Saturday, July 31, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Get Ready for the "No-Buy" List.  "First Big Tech censored speech. Now they want to shut deplorables out of the financial system."

- Matt Taibbi - Meet the Censored: Hitler

- Steven Pressfield: Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be, #2

- Interesting

- Analysis True!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm curious to see if major unions like the NFLPA or the government workers unions cave to vaccine mandates or if they stand up for their members who do not want to be forced to get a vaccine to save their jobs... Gourmand Winos would be a good name for a band... Perhaps the trade of Russell Westbrook to the Lakers was a distraction tactic by LeBron James to make people look away from how much of a dumpster fire Space Jam II is. Plausible theory... If the NFL in effect bans non-vaccinated players could they also ban vegan players while they're at it? That might get my support... Really random thought; in old western movies you'd never see John Wayne or Gary Cooper in a whorehouse. Henry Fonda? Sure. Jimmy Stewart? Maybe (he did run one in The Cheyenne Social Club)...  

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can't fathom." - Naval Ravikant

"Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts." - Richard Feynman

"'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have eroded. And once they are suspended it is not difficult for anyone who has assumed emergency powers to see to it that the emergency will persist." - Freidrich Hayek 

"The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness." - Abraham Maslow

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man." - Heraclitis

"The groove is in the heart." - Dee-Lite

"Nothing matters! Nothing has any consequences! Dance while you still can!" - Loki

Harry Potter

According to the books, Harry Potter would have turned 41-years old today. Happy birthday Harry! 

Friday, July 30, 2021

Linky Links

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

- No more masks or lockdowns is a winning political message.

- On a related note - Matt Taibbi: The Vaccine Aristocrats 

- Electric buses are basically wasting taxpayer dollars so certain people can virtue signal how pure of heart they are.

- VDH: What is Woke Really About? "Wokeness is many things. But increasingly it seems a cover for careerism, profiteering - and utter incompetence."

- Wine-tasting: It's Junk Science. "Even trained, professional palates are terrible at judging wine." Experts of all stripes really getting hammered these past two-years.

EDIT: Just noticed that the links are from two left-leaning sources, two right-leaning sources and a libertarian. Talk about "fair and balanced!"

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Everyone on social media should remember this quote from Suraj Parmar, "Not your server, not your posts or videos." This is so true and you are foolish to think otherwise... Here's an idea for Hollywood; a re-make of Oh! Calcutta! but starring characters from Avatar. Admit it - you'd check that out just out of curiosity if nothing else. I would and that's coming from someone who has never seen either of those movies... Funny because it's true!... Remember - there is a difference between civility and conformity... Business idea - a version of Twitter but just for posts about politics. I'd suggest calling it the Manure Bank... The Dancing Turtle would be a good name for a bar... Get well Tito! Terry Francona is by far my favorite Red Sox manager in my lifetime. He was treated badly on the way out the door in Boston which has not been forgotten by many fans...  

Well Played Sarcastic Guy - Well Played

Via 

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Trust Us


Via 

Linky Links

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

Walmart to pay college tuition and book costs for full and part-time employees. Your move Amazon.

- Despite "Delta" alarmism, US COVID deaths at lowest level since March 2020 - "despite all the alarmism and clamor for renewed restrictions on our liberty, there's not really been a resurgence in the state of the COVID-19 crisis itself." 

- Interesting - Are we finally getting cold feet about Net Zero (the UK's version of the Green New Deal)? "The green agenda has been hastily advanced by lobbyists, academics and politicians, who have few realistic ideas as to how to achieve any of it - technically, economically or politically."

- Jeez - Medical Schools are Now Denying Biological Sex. Enough is enough with this woke culture crap!

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If I were a billionaire I'd hire the actor from Game of Thrones to follow Nancy Pelosi around at all public appearances, ringing her bell and saying, "Shame! Shame!"... I may be an awful person but I thought this was hilarious... Have you ever noticed that the same people who say they would never step foot in a Walmart because of how Walmart treats their employees, "the people of Walmart" or what Walmart did to small businesses in small towns also seem to be the same ones who get almost daily deliveries from Amazon Prime? Some serious cognitive dissonance... Sacred Drunkenness would be a good name for a band (or a new religion)... Here's a business idea for Big Pharma - why not just combine the COVID vaccines with heroin? Really get people addicted to "booster shots." Imagine what that would do for the bottom line... Random admission from a middle-aged guy: all my FaceTime calls from my iPhone are either butt dials or calls with tech support... BTW I have nothing against either Walmart or Amazon - just not a fan of hypocrisy 

Truth


 

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Bill Russell to auction off most of his prized memorabilia.

- Johns Hopkins study find ZERO COVID deaths among healthy children.  The CDC's credibility is in the toilet.

- Heh Heh

- Masks are useless. What happened to "believe the science?"

- Great story of sportsmanship coming out of the Olympics

More Flotsam and Jetsam

More miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Many forget, or never knew, that perhaps the main reason for North Korea developing nuclear capabilities was not to threaten South Korea and the West but as an insurance policy against aggression from China and as a way to make sure they remained an independent nation - not another Tibet. The North Koreans knew early, "Don't trust China. China is asshole!"... One of the best features of Twitter is the "mute button." I use it - a lot. But funny that the only thing I cannot seem to mute are those damn Twitter Survey tweets that seem to pop up in my timeline every damn day... In some hotels you now have to request maid service if you want your room "made up." Yet these hotel rooms still have Do Not Disturb hangers to put outside your room. "Why the need for the two orders Colonel?"... How far off are we from the saying, "Don't trust Fauci. Fauci is asshole!" becomes a thing? It's overdue in my opinion...   

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Wonder if the generation(s) raised on Harry Potter books have a deeper and more willing distrust of the media because of the way The Daily Prophet was portrayed in the books? It didn't exactly paint journalists and newspapers in the best light... You learn something new every day; "our modern word 'bridal', for instance, comes from the Old English bryd ealu or 'bride ale,' which was exchanged between bride and groom to seal their marriage"... VDH: China's Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Don't know how many times it has to be said but, "Don't trust China. China is asshole!"... Business idea - a Baby on Board sign but not for cars - for the back of gamer chairs. Parents with kids in their 20's still living at home would be the target market... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"What you did in the past makes a good story. What you're doing today makes a difference." - Shane Parrish

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

"All these years that I spent in the service of mankind brought me nothing but insults and humiliation." - Nikola Tesla

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." - Marcus Aurelius

"You are much stronger than you think you are, and you don't know the upper limit to that." - Jordan Peterson

"In the short term, you are as good as your intensity. In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency." - Shane Parrish

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Analysis - true! 

- Interesting look at the state of climate scientists (now that everyone is questioning the validity of "experts")

- And speaking of untrustworthy experts - lies, damn lies, and COVID statistics 

- In England it has been determined that wind power is "unviable" (unless of course it is propped up by massive subsidiaries) 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Had to unfollow Outside Magazine because ever since they launched Outside+ it seems every tweet and article is trying to sell me something. Wicked annoying...  Analysis True!... Amazing the clarity of some of the predictions 100 or so years ago from writers like HG Wells, George Orwell, and Aldous Huxley. Who are the writers of today who future generations will look back on as being the soothsayers of our time?... The US Men's Olympic basketball team is favored by 41.5 points in Wednesday's game against Iran. 41.5 points in a 40-minute games (not a 48 minute NBA game). I hope we slap around Iran but 41.5 points is a lot to give... In other words the CDC's recommended real time COVID test doesn't work so please find an alternative. And more info. How many "cases" were actually false positives? And if there were false positives doesn't that lead one to believe there were also false negatives?... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - John F. Kennedy

"Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do)." - Stephen Covey

"I choose to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence." - Fredrick Douglas

"All cruelty stems from weakness." - Seneca

"Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes around in another form." - Rumi

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." - Mark Twain

Monday, July 26, 2021

And They Wonder Why Nobody Trusts Them


 Then - just two weeks to flatten the curve. Now...

Via

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire

"Liberals claim not to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views." - William F. Buckley

"In any situation in life, you always have three choices.; you can change it, you can accept it, or you can leave it." - Naval Ravikant

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom on heaven." - Gospel of Matthew

"Enter not the door of any organized religion. [Religion] is only between you and your God, and no third person must come between you." - Swami Vivekananda

"To have an opinion about somebody you've never met before is pretty superficial." - Heather Mills

Linky Links

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

- Heh Heh - funny because it's true! (Via)

- Unvaccinated staff eyed in rising nursing home infections, deaths. "The residents who died were described as being in hospice care, with a median age of 93, indicating they were particularly frail." Thinking this reporter doesn't understand what hospice care is.

- Noah Smith: Why is China smashing its tech industry? Interesting hypothesis.

- Electromagnetism is part of spacetime itself, study finds. Not sure why this is surprising - I always assumed that it was.

Farnam Street Knowledge

- Habits vs Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systemic Approach to Work


Sunday, July 25, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Karma is just you, repeating your patterns, virtues, and flaws until you finally get what you deserve." - Naval Ravikant

"I have no responsibility to live up to what others expect of me. That's their mistake, not my failing." - Richard Feynman

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan

"Free people make free choices. Free choices mean you get unequal outcomes. You can have freedom, or you can have equal outcomes. You can't have both." - Naval Ravikant

"People run in packs because they don't feel safe alone. I run alone because I don't feel safe in packs." - Muhammad Ali

"Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it." - Albert Camus

"We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom." - Leo Tolstoy

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So Australia is shutting down the entire country after one new COVID death. By that logic shouldn't all Australian beaches be shut down indefinitely after each shark attack?... And speaking of, "Australia: founded by convicts who 230 years later decided they really, really missed prison." - David Burge... Is it just me or does it seem that The New York Post is becoming America's paper of record?... Occasional Cannibalism would be a good name for a punk band... One of the things Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln all had in common was a staunch belief in nuclear deterrence... This is what is meant by horse power...  Look for the number of air-rage incidents on flights from states without legal marijuana to skyrocket in 2021 until airlines resume alcohol sales on planes. So many people need that in order to fly comfortably... Tools for Mood Regulation would also be a good name for a band... In Loki season 2 the god of mischief tricks an entire timeline into believing that wearing a bird's nest or a live cat as a hat is fashionable. Must see TV...  

Top 5 - Recommended Police Reforms

Here are my Top 5 suggestions for police reforms:

1. Too many regulations. Anything now can be a crime. We saw this during the lockdowns where businesses could be hassled even if they followed new COVID protocols. Cut back the regulations and enforce only laws (passed by State or Federal legislatures).

2. End ticket quotas. Police never should be required to bring in certain amounts of "revenue" via ticket quotas. Awful incentive.

3. End civil forfeitures. This has also caused perverse incentives.

4. Cities should only employ cops who live within the city limits. This insures they are part of the community and avoids an "us versus them" atmosphere that exists in many places. Also allows city taxes to be recycled back into the community from whence they came.

5. Hire veterans with military police experience. Let 4-years of military experience with an honorable discharge count the same as police academy training.

Bonus suggestion: require all police officers to have martial arts training. If someone knows what it is like to be "choked out" - it makes them less likely to do it to another. Or if they have to - at least they'll know the proper technique.

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Biden tells fleeing Cubans to get lost - while flooding southern border.

- Awesome bit of history (Via)

- WTF? Seriously WTF? How does 6,300 compare to the number of COVID deaths in the US last week?

- Probably don't hear much about the Swedish Model because it's working. And with just a reported 37% vaccinated rate,

- Heh Heh

- Agree 100%. (Via)

Hugh Jackman is the Man

Was a fan of Hugh Jackman the actor but after listening to these two podcasts I'm an even bigger fan of Hugh Jackman the person.

Hugh Jackman with Peter Attia.

Hugh Jackman with Tim Ferris.

If you have time this weekend both podcasts are well worth your time.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The movie Dune is coming out on October 22nd which means sometime between now and then I'll be re-reading the Frank Herbert book. Not sure how many times I've read the book but strangely I have never felt a desire to read any of the subsequent Dune books... China refuses to allow an audit of the Wuhan lab where most know believe the pandemic virus originated. Most thinking people agree that this is surely due to China knowing their guilt. Meanwhile many States refuse an audit of of the November election which also leads thinking people to assume a guilty conscience... Moondoggle: The Forgotten Opposition to the Apollo Program. Know the article is 9-years old but it was new to me. Also should note that one of the planks in George McGovern's 1972 Presidential campaign was the elimination of the nascent space shuttle program... Think part of the rush to blame the unvaccinated in this country stems largely from the cowardice on both sides of the aisle to blame the Chinese... Honest question - will future generations view the Olympics in China the way our current generations view the Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany?... Find this interesting and scary at the same time. The big Pharmas were given immunity from any negative side-effects of the vaccines as an incentive for them to find a solution fast. However, if a business or organization requires getting a vaccine as a condition of employment couldn't they be sued if the employee suffers any short or long-term side-effects as a result? The immunity (from being sued) should not be extended to them. Would any insurance companies be willing to underwrite such liability policies? Especially if the vaccines continue to not be fully approved by the FDA...

The Fresh Prez of DC

Friday, July 23, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"There are more copies than originals among people." - Pablo Picasso

"You always have the option of having no opinion." - Marcus Aurelius

"Thinking is difficult. That is why most people judge." - Carl Jung

"The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw

"They say that I murdered Custer. But it was a lie. He was a fool who rode to his death." - Sitting Bull

"Fact checkers didn't exist until the truth started getting out." - Michael Malice

"Only a totalitarian society would even claim absolute safety as a worthy ideal because it would require total State control over its citizens lives. Liberty has meaning only if we still believe in it when terrible things happen and a false government security blanket beckons." - Ron Paul 

Linky Links

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

- VDH: Democrats No More. "So what happened to turn the party of Harry Truman, JFK, and even Bill Clinton into a woke neo-Marxist movement?" Good question.

- Matt Taibbi: The overlooked factors in police abuse cases. Article is as much a criticism of Malcom Gladwell as the police but good writing nonetheless. Liked this quip about Gladwell, "an intellectual drive-thru quality to his approach." 

- I support Eric Clapton's position. However, I feel that Dave Chappelle's is more practical. Chappelle has his audience tested (takes 15 minutes) prior to entrance into the arena with a negative test required for entry (he also takes away your cell phone but that's a separate topic).

- Matt Taibbi: The trillion-dollar lie. Two from Taibbi this morning but student loans is another area in desperate need of reform.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm 100% against the idea of "defund the police" but it's getting to the point where "defund the FBI" isn't exactly a completely unattractive idea... What journalists can learn from The Night Stalker. One of my favorite movies as a kid... So the government would basically like to prohibit anyone from being un-vaccinated. This is the same government that tried to prohibit people from drinking alcohol a hundred years ago and from smoking pot the past 60-years. How did that work out?...  It was Joyce's Ulysses and Melville's Moby Dick for me... Learned the New Orleans Saints' stadium will now be called Caesar's Superdome. I was bothered by that because to me it's always been just the Superdome. It bothered me until I remembered that until last week it was technically the Mercedes-Benz Superdome... 

Patton Opening Speech

 

Part of me is afraid that Americans no longer have this ethos.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This story keeps getting weirder. FBI agent at center of Governor Whitmer kidnap case assaulted wife after swingers party

- The inevitable weaponization of app data is here. Scary.

- 48 Canadian churches have been vandalized or burned down in the past 2-months. WTF Canada?

- Who's in Denial? Part II. The is the follow-up to the post last week comparing the Intolerable Acts which sparked the American Revolution to our situation today. (HT American Digest

Linky Links

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

- Laughed way too much at this - I'm an awful person. (Via) 

- Steven Pressfield: Put your ass where your heart wants to be, #1.

- Wait - Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC? Wow!

- VDH: Americans descend into madness.

- Morgan Housel: The highest forms of wealth

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

George Washington once advised Congress to establish a number of public distilleries to ensure a reliable supply of rum for the US Army. All subsequent "infrastructure" proposals have paled in comparison... Not sure about you but the images in my head by a movie called Jungle Cruise to me generates pictures of something like The African Queen but I think Disney may have found basing a summer tent movie in Africa "problematic." So the movie is based in the Amazon instead.. Beowulf 2024: He never killed his friends when he was drunk... Do people realize that the average life-expectancy in the entire world in 1800 was just 29-years old? We live in the greatest time in history but people don't seem to appreciate it... Casually Opaque would be a good name for a band (or a name for a blog)... 

Just Saying


 Via

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"Sometimes success is 3% brains and 97% not getting distracted by the Internet." - Shane Parrish

"The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself." - Oscar Wilde

"It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover." - Henry Poincare

"Side note: Chomsky sucks." - Elon Musk

"Teach thy tongue to say I do not know, and thou shalt progress." - Maimonides

"To bankrupt a fool, give him information." - Nassim Taleb

"Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling." - Bill Belichick

Linky Links

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

- UFC champ Jorge Masvidal tells it like it is on Cuba.

- FBI agent in Governor Whitmer case arrested following domestic incident. The whole FBI kidnapping case here is smelling fishy. 

We are all investors now. People are living much longer than in the past and at a certain age most people learn to spend less that they make. 

- How China's hacking entered a reckless new phase. Don't trust China - China is asshole!

- Noah Smith expands on Haiti vs Dominican Republic and why the divergence.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks - the 2021 NBA Champs! Hard not to root for this team... Right now some sports books have Rand Paul at +$3,500 (meaning you'd risk $100 to win $3,500) to be the Republican 2024 nominee for President. If he keeps after Dr. Fauci and China the way that he's been doing - that bet might represent good value... Reminder that the only country to put men on the moon does not use the metric system. U-S-A! U-S-A!... Speaking of the USA - we are -$1,200 (meaning you'd have to risk $1,200 to win just $100) to win the most medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Wonder if being that big an overall favorite adds or detracts to the interest in the games?... Cool story in four parts - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4... Think I mentioned in this space a few weeks ago that failing companies would look to rebrand themselves and hope for new revenues simply by adding a "Plus" (or "+" sign) at the end of the company name. Then almost right on que... Saddens me that the phrase "This is for all the Tostitos!" never caught on to the degree it became a common cliché. I still use it fairly regularly...

Farnam Street Knowledge


 

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training." - Epictetus 

"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all." - H.L. Mencken

"If it is not making you happier, or healthier, or calmer, or having better relationships, or wealthier, then what good is it? It's useless. You can safely discard it." - Naval Ravikant

"All warfare is based on deception." - Sun Tzu

"If you can't handle controversy, you'll never outperform. When organizations limit controversy, they unknowingly limit innovation and drive the employees who create the most value out. When individuals can't endure controversy, they sabotage themselves." - Shane Parrish

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

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The trumpet of the Delta variant being the most deadly will be sounded the loudest by the media outlets suffering the worst ratings and circulations declines (looking at you CNN and The Atlantic)... Poverty was reduced by 80% in just 20-years and it wasn't communism or socialism... It just may be that the best screenplays written by Francis Ford Coppola and Quentin Tarantino were  for movies they did not direct. Coppola with Patton and Tarantino for True Romance... Still say someone should come out with an a fantasy football app where if an NFL player on your roster kneels during the National Anthem then your player is not eligible for any points that week. Think there's a demand for such an app... Very cool... In accordance with my last will and testament - I have two final requests... 

Linky Links

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

- Heh Heh - it's funny because it's true

- Philadelphia's electric bus fleet in complete shambles. Wasn't Philadelphia also the city that had a recycling program that didn't have enough money for the actual recycling so they just tossed the recycled products in with the rest of the trash?

- Matt Ridley: "Virulent does not mean "Infectious."

- The flooding in Europe is tragic - but it is not historically bad. Those who would use the floods to further a climate change agenda or worse fund-raise are ghouls and should be publicly shamed.

- Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance. We are at the point where you must assume nothing you say or do in front of a "smart" device is private. Even our TV's can spy on us now.

July 20, 1969

Monday, July 19, 2021

Linky Links

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

Two and a half months after vaccinating every citizen Gibraltar has the third-highest COVID infection rate per capita in the world and 80% of the cases are from vaccinated people.

- On a related note - mRNA vaccine inventor shares viral thread showing COVID surge in most-vaxxed nations.

- Umberto Eco: The Narrative Structure in Ian Fleming

- Heh Heh (Via

- Amazon is getting hauled into court for not handling recalls the right way. Two things; first Amazon is clearly a distributor and should be classified as such under the law. Second - I couldn't help but wonder how many of those dangerous products were made in China. 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So the MLB All-Star game happened last week and I did not watch a second of either the game or the home run derby the night before. Used to be the All-Sar game was a big deal. Used to be I cared not only about the game but the players who were chosen to play. Not any more... If I ran a company that made discount adult diapers I would make the product's tagline, "People can barely tell you're wearing them!"...  The fact that Dire Straits was once an opening act for Styx is as bothersome to me as the fact Bruce Springsteen was once an opener for Ann Murray... Speaking of the All-Star game - this story about 4-people arrested for having a stockpile of weapons and suspected of planning a mass shooting at the game certainly disappeared from the news. Guessing the suspects didn't "fit the narrative" is the reason for so little follow up... Ernest Hemingway's first book The Sun Also Rises was originally supposed to be called Fiesta and was actually published under that title in England... I've said it before but the growth of Tesla as a company is incredible when you factor in it was accomplished completely without any paid advertisement. None. Also remember that whenever you see an anti-Tesla or article bashing Elon Musk in a news outlet that depends on massive ad spending by the traditional car makers... 

25 Years Ago Today


 

Sunday, July 18, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

My morning routine has been changed since I got Phil Steele's College Football 2021 Preview magazine. Now instead of reading from a book during my first cup of coffee I'm reading Phil Steele... The top 3 in odds to win Time Magazine's Person of the Year are: Doctors, Nurses, and First Responders (-$145); the World Health Organization (+$250); and Joe Biden (+$350). My sleeper is Anthony Fauci at +$700 since this is the magazine that once chose Hitler for this award and they probably need a controversial pick to remind people that Time Magazine is still actually in business... Reminder of how useless pre-season polls can be - in 2012 the USC Trojans were ranked as the #1 team in the country but by season's end they were unranked and out of the Top 25... The prices for used cars in this country have gone through the roof. It can't just be a lack of computer chips for new cars that's causing the price surge either... I admit that I'm looking forward to Boston College football this fall. The Eagles will have one of the top offenses in the country with potential All-Americans in the offensive line, at tight end, and most importantly at QB with Phil Jurkovec. The future looks bright too as ESPN has BC's recruiting class ranked 16th in the country ahead of even powerhouses like USC and Florida... Where the Great Wall of China ends...  

Hocus Pocus by Focus

 

Because we all need some more rock yodeling, whistling and jazz flute in our life.

Saturday, July 17, 2021

More Linky Links

More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Did the last battle of the American Revolutionary War really happen in India?

- This article helps explain why I'm excited for the upcoming Boston College football season. Planning on going to the UMass game and maybe one at Chestnut Hill too.

- Heh Heh

- VDH: Class - the Word We Dare Not Speak 

Linky Links

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

- The Failures that Made Ian Fleming. I admit to enjoying Fleming's Bond novels in high school and college but I've never felt the desire to re-read any of them. (HT Daddy Pundit)

- When Jimi Hendrix quit as the opening act for The Monkeys.

- This made me laugh

- 52-years ago yesterday was a big day in world history 

Haiti


I've long been fascinated by the differences between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

One of the most remarkable economic divergences in the world.

In 1950, Haiti was as rich as the Dominican Republic.

In 2018, Haiti was POORER than it was in 1950, while the D.R.'s GDP had increased by a factor of TEN.

These countries are two halves of the SAME ISLAND. - Noah Smith

Geography-wise Haiti and the D.R. are the combined size of Vermont and New Hampshire. Imagine if they spoke French and were so much poorer in Vermont while in New Hampshire they spoke Spanish and were doing much better financially than their neighbor to the west. That's Haiti and the D.R. in a nutshell.

Perhaps the fundamental cause for the differing financial fortunes is the fact that they play baseball in the D.R. and in Haiti they play soccer. One is a sport of individual achievement (just look at the stars like David Ortiz or Pedro Martinez) while the other is a sport of faking injury whenever anyone so much as touches you. 

Perhaps all this woke crap and cancel culture in the US is due to the fact that we've started having our children play soccer. We should fundamentally return to baseball and tackle football for the good of the nation before it's too late. Just saying.  

Flotsam and Jetsam

 Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Biden Department of Justice has asked all law enforcement departments to refer to any public mention of gangs as "mostly peaceful"... To be honest I had forgot about the existence of Shepard Smith too... Is it just me because I remember there being many more hummingbirds and ice cream trucks when I was a kid than I see today... At this point I feel like Captain Quint in JAWS but instead of a lifejacket it's "I'll never put on a mask again!"... Good for Pitbull - he gets it... If there was a variant of gout that caused inflammation and extreme pain in the penis - it would be called a bigger medical emergency than COVID ever was...  Honestly this was the thing that bothered me the most of the that picture. "I'll never put on a mask again"... 

Wisdom From the Talmud


 

Friday, July 16, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

We've had Fat Thor, and fat Steven Segal - why not a fat Michael Flatley? I don't watch reality TV but I would watch a show about a gluttonous former Lord of the Dance as he ate tons of food and tried to teach dance moves he can no longer perform... Kept waiting for this guy to mess up but he's a mechanical Baryshnikov. Genius at work... Louche Behaviors would be a good name for a band...  Part of me thinks that sports is becoming like a bad murder mystery novel. For instance for years we suspected it was concussions and CTE that would be responsible for ultimately killing the NFL only to find it was BLM and wokeness all along... Prediction: out revenge porn - in sex robots that look like the wife of the neighbor you don't like. Or given the political climate in this country guessing Melania Trump or Jill Biden sex robots would be big sellers... I have no interest in the Delta variant. This is the only variant I'd like to learn more about... 

Linky Links

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

- We Need a Leader. Another analogy between the American Revolution and our situation today that's worth your time. (HT American Digest)

Heh Heh

- Glenn Reynolds: The Navy needs to stay focused - or we're doomed. This worries me as well.

- Glenn Greenwald: Nancy and Paul Pelosi Making Millions in Stock Trades in Companies She Actively Regulates. 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"We live in an age of wonders, but familiarity has stuck us blind." - Naval Ravikant

"A vice is a habitual practice that gives fleeting pleasure, but that is ultimately harmful to oneself and others, or at best a waste of time." - Edward Slingerland

"The most important decision you make is to be in a good mood." - Voltaire

"Ninety percent of personal finance is just spend less than you make, diversify, and be patient." - Morgan Housel

"Perhaps you and I have lived too long with this miracle to properly be appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people." - Ronald Reagan

"Twas a woman that led me to drink. I never wrote to thank her." - WC Fields

Ten Commandments of Logic


 

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"You have to have friction in your life to gain growth. And the only way to do that is to make yourself uncomfortable." - David Goggins

"If you stop at general math, you're only going to make general math money." - Snoop Dogg

"You've got to start diving into those things that you are afraid of. You don't gain confidence by going to the spot that makes you feel good." - David Goggins

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" - John Maynard Keynes

"If you don't want to go to the meeting right now, your future self won't want to go to it later, either." - Naval Ravikant

"Whatever I may possess, I will neither hoard it greedily nor squander it recklessly." - Seneca

"It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and you've got the stock market beat. But the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when his shorts are too tight in the seat." - Judge Smails

Linky Links

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

- Interesting look at comparing the Intolerable Acts of 1774 to our situation today. Not a perfect analogy but the parallels are there. (HT Borepatch)

Noah Smith: Why Cuba is having an economic crisis. Good analysis.

- And speaking of Cuba - today's Must Read! We take our freedoms for granted in the US. And like most precious things - you don't really know what you had until its gone.

- Matt Taibbi: Spying and Smearing is "Un-American," not Tucker Carlson.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If you think about it, the exclusion of Gary Johnson from the Presidential Debates in 2016 was one of the first red flags that the elites were tilting the playing field in this country... Robert Plant's (Crazy on a) Ship of Fools easily could be the theme song for politics in 2021. "I built this ship it is my making"... Armed Propaganda would be a good name for a band (or new Political Party)... Boston in 1860... Any truth to the rumor that El Chapo will be sponsoring the entire University of  Miami soccer team in an NIL deal? It could be a great way to launder some cash... The NBA's biggest nightmare has to be a PED that makes you grow taller... 

Discipline


 

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Naval Ravikant on Death

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

"Executive function" is defined as "a set of cognitive functions necessary for the cognitive control of behavior, selecting and successfully monitoring behaviors that facilitate the attainment of chosen goals." The more I watch Joe Biden give speeches the more I wonder how much executive function we actually have in the Executive Branch of the government... Good writing advice... So let me get this straight - 8 State Senators from Texas fled the state in order to avoid voting on the Voter ID Bill in the state but not enough Democrat State Senators fled to prevent a quorum and the Bill passed despite the well covered party plane ride of the  8 State Senators. Are these folks getting their political strategy from Animal House?... Tina Louise is the only surviving cast member from Gilligan's Island so that means that if you still prefer Mary Ann over Ginger - you are some sort of ghoul... Would love if some reporter asked Joe Biden what he thought of the movie CATS just to watch his response. Pretty sure he wouldn't know how to react...  

Linky Links

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

- Why not make a teen Rambo and turn the project over to John Milius? Amused that Milius was described as "genial." 

- Foo Fighters cover Bee Gee's You Should be Dancing. Dave Grohl is the best!

- There's layers of much truth in this observation.

- Morgan Housel: Too Smart. As always some good observations from Mr. Housel. 

Farnam Street Knowledge

- Efficiency is the Enemy


Fear is the Mind-Killer


 

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your potential." - David Goggins

"The formula for how to do well with money is simple. The behaviors you battle while implementing that formula are hard." - Morgan Housel

"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for." - Socrates 

'If you can get through doing things that you hate to do, on the other side is greatness." - David Goggins

"What can be added to the happiness of the man who is in health, who is out of debt, and has a clear conscience." - Adam Smith

"Understand this, dear brothers and sisters. Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger." - James 1:19

"The creative adult is the child who has survived." - Ursula Le Guin

Linky Links

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

- Remembering  Anthony Bourdain

- Today's must read is Darryl Cooper (Martyr Made) explaining his viral Twitter thread that was read on air by Tucker Carlson and referenced at CPAC by President Trump. Interesting to note that it appeared on Glenn Greenwald's Substack. To quote a lyric, "There's something happening here, what it is is not exactly clear."

- Heh Heh

- Understanding Quantum Mechanics. (Posting this so I can come back until I've watched all the videos.)

- VDH: Trump Winds and Biden Whirlwinds. Karma is a bitch.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Pretty sure Mark Zuckerberg's endgame is to run for President. That's what the flag waving, wake boarding 4th of July video was all about. Think of it as a trial balloon... Growing up this is what a manly man looked like. I have no idea what kids consider manly these days but pretty sure Charles Bronson could kick their ass... 75-years ago the pinnacle of science was the splitting of the atom. Perhaps 75-years hence the pinnacle will be the splitting of the electron... My fear is when Mark Zuckerberg learns via an aborted run for President that he's perhaps the least liked person in the USA that he becomes a real-life Bond villain. The odds are so much greater that he becomes a Bond villain than the President... From now on when I want anyone to shut up I'm going to say, "Thank you. THANK YOU!" like the chair during the Wimbledon's men's final on Sunday. Conversation you're not interested in having, "Thank you. THANK YOU!" Girlfriend complaining about your driving, "Thank you. THANK YOU!" It actually works great... 

Good Advice


 

Monday, July 12, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Matt Taibbi on the protests in Columbia

- The Global Warming scare scam has been going on for a long time.

Very Cool

- VDH: Scapegoats, Boogeymen, and Hobgoblins

Four arrested in Denver hotel, police feared "Las Vegas-style" shooting at All-Star game. If I were playing in the game I'd donate whatever I'm being paid to play to this maid and I'd get others to do the same. The article paints the FBI as clueless - which is probably accurate reporting.

Quotes for Today

Some quotes that I hope may resonate with you.

"One of the mysteries of the ages is why the political left has, for centuries, lavished so much attention on the well-being of criminals and paid so little attention to their victims." - Thomas Sowell

"Sir, your levelers wish to level down as far as themselves, but they cannot bear leveling up to themselves." - Samuel Johnson

"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I wish to change myself." - Rumi

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

"Civil rights used to be about treating everyone the same. But today some people are so used to special treatment that equal treatment is considered discrimination." - Thomas Sowell

"The conscience is that part of the psyche which is soluble in alcohol." - William Ober

"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." - Thomas Jefferson

The Situation Today


 

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Linky Links

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

- College athletes getting NIL money will also have to deal with another reality - taxes. And once again - if the income the college athletes make is taxable - why is the money the schools earn off sports non-taxable?

- "This is true and every honest person knows it." - Tucker Carlson

- Will China invade Taiwan? (HT Isegoria)

- Pantsdrunk - you learn a new word every day.

- Does Ben Roethlisberger have a tell? (HT Newmark's Door)

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So if the Capital Police will be expanding to the States to "protect" Congressmen and Senators does that mean if you run for Congress you not only get to pay yourself the same salary as a Congressman ($174,000) but also potentially get a free personal security detail? All you'd have to say that you were threatened when trying to perform your "duties." Good deal... Not available in the US or Canada (for some reason)... Have some Dolphins fans in my life and they keep wanting to compare themselves to the Patriots. That's not close to being right. Since 1999 the Jacksonville Jaguars have been to the AFC Championship  game twice while Miami hasn't sniffed that sort of success. Maybe the Dolphins fans should worry about being the best team in their own state before comparing themselves to a dynasty... Nick Saba on being the best you can be. The video gives insight into why Saban is so good at what he does...  

Just Married

A few times a year I take long trips where I drive for 5 or more hours. The next time I do I want to put soap letters on my rear windshield saying "JUST MARRIED". Keep in mind that I would be taking this trip by myself. I think people looking for the bride or asking what happened would be funny. "It didn't work out." "She slept with my brother." "She died of food poisoning at our reception." You could go on and on.

My only regret is being older - people might just think "old fool" but if I were younger this prank might be a good opportunity for some random sympathy sex.

My mind might be broken. Actually thought about this a couple years ago but thought I'd share it again today. 

E.B. White


 Today would have been E.B. White's 122nd birthday.

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Linky Links

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

- Due to hypersonic missiles - Navy ships have never been more vulnerable. (HT Isegoria

- Glenn Reynold: Democrats are losing the multiracial working class on basic lifestyle issues.

- Cool - John Slattery is joining Jon Hamm in the cast of the new Fletch movie. Getting the Madmen team back together.

- A look at the Amazon acquisition of MGM

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Really rooting against the LeBron James' Space Jam movie. Last time I had this much dislike towards a movie was the all-female Ghostbusters flick... My mind works differently than most but I would really like to see Rascal Racing where obese people (min 300 pounds) race around a NASCAR track for one lap on their Rascal scooters. The crashes would be hilarious... Ratings for Game 1 of the NBA Finals were down 10 million viewers compared to just 4-years ago - a trend which is not good for the NBA. But interesting the average of 8.57 million was a million more than watched last year's Game 1 which featured LeBron James and the LA Lakers. Funny but the Finals ratings always went up when Michael Jordan was playing in them... As much as Red Sox fans miss Mookie Betts (who was never going to sign long-term with Boston) they're happy to be rid of David Price, his contract and his ego. Price isn't even a starter for the Dodgers anymore but is coming out of the bullpen... As great as Tom Brady is, especially performing at such a high level at his age, he doesn't come close to the performance of another GOAT named Vanna White who is still doing her role on Wheel of Fortune at age 64. Rumor has it that this may be her last season though. All good things must come to an end...  

Truth

Going to enjoy some truth today! So let it be written - so let it be done! (HT Bits and Pieces)

Friday, July 09, 2021

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have." - Socrates

"Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions." - T.S. Eliot

"All sciences are vain and full of errors that are not born of Experience, the mother of all Knowledge." - Leonardo da Vinci

"The consequences of the truth are inescapable: you either face them voluntarily or they find you involuntarily." - Robert Breedlove

"Enlightenment means taking full responsibility for your life." - William Blake

"There is nothing in the world so much admired as a man who knows how to bear unhappiness with courage." - Seneca

"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you." - Oscar Wilde

Linky Links

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

- 8 rules to do everything better

- Did Caffeine Create the Enlightenment? Be sure to watch the video.

- The US Military is Testing a Pill that Could Delay Aging. Reading the article and seeing NAD+ and ATP I was thinking "this sounds like Dr. David Sinclair's work" then BAM the article confirms it. I'd take that pill in a heartbeat.

- Tim Ferris: Why You Need a "Deloading" Phase in Life 

- The 2021 Audubon Photography Awards 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

One of the reasons teachers unions are so adamant against cameras in the classrooms is because they know if parents actually saw the education their children were getting there would be an explosion of home-schooling in response... When people want to know what the 1970's were like... Always chuckle when I recall that Adolph Hitler's sister-in-law was named Bridget. Bridget Hitler. That just makes me laugh because I keep thinking it's actually the name of an Irish punk band... Aggressive Prophesies would be a good name for a sports betting website... Still say that "murmumation" should't just apply to starlings but also to how "news" organizations all seem to shift to carry the same story lines at the same time... Got my copy of the Phil Steele's College Football 2021 Preview magazine in the mail yesterday so that means I'll be happily immersed in college football minutia and scouting reports for the next few weeks..  

Happy Jeff Fisher Day


 Sorry but this never gets old for me.

Thursday, July 08, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Seeing the victorious team skate the Stanley Cup around the ice starting with the team captain is one of my favorite traditions in all of sports. The pure joy on the face of each player as they hoist the Cup always puts a smile on my face no matter the team. And keep in mind this only happens after the traditional handshake line against the vanquished foe - another of my favorite traditions... Interesting - how the NCAA v Alston ruling effects college athlete "loss of value" insurance. Big schools will now insure top players for millions giving additional incentive for players to stay in school. Which in turn with help that school's marketability... Just a thought but with the NCAA v Alston Supreme Court ruling and NIL payments happening left and right - what is the reason or justification for college sports remaining non-taxable? Think that should change... Hockey players are the best (no inner dialogue whatsoever)...  

Linky Links

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

- You have to love the Rock.

- Is confirmation bias guiding COVID vaccine recommendations?  The answer is absolutely YES which is bothersome when you remember that the pharmas have no liability for bad outcomes or side-effects.

- Interesting profile of Navy Seal David Goggins. I still have his book Can't Hurt Me on my wishlist. Has anyone read it?

- Archaeology and genetics keep updating the history of human lineage. As an aside - how great a name for a Substack is "Unsupervised Learning?" Bravo. 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom you have never met." - Yoshida Kenko

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Mark Twain

"Liberty is the parent of science and of virtue, and a nation will be great in both in proportion as it is free." - Thomas Jefferson

"I always spent money on books. I never viewed that as an expense. That's an investment to me." - Naval Ravikant

"The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think and more anxiously I inquire; the less I seem to know. ... Do justly; Love mercy; Walk humbly; This is enough for you and to do." - John Adams

"Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth  my hands to war and my fingers to fight ." - Psalm 144

"For about 54 years, people have ask me not to keep saying 'I love America.' Well I do and I'm not ashamed. Don't leave it; Love it." - George Foreman

Truth


 

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If you are a hiring manager and only want to hire capable, qualified candidates - you can still be accused of promoting a "lack of diversity." Seriously -  even if you only want to pay capable, qualified individuals with no regard to race, gender, skin color, religion, or ethnicity - you could still be accused of a lack of diversity because all your hires share two common traits. That's how unserious and dangerous this shit has become... Tom Brady's golf ball markings during The Challenge was awesome... When the Patriots play their first game this season I seriously doubt N'Keal Harry will be on the roster (or at least I hope not)... Once again my lifestyle is applauded by science: drinking alcohol can help you live longer...  If I was running a PGA event in August I would offer Aaron Rodgers a sponsor's exemption. Can you imagine the avalanche of free PR if he accepted?...  

Linky Links

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

- Good on Lord Ridley. The question of who is responsible for seeing this done did not seem to be answered though.

- Morgan Housel's Top 10 Money Rules

- Good news: the reports that we only have 60 harvests left have no basis in fact. I admit I fell for those reports.

- Heh Heh 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover." - Henri Poincare

"Teach thy tongue to say I do not know, and thou shalt progress." - Mainonides

"As a US business (and tech) community I think we should be significantly clearer about our horror at, and opposition to, the atrocities being committed by the Chinese government against its own people." - Patrick Collison 

"In your prayers substitute 'protect us from evil' with 'protect us from those who improve things for a salary.'" - Nassim Taleb

"Eloquence is logic on fire." - Lyman Beecher

"I, and I alone, am responsible for everything I think and feel." - Naval Ravikant

"Even a Marxist thinks that you first have to get the capitalists to do things before you can redistribute stuff." - Peter Thiel

Truth


 

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Linky Links

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

- John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. Might be time to re-read his book They Call Me Coach 

- 11 armed people were arrested over the weekend and it was reported because the whole Town of Wakefield (pop 27,000) had to be placed in shelter in place because of the danger. Then not a peep from the media. The Rise of the Moors had all the social media too - YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook - will Apple delete those services from their store to be consistent to how they treated Parler? 

- And we in the West have completely abandoned them to their fate

- The science behind hangovers

- Cut off the Blood Supply to Communist China: End Trade. Some excellent points. "Don't trust China! China is asshole!"

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Remember two years ago when California threatened not to put President Trump on the primary ballot unless he released 5 years of tax returns? So can I assume that Governor Newsom and everyone running for Governor has released at least their last 5-years of tax returns? Think we already know the answer to that... This is still hilarious to me... "Mouth Sailing" would be a good term for "babbling." For example, "Stop mouth sailing and get to your point"... Remember the words of the great Abe Lincoln, "Live every week as if it were Shark Week"... One side-effect of NIL might be a reversal of the trend for good players sitting out Bowl Games. They were afraid of risking injury but now they instead may worry about risking hurting their marketability... 

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." - Proverb

"Whenever we make even the smallest change within a complex system, we risk dramatic unintended consequences." - Shane Parrish

"If you want to get better at this thing called life, you have to pay attention. When you pay attention, you can remember what really matters." - Russ Roberts

"We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?" - Jean Cocteau

"Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him." - Aldous Huxley

"Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault

"Walk into your friend's house, ask them how long they have had COVID, they act confused, point to the decor, remind them 'but you have no sense of taste,' walk home." - Michael Malice

Truth


 

Monday, July 05, 2021

Willy Wonka Pitch Meeting

 

Love these pitch meetings. This was one of my favorites.

Changes to the NCAA

Yesterday we Americans celebrated our Independence Day but for many in college athletics that day actually came a few days earlier as on July 1st NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) became allowable nation wide by the NCAA. Many are saying this may be the end of college athletics. I think it will be a boon to college sports.

College sports (especially basketball and hockey) have been suffering to a degree (no pun intended) from "student athletes" leaving early to make money in pro leagues. Now they won't have to leave because if you're good enough to be drafted - you're also good enough to make bank from local boosters. And the longer you stay - the more familiar you'll be to the fans and thus the more your NIL will be worth. As a side note - this greater familiarity should also lead to greater TV contracts for the schools and conferences. A true "win-win!" 

Of course the money will be there for recruiting enticements. Lots of money. There will also be more inducements for any solid athletes with a 5th year of eligibility to do another year of college instead of going pro or entering the real world. And the transfer portal - well it may as well be sponsored by eBay since many students would enter just to go with the highest bidder. It will be fascinating to watch.

The NIL freedom comes on the heels of another NCAA legal defeat at the Supreme Court (this one a 9-0 shutout) that basically said it is OK to pay student athletes. The example I saw most frequently was a $6,000 stipend for remaining academically eligible. You could probably also do another $6,000 for making honors and $6,000 for graduating (which would also be a minor inducement for team continuity). 

But wouldn't paying the student-athletes on top of providing full scholarships create a financial burden on some already strapped athletic departments? Not necessarily. Revenue creating sports should be able hold their own but also sponsor money becomes more above board. Why wouldn't Nike sponsor Phil Knight's alma mater Oregon in all sports? Same for the University of Maryland which the founder of Under Armor attended. Can't you see Apple sponsoring the athletes at Stanford and Harvard? That would be very on-brand for Apple. So many possibilities.  

The downside is the potential for many schools to drop non-revenue sports. Maybe drop them to "club" status. Is that such a bad thing though? Who really needs varsity squash?

Perhaps the best thing is the NCAA will be almost powerless to stop any of this. Try penalizing an athlete when they can sue the pants off the NCAA for restraint of trade. What will be the role of the NCAA in future years? What will be the purpose and reason for being of the NCAA in future years? Perhaps there will be none and the NCAA will become a historical oddity.

It will be fascinating to watch.

Linky Links

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

- How Bourbon rose from a humble grain to embody American exceptionalism. (HT Stephen Landry)

- Make Learning a Lifelong Habit

- Well this would explain UFO's

 - Matt Taibbi: If Private Platforms use Government Guidelines to Police Content, is that State Censorship? Yes and it should be noted that Brett Weinstein is a hero for speaking the truth despite the consequences. 

- Reminder - Sweden didn't have lockdowns