If you know, you know. (Image via)
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- About those sanctions - Russia now sells more oil than before the war.
- More on Samsung considering switching to Bing from Google. The news caused Google's stock to drop 4%.
- Buy American (at least when it comes to stocks)
- Speaking of American stocks - Tesla shares drop as Musk announces price cuts ahead of earnings call. Tesla set to report earnings today. They have a hard time keeping up with demand so I expect the numbers to be great.
Wednesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Springtime when a young man's thoughts turn to playoff action for the Bruins and Celtics at the Garden. As always - if anything made you think or smile, please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share with others. Go Bruins!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." - Benjamin Franklin
"I do not think it is an exaggeration to say history is largely a history of inflation, usually inflations engineered by governments for the gain of governments." - Friedrich Hayek
"There is no limit on better. Talent is distributed unfairly, but there is no limit on how much we can improve what we start with." - Kevin Kelly
"I ask these questions in all innocence, and am ready to be told that it is disgraceful to even to mention them - which usually means that the question has hit uncomfortably close to home." - George MacDonald Fraser
The Day the American Revolution Began
On this day in 1775, the American Revolution began with "the shot heard round the world." Sadly the Battle of Lexington and Concord is barely taught in school anymore and only Massachusetts celebrates the event as a holiday. However, even in Massachusetts Patriots Day is known more as Marathon Monday than the celebration of one of the most consequential days in world history.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen reports for military service in Finland. Good for him!
- The four Buddhist mantras for turning fear into love.
- Elon Musk's BBC interview show journalists don't speak truth to power - they coddle it.
Kill Big Bird
The snit NPR and PBS find themselves in over being labeled as "State affiliated" or "Government-funded" on Twitter just brings back the debate of why taxpayers are supporting these outlets that nobody watches or listens to anymore.
Would be funny if an era of small government started with a Twitter protest.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The significant problems cannot be solved by the same thinking that created them." - Albert Einstein
"You can see the underlying essence only when you strip away the busyness, and then some surprising connections appear." - Anne Lamott
"I don't know who needs to hear this, but buying books and reading books are two separate hobbies." - Tommy Collison
"Probably useful measure of a person's character: The difference between their facial expression while taking a selfie and one second later." - Paul Graham
Monday, April 17, 2023
More Linky Links
More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Conservative Twitter alternative Parler gets acquired. Will it remain the same, better, or has its window passed?
- Leaked documents show at least 4 more Chinese spy balloons in recent months. The country is in the very best of hands.
- FDA purges NMN from list of supplements under rationale that it is being investigated as a drug. Reminder that supplements are big business and perhaps nothing bigger on horizon than NAD+ and NMN.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- The Fall of the FBI. Still say they should move the FBI HQ to Salt Lake City to get the stench of James Comey's political bureaucracy off the department.
- Nice simple explainer on what ChatGPT is and how to use it.
- 10-years ago, 2-days after the Boston Marathon bombing, gets me every time.
- Interesting - Samsung is considering replacing Google with Bing on their devices. The browser wars have begun!
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Schools are quick to blame everyone and everything but themselves for the failures of American education. To them, every bad teacher is the exception and every bad parent is the rule." - Thomas Sowell
"Misinformation (noun): Anything I don't like. Conspiracy theorist (noun): Anyone who disagrees with me." - Marc Andreessen
"The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed." - William Gibson
"I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes." - Edward Gibbon
What a Wonderful World
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
- Bob Thiele and George David Weiss
Sunday, April 16, 2023
It's a Mistake - Men at Work
In no way a commentary on the US involvement in Ukraine. Nope - not at all.
Sunday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
What a great time to be a Boston sports fan. The Celtics started their playoffs yesterday and the Bruins begin theirs tomorrow plus Monday looks like perfect weather for the Boston Marathon. If anything you read made you smile or think please Subscribe, hit the like button or share with others. Thanks!
Conversation with Jonathan "GPT" Swift
Very cool "conversation" between Tyler Cowen and Jonathan "GPT" Swift. Looking forward to more of these "conversations" with historical and literary figures.
The success of the podcast had a lot to do with the quality of the voice actor chosen to give life to Swift's GPT dialogue.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"There are few cheerier things than buying a bunch of used books and taking them to a cafe to read." - Paul Graham
"The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity." - Jackie Robinson
"The people with the weakest opinions need the most censorship to keep their worldview intact. Social media protects the weakest opinions until that's the only kind there are." - Scott Adams
"You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time." - M. Scott Peck
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- What happened to the actors who were performing the night Lincoln was shot
- Paul Graham - how people grow rich. Interesting economic history I like to revisit from time to time.
- Margaret Mead on what constitutes the start of civilization
- This theory on the Ukraine leaks makes a lot of sense. To me it looks like some inside the security infrastructure of the country want to ensure Biden doesn't seek a second term.
Don't Forget the Sunscreen Speech
Do yourself a favor and really take in the great advice from this speech.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Leave other people's mistakes where they lie." - Marcus Aurelius
"Happiness, as it's said, is just results minus expectations. The hardest financial skill is getting the goalposts to stop moving. Social comparison is the battle that can never be won." - Morgan Housel
"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage." - Thucydides
"Most of the disorder and dysfunction in the world is caused by lack of impulse control." - Andrew Huberman
Friday, April 14, 2023
How Bud Light Can Redeem Themselves
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Jack Nicholson with the best Oscars acceptance speech of all-time.
- Anheuser Busch loses $6 billion in market cap. Go woke - go broke was never more plainly spelled out.
- Elon Musk destroys BBC interviewer.
- Head of US Government News Agency rejects Twitter's "Government-funded" label even though agency is 100% government funded. Maybe they self-identify as the New York Times?
Friday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
It's amusing that they may not be able to teach the implosion of Bud Light at Harvard Business School because the subject may be considered "triggering" by the snowflakes. Please subscribe, hit the Like button, or share with others. Every little bit helps.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"That which is against communism is for humanity." - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
"There are just two rules of governance in a free society. Mind your own business. Keep your hands to yourself." - P.J. O'Rourke
"Optimism might not make you successful, but pessimism will ensure you don't succeed." - Shane Parrish
"Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life." - Jerzy Gregorek
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Thursday, April 13, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Feeding the Roman army. Interesting - pork and apples does sound delicious.
- What other reason could it be?
- The NYT does a hit piece on Bitcoin but people are calling them out for their lies.
- Steve Jobs email to Apple employees the day the company passed Microsoft in market cap
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The closer you are to the truth, the more silent you become inside." - Naval Ravikant
"These people don't see that if you encourage totalitarian methods, the time may come when they will be used against you and not for you." - George Orwell
"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." - W.C. Fields
"There seems to be a growing number of people who think that the world should adjust to them, while they don't have to show any consideration to anyone." - Thomas Sowell
Great Point from Marc Andreessen
China and Russia are both undergoing dramatic internal crackdowns on freedom, and we and the Europeans have picked the same moment to double down on censorship. Shouldn't we try doing the opposite of what the bad regimes are doing instead? - Marc Andreessen
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
More Linky Links
More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Noah Smith "Yes, it's OK to be mad about crime in San Francisco." It's just not OK to acknowledge the root cause of the problem - one party Democratic rule for decades.
- Steven Pressfield on Escaping the Wilderness
- The decades of evidence that antidepressants cause mass shootings. The elephant in the room that nobody wants to address.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV pricing unveiled. $449 if you aren't a YouTube TV subscriber and $349 if you are. No thanks.
- Robert Kennedy Jr. to announce his candidacy for President at April 19th event in Boston. I just may attend.
Farnam Street Knowledge
Active Listening: The Master Key to Effective Communications.
"Listening is difficult because it involves suppressing your ego long enough to consider what is being said before you respond." Listening is a superpower but perhaps the only one that needs to be practiced.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Treat yourself like someone you're responsible for helping." - Jordan Peterson
"But if someone has a gun and is trying to kill you... it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." - Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama
"Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.'" - Viktor Frankl
"Freedom is something that dies unless it is used." - Hunter S. Thompson
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
ChatGPT Dr. in Your Pocket
IBM originally had big plans for Deep Blue being used in medical practice. Diagnosing ailments was supposed to pay the bills while playing chess and beating Garry Kasparov was what it did for PR.
Problem is IBM couldn't get it to work in a real clinical setting despite pouring millions into it. But now with ChatGPT4 and other AI's could the Smart Doctor on your Smartphone be a reality? Some people say we're really close.
To me this issue is trust. You could have an AI crawling all the medical journals for the latest studies but the problem is most studies are crap. Flawed methodologies, biased funding, and other issues plague medical papers. What I'd like is to have a list of trusted medical sources where the AI uses their direct words from podcasts and speeches as well as their direct writings to form a database of recommendations.
For example I would trust Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, and Rhonda Patrick. If they had spoken or written about my medical question - then my pocket Dr. Mario tells me their recommendations. My blood work and vitals could be inputted into the app and the words from my trusted doctors would be used to analyze the data.
We're not too far off from this brave new medical world.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- NASA finds cave on moon that could be perfect for human habitation.
- Glenn Reynolds on Who Can You Trust? Reynolds goes to Heinlein for his example but Michael Crichton's Rising Sun and its manipulation of digital media in a murder case might have been a better example.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Liberty without learning is always in peril and learning without liberty is always in vain." - John F. Kennedy
"Your real education begins when you realize it wasn't school." - Shane Parrish
"No matter where or what, there are makers, takers, and fakers." - Robert Heinlein
"Early in life, I had noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper." - George Orwell
Find Something Beautiful Today
Mount Fuji surrounded by lenticular clouds while reflected in a lake. (Photo via) Headline stolen borrowed from Execupundit.
Monday, April 10, 2023
Monday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
The Boston Bruins set the NHL record for wins in a season with 63. Now let's see them win the Stanley Cup! As always, if anything make you think or smile - please Subscribe (what are you waiting for), hit the Like button, or share the link with others. Thanks.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Behind it all is surely an idea so simple, so beautiful, that when we grasp it - in a decade, a century, or a millennium - we will all say to each other, how could it have been otherwise?" - John Archibald Wheeler
"But speak up you must. There is strength in numbers and I assure you, the numbers are there." - Bari Weiss
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln
"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." - George Washington
Sunday, April 09, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- 50 ways the world is getting better. We live at the greatest time in history. We should remember that. (HT Steve Layman)
- This is Keanu Reeves. Be like Keanu.
- Hubble discovers a runaway black hole tearing through the universe.
Reasons to Believe in the Historically Risen Jesus
Eight reasons to believe in the historically risen Jesus.
Paul on the road to Damascus has always been the thing that gave my logical mind pause.
"[O]f course God exists. Even if God turns out to be just science in fancy pyjamas." - Ian Martin
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that's waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come." - Joseph Campbell
"None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes. What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration." - Thomas Edison
"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise, we harden." - Goethe
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tzu
Today in History
Today is the anniversary of Robert E. Lee surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox in 1865. One of the most important dates in US history goes by with little or no mention and we wonder why kids today seem so uninformed.
Saturday, April 08, 2023
Suicide in the USA
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn." - Gore Vidal
"Engage with yourself. Then engage with the world." - Matthew McConaughey
"A healthy person has a thousand wishes, but a sick person has only one." - Indian Proverb
"They should get rid of that 100 IQ maximum limit for creating an account on Instagram." - Elon Musk
Friday, April 07, 2023
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Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Interesting list of myths people believe (but shouldn't)
- The US banks with the most uninsured deposits
- Interesting - the Earth emits a pulse every 26-seconds and scientists don't know why.
- Look at SVB and our latest banking crisis in comparison to past crises and what can be learned.
Budweiser Went Woke
Budweiser has turned themselves into a punchline. And for what?
An aspect of this story that that may not be getting enough coverage is why hire a TikTok "influencer" in the first place? TikTok is considered a younger person's platform and in many or most cases the audience is well below the legal drinking age. Was this the equivalent of a cigarette company using a cartoon camel to advertise to potential underage customers? It was a bad decision by Budweiser all around and to me it is just plain creepy.
Lucky for us Skittles already has the tagline, "Taste the Rainbow" or Bud Light may have tried to force that on the public too.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." - Neil Gaiman
"True success is exiting some rat race to modulate one's activities for peace of mind." - Nassim Taleb
"Why should you feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice." - Marcus Aurelius
"And he says, 'There won't be any money, but on your deathbed you'll receive total consciousness.' So I got that goin' for me, which is nice." - Carl Spackler
Farnam Street Knowledge
F. Scott Fitzgerald: A List of Thing to Worry About and Things to Not Worry About
Good life advice from an unexpected source (wouldn't have guessed at Fitzgerald being a decent parent).
Thursday, April 06, 2023
More Linky Links
More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- The largest trade partners with the US
- A letter from the condo association to Mr. and Mrs. Macbeth (from the archives)
- Cash App creator stabbed to death in San Fran mugging. Why anyone still lives or goes to San Fran is beyond me.
- Robert Kennedy Jr. to challenge Biden for 2024 Democratic nomination. Genius move. Kennedy gets to attack Biden's corruption, big pharma, and Anthony Fauci and most news organizations are now going to have to cover it.
Thursday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Slightly disappointed that Donald Trump didn't channel his inner Al Pacino and start shouting, "This whole court is out of order!" the other day in NYC. As always if something made you think or smile please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share the link with others.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- A Spring of Leaks. The leaking of classified and privileged materials to the press almost makes getting a fair trial for someone like Trump impossible.
- Budweiser Real Men of NOT Genius
- Why Dune's Fear is the Mind Killer is good psychological advice
- SPLC lawsuit get go ahead. Good - hope the SPLC gets bankrupted.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"If you eat, invest, and think according to what the 'news' advocates, you'll end up nutritionally, financially and morally bankrupt." - Naval Ravikant
"Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism." - Thomas Sowell
"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste most of it." - Seneca
"He who saves his country does not violate any law." - Napoleon Bonaparte
Wednesday, April 05, 2023
Michael Shellenberger on Joe Rogan
The recent Joe Rogan podcast with Michael Shellenberger is well worth your time. It's scary how far censorship and control by government interests had gotten in this country. Thank God Elon Musk bought Twitter and exposed the rot.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Alvin Bragg's Dangerous Stunt. Even someone from the Left like Eli Lake sees this as purely a political stunt.
- Morgan Housel on the Three Sides of Risk. The very powerful story is a couple years old but new to me.
- The Morgan Housel story made me think of this recent video.
- Bill Belichick has reportedly shopped Mac Jones this offseason. This is not the news I wanted to see this offseason. Of course the story could be false and someone could be playing Mike Florio for a fool.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"As long as hope is without expectations or attachment, there's no problem." - Bernie Glassman
"Common sense and a sense of humour are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humour is just common sense, dancing. Those who lack humour are without judgement and should be trusted with nothing." - Clive James
"Reading is free. Exercise is free. Hard work is free. In both opportunity and real cost, it's more expensive to be dumb, fat, and broke." - Ed Latimore
"A belief is not dangerous until it turns absolute." - Dee Hock
Tuesday, April 04, 2023
Tuesday Flotsam and Jetsam
Have a new miscellaneous thoughts and observations post up on Substack.
Didn't the last attorney who tried to "get Trump" over Stormy Daniels go to jail himself instead? Just saying. Please Subscribe, hit the Like button, or share with others.
Farnam Street Knowledge
"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
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"I, however, place economy among the first and most important republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared." - Thomas Jefferson
"Be stubborn on destinations, flexible on tactics, and relentless on progress." - Shane Parrish
"Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those who you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one: men learn as they teach." - Seneca
"The problem with people is that they're only human." - Bill Waterson
Monday, April 03, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- New Georgia nuclear power plant begins generating electricity and is linked to power grid. More please.
- The Archimedes wind turbine looks pretty cool. Leave it to the Dutch to re-invent the windmill. Here's the brochure.
- McDonalds reportedly shuts US offices in preparation of layoffs. If they announce they are laying off all positions related to DEI then I'd look for a stock jump. BTW McDonalds is headquartered in Chicago?
How Cool Was Christopher Lee?
Guy Hamilton told me a story which illustrates the kind of admiration which Christopher [Lee] attracts. Guy was directing him in the Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, and the set was visited by Muhammad Ali, professing himself a devoted Lee fan, and requesting an audience. They were introduced, Ali assuring Christopher that he was his favorite movie star, and then he had added, "And I'm going to dedicate my next fight to you, too!"
This was taken as an extravagant compliment, no more - but sure enough, when Ali won his next fight (I've an idea it was the Rumble in the Jungle) and the ring was awash in fans, handlers, and journalists, the champion fought his way to the nearest TV camera and roared into the lens: "I won that fight for Christopher Lee!" Which, as Guy remarked, was not only a tribute to Christopher, but proved Ali was a man of his word.
You may be cool - but you'll never be as cool as Christopher Lee getting Muhammad Ali to dedicate one of the biggest fights of his career to him cool.
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Historical obesity rate by State. Holy crap - we've become a fat nation.
- 55 movies with a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack. If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have." - Gregory McKeown
"When specific knowledge is taught, it's through apprenticeships, not schools." - Naval Ravikant
"That thing that made you weird as a kid could make you great as an adult - if you don't lose it." - Kevin Kelly
"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." - L.P. Hartley
Sunday, April 02, 2023
I Love the Spongmonkeys
Probably puts me in the minority but I loved that Quiznos used them in ads. Me and my kids loved We Like the Moon.
More Linky Links
More stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Way past time for people to be listening to "public health experts" like Michael Osterholm
- Ivy League tuition now close to $90k per year
- Heh Heh
If I Were President for a Day
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Going to hell for laughing at this (Via)
- David Deutsch and The Fabric of Reality
- Tim Urban - The Big Picture. Cool way to envision the history of mankind.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass." - Lord Melbourne
"Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution." - George Orwell
"...I hadn't realized how offensive plain truth can be to the politically correct, how enraged they can be by its mere expression, and how deeply they detest the values and standards respected fifty years ago, and which dinosaurs of my generation still believe in, God help us." - George MacDonald Fraser
"Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it." - Mike Tyson
Saturday, April 01, 2023
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.
- Cool - global map of undersea communications cables
- Marijuana and the decline of men. The author's not wrong.
- Why "sensitivity readers" are bad for free speech, art, and culture. The censorship of old authors like Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming get much of the attention but the effect on new authors is probably worse.
- Jonathan Turley on the Trump indictment. Yes the indictment is a gift to the Trump 2024 campaign but also to Stormy Daniels as a new group of young men will be curious to look up her porn to see what the big deal is.
Quotes for Today
Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.
"The older you get the more you realize that kindness is synonymous with happiness." - Lionel Barrymore
"Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided - but by iron and blood." - Otto von Bismarck
"The correct lesson to learn from surprises is that the world is surprising." - Daniel Kahneman
"A fool will turn out a fool, whether he goes to college or not, though he'll probably turn into a different sort of a fool." - John Graham
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