Thursday, March 31, 2022
Potentially Big Physics Breakthrough
A team of physicists from the University of Arkansas built a circuit that generates clean, limitless low-power from graphene. This could revolutionize the microchip industry by serving as a low-power battery replacement.
Love that this was done at the University of Arkansas and not somewhere like MIT or CalTech. Also I know exactly what Richard Feynman would say when viewing a demonstration that proved him wrong about Brownian motion - Feynman would say "Impossible!"
Maybe the Most Amazing Thing About Tesla
This always amazes me. Tesla has gotten to be the market leader with ZERO advertising. Keep this in mind when reading negative reviews of Tesla in print formats. Those outlets aren't receiving any money from Tesla but they are from the competition.
99 Bits of Unsolicited Advice
Kevin Kelly with a passel of advice.
Lots of good bits in there - worth a reread every once a while.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I'm an optimist by nature, and humor has been one of my great teachers." - Matthew McConaughey
"Most successful people are just a walking anxiety disorder harnessed for productivity." - Andrew Wilkinson
"Simplicity is the hallmark of truth - we should know better, but complexity continues to have a morbid attraction." - Edsger Dijkstra
"It is easier to recognize other people's mistakes than our own." - Daniel Kahneman
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
The Sheer Madness of Today's Left
VDH on the woke green policies of today's Left. "The result of green theory meeting cruel reality is sheer madness." Ain't that the truth!
Enraging Contradictions may as well be the name for the Democratic Party policy platform. Energy policy, the southern border immigration policies, inflation caused by literally printing money, foreign policies; everything Joe Biden touches turns to shit.
Elon Musk on Woke Culture
Perhaps the best synopsis of woke culture I've seen yet.
Congress Seeks Overhaul of NCAA Infractions Process
A bi-partisan bill is set to be introduced in Congress regarding the NCAA's "unfair, dawdling and lacking transparency" infractions process. The bill is named the NCAA Accountability Act of 2021.
Two comments. First is it ironic that a bill that criticizes the NCAA for "dawdling" is named the NCAA Accountability Act of 2021 but it is introduced in 2022? Also I've long held that the NCAA for many years should have faced RICO Act charges.
Could Sanctions on Russia Backfire?
One area that was not discussed in the article was how the sanctions and the contraction of the Russian economy could affect pension payments. Russia is an older nation with millions on pensions today. Rampant inflation is bound to hit these folks the hardest. As you can see in the below graph - the Russian people tend to trust Vladimir Putin the most during times of "special military actions" (see the rise of Putin's popularity during the invasion of Crimea) but least when people's pensions are threatened (see what happened to how people's trust in him greatly dropped when he proposed raising the pension age back in 2018). Just something to keep in mind.
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Congratulations on seeing this special post. Clinking the link, subscribing (if you haven't already), hitting the Like button, and sharing with others may be the most impactful thing you do today! Congratulations!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"You are the average of the five people you associate with most, so do not underestimate the effects of your pessimistic, unambitious, or disorganized friends. If someone isn't making you stronger, they're making you weaker." - Tim Ferriss
"Enlightenment doesn't happen because you understand some words." - Bernie Glassman
"Do not aim to be coldly rational when making financial decisions. Aim to be just pretty reasonable." - Morgan Housel
"You are willing to die, you coward, but not to live." - Herman Hesse
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Never Open an Attachment from Someone You Don't Know
NEVER open an attachment from someone you don't know. And even if you know them if it seems like an odd request or oddly worded email - check with that person to see if they actually sent the attachment before opening.
And to make trust even more scarce - since the war in Ukraine started the US has blacklisted Kasperski anti-virus as a threat to national security.
Russia is Dying Out
Putin is terrified of his nation's demographic crisis - and with good reason.
At the time of its dissolution, the Soviet Union was the home of 290 million people, 50 million more than the USA. Today, the Russian Federation has les than half that number - and less than half of the USA's current total.
...the Russian men who fell fighting the Germans in the Forties were from families of six or seven siblings; those who fell fighting the Afghans in the Eighties were from families of two or three. Those falling now, fighting in Ukraine, are likely to be only-children or one of two siblings.
Russia used to be a vast land of millions, with vast oil and gas wealth, and a military that was feared the world over. Now it is still a vast land, but now the nations of the world will only buy its oil and gas reluctantly and as a last measure. And its military is now no longer feared (except for its nuclear stockpile). Hundreds of thousands of Russia's youngest, best and brightest are fleeing Putin's Russia because of the war and the accompanying sanctions. A cynic could say that the only thing Putin will get from the war in Ukraine is the infusion of refugees to help bolster the dying Russian population. Too bad he forgot that he'd also need to feed the refugees and provide jobs.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I'm only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand."- John Wayne
"Principle X - neither the minority nor the majority should be able to impose their preferences on other." - Nassim Taleb
"A man who dares to waste an hour of time has not discovered the value of his life." - Charles Darwin
"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world." - Voltaire
Monday, March 28, 2022
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Maybe Will Smith is still channeling Serena and Venus' dad? Please subscribe, hit the Like button, and share with others. Much appreciated.
Elon Musk Considering an Alternative to Twitter
I think an alternative, starting from scratch, would be a much better solution free of many of the bugs and biases that exist today on Twitter. Besides - buying Twitter would just reward those who are currently running Twitter. An alternative could have the great advantage of potentially siphoning off all the revenue of the Twitter platform today and seeing their stock plummet.
An alternative could be a hit from the start - with just Elon's name attached to it millions would join (I would right away). Keep in mind that all of Musk's business have grown to be the largest in their fields (Tesla, SpaceX) with ZERO paid advertising. The same could be true of the Twitter alternative.
HT Execupundit.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The endless modern laments about how texting and emails are shortening the attention span go back to Plato, who deplored writing as a destroyer of memorizing." - Matt Ridley
"You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe!" - William Shakespeare
"People with enduring personal finance success - not necessarily those with high incomes - tend to have a propensity to not give a damn what others think about them." - Morgan Housel
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best." - Epictetus
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard
"Silence is a lesson learned through life's many sufferings." - Seneca
"How quickly you unlearn what you think you know often determines how far you go. A lot of adults think they know the answer so when the world tells them they're wrong, they dismiss it. And that is the moment they stop getting better." - Shane Parrish
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Shalom
"The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Many people know that word, but what they may not know is that the root of shalom is shalem, which means whole. To make something shalem, to make peace, is to make whole." - Bernie Glassman The Dude and the Zen Master
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I have observed that not the man who hopes when others despair, but the man who despairs when others hope, is admired by a large class of persons as a sage." - John Stuart Mill
"Character is a powerful defense in a world that would love to be able to seduce you, buy you, tempt you, and change you." - Seneca
"No man was ever wise by chance." - Seneca
"Do no harm, and take no shit." - Elizabeth Lesser
Friday, March 25, 2022
Russians Using Unsecured Communications are Doomed
Don't say this often but kudos to the New York Times for this report. HT Digg.
Friday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
What does rhyme with murder hornets? As always please subscribe, hit the Like button and share with others. I thank you for your support.
Putting Ideas into Words
Paul Graham has an essay on writing - and why you should write.
You can know a great deal about something without writing about it. Can you ever know so much that you wouldn't learn more from trying to explain what you know?
I find this to be true and in large part this why I blog (please note that I'm in no way trying to equate myself to Paul Graham or any serious writer). In part to get the ideas out of my head (to hopefully make room for new ideas) and because writing those thoughts and ideas down helps me to better understand the subject whether it be how the Ukraine war may affect the food supply or how a free agent signing may help one of my favorite sports teams.
Comedians are perfect examples of this. Most great comedians get an idea for a joke and the first thing they do is write it down. Then they rewrite and rewrite the joke until they feel it is ready to test out on an audience. And based upon the reaction of the audience they'll probably rewrite the joke some more. Changing words and maybe adding some tags.
Anyway - Paul Graham essays are always worth your time.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The welfare of the people has always been the alibi of tyrants." - Albert Camus
"Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war." - William S. Burroughs
"The means of learning are abundant - it is the desire to learn that is scarce." - Naval Ravikant
"Though they may start out with entrepreneurial zeal, once firms or bureaucracies grow large, they become risk-adverse to the point of Luddism." - Matt Ridley
Thursday, March 24, 2022
How People Think
Morgan Housel has a fairly long post where he examines a number (17 to be exact) ways people think. This stood out for me:
When you are keenly aware of your own struggles but blind to others,' it's easy to assume you're missing some skill or secret that others have. Sometimes that's true. More often you're just blind to how much everyone is making it up as they go, one challenge at a time.
This reminded me of William Goldman's description of Hollywood, "No one knows anything." Which is basically true. However, we don't have to start from scratch. There's literally centuries of accumulated knowledge and wisdom to help guide your way if you only make an effort.
This approach seems especially true of Housel - and please don't take this as a criticism. Most of the thoughts and quotes in the above link I've seem elsewhere in Housel's writings. He'll take some wisdom gathered elsewhere and added his own understanding or interpretation. And repeats it in different forms - posts, books, articles, etc..
This is often something you see other respected writers do. Victor Davis Hanson does it all the time.
As a reader this is often helpful. Seeing it repeated helps the message to sink in. That's another way people think.
Starlink Raising Prices Due to Inflation
Don't think this will harm the demand in any way. If you are in any area that doesn't get broadband - you'll gladly pay $110 per month.
Thursday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
When I come to crossroads in my life I ask, "What would Bill Belichick do?" and the way is made clear. What would Bill Belichick do? Why he'd click that link, subscribe to my Substack and he'd share the post will all his friends. Be like Bill Belichick.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"If you worked as hard at doing difficult things as you did avoiding them, you'd become unstoppable." - Shane Parrish
"There are two different types of people in the world, those who want to know, and those who want to believe." - Friedrich Nietzsche
"We cannot escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures." - Susan Jeffers
"Humans are basically habit machines. I think learning to break habits is actually a very important meta-skill and can serve you in life almost better than anything else." - Naval Ravikant
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
What's the Substitute for Sugary Soft Drainks?
Interesting look at how a "soda tax" in Seattle led to an increase in the consumption of beer. Something similar also happened in Philadelphia when they instituted a "soda tax."
An alternative explanation is of course people in Seattle and Philadelphia started drinking more beer. These people live in Seattle and Philadelphia! And they elected people who thought "soda taxes" were good ideas! You'd drink more alcohol too!
HT Execupundit.
Catastrophic Scenario For Diesel Emerging According To World's Biggest Energy Traders
As bad as the gas price increases have been since January 20, 2021 - the increases in the price of diesel has been even worse. The more it costs for a trucker to fill his rig the more they pass on those cost increases down the line which increases the cost of the goods they are delivering. You want inflation? Because that's one way you get inflation.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love..." - Marcus Aurelius
"Money's greatest intrinsic value - and this cannot be overstated - is its ability to give you control over your time." - Morgan Housel
"Our span of life is brief, but is long enough for us to live well and honestly." - Cicero
"Genius can only breathe freely in an atmosphere of freedom." - John Stuart Mill
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
How to Befriend Crows
Crows are very intelligent creatures. Is it strange that I've always wanted to befriend them?
Will 2022 Be a Turning Point in History?
Historian Niall Ferguson on whether 2022 will be a turning point in history like 1066, 1914, and 1989. Ferguson takes the optimistic with the pessimistic pointing out something I never realized - that 1989 was not just the fall of the Berlin Wall it was also the year of the Tiananmen Square massacre. As it turns out the latter event was probably more historically significant.
Ferguson takes the long view of a historian but also the short term political view that, "The world is now facing its most serious inflation problem in a generation and domestic bread-and-butter issues generally trump crises in faraway countries." So true. In the US I imagine that inflation and out of control gas prices will be much more important to voters this November than the war in Ukraine.
Also thanks to Niall for giving me the word "splenetic" (bad-tempered; spiteful). I had never seen that word before.
Tuesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Chris only pawn in game of life. Please subscribe (it's FREE), hit the Like button, and share with others. It is greatly appreciated.
Are We Facing a Global Food Crisis?
"In summary, the Russian invasion is a large shock for agricultural commodity markets, but not historically large. Markets and trade patterns will adjust to absorb it. Farmers around the world will produce more and consumers will cut back or substitute. The transition may be difficult in some places, especially countries such as Egypt that typically rely on wheat from Russia and Ukraine."
I'd like to believe there's not going to be a crisis but throw away lines like "consumers will cut back or substitute" and the bit about Egypt make me think this economist has no idea what life is like in the real world. Consumers cutting back seems a euphemism for "people going hungry" and the last time there was mass hunger in Egypt there was a revolution.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"A home without books is a body without soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." - Humpty Dumpty
"Dead people receive more flowers than living ones, because regret is stronger than gratitude." - Anne Frank
"If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering." - Viktor Frankl
Monday, March 21, 2022
Conspirators in Their Own Words
VDH with some of the outright lies from the past 5-years. He uses the word "projection" which I think is key.
Almost at every major accusation - whether it be "Russian Collusion" or "January 6th" - if you turned the investigation on those making accusations you would have found the guilty. They were projecting their own misdeeds on their political enemies.
Keep that in mind for all future MSM accusations.
Russia and UKraine
Here's something I wrote 8-years ago about Russia and Ukraine. It seems to hold up fairly well.
It also makes me wonder if a weaker than known Russian economy was one of the impetuses for the invasion.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Government cannot make us equal; it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law." - Clarence Thomas
"We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are." - Anais Nin
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - William Shakespeare
"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus
Sunday, March 20, 2022
The Epidemic of Martiomania
Peter Attia with an actual medical diagnosis of March Madness.
Nicely done Doctor Attia. Nicely done.
Spies Who Lie
Spies who lie: 51 "intelligence" experts refuse to apologize for discrediting true Hunter Biden laptop story.
It sickens me that there's no repercussions for these creiins.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"If lockdowns stopped COVID we wouldn't need to keep having them." - Dr. David Samadi
"Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so." - Robert Heinlein
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that." - George Carlin
"Death had to take [Teddy] Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight." - Thomas R. Marshall
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Find Something Beautiful Today
The Milky Way over a lightning storm in Ormond Beach, FL (photo via). Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
Saturday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a news miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Knock, knock. Who's there? Have you clicked the link, subscribed (its free), hit the Like button, and shared with others? That's who's there.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety." - Isaac Asimov
"Pride is pregnant with all possible sin." - Augustine of Hippo
"I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we can sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can't have both. Not at the same time." - Brene Brown
"Planning is important, but the most important part of every plan is to plan on the plan not going according to plan." - Morgan Housel
Friday, March 18, 2022
Find Something Beautiful Today
The Aurora Borealis seen from Fort Yukon, Alaska (photo via). Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
JetBlue and Southwest Pilots Sue to End Mask Mandates
Ten JetBlue and Southwest Airlines pilots have sued in federal court to end mask mandates in the air. Good for them!
There is no conceivable reason, in my opinion, for continuing this worthless policy. It's not about science - it never was.
Howl 2022
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by memes,
raving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the virtual streets at dawn looking for an angry fix
angelheaded influencers burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo,
the machinery of the web.
- Marc Andreessen
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong." - Calvin Coolidge
"Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government." -James Madison
"I've realized that somebody who's tired and needs a rest, and goes on working all the same is a fool." - Carl Jung
"The heaviest chains are the ones you put around yourself." - Shane Parrish
Is This a Good Idea?
On the surface this seems like a good idea but I have questions. First you have all the surveillance cameras needed to watch who is going at or under the speed limit with the intelligence to identify the car and who owns it. Are these surveillance cameras also being used to hand out speeding tickets? Or is there a police officer doing that? Should we really be rewarding people for obeying the law? Doesn't this have a Big Brother feel to it - a Benevolent Big Brother but Big Brother all the same? I have questions.
ViaThursday, March 17, 2022
So Anti-Frackers are Actually Pro-Putin?
Matt Ridley on how Russia and Putin spent millions spreading fake news about fracking in England. Keep prices high and keep shale gas in the ground was the goal. It worked.
In the US the foreign oil and gas interests just hand millions to the children of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi.
Interesting Tom Brady Theory
Tom Brady was originally supposed to team up with Sean Payton in Miami - with Payton as head coach and Brady not as QB but in the front office similar to what John Lynch does in San Fran. The Brian Flores lawsuit against the Dolphins scuttled those plans for both Payton and Brady.
I can buy this as a plausible scenario.
So Very True
Nation's men prepare to pretend they've been following college basketball all season.
You know the type and with March Madness starting on Saint Patrick's Day everyone will be an expert after the third beer.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Liberty is not collective, it is personal. All liberty is individual." - Calvin Coolidge
"One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you always wanted. Do it now." - Paul Coelho
"The only way to solve a problem is to act on it." - Naval Ravikant
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." - Thomas Sowell
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Heh Heh
Also waiting for that first story of a person trying to siphon gas from an RV but they put the hose into the wrong tank (if you know what I'm saying).
The Price of Gas
No idea how reliable the data used for the above map is but it does illustrate that the problem of high gas prices effect all nations. You would think the political maxim "Its the economy stupid!" would apply but in some countries, like the US ,some politicians actively make lower gas prices harder to obtain. Higher gas prices also make the price of almost everything go up. It makes no sense and makes life harder on the very people the politicians are supposed to represent.
Kyiv's Mayor Draws Inspiration and Lessons From Israel and IDF
Klitschko and all of Ukraine's leadership would be wise to follow the model of Israel - a country that knows what it's like to have enemies attacking from all sides.
Happy 20th Anniversary SpaceX
Just from this week - here's two stories of the impact SpaceX is having on the world:
NASA's Inspector General reports the SLS (Space Launch System) will cost about $58,000 per kilogram launched into space meanwhile it would only cost $10 per kilogram with SpaceX. Shows you the vast difference between the government doing something vs a private company doing the same thing.
SpaceX's Starlink was Ukraine's most downloaded app. Being able to maintain internet connections via Starlink have been invaluable to the government and people of Ukraine. Elon Musk doesn't get enough credit for what he's doing for the war torn country.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Robert Johnson wrote that the word happiness comes from to happen. Our happiness is what happens." - Jeff Bridges
"A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." - General George Patton
"Modern capitalism is a pro at two things: generating wealth and generating envy." - Morgan Housel
"Take care of yourself right now. Befriend what's happening, not just who you're supposed to be or what the world should be like. This is where you are now, so how do you care for yourself this minute?" - Bernie Glassman
Today's Art Break
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Facts Do Matter
"Instead of promoting fourth booster dose, he [Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla] should explain the safety disaster in the first 90 days and why the product was not pulled off the market to figure out why it was so dangerous. Expect the company and the govt agencies to cast blame at one another for not stopping it." - Peter McCullough MD
This scandal should be headline news everywhere.
Got to Love Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is the epitome of decency and class. She knows she's never been a Rock and Roll singer and has no business in their Hall of Fame. If only the people who run the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had as much common sense.
Will China Doulbe Cross Russia?
Have this new post up on Substack. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own." - Albert Ellis
"Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." - Jonathan Swift
"A decline in courage may be the most striking feature that an outside observer notices in the West today." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
"Why doesn't everybody leave everybody else the hell alone?" - Jimmy Durante
Monday, March 14, 2022
Tom Brady Coming Back
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Getting to the point where letting your child join the Mickey Mouse Club is as big a risk as letting them be an altar boy in the Catholic Church. Please subscribe, hit the Like button, and share with others.
Find Something Beautiful Today
The Golden Pheasant (photo via). Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Two topics impact everyone, whether you are interested in them or not: health and money." - Morgan Housel
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
"One lucky break, or one extremely shrewd decision - can we tell them apart?" - Benjamin Graham
"So I have this word for much of what I do in life: plorking. I'm not playing and I'm not working, I'm plorking." - Jeff Bridges
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