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?... 

Linky Links

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

- Don't let the media get away with U-turning on the lab leak theory (or Dr. Fauci) 

- Outside Magazine: 48 reasons to feel optimistic. Disagree with a few of them though (why celebrate non-alcoholic beer?).

- Evidence for the Wuhan Lab Covid-19 hypothesis isn't going to be waved away.

- Kenny Mayne is the best!

- Interesting - How Phil Mickelson took control on Sunday at the 2021 PGA Championship

Linky Links

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

- 11 trillion reasons to fear Joe Biden's Presidency. From the Libertarian Reason magazine. 

- UFC fighters' pay lawsuit nears class action stage.

- Scientists weigh in on the great trekking pole debate. I've been considering buying some trekking poles for sometime now. Think I'll take the plunge.

- The five biggest effects Trump has had on the US space program

- Joe Rogan rips social media on their handling of Hunter Biden laptop story. Wonder if Twitter or Facebook would allow you to post this story? 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

"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. I keep thinking of that quote whenever I see or hear people bemoaning the current choices for President and suggesting other alternatives... Oh the humanity! Covid-19 outbreak at Cruisin' Chubby's strip club in Wisconsin. Of course Covid-19 isn't the only virus these folks should be tested for... Having said the above that the choices in November will be either Donald Trump or Joe Biden there's a significant chance that the choice for Democrats may actually end up as Kamala Harris (or whoever Joe Biden picks as his VP candidate) if Joe Biden has to step aside because of his cognitive decline. But then that opens up a whole other can of worms... Heh Heh... Hiking Mount Wachusett in Central Mass with my daughter for Father's Day. Here's a nice article from Outside Magazine on suggested hikes in the White (New Hampshire) and Green (Vermont) Mountains... Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there... 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

So I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that next winter the big fashion accessory will be a scarf or a muffler. Everyone will be wearing them just so they can pop them over the mouth and nose whenever someone goes into a store or enclosed public place. Where can I buy stock in scarfs?... It's funny because its (almost) true... If I ran a university in a State that is open right now I would announce that the fall semester is definitely happening and that the university will be extending "in-state" tuition rates to any US citizen. Make sure my classes (and coffers) are filled while schools in places like California drive students away by being closed or being 100% remote learning... Interesting - the misunderstood python hunters that are saving the Everglades... Business idea - a competitor to Gold Bond powder called "Swamp Ass Powder." People would buy it just for the name and if it was a good product people would keep on buying it. EDIT: Someone beat me to it!..

Linky Links

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

- Army Ranger School is a laboratory of human endurance. Long read but well worth it. This aside jumped out at me, "'That's why I carry a gun. The average human is only three missed meals away from becoming a savage.'"

- Apple likely planning 2020 iPhone SE assembly in Brazil. But if it is still being assembled by Foxconn it is really decoupling?

- The Short, Violent Oil War of 2020.  Article is just a week old and may already be in need of an update. Just as an aside I think the US, Mexico and Canada should ban any imports of oil or natural gas as a way to insulate our economies from such future gamesmanship.

- Nixon Opened China. It's Time to Close It. Won't quibble over the historical reasons Nixon opened China but I do agree with this statement 100%, "It took decades to truly open China and it will take years to close them back off. But we should start now."

- Richard Branson's heart seems to be in the right place. (And the cynic in me acknowledges that Branson's PR instincts have always been strong.)

- "Cartels are scrambling:" Virus snarls global drug trade. Even the drug kingpins are looking to decouple from China.

Linky Links

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

- Steven Pressfield - Churchill's K.B.O. (or something like that).

- Life tips from happiness expert Dan Buettner. "In a nutshell, the world's longest-living people move naturally, eat wisely, connect with community, and have a positive outlook." Easier said than done.

- You learn something new every day

- The woman who lives 200,000 years in the past.

- This letter from President Trump to Senator Chuck Schumer is savage. Second page here.

Linky Links

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

- Spotify pays $250 million for Bill Simmons' The Ringer

- Betelgeuse may go supernova (selfishly I want to see a supernova)

- Jeez - Scotland cut down almost 14 million trees to make way for windmills during a 10-year period.

- Outside magazine's best hikes in all 50 states

- If Pete Buttigieg is the Democratic nominee for President then there could be an historic exodus of black voters from the Democratic Party.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

In the next day or two I guarantee that you will see graphics showing the members of the Kansas City Chiefs who say they will not be going to the White House. I also guarantee that people will then come up with new graphics that add either Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren to the people who will not be going to the White House... Heh Heh... "Choose the non-emotional response to any given situation and see how much easier your life becomes." - Excellent life advice from Naval Ravikant... Interesting long read from Outside - The FBI of the National Park Service. Kept thinking it could be called CSI: Yosemite instead...  Another read worth your time is Tim Ferriss' latest blog post 11 Reasons Not to Become Famous which could easily have been called "The Dark Side of Fame." Makes you think twice about wanting to be famous (though I have nothing against still wanting to be rich)...

Linky Links

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

- This actually looks pretty cool (and what great free advertising for AirBnB)

- Interesting man. Interesting story. Interesting history.

- Thanks a lot Canada! Canadian senator's report accidentally reveals locations of US nuclear weapons in Europe. Or maybe the information was leaked to pressure the US to get those nukes out of unstable Turkey? So - thanks Canada?

-  Your obligatory will Rob Gronkowski un-retire speculation.

- The lone Mustang pilot who held off 30 fighters from attacking B-17's for over half an hour. "It was a case of what seemed to be one lone American against the entire Luftwaffe." Where do we find such men?

- Richard Feynman explains math.

- Why can't we be more like the Swiss?

Linky Links

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

- Venezuela is now awash in US dollars. Wonder what these folks would say if they were told that the idea of Socialism is getting popular in some circles in the US. And "awash" is the wrong adjective. I'd say "clinging to" is more accurate.

- Outside Magazine's best road trips in the US and Canada.

- Teddy Roosevelt did not believe in wasting precious time

- Interesting - Russia unveils a floating nuclear power plant. From the description it sounds like this is a Gen IV nuclear plant.

- Even the dead become victims of Socialism in Venezuela

Linky Links

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

- Yellowstone volcano - 100 foot fissure causes closure in Grand Teton National Park. The Yellowstone super volcano is the greatest threat that exists to the US and our way of life.

- Outside Magazine's best stargazing spots in North America

- Murmuration should also be an adjective to describe how certain biased news organizations all "independently" shift in coverage of certain news  items

- According to Outside Magazine - America's 32 best trails

- Heh Heh

- USA! USA! Texas to pass Iran and Iraq as the number 3 oil producer in the world.

- H&R Block and TurboTax don't want it to be easy to file your tax returns and they are buying Senators to keep that from happening.

Linky Links

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

- Student loans account for almost 50% of federal assets? That cannot be right! If accurate that's damn scary.

- This is what heroes look like!

- NBC's Capital Hill reporter demonstrates why so many dislike the press. How does she still have a job?

- On this day in 1804

- Outside Magazine's best fitness tips

- Joaquim Phoenix to play the Joker?

- I laughed way too much at this

The Barkley Marathons

If you are looking for a good documentary - check out The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. 

The people who run this definitely have a different mindset. I can't comprehend having that mindset where a simple marathon simply isn't challenging enough. Don't get me wrong - I'd love to try to make a single loop of the Barkley even welcoming the "stigma" of being runner number 1 (the human sacrifice) but I'd hate taking up one of the 40 slots for the race.

What got me thinking of the Barkley was this article in Outside Magazine on The Women of the Barkley Marathons.

Good article - good documentary - both well worth your time.

Linky Links

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

- Interesting - possible new Alzheimer's treatment using stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells may be the "miracle cure" of the 21st century.

- Dilbert's Unified Theory of Everything Financial (good to review this ever once and a while for your financial well-being)

- The cold hard facts about freezing to death (hopefully another New England winter has passed without me getting hypothermia)

- Good point

- What ever happened to Brendan Fraser? Brendan Fraser is a very likable human being.

- The Supreme Court has a chance to correct a 40-year old mistake regarding public unions

- This image of Bird just makes me laugh

Linky Links

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

- Illustrated Periodic Table shows how we regularly interact with each element. I still say the Periodic Table is one of science's great achievements.

- Saddened to hear this news about Tiny Archibald.

- If true this is really disappointing on the part of NOAA. Eroding trust in science and government at the same time.

- Who knew?

- Interesting look at how 40-years ago Israel basically changed from being a socialist nation to a capitalist one and how that change has made all the difference.

- One of the most persuasive arguments I ever read FOR taking PED's. Sadly the author Andrew Tilin recently died when he was hit by a car while biking.

- National Geographic's Photo of the Year.

Linky Links

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

- Amazon Prime reveals NFL Thursday night streaming schedule. (As someone who has cut the cord and has Amazon Prime this is great.)

- Heh heh - always makes me chuckle

- Another example of why Logan Airport is the worst airport in the country. They now want to charge people for dropping off passengers.

- 15 words every outdoors lover should know

- Why the average American today is "richer" than John D Rockefeller was in 1916. Reminds me of how Napoleon was overwhelmed by the water park in Bill and Ted's Big Adventure.

-  They could put this passenger transportation system in at Logan Airport and it would still be the worst airport in the country

Linky Links

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

- Interesting - MDMA (aka Ecstasy) may help eliminate PTSD

- Happy 56th wedding anniversary to el Tiante and his beautiful wife Maria

- The Deflategate Karma Police claim another victim - this time hypocrite Jerry Jones

- Heh heh

- Proof that Outside Magazine is just a shill mag for Big Wheel. Fire was robbed of the award - robbed I tell you!

- If this doesn't make you tear up - I'm not sure I want to know you

Linky Links

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

- This is true

- Cool - your complete guide to the total solar eclipse

- Am I the only one who things it's weird that Tiger Woods' back is OK to do free diving but not well enough to swing a golf club?

- You may want to start taking HGH after reading this. Outside originally published this in 2003 and I wish they did a second follow-up version on how the drugs have changed in the past 14-years.

- Sorry Cardinals fans - this cannot be unseen

- I had never heard of the Forrest Fenn Treasure Hunt before. Looks like a third person may have died trying to find the $2 million treasure.

- You have to be up to date on Game of Thrones to appreciate this joke

- Heh heh - Russian TV 

Linky Links

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

- But I thought the science was settled? Scientists argue Big Bang vs Big Bounce

- 10 lessons from Tim Ferris

- Charlie Munger: The Psychology of Human Misjudgement

- Interesting kettlebell workout routine

- Another workout routine from Outside Magazine

- While we are talking workouts - the secrets of Tom Brady's personal trainer