think if the EU chose otherwise a large number of nations would have lined up to leave the EU... 

Yaz and Ted

One of my favorite Carl Yastrzemski / Ted Williams stories from the great Stan Grossfeld

"'I remember Ted [Williams] asked me to go fishing with him once at Winter Haven," he says. ''It was one of those ponds that are stocked with fish. He told me not to bring any live bait. I got there and he was already waiting for me. He said, 'What's in the cooler?' and I said, 'I brought a couple of beers.' He said, 'No beer on this boat,' and I said, 'No fishing for me on this boat. See ya.' "

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Just a Reminder

 

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So how long will it be before the Red Sox announce they are bringing Alex Cora back as their manager? Is his 1-year suspension up after the regular season or after the World Series?... Congrats to Mike Leach on his first victory as coach of Mississippi State. I have a soft spot for Leach and if you like sports books his Swing Your Sword (written with Bruce Feldman) is one of the better ones out there... So Jeff Samardzija was released by the Giants. The 35 (soon to be 36) year old Samardzija still wants to pitch but he may find few takers. The former Notre Dame receiving sensation made the right choice choosing baseball as he's made over $122 million in his career. Potential Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson who was the second overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft made just over $113 million in his career and Samardzijo was no Megatron... "If we would just slow down, happiness would catch up to us." - Dr. Richard Carlson. Sunday's are good days for slowing things down... Go Pats!!!... 

Octoberfest!


 

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If the NBA Finals do end up with the TV executives preferred match-up of Celtics-Lakers then the idea that the league is "fixed" will be tough to refute... "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." - Max Planck. Quantum physics observation or life advice?... Mildly surprised the usual "Republican presidential candidate (fill in the blank) is going to bring back the draft!" accusation hasn't been floated yet. Maybe because Trump isn't starting any new wars and is actually bringing troops home?... If I were rich I'd bankroll a movie about John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaign but I'd insist that Andy Dick play Kerry. All because I think that would be hilarious... I think it's time to bring back Celebrity Boxing... If you ask Siri, "When should I spank my wife?" She says, "I don't know how to respond to that." Why is that? Is Apple staffed with a bunch of wife spankers? Why so ambivalent about wife spanking? Inquiring minds want to know..

Linky Links

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

- Tom Hardy as the next James Bond?

- Matt Taibbi: The revenge of the money launderers

- VDH: Civilization requires collective common sense. If I were to run for office my slogan would be "Common Sense and Fairness" because that's the low bar every voter is hoping for.

- This would be awesome!

- If I was to tell you what I'd really like to see as punishment for these two doctors you would call me barbaric.

The Man Who Saved the World

 On this day 36-years ago Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov may have single-handedly saved the world from global thermonuclear war.


I was a senior in high school and my biggest concern probably had to deal with whoever we were playing in football that weekend. Little did I know how close we all were to being incinerated.

How is it that Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov isn't a household name? This is real-life Bruce Willis in Armageddon type stuff here.

Friday, September 25, 2020

Quotes for Today

 Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them." - Aristotle

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

"It is remarkable how much long term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent." - Charlie Munger

"It never ceases to amaze me: We all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own." - Marcus Aurelius

"The quality of your mind is the quality of your life." - Naval Ravikant

"Snake Plissken? I thought he was dead." - Escape from New York

Farnam Street Knowledge

 

- The Spiral of Silence

- Avoiding Stupidity is Easier than Seeking Brilliance

- How to Change Your Perspective (short video)

Truth?

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Just Breathe - Willie Nelson


Just learned that this cover existed today.

Linky Links

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

- The Abraham Accords and the Emperor's New Clothes

- Democrats worry about Senator Feinstein. Will be interesting if the 87-year old Senator from California performs badly if the issues of her Chinese spy driver or term-limits start getting raised by media on the Left.

- 5 productivity tips to help you better manage your time.

- Minneapolis PD to business owners: Reinforcements are not on the way. At some point you'd think the residents of Minneapolis would wake up and realize that they voted for the same things that destroyed Venezuela. Don't look for the rest of the country to have much sympathy.

- Why are the media and far Left so anti-Joe Rogan? The media is against Rogan because he's crushing them. His type of media is ascending and the traditional media is holding on for dear life. The far-Left hate him because, like his listeners, he thinks for himself and does not sheepishly buy into whatever the talking points of the day happen to be.

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Trump adding Senators Cruz and Cotton to his SCOTUS shortlist was both a wise and gracious move. Trump knew he was going to nominate a woman but adding Cruz and Cotton gave both Senators the thrill of a lifetime and cemented their support of the President...Great life advice - 7 lessons that will make you better... Reminder - a good chunk of Enron's ill-gotten gains came via the gullibility of the State of California regarding how energy is actually generated... The average age of the death in the US is 78-years old. The average age of COVID-19 deaths in the US is also 78-years old... Absolutely loved that the Department of Education launched an investigation of Princeton after their President said the institution was "systemically racist." Love it... Amused by the attempts of some to smear Judge Amy Coney Barrett with comparisons to Handmaiden's Tale. What percentage of registered voters in the US have actually read the book or watched the show? And of those who have read the book or seen the show what percentage are registered Democrats? 95% or more maybe? It's a comparison that only plays well in a limited echo chamber but also the same echo chamber in which most of the media these days exists... 

My Father the Forger

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Some Physics Humor

 

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the history books you read about the public burning of bras and draft cards in the 1960's. I think we're quickly approaching public mask burning protests this year... If there were a Sports Bettors and Beer Drinkers Party - I'm pretty sure they'd get more votes in the upcoming election than the Libertarians... Just a reminder the WHO also was against e-cigarettes... Cam Newton is on pace for just under 1,000 yards rushing for the season. If the Patriots make a decent run in the playoffs there's a chance Cam could match Tom Brady's career rushing yards (1,046) in a single season... "A rational person can find peace by cultivating indifference to things outside of their control." - Naval Ravikant... Not that it's getting much press coverage but the US economy is doing better than expected... 

The West Wing Pilot Script

enjoy reading movie and TV show scripts. One of the best is the script for the pilot of The West Wing written by Aaron Sorkin (pdf). If you are familiar with the show at all it is very difficult to read the script without picturing the actual characters as they were cast. The script and dialog written by Sorkin is so good that I think I'd prefer to own the script over the DVD of the show.

Two minor things to note about the original script:

(1) Leo McGarry (played on the show by the late John Spenser) was originally called Leo Jacobi. Not sure why the name was changed. Maybe when John Spencer was cast the name was changed to better reflect Spencer's heritage?

(2) There was always a character called Charlie who was the President's "body man". In the original script he's just a sharply dressed 19-year old taking a year off from Georgetown. I like the way he evolved into the Charlie Young played by Dule Hill (complete with this new Charlie's back-story).

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Linky Links

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

- Have we found proof of life on Venus?

- I've posted about this poker cheating scandal before. I'm glad it's getting wider attention.

- Doesn't look good for NYC

- Naval Ravikant: The Path to Peace is Truth

- Some interesting points on the pandemic. From a surprising source.

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Its illegal to protest 35 or more feet outside a Planned Parenthood (35 feet in Boston and 39 feet in Portland for examples) but in some cities now its OK to come right up to your table at a restaurant and scream in your face. That's not a winning message... This is sportsmanship... Reading The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict. Based upon the reporting in the book I think it is safe to say that Bill Parcells will never be in the Patriots Hall of Fame as long as Jonathan Kraft is alive. He thought the Tuna was a bully and did not appreciate the way he treated his dad... 8 British expressions explained... Some of the results of the pandemic could be the return of paper bags at the grocery store (and the end of those plastic bags), the return of paper towels in public bathrooms (those blow dryers are awful) but the end of "All Day" breakfast at McDonald's (which is too bad because the Sausage McMuffin with Egg was my go-to order when forced by circumstances to eat McDonald's)... NYU Prof says 20% of colleges could fail because of the lockdowns.  Professor does an excellent job of documenting how college education ended up in this precarious position... 

Quotes for Today

 Here are some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." - Benjamin Franklin

"To get better outcomes, learn to do the boring work no one wants to do when no one is watching." - Shane Parrish

"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality." - Ayn Rand

"At that time (1909) the chief engineer was almost always the chief test pilot as well. That had the fortunate result of eliminating poor engineering early in aviation." - Igor Sikorski 

"The problem with the world ist that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." - Charles Bukowski

"There have to be reasons that you get up in the morning and you want to live." - Elon Musk

Happy Hobbit Day

 

Today is the birthdays of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and is celebrated internationally as Hobbit Day.

Be sure to have a second breakfast and maybe a pint or two to celebrate!

Monday, September 21, 2020

ABC News on Barack Obama

Linky Links

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

- Good analysis of Trump's Foreign Policy regarding the Middle East and China. I would add that it is his Trade Deals with various friendly nations (Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, etc.) that is a bedrock in supporting those other moves.

- Very Cool

- Interesting story of a South Korean actress and film director kidnapped by North Korea in an attempt to kickstart North Korea's movie industry

- This article is written to make the two Molotov cocktail throwing lawyers the victims. Ridiculous! They're lawyers - they knew the consequences of their actions. As Beretta said, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

- All passengers on Epstein's "Lolita Express" to be named "sparking panic among rich pals."

- * Does not apply to Canada (which actually proves the point)

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations. 

If the NBA playoff TV ratings are way down because of BLM support - I can't imagine how bad the WNBA ratings must be. Are they being measured with microscopes by this point?... The 2007 NFL Draft was horrible for QB's - from JaMarcus Russell taken with the 1st pick to Tyler Thigpen taken with the 217th pick. Total of 11 QB's taken and all of them pretty much busts... Genius Trump nominates Joe Biden to Supreme Court forcing Dems to accuse him of sexual assault... "There's no fucking way we're not buying this team [the Patriots]." - Robert Kraft January 2, 1994. As an aside - how is his nickname not "Krafty?"... The federal government owns approximately 85% of the land in Nevada, 69% of Alaska, 57% of Utah and 53% of Oregon... This seems like a promising technology... 

Bill Murray

 

Bill Murray turns 70 today. Here's some of the stories through the years about Murray that I found interesting or amusing.

Bill Murray call's Kelly Lynch's husband each time the sex scene in Roadhouse comes on

Bill Murray once got lost for years in the persona of Hunter S Thompson

Bill Murray on the last time he saw Gilda Radner

Seven Steps to living a Bill Murray life, by Bill Murray

Casting Bill Murray

Fantastic review of Bill Murray's film career

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Whatever happened with all those lawsuits against Saudi Arabia for their 9/11 culpability?... Well the Most Interesting Man in the World did tell us he didn't always drink beer... My favorite conspiracy theory is that making cookies is just a front for the Keebler Elves sports bookmaking operation... "It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living." - Terry Pratchett... Was going to do a post about whether Jon Lester is a Hall of Famer but the simple answer is "No." He's beloved in both Boston and Chicago and has 3 World Series rings but with just 192 wins and a career ERA of 3.59 that just doesn't cut it. What really props up Lester is his great personality, being a cancer survivor, and the fact he went 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 5 career World Series starts. The bigger the game the better Lester seemed to pitch. Would not be surprised if he retired or maybe signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox for next season... With the cancel mob gunning for JK Rowling for her new book about a cross-dressing killer - I wonder how long it will be before that mob comes after the 1980 movie Dressed to Kill? Because the plot (spoiler alert) is basically the same... 

Quotes for Today

 Here are some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Visible talent is the result of years of effort applied in the same direction. It looks sexy at the outcome level, but it's incredibly boring at the micro level." - Shane Parrish

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe in." - Aristotle

"Self-sufficiency is the greatest of all wealth." - Epicurus

"When the debate is lost, slander becomes he tool of the loser." - Socrates

"All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest." - Naval Ravikant 

What if Ernest Hemingway was Typecast?

 
Ernest Hemingway wrote a lot of stories about horse racing and during his early years in Paris much of his time was spent at race tracks or studying the racing forum looking for a good horse to bet. This side of Hemingway is not widely known mainly because almost all of his stories about horse racing were lost when his wife Hadley had a briefcase full of Hemingway's original works along with the carbon copies stolen off a train.

I keep wondering what would have happened if those stories had not been lost to history. Would Hemingway the writer have turned out very different?

Imagine if some of those horse racing stories were published and they were met with some acclaim. Would Hemingway have been known as the renown horse racing writer?  If Hemingway branched out to other subjects would the critics have told him to stick to horse racing? "Hemingway writes about an old fisherman struggling to land a giant marlin and the story is surprisingly well told coming from a writer who normally covers steeple chase."

Friday, September 18, 2020

Linky Links

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

- China to launch space mining bot. Which led me to wonder - which enterprising nation will launch the first space piracy bot? Honestly - that how my brain thinks.

- New stealth fighter 6th gen prototype flies in record time, invisible and deadly

- Not as sexy or newsworthy as stability in the Middle East but the Trump Administration is also making strides to bring stability and prosperity to South and Central America.

- The Russia Bounties story turns out to be trash journalism. Why the White House and Pentagon haven't revoke the New York Times press credentials over this is beyond me.

- Van the Man! Van Morrison rails against the lockdowns in new songs.

- The new Tesla battery that will give even more scale to the EV market?

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If there is a Presidential debate and Donald Trump showed up without a necktie while Joe Biden failed to string two consecutive coherent thoughts together the whole night - in the post debate commentary by the main stream media all that would be talked about is Trump's lack of a tie... Some Beatnik Slang some of which is pretty cool but other are just "off the cob"... Thomas Jefferson said, "The American people won't make a mistake if they are given all the facts." The main stream media seems determined to make sure the American people never get all the facts... This is in a nutshell why I stopped eating bananas. Don't be a monkey... If I'm ever in a relationship with a woman who keeps Moet et Chandon in a cabinet - I'm pretty sure I'm going to bail. Thanks Queen's lyrics for the dating advice... People wondering why Barack Obama hasn't spoken out about Netflix's film that blatantly sexualized 11-year olds should remember that this is the guy who got his own daughter an internship with Harvey Weinstein... 

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Triple Rainbow

 

If you believe in symbolism the three rainbows in this recent photo taken in Israel could easily represent; the UAE-Israel Peace Deal, the Bahrain-Israel Peace Deal, and the Kosovo-Serbia Peace deal where both nations agreed to recognize Israel and place diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. 

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth. Genesis 9:16

Photo Via 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Chicago is in big trouble as a city. And underfunded pensions weren't even mentioned. A financial disaster is looming... Wonder when trans-activists will schedule their first JK Rowling book-burning event. You know its coming. And book-burning is always a sign of the most tolerant of folks... This Ben Affleck story is 100% accurate... Ilhan Omar on Tuesday's historic Middle East Peace deals, "Some people did something" (probably)... Judd Apatow on Hollywood "China has bought our silence"... Someday I'd like to compare where Venezuela stood in comparison to other nations based on GDP when Socialists were first elected to office and where it stands now. And then do the same thing for California starting in 2008... 

EDIT: I was only joking about the JK Rowling book-burning but evidently they're already happening.

Quotes for Today

 Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"You're not going to get very far in life based on what you already know." - Charlie Munger

"A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it." - Albert Einstein

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca

"Peace doesn't require two people; it requires only one. It has to be you. The problem begins and ends there." - Byron Katie

"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than how you think it should be." - Wayne Dyer

"Indifference to external events. And a commitment to justice in your own acts." - Marcus Aurelius

"Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well." - Jack London

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Sweden's Covid-19 Deaths

Chart may be tough to read but basically Sweden, which did not lockdown the country or economy, is experiencing basically a single Covid-19 death per day.  The population of Sweden is roughly 10.23 million.  That's a little smaller than North Carolina and a little larger than Michigan. 

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Remember wondering how the fact that FDR was crippled and for the most part confined to a wheelchair could be kept hidden from the American people by a willing and complicit US press? Well future generations will wonder the same thing about Joe Biden's cognitive decline... If I played in the NBA I would try to make my "social justice" message on my jersey "Flat Tax Now!" That certainly qualifies as social justice - right? Doubt the NBA would allow it though... Yesterday I posted the Thomas Jefferson quote, "Liberty is the parent of science and virtue, and a nation will be great in both in proportion as it is free." I mentioned that political correctness was stifling true science. Also yesterday Scientific American came out and endorsed Joe Biden. "We've never backed a presidential candidate in our 175-year history - until now." It would take Scientific American another 175-years to get their credibility back but my guess is the magazine now won't last another decade... Tim Ferriss mentioned that one of the underrated things about Joe Rogan's Spotify deal is that it is exclusive. That probably means for video too. Ferriss points out that this is a big deal as Rogan's videos of his podcasts pull in huge numbers on YouTube. All of those views would now be going to whatever Spotify's new video offering is. Just something to keep in mind... 

Linky Links

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

- Chinese virologist claims she has proof COVID-19 was made in Wuhan lab. Many scientists have been pointing at this very thing for a while now.

- How Trump defied the experts and forged a breakthrough in the Middle East. Making the US energy independent also played a large role.

- More than 20 Belgian doctors against Corona hysteria. (PDF) "We argue that the measures to get the coronavirus under control are disproportionate and do more harm than good." There were also another 200 Irish doctors voicing the same concerns. 

- Daylight Savings should be permanent. I've been in favor of this for as long as I've had this blog.

- The Sturgis biker rally did not cause 266,796 cases of COVID-19. I read the first dozen pages of the study when it came out and it was immediately clear that it was crap. The same sort of modeling that projected 2.2 million Wuhan virus deaths in the US. Pure crap!

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Heartbreak Beat - Psychedelic Furs

Linky Links

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

- VDH - Joe Biden "The Great and Powerful" [Oz]

- Report: MLB to ban alcohol from postseason celebrations in 2020. Let's take a sport that's boring to begin with and suck even more joy out of it. You be you MLB.

- Why study the warrior archetype

- Orcas seem to be purposefully targeting boats off of Spain

- I'm an awful person for laughing at this

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

President Trump agreeing via Twitter to a 4-hour debate with Joe Biden to be moderated by Joe Rogan is a perfect example of what Scott Adams calls "free money." There was free money on the table and Trump took it. There's no down side for Trump to agree to the debate because he knows that Biden's team will never agree to it and by agreeing to it he looks good to a large portion of Joe Rogan's 190 million fans... Many Patriots fans wanted to show their support of Tom Brady for all he's done for New England over the years by betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Those fans will be paying their bookies today... Confession - I am 100% Irish but am much more likely to get drunk the first Sunday of NFL football than I am on Saint Patrick's Day. This year was no exception... Meanwhile Cam Newton led the New England Patriots to both a win and a cover. Few more games like that and you'll see fewer and fewer number 12 jerseys around Boston (sorry but that's the way sports works)... "Liberty is the parent of science and virtue, and a nation will be great in both in proportion as it is free." - Thomas Jefferson. This quote makes me think of how the political climate is actually stifling science today because scientists have to be careful to toe the PC line or get cancelled for their "science." That's not a healthy situation... All these years later and I still can't shake the feeling that Anthony Weiner was some sort of elaborate long-con Borat-like prank from the folks at The Daily Show all along. Weiner was Jon Stewart's roommate in college... 

Quotes for Today

 Here are some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"A permanent solution to a temporary problem becomes a permanent problem." - Naval Ravikant

"Self education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is." - Isaac Asimov

"Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom." - Herman Hesse

"True love is when both people think they have the better half of the deal." - Simon Sinek

"Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated." - Ernest Hemingway

"A life dragged slowly on amidst laments, becomes a kind of death." - Seneca

"The measure of a man is what he does with power." - Plato

Monday, September 14, 2020

Linky Links

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

- What Bahrain's deal with Israel really means

- Climate change and nuclear power explained

- Please let this happen - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.  Also if you have't listened to the Joe Rogan Podcast with Tim Kennedy it's well worth your time

- Your Brain's Role - Lisa Feldman Barnett

- SNF ratings down 28%. Some will argue that part of the decline is due to people streaming the game (like I did). Other will say this is another example of "Go Woke Go Broke." I think history will show the Go Woke Go Broke explanation was the correct one.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Watched the first half of the Patriots game yesterday at a friend's restaurant. He used to be a huge Patriots fan but now because the embrace of BLM by the NFL and the protesting of police and the flag - he won't allow the audio of any game be played in his restaurant - even Patriots games. The NFL really has alienated a lot of former life-long fans... Wait Canadian wildfires are 36% less than normal? So why is California so out of control? Is there no "climate change" in Canada. Is Mother Gaia happy with Canadians?... Speaking of Canadians - yesterday would have been Neil Peart's birthday. He's gone way too young... With Amazon basically moving out of Seattle coupled with the riots - the chances of Seattle getting another NBA franchise are zero. This is a perfect demonstration of the phrase "Why you can't have nice things"... Beach and Pina Colada season is officially over. It is now beer and football season... Thinking of having business cards made up - "Chris Lynch Professional Enthusiast" because it sounds cool and because why not?... 

Quotes for Today

 Here are some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"You make your own luck. If you stay at it long enough." - Naval Ravikant

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

"Remember this - that there is a proper dignity and proportion to be observed in the performance of every act of life." - Marcus Aurelius 

"All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents." - John F. Kennedy

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." - Bruce Lee

"The most dangerous employee you can have around is an articulate incompetent." - Roberto Goizueta

"The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate." - Doug Larson

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Go Pats!

 

Linky Links

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

- Why Biden will withdraw from the debates. I agree - it is only a matter of time before they make the announcement.

- Wrestling champion Navid Afkari executed in Iran despite international outcries. The Regime in Iran is evil pure and simple.

- How lack of college football is devastating to college towns.

- Disney's Mulan disaster highlights the dangers of China deals

- Amazon is moving out of Seattle - and who can blame them?

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Yesterday I posted the letter from independent restaurant owners who were forced to close their business. They mentioned the Restaurant Revitalization Bill which on first glance seems to make a lot of sense... For those waiting on a Covid-19 vaccine - a reminder that we still don't have a vaccine for Ebola after decades of trying... When did people first start involving God in an act of sternutation?... If there was a Church of Bacon - I'd be a parishioner. Maybe even a priest... Back in the day businesses could write off lunches and dinners as a business expense. They should bring that back as an additional way to help restaurants recover. President Trump has mentioned this before so I'm assuming he'd sign such a bill...  Sternutation by the way is sneezing. Saved you from having to look that up... "It would not have been possible for us to take power or to use it in the ways we have without the radio." - Joseph Goebbels in August 1933 when the radio was the hot new technology. Many on both sides are trying to use the Internet in a similar manner today... 

Good Morning America

 

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Linky Links

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

- Matt Taibbi - Tapes Show: ethically, CNN chief a little shaky

- Israel: Peace Deals, Ceasefires and Stalemates. Good analysis.

- Farewell letter from an independent restaurant owner. "There's a restaurant-closing tsunami on the way."  

- This made me laugh

- Interesting - Iran's secular shift: new survey reveals huge changes in religious beliefs

- Nashville allows bars to stay open until 30 minutes after end of Tennessee Titans game. Proving once again that the Covid-19 rules are arbitrary and stupid.

- Bahrain becomes latest Arab nation to recognize Israel. How can Trump bring peace to the Middle East and not win a Nobel prize.

September 12th Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on the day after September 11th.

Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th. Is it to much to ask that the day gets its proper due? Is it too much to hope that with the election behind us and people waking up to the toxic effects of social media that the country will be more united once again?... Mark Cuban is obviously in the first stage - denial. Will the next stage of anger get him kicked off Twitter?... My hope is next year the nation will be more united but in the age of "Social Justice" even September 11th can be divisive - as the NFL found out (look at the comments)... One of the things that always comes to mind on September 11th is Wells Crowther - The Man in the Red Bandanna. Boston College has a red bandanna game every fall in his memory. Never bet against BC in that game because the emotions are just off the charts... 

WWSD?

 

Friday, September 11, 2020

Linky Links

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

- Three ways Trump's Israel-UAE peace breakthrough transformed the Middle East this week. Peace in the Middle East has been the foreign policy holy grail of every President of my lifetime. Amusing that it could be being achieved and ignored by the press at the same time.

- Interesting - "Coffin Confessor" Bill Edgar paid to gatecrash funerals.(HT Marginal Revolution)

- This is why space junk is so dangerous. Imagine that hit a GPS satellite we rely on. Or a Starlink satellite.

- I still want one of these.

- Talk about an awful way to die

9/11


The Twin Towers on the evening of September 10, 2001.

The next morning the world changed and hasn't been the same since.

Never forget.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

There are no memorials planned tomorrow at Ground Zero because of the lockdown rules in NYC. All off-duty firemen and police officers should gather there tomorrow with "Fuck DeBlasio" signs. Who would arrest them?... Potatoes were forbidden in England until the early 18th century for the simple reason - potatoes aren't mentioned in the Bible. You know what else isn't mentioned in the Bible - England!... Probably not a good idea to criticize Elon Musk on Twitter... Is it ironic that many people who are against genetically modified foods in Africa and elsewhere somehow have no issue with the genetically altered strains of marijuana they buy in the US?... Who does Taylor Swift have in her NFL survivor pool? Why hasn't she commented on it? What is she trying to hide?... The way Hollywood is going I wouldn't be surprised if someone pitched a big-budget re-make of Paint Your Wagon starring the cast from Hamilton. It would make $0 at the box office but it could sweep the Oscars under the new rules... 

Farnam Street Knowledge

 

- Charlie Munger on Getting Rich, Wisdom, Focus, Fake Knowledge and More

- The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals

- Gates' Law: How Progress Compounds and Why It Matters

YES - THIS

 

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Linky Links

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

- New York City cannot rebound without Broadway. And Broadway's way back is uncertain. Conservative estimate is Fall of 2021. And I wouldn't hold your breath for any federal bailout out of Broadway because there are going to be so many other things with higher priority.

- SMIC shares sink, US ban worries cloud China's hope for chip self-sufficiency

- Naval Ravikant's book recommendation list

- China unveils global data security initiative, citing "bullying" by some nations. Going on past performance any nation who buys into this is beyond foolish. It is interesting as a benchmark of how worried China has become. The de-coupling is coming.

- I'm a sucker for a good political ad - and this is a good ad. EDIT: If you're interested in donating to Alek's campaign here's the link.

 - "The Gov Killed Nana"

Quotes for Today

 Here are some random quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." - Pablo Picasso

"We should enjoy good fortune while we have it, like the fruits of autumn." - Epictetus

"Failure is the only opportunity to begin again intelligently." - Henry Ford

"Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people." - Spencer Johnson

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." - Alan W. Watts

Was the Lockdown Worth it?

 

The total deaths in Sweden over the past 6-years have basically been about the same. Sweden did not lockdown the country or the economy.

In the US many are coming out to say that the lockdowns were a huge mistake. Looking at the facts makes me wonder how anyone could argue otherwise. 

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Linky Links

 Stuff I found interesting or amusing.

- This was cool - Dave Grohl is the best

- This is why the UFC is gaining fans while other sports are shedding them in droves

- LHC creates matter from light

- An example of why Mike Sexton was so important to poker

- The Washington Post used to be upheld as one of the examples of journalism at its best. Now they are an agenda driven bunch of hacks which their treatment of Clay Travis is just the latest example of. They've completely thrown away their integrity and for what?

- Heh Heh

- Is sunscreen bad for you? I've cut way back on my use of sunscreen for many of the reasons raised in the article.

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Remember all those dire predictions about if England voted for Brexit? Yeah - whatever happened to those predictions?... Wonder if the military bases in San Diego can utilize the power from one of the nuclear powered aircraft carriers in port to keep their grid up and AC on during the blackouts. Would be great advertisement for nuclear power if they could... Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering almost single handedly eliminated whooping cough (which was the major killer in the day) yet they are hardly remembered by history... The original name for Penicillin was Mold Juice. Too bad that didn't catch on. It would also make for a great name for band of microbiologists... Minced Kidneys of Monkeys would also be a good name for a science band... I would give $1,000 to any journalist who asks and gets Joe Biden to answer the question, "Now that Tesla has shown that electric cars can compete against internal combustion engines isn't it time for America to also give steam powered engines another look see?"... 

Truth

 

Monday, September 07, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In August Ireland had 70 deaths related to alcohol, and 32 deaths from suicide with 0 deaths from COVID-19. I would argue that many of those suicides and alcohol related deaths probably while not officially COVID-19 related actually were exacerbated by the lockdown... Feel that this short essay "I Never Cared" will resonate with many people... Love the acronym WEIRD for countries like the US and Canada (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic). WEIRD nations (and people) should stick together... The headline reads "Europe Just Declared Independence from China." Not sure if I'd go that far but it is clear that China has badly over-played their hand... Excellent point - John Cleese: Can you tell me a woke joke? Guessing if such a joke exists the punchline would have to do with either Trump or older white men... 

Linky Links

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

- Legendary poker player and announcer Mike Sexton has passed away. Sexton was roundly regarded as one of the nicest persons in poker.

- Still amazed that the Peace Deal between Sebia and Kosovo isn't a bigger story.

- The first successfully cloned endangered Przewalski's horse was born at the San Diego Zoo. For many this brings thoughts of Jurassic Park, others wonder about bringing back the passenger pigeon. Me? I wonder about using this method to clone Ted Williams.

- NFL, NFLPA announce a 1-hour special on social justice to be aired on NBC. Imagine the ratings for this will be great (sarcasm off). Am curious if they will have commercials because any advertisers are bound to face some backlash.

- Still awesome life advice.

- Reminder it was just 3-years ago the NBA was mandating that all players and coaches stand for the anthem. They understood the damage it could do to TV ratings and revenue. 

Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic with Jerry Garcia

Sunday, September 06, 2020

Heh Heh

 

Linky Links

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

- How can a Peace Treaty of this magnitude get so little media coverage?

- Study: Bee venom kills aggressive breast cancer cells.

- Tim Ferriss on some of the dangers of becoming famous.

- "Limited, arbitrary, and unsystematic:" Flawed Federal Dietary Report targets alcohol. Another example of "experts" losing credibility in 2020.

- Fascinating - the most popular websites since 1993. Amazing how much Google dominates these days. 

- Why the economic scars of rioting will haunt Minneapolis for decades

Quotes for Today

 Here are some random quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"True good fortune is what you make for yourself. Good fortune: good character, good intentions, good actions." - Marcus Aurelius

"When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." - Abraham Lincoln

"The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." - Soren Kierkegard

"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it." - Seneca

"Education isn't something you can finish." - Isaac Asimov

"No matter how smart a person is, no matter how elegant their hypothesis, if it does not agree with experimentation, it is wrong." - Richard Feynman

"Be scared. You can't help that. But don't be afraid." - William Faulkner

Saturday, September 05, 2020

Truth

 

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Big 10 is looking at starting football around Thanksgiving. The cynic in me wonders why football suddenly becomes OK only after the election. The pragmatist in me says the Big 10 will be viewed as a JV conference for decades to come... "Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision." - Peter Drucker... The theme song to Ironsides makes a great ringtone for calls from the wife (saying maybe just the first few seconds)... Living life without commercials will make it so much easier for many to live without broadcast TV live sports. One of the reasons all sports TV ratings are going down. You can thank incessant GEICO and Progressive commercials for that... Hot Milk would be a great name for an LDS punk band... Maybe the act of innovation itself is a rebellion against God and the perceived natural order of things (why yes I did just start reading Matt Ridley's latest book)...   

Just a Reminder

 

Friday, September 04, 2020

Ozymandias


Very well-done. I kept wondering if that was the voice of Vincent Price. (HT American Digest)

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

"Nancy Pelosi was set up by that salon owners and anyone who disagrees with me is a dog faced pony soldier liar." - Joe Biden (probably)... Speaking of Nancy Pelosi - shouldn't the owner of that salon that reported Pelosi for breaking the law be protected under California's Whistle-blower laws?... "It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone." - John Steinbeck... It's union power, not safety issues, that's determining what US schools reopen this fall. Sadly some unions also stoop so low as to fight against parents ability to monitor virtual classrooms. The teacher's unions have greatly overplayed their hands during this crisis and their "power" will be downhill from here... "Maturing is realizing how many things don't require your comment." - Rachel Wolchin. Ain't that the truth?... 

Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance

Bill Walsh's Standard of Performance which are what I'd consider the bedrock foundation of all of his success.

1. Exhibit a ferocious and intelligently applied work ethic directed at continual improvement.
2. Demonstrate respect for each person in the organization.
3. Be deeply committed to learning and teaching.
4. Be fair.
5. Demonstrate Character.
6. Honor the direct connection between details and improvement; relentlessly seek the latter.
7. Relentlessly seek self improvement 
8. Show self -control, especially under pressure.
9. Demonstrate and prize loyalty.
10. Use positive language and have a positive attitude.
11. Take pride in my effort as an entity separate from the result of that effort.
12. Be willing to go the extra distance for the organization.
13. Deal appropriately with victory and defeat, adulation and humiliation.
14. Promote internal communication that is both open and substantive
15. Seek poise in myself and those that I lead
16. Put the team's welfare and priorities ahead of my own.
17. Maintain an ongoing level of concentration and focus that is abnormally high
18. Make sacrifice and commitment the organization's trademark
19. The leader must exhibit the principles, code of conduct and behavior that he's asking others to emulate.

This Standard of Performance could easily be applied to any organization or even as a personal code of conduct.

Thursday, September 03, 2020

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Pelosi's Haircut would be a great name for a band... "A rising tide lifts all boats but you will see who is swimming naked when the tide goes out." - Warren Buffett... Holy crap! Robot wins Rock, Paper, Scissors 100% of the time because of ultra-fast vision and reflexes. Scary implications. Robot cops with the fastest draw and unreal firing accuracy can't be that far into the future... "Don't be the Jabroni!!!" - The Iron Sheik... Now would be a good time for someone in Congress to introduce a bill changing the national anthem to Free Bird. You can't be kneeling when your whole body wants to rock out. That bill would get lots of support from both sides of the aisle... Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver has passed away at age 75. He was the best pitcher ever for the Mets (and maybe the Reds) but did you know he was also the best pitcher for USC? Seaver would have been the all-time ace for the Trojans and could have led a historical starting five followed by Randy Johnson, Bill Lee, Mark Prior and Barry Zito... 

Farnam Street Knowledge

- Jeff Bezos: Big Things Start Small

- The Four Tools of Discipline

- Bruce Lee on Self-Actualization 

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Linky Links

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

- Department of Energy invests $72 million in Carbon Capture technologies.

- Interesting point. How the MSM creates headaches for the Democrats. I know a number of life-long Democrats who are completely turned off by Antifa and the AOC-type radicals in the party. They'll be voting for Trump.

- US moving towards closer economic ties to Taiwan. China not happy about it (Boo Hoo).

- I was in charge of the deck chairs on the Titanic, and they absolutely did need rearranging.

- Pentagon report: China amassing arsenal of anti-satellite weapons. Don't get too dependent on your GPS

- Who would have thought that peace in the middle-East would get so little attention?.

Trump and the Big 10

President Trump coming out and Tweeting in favor of the Big 10 playing football this fall is a perfect example of what Scott Adams calls "free money." Here's an issue that has wide support in battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan that was just waiting for someone to pick up that associated support. Trump is grabbing that free money with both hands and good for him.

On the other side of the issue are the Big 10 university Presidents and Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren. The university Presidents voted in secret to shut down football this fall and Kevin Warren is in his first year on the job. Trump is going to steamroll them when it comes to public opinion polls on this issue.

In Ohio the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Cleveland Browns all will be playing football. But not Ohio State because of the Big 10 vote. 

Free money.