Thursday, June 30, 2022
America Is More Fragile Than the Left Understands
VDH with a pessimistic but accurate look at the self-inflicted wounds America is dealing with.
I remain more hopeful and optimistic than the good professor seems to be. I've seen NYC be a dumpster fire of crime and filth before only to see it bounce back. I've seen America sink under Jimmy Carter only to emerge into a "Morning in America" under Ronald Reagan. I think we'll see that again in the cities and states where voters learn not to to touch the hot stove of progressivism again.
Remembering Gettysburg
This is an essay I wrote a couple of years ago. Posting it on Substack in hopes of reaching a larger audience. This time of year is also a reminder to me to re-read Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels. My personal way of remembering and being grateful.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Work is the only good thing." - John Steinbeck
"Be aware there are no 'adults.' Everyone makes it up as they go along. You have to find your own path, picking, choosing, and discarding as you see fit. Figure it out yourself, and do it." - Naval Ravikant
"I have a flat stomach. It's just that the 'L' is silent." - Anonymous
"You are tough when your mood is not dependent on your conditions." - James Clear
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
RIP Woody Williams
Williams was the last surviving MOH recipient from WWII - all 472 have now passed. Woody won his MOH in part for destroying "enemy emplacements with a flamethrower, going forward alone into machinegun fire, covered only by four riflemen."
Where do we find such men?
Turkey Lifts Objections to Finland and Sweden Joining NATO
Turkey on Tuesday after negotiations lifted its objection to Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Any support for the Kurdish people in Turkey was the price of admission. When the full details of the negotiations are known I wonder how history will judge this transaction?
As for me - I would have agreed to let Norway and Sweden in but only if we got to kick Canada out as long as they have Justin Trudeau as PM.
You Have to Be a Studio
Writing and life advice from Steven Pressfield.
"We have to have the same professional attitude they have - about finances, about contingencies, about material." Amen - be professional and be prepared!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"There was never any lockdown - there were just middle class people hiding while working class people brought them things." - JJ Charlesworth
"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." - George S. Patton
"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." - Judy Garland
"Don't take yourself so seriously. You're just a monkey with a plan." - Naval Ravikant
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Idle Hands are the Devil's Playthings
I freely admit I'm a man with vices. And I enjoy my vices. Right now with both the NBA and NHL playoffs over and football still a ways off in the distance what's a man like me who enjoys sports betting to do?
The obvious and correct answer is bet on baseball which is what I plan to do. I know Las Vegas loves bettors with "systems" but I plan to play a very simple system from today until the start of football. I'm going to bet on the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers but only following a loss. I will also bet on whoever lost the first game of a double-header to win the second game of the double-dip no matter the team. A pretty straight forward system that takes all decision making away.
Both the Red Sox and Dodgers lost last night so today I'm taking Red Sox (+$110) and Dodgers (-$220). All small bets throughout the summer. I'm doing this for fun not to lose the mortgage.
China’s ‘Very Dangerous Trajectory’
Why international companies have not decoupled with China yet is a mystery to me. The warning signs are all over the place. Don't trust Xi Jinping - Xi Jinping is asshole!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"It is not enough to have great qualities, we should also have the management of them." - Francois de La Rochefoucauld
"The world just reflects your own feelings back at you. Reality is neutral. Reality has no judgements." - Naval Ravikant
"You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time." - Donald Rumsfeld
"Everyone seems to think the censorship movement won't come for them. If you think for yourself, it eventually will." - Matt Taibbi
Mel Brooks
Happy 96th birthday to funnyman and American icon Mel Brooks.
Be sure to re-watch his moves before they are all cancelled by people with zero sense of humor.Monday, June 27, 2022
McDonald's $42 Billion Real Estate Empire Explained.
McDonald's is often called a real estate firm dressed up as a fast food chain - it's true.
Interesting look at how the building is the real profit center for McDonald's not the burger being sold.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Sometimes success is 3% brains and 97% not getting distracted by the Internet." - Shane Parrish
"Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?" - Charles Bukowski
"Happiness is what's there when you remove the sense that something is missing in your life." - Naval Ravikant
"Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things." - G.K. Chesterton
Fun Physics History
"James Chadwick discovered the neutron under the leadership of Ernest Rutherford in 1932. Rutherford, who in 1911 discovered the proton, was the student of Joseph John Thomson. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897." Via Physics in History
Sunday, June 26, 2022
James Garner: An Appreciation
James Garner - the Oklahoman anti-hero with a heart of gold.
Garner was perhaps my favorite actor growing up and Maverick my favorite TV series even though it first aired before I was born.
What Was Drug Use Like in Viking Culture?
Interesting look at what drugs Viking Berserkers may have taken before battle.
If you've ever listened to Joe Rogan's podcast - you probably guessed mushrooms but it also could have been henbane.
Sunday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
I feel the need - the need for speed! Hope you feel the need to subscribe, hit the Like button or share the post with others. Have a great Sunday!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Happiness, love, and passion - aren't things you find - they're choices you make." - Naval Ravikant
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - E.E. Cummings.
"Nature never deceives us, it is we who deceive ourselves." - Jean-Jacques Rousseau
"Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." - Plato
Saturday, June 25, 2022
How Steinbeck Used His Journal as a Tool of Discipline
How John Steinbeck used his journal as a "daily act of showing up." Or as Steven Pressfield calls it "putting your ass where your heart wants to be."
Love Steinbeck but funny enough have never read The Grapes of Wrath (probably because it was assigned reading in high school). Must have read Cannery Row a dozen times - one of my all-time favorite beach books.
The article is well worth you time. Good life advice - and this summer The Grapes of Wrath is on my reading list!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"A rational person can find peace by cultivating indifference to things outside of their control." - Naval Ravikant
"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
"When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." - Buckminster Fuller
Choosing to Care for Yourself
My number one priority in life, above my happiness, above my family, above my work, is my own health. It starts with my physical health. Second, it's my mental health. Then, it's my spiritual health. Then it's my family's health. Then, it's my family's wellbeing. After that, I can go out and do whatever I need to do with the rest of the world. - Naval Ravikant
Friday, June 24, 2022
Travel Tips from a Digital Nomad
Vitalik Buterin (one of the co-founders of Ethereum) is a digital nomad who has flown just under 1 million miles over the past nine years. He recently put together an interesting post on some of the travel tips he recommends to friends.
Some good suggestions and perspective.
Germany's Energy Policies
George Bernard Shaw was right when he said the Germans were a people with contempt for common sense. (Image via)
Should Doctors Stop Pushing Statins?
Interesting look at statins from a doctor who calls himself a statin agnostic. Like many people my age, I'm on s statin so this is of great interest to me. This seemed the key bit:
There is one other problem with prescribing statins for primary prevention: it’s probably better to try first to see if someone can improve their diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and so on.
We will never have scientifically sound numbers to put on this, but lifestyle improvements might amount to 50-60% reductions in heart disease risks. They also can carry other benefits, too, like weight loss, fitness, and unearthed joy, which are hard to find in a 40mg atorvastatin pill.
I have greatly improved my diet, exercise, sleep, and stress over the past decade but I consistently question whether to continue taking my daily atorvastatin pill. For now I'll continue but I'll also continue reading up on the benefits and risks.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"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
"Beware the difference between prediction and prophecy. Prophecy purports to know things which cannot be known." - David Deutsch
"The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking." - Albert Einstein
"I'm old enough to remember life pre-Internet. There were only three largely identical television networks (plus PBS if you lived near enough communists, which I didn't)." - Marc Andreessen
Priests Playing Poker
The sins associated with playing cards are nothing new. The Synod of 1404 forbade card-playing by the clergy and in 1423 Saint Bernard called for the faithful to go home, get their playing cards and burn them right in the public square outside of Saint Peter's in the Vatican.
I wonder if that ruling against clergy playing cards has ever been rescinded? Personally I can't ever recall seeing a priest at a poker table. And now I really want a version of Dogs Playing Cards but with priests instead.
Thursday, June 23, 2022
Find Something Beautiful Today
Astronaut Bruce McCadless II floats untethered away from the space shuttle while testing the Manned Maneuvering Unit. The first person untethered in space - beautiful but terrifying. (Photo via) Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
Working for the Man
Steven Pressfield on being your own boss.
Kinda dovetails nicely with the independent contractor post from earlier this morning.
The Democrats War on Independent Contractors
Interesting editorial on how the Democrats, thinking they are helping unions, are really intentionally harming independent contractors like Uber and Lyft drivers, freelance writers, etc. The independent contractors rightly feel, "We do not need lawmakers to fix something that, for the vast majority of us, isn't broken."
Every Republican candidate should make support for independent contractors a keystone of their campaigns.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"As long as I have a book in my hand, I don't feel like I'm wasting time." - Charlie Munger
"Read the greats in math, science, and philosophy. Ignore your contemporaries and news. Avoid tribal identification. Put truth above social approval." - Naval Ravikant
"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them." - Albert Einstein
"To live a life of virtue, you have to become consistent, even when it isn't convenient, comfortable or easy." - Epictetus
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Subscribing to my Substack account - so easy a caveman could do it! Also hit the Like botton and share with others. I thank you for your support.
Good Question
"What I wonder about Wonder Bread is how it can stay soft at room temperature for months. If bacteria won't eat it, should you?" - Naval Ravikant
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Bitter are the roots of study, but how sweet their fruit." - Cato
"The odds of an academic "researcher" producing anything eventually used by society is of the order of .00001%. That includes scientists. The odds for a baker: 100%." - Nassim Taleb
"Reading a book isn't a race - the better the book, the more slowly it should be absorbed." - Naval Ravikant
"When I die I want my body donated to science. But more specifically, a scientist who's working on bringing dead guys back to life." - Norm Macdonald
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
What Was Day in the Life of a Roman Legionary like?
Interesting look at the lot of a Roman legionary.
More of an overview than a detailed look at an average day but interesting nonetheless.
Ex-Amazon Cloud Worker Found Guilty in Capital One Hack
The huge hack affected more than 100 million US customers.
Paige Thompson was found guilty and faces up to 20-years in prison at her September 15th sentencing. 20-years, in my opinion, is not adequate punishment. If each affected US citizen had to spend just one hour checking to see if they lost any money, changing passwords, etc. - it would take those affected over 11,000 years to undo the damage.
David Zucker
The same thing is true for the Democrats. I don’t think people realize how much they’ve changed and what they really stand for now. It’s run by the far-out nutcases. I still consider myself a JFK Democrat. Strong defense and lower taxes. That’s what Kennedy stood for, and that’s what Bush wants, so if I have to be a Republican, I’ll swallow hard and be a Republican. - David Zucker
The above quote is more than 15-years old. I can only imagine what the creative force behind such comedy classics as Airplane!, The Naked Gun, and Top Secret! among others feels about how far the Democratic Party has moved away from JFK today.
Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It
VDH on the Biden Administration energy "plan."
Like much of the administration's policies it's mostly pandering fantasy untethered from reality. Problem is its average Americans paying the price - in this case at the pumps.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Generations of men establish a growing mastery over the earth, but are destined to become fossils in its soil." - Will and Ariel Durant
"Only six people in the Galaxy knew that the job of the Galactic President was not to wield power but to attract attention away from it." - Douglas Adams
"In the end China went her own way as if the Americans had never come." - Barbara Tuchman
"Reading science, math, and philosophy one hour per day will likely put you in the upper echelon of human success within seven years." - Naval Ravikant
Ruble Reaches 5-year High Against US Dollar
Monday, June 20, 2022
How Much Can Batman Bench Press?
If you don't want to spend time reading the article - the answer was around 500 pounds.
Does the Tank Have a Future?
The war in Ukraine has exposed the vehicles vulnerabilities. Interesting look at the weaknesses of the Russian T-72 tank.
I agree with the conclusion that it's too early to write off the tank. I'd also add that tanks are most vulnerable against well armed military forces but I fear the most common use of tanks in the future will be by governments against their own citizens.
Holy Cross College
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"We are pleased, not only with praise, but with having done what is praise worthy." - Adam Smith
"You're going to die one day, and none of this is going to matter. So enjoy yourself. Do something positive. Project some love. Make someone happy. Laugh a little bit. Appreciate the moment. And do your work." - Naval Ravikant
"If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." - Haruki Murakami
"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." - Joseph Campbell
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Keep It Going
Morgan Housel with a story on athletes and investors.
High intensity workouts are frowned upon because of the recovery time needed. It is often remarked that performance enhancing drugs like HGH's real benefit is not increasing muscle mass but decreasing recovery time.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Animals eat one another without qualm; civilized men consume one another by due process of law." - Will and Ariel Durant
"The duty of a foreign service officer is to report the truth as he sees it without adjusting it to American domestic considerations." - Raymond Ludden (1945)
"'Aspiring' is not a word you want in your obituary." - Aaron Haspel
"The purpose of learning isn't to affirm our beliefs; it's to evolve our beliefs." - Adam Grant
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Ridiculous
Opening a restaurant in Boston takes 92, steps, 22 forms, 17 office visits, and and $5,554 in fees. Killing the American dream.
Why? Let's start with the fact the last Republican mayor of Boston was in 1930.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"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
"The world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel." - Horace Walpole
"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end." - Scott Adams
"You cannot live a free life without having your own thoughts." - Justice Clarence Thomas
The Motley Fool's Simple Recipe for Financial Wellbeing
Don't spend too much.
Save the difference.
Invest.
Low costs.
Long term.
Really isn't more complicated than that.
Friday, June 17, 2022
Friday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors. If you'd like to console a disconsolate Celtics fan please subscribe (it's FREE), hit the Like button, and share with others if anything I wrote made you smile or think. We'll get 'em next season!
The Code of the Entrepreneur
Steven Pressfield with some excellent advice not just for writers but for everyone in general:
I will expect no remuneration until I have created value for someone else. - Dan Sullivan
An excellent coda to live by whether you be a writer, entrepreneur, or otherwise. The thing that gives me pause, however, is the fact that I've been doing this blog for 16+ years but haven't made any money off it. Does that mean I'm not creating value? I'm doing it wrong? I prefer to view the situation as me not being an artist but an artiste - in the way Pressfield explained.
Think other bloggers who are also compelled to toil at this often thankless task will understand the feeling.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Devote the rest of your life to making progress." - Epictetus
"The present is the past rolled up for action, and the past is the present unrolled for understanding." - Ariel Durant
"When the universe has crushed him man will still be nobler than that which kills him, because he knows that he is dying, and of its victory the universe knows nothing." - Pascal
"First, you know it. Then, you understand it. Then, you can explain it. Then, you can feel it. Finally, you are it." - Naval Ravikant
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Book Recommendations from Donald Trump
"It is by will alone that I set my mind in motion." - Donald J. Trump
China Weaponizes Health Passports
China bank protest stopped by health codes turning red. "COVID" surveillance infrastructure used to stifle dissent. Who didn't see this coming?
"Don't trust China - China is asshole!" And don't let people talk you into following China's lead. No health passports and no cashless societies.
Top 10 Baby Names for 2021
Here are the Top 10 baby names for boys and girls according to the Social Security Administration.
Guessing the least popular baby name for a boy was once again Adolph and for girls it was Hillary once again.
Young Churchill Quotes Updated for the Modern Day
"Mr. Bezos loves the working man. He loves to see them work. And work."**
"Extravagant finance was written on the head of their indictment, and it will be written on their tombstone." - Churchill on the Democratic Party (actually the Tory Party)
"The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." (No need to update that quote.)
* Originally "The Tory's are willing to make great scarifies for the their opinions, but they have no opinions."
** Originally "Mr. Chamberlain loves the working man. He loves to see him work."
Some EV News Updates
Some news from the world of EV's (Electric Vehicles):
Based on filings it looks like Tesla's insurance offering is expected to soon be offered in Florida and Maryland as well as being already available in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Tesla insurance could be available in Maryland as soon as today. Tesla's goal is to eventually have 80% of all Tesla cars in the US getting their insurance from Tesla. Don't sleep on how big and profitable this could be for the company.
Ford is instructing dealers to temporarily stop selling electric Mustang Mach-E crossovers due to a potential safety defect that could cause the vehicles to become immobile (not a good thing). The Ford Mustang Mach-E is manufactured in Mexico - not in the US. Not EV news but Ford is also recalling 3.3 million vehicles due to rollaway concerns.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I've been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now." - Eric Clapton
"Determination mixed with resourcefulness is nearly unstoppable." - Shane Parrish
"The most important trick to being happy is to realize happiness is a skill you develop and a choice you make. You choose to be happy, and then you work at it." - Naval Ravikant
"Patience is a competitive advantage. In a surprising number of fields, you can find success if you are simply willing to do the reasonable thing longer than most people." - James Clear
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Congrats to Bruce Cassidy
Former Boston Bruins head coach has been hired to be the head coach of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Congrats coach! Just 10-days out of a job.
I'm of two minds on the Bruins firing Cassidy. First I strongly believe in the Scotty Bowman rule - that a head coach should never stay beyond 8-years with a team. Bowman was the greatest coach in NHL history and he never did despite the success in Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit. Although Cassidy was only coach for six seasons - he was an assistant in Boston before that. So maybe close enough to the 8-year rule?
However, I don't like that Cassidy seems to have been made the scapegoat for not going further this postseason. What about GM Don Sweeney or team President Cam Neeley? If you're placing blame - shouldn't they be sharing the blame equally? Hate to say it because Neeley was one of my favorite Bruins ever but he's starting to give off John Elway with the Denver Broncos type vibes. Maybe number 8 is in over his head as the team's top executive?
With Las Vegas now having former Boston coaches heading both the Raiders and Golden Knights I can see many New Englanders adopting Las Vegas teams as their second favorites to root for in the NHL and NFL. I know I already have.
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post. This morning is one of those times. Please subscribe (if you haven't already), hit the Like button, and share with others.
The Selfish Californian
VDH with a scathing critique on what has ruined California.
In truth, the implosion of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and California more broadly is no accident. Destroying all the bounty that was inherited from far better and far-seeing generations was the logical result of deliberate policies—reflecting the self-interest of a few million rich, educated professionals. They apparently decided that their genius and superior morality had transcended worries over ancient challenges of food, water, shelter, transportation, and received law and custom.
Hard to argue against his reasoning. And those who run California want the rest of America to follow their lead!
"Hubristic and stupid" indeed!
Get Ready for the Catastrophic DEF Shortage
DEF is the acronym for Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Every diesel truck that has been made since 2010 is required to use it... DEF is kept in a separate tank in the truck and the trucks using it will not start unless the DEF system is working properly. There are regulators inside the engine that mix DEF with the diesel exhaust to reduce diesel emissions. That's the purpose of DEF.
This is very bad news. But excellent reporting in connecting the dots.
The behind the scenes players are Russia, China and... BlackRock!
Why is it that whenever BlackRock is in the news - the news is bad for America and for the average American? Don't forget BlackRock is very chummy with the Communist Chinese Party.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Violent revolutions do not so much redistribute wealth as destroy it." - Will and Ariel Durant
"History reports that the men who can manage men manage the men who can manage only things, and the men who can manage money manage all." - Will Durant
"Focus is not something you aspire to... or something you do on Monday. It's something you do every minute." - Jony Ivy
"You can increase your happiness over time, and it starts with believing you can do it." - Naval Ravikant
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Happy National Bourbon Day!
Yes - it's a real holiday! My daughter helped make the above batches. Celebrate responsibly - or however you damn please!
How to Light and Smoke a Cigar
One of the basics that is never properly taught - except here!
Definitely going to get a cigar after watching this!
Find Something Beautiful Today
Cassini's last image before entering Saturn's atmosphere and burning up. (Photo via) Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
SEC Preparing Historic Overhaul Of Market Structure?
New rules may make retail frontrunning virtually impossible. Bad news for companies like Robinhood.
I too will believe it when I see it.
I For One Welcome Our Crustacean Overlords
"It's just a crayfish in a bucket but doesn't it look like it's taking over the entire planet?" Via
Had me fooled at first glance.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I'm a 'Reagan Republican.' That means I want growth-oriented tax policies, a strong, secure national defense, limited government and maximum individual liberty." - Peter Hannaford
"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts
"A calm mind, a fit body and a house full of love. These things can not be bought. They must be earned." - Naval Ravikant
"The only real revolution is in the enlightenment of the mind and the improvement of character, the only real emancipation is individual, and the only real revolutionists are philosophers and saints." - Will and Ariel Durant
Monday, June 13, 2022
Get the Government Out of Our Kitchens
And also out of the bedroom and the schoolrooms. A nation of overweight people, who are confused over their genders and who don't know basic math or science is where we're headed. (Via)
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