Linky Links

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

- How to do great things

- Excellent questions when interviewing a potential CEO. Excellent questions period.

- Heartless but true: There's no reason for US troops to be in Somalia. I don't necessarily disagree with this position but in the back of my mind I can't help but think, "These terrorists in Somalia aren't a threat to US interests - until they are."

- This poker fold is unbelievable! What a great read! And what great sportsmanship for the winner to show his hand so she gets to know she made the right move. Just wow!

- 4 cars disappearing this year. I'm going to miss the Impala.

- I miss Red on Roundball. I hope Pistol Pete practices this wearing a cup until he had the drill down.

- Badass helicopter pilot.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not to be a jinx but Boston teams are undefeated in 2019. The Bruins are 4-0 in January and the Celtics are also 4-0. Now watch them both lose tonight... "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet." - Gandhi... Not a criticism just an observation but Billy Joel's My Life sounds almost the same on Muzak... "The most important trick to be happy is to realize that happiness is a choice that you make and a skill set that you develop. You choose to be happy, and then you work at it. It's just like building muscles." - Naval Ravikant... Who has had the better NBA career - JJ Redick picked 11th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft or Rajon Rondo who went 10 picks later? I'm going to go with Rondo hands down... This story makes me think of this joke... "Choice of attention - to pay attention to this and ignore that - is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases, a man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences, whatever they may be." - W.H. Auden... 

A Very Special Beer

There is a very special beer coming out in February and I plan to make it my beer of choice until they run out or stop making it. 

The beer is called Worcester's Bravest and it is a collaboration of Wachusett Brewing and Wormtown Brewing. Proceeds from the beer will benefit the family of Christopher Roy who died fighting a blaze last month. 

Support your local breweries because when times get tough they support their communities like they are doing for the family of Christopher Roy.

Linky Links

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

- Physicists puzzled by strange numbers that could explain reality. I had never heard of Octonions before.

- I'll probably never use Octonions - but I will never forget this math!

- How to think like Sherlock Holmes

- Man I wish there was a video of this beatdown

- Wow! Lightning engulfing a volcanic eruption in Chile

- Forty ways the world is getting better

- Climate change - lie, damn lies, and statistics

Space and Time

Brian Greene explains space and time in a single continuum.

And since he mentions Leonardo da Vinci here's what the uber genius said about time over 500-years ago, "The instant does not have time; and time is made from the movement of the instant." Mind blown!

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking would have turned 77-years old today.

If you remember him as just a smart guy in a wheelchair with a funny voice - here's a reminder of why Hawking was famous in the first place.

He was a special genius.

Linky Links

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

- Victor Davis Hanson says that 2018 was a pretty good year. And I agree.

- 34-years ago a KGB defector predicted modern America.

- Heh Heh

- Nicholas Kristof ups the ante on VDH and says that 2018 was not only a good year but the best in human history.

- Mind-melting study says our universe is an expanding bubble in another dimension. Not "mind-melting" just hard to wrap your brain around.

- Why Netflix hired Spencer Neumann as its new CFO. The coming battle between Disney and Netflix will be interesting to watch.

- Heh Heh

Is Marijuana More Dangerous Than Thought?

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about whether marijuana is more dangerous than thought. Now to be fair - I'm a supporter of Legalized Marijuana but I am also a realist who knows that there are some real dangers that might not be getting the attention they deserve.

More than half the population of the US now live in States where marijuana use has been legalized or decriminalized. And marijuana use has become more socially acceptable with little remaining stigma from the past decades. "About 15% of Americans used cannabis at least once in 2017" but the number of Americans who smoke every day (currently about 8 million) is approaching the number of people who drink every day (about 12 million). That's concerning. 

And the pot now smoked or ingested is much, much more powerful than the pot that was used in studies that found marijuana to be a mostly harmless drug. We simply don't know the effects this more powerful pot has on people. Paranoia and psychosis can be a deadly combination and cannabis can often act as a match to that powder keg.

As I said earlier - there some real dangers here that deserve attention and study.

Scott Adams' Happiness Formula

Via

Madison $5,000 Bill

Who knew? The US used to have a $5,000 bill with James Madison on it. It was issued between 1928 and 1934.

There have been larger denomination bills such as the $10,000 bill and the $100,000 bill but the $5,000 bill peaked my interest as it is mentioned in Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye which is currently one of the books I'm reading.

Linky Links

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

- Has the Euro been harmful to European economies?

- Interesting - the 50 best podcast episodes of 2018. Looks like I have a lot of listening in front of me.

- Heh Heh

- 20 tips for a positive New Year (this is a list I'll plan to revisit from time to time during the year)

- American Jews and Israeli Jews are headed for a messy breakup

- Good advice

- More good advice.

The Math Behind Basketball

Very interesting. I can't help but think of this technology in the hands of a professional bettor. Can you imagine how such technology could be used in real-time to make millions from in game betting?

We are in a brave new world.

The 70's Were a Different Time

Via

Can you imagine an ad like this today in the era of #MeToo? I can't imagine anyone wearing those pants today either.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

What the hell? Seriously was Jim Irsay drunk here? The question about the points begs some sort of explanation or league investigation... "Delay is preferable to error." - Thomas Jefferson... I'm convinced that if Leonardo da Vinci were alive today he would be designing huge stage sets for stadium rock bands or be a Broadway show producer. Creating pageants in Milan was one of his great joys... "If you open your mind too much - your brain will fall out." - Tim Minchin (I always think of this quote in terms of people who are too "woke")... Todd Helton was almost traded to the Red Sox back in January of 2007. I think if Helton was traded and his bat and glove were seen on a more regular basis by the East Coast voters then people would be speaking of him now as a sure fire Hall of Fame player... Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore who Bill Belichick signed to a big contract was named to the NFL All-Pro team. Malcolm Butler, who Belichick, let walk away had a less than All-Pro season for the Titans (to put it kindly). Yet people still question Belichick as a NFL GM... I'm convinced that the reason Josh McDaniels did not take the Colts head coaching job last year was because he didn't want to deal with Jim Irsay. He looked at what he had with Bob Kraft and came to the realization there was no way he could stomach that much of a step down in ownership...

Scott Adams Thinking Experiment

Scott Adams has an interesting "thinking" experiment on the Arctic ice sheets.

This article says the Arctic ice is melting.

This article says the Arctic ice is not melting.

Which did you think was more grounded in facts and science? 

And don't be a Pointy Haired Boss - think for yourself. 

Linky Links

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

- First Principles: Building blocks of true knowledge

- The Iron Price

- Heh heh - astronaut accidentally calls 911 from space

- Channels starting to get cut as cable TV struggles against dropping revenue

- Holy shit! How about no thank you!

- Russ Roberts on economic alarmists. I'm a big Russ Roberts fan.

- Heh Heh

This Week in Musk World

Big first week of the year in Musk World.

Tesla blew away its production estimates which produced an astonishing 367% year over year growth for the company.

This huge year over year growth was the result in large part by a phenomenal December which saw the company deliver roughly 32,600 cars. Astounding! Tesla sales reportedly represent two-thirds of all revenue for electric vehicles sold last year. Talk about owning a market.

Yet despite this success - Wall Street wasn't satisfied.

While some on Wall Street have been cool to Tesla - for young job seekers it's the hottest place to be. And while I agree that Tesla would be an awesome place to work - I don't think I'd like to live in a Tesla like this guy.

Meanwhile internationally - Tesla's GigaFactory 3 in China hits an important milestone with the perimeter fence around the 864,885 square foot proposed facility going up and a 6-month construction permit being granted by the local government. I imagine that if Tesla can have production of cars ready by the end of 2019 or even the start of 2020 then that will be big for the company's stock price.

In SpaceX news the Crew Dragon and the Falcon 9 are about one month away from their first orbital test flight.

Finally - if you're curious on how a Model 3 gets made below is a video. (Not sure about you but when I watch this I have Ode to Joy playing in my head.)

My Secret Will

I've decided that I'm going to have a secret will that only the executor of my estate will see. That "secret will" will have funds to hire an Elvis impersonator to attend my memorial "party". At the party the Elvis impersonator will sit in the back and not speak to anyone unless spoken to.

If asked the Elvis impersonator will say one of three things in his best Elvis voice:

"I fucking loved that guy."

"Wasn't Chris just the best! There was nobody outside of the King that I admired more."

"It's too painful to talk about the great times we had. I just fucking miss him."

There will be a few hundred dollars put aside for fake Elvis' bar tab because I'd fully expect him to tie one on in my memory.

I'll be dead - but I'll still think it's funny.

Mitsubishi Colt - Tim Minchin

Linky Links

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

- 7 chores for 2019

- Wow! Talk about a treasure trove! The transcripts for all 350 episodes of the Tim Ferris Podcast. Some real gold in there!

- An interesting NFL Playoff nugget

- The Poker dream: what it takes to turn pro and should you try?

- One of the hardest things in life is to say "No". But it is very necessary.

- All American indeed!

- Billy Connolly on the poetry of Scottish swearing