James Caan has died. I’m wondering if we should watch some of his lesser-known movies to celebrate his achievements. From Wikipedia: In 1977, Caan rated several of his movies out of ten – The Godfather (10), Freebie and the Bean (4), Cinderella Liberty (8), The Gambler (8), Funn … | Continue reading
Our new house has a fancy ADT alarm system that will shout out, if you want it to, when anyone opens a door. Presumably before this went in, the house also was equipped with an elaborate door alarm system for all of the doors leading to the back yard and pool. This would alert pe … | Continue reading
“Climate anxiety is widespread among youth—can they overcome it?” (National Geographic): Katie Cielinski and Aaron Regunberg are millennials. But they regard themselves as climate change babies. They came of age as the world was first awakening to the catastrophic impact that pe … | Continue reading
When coronapanic began, the CDC told Americans that, contrary to all previously established medical knowledge, a simple cloth or surgical mask would substantially prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2. This advice has been walked back, to some extent, in favor of suggesting N95 masks, … | Continue reading
Fireworks are illegal in Maskachusetts while marijuana is “essential” and available even when schools are shut down due to plague. In Florida, however, marijuana is illegal and fireworks are sufficiently essential that Costco and Publix carry kits large enough to blow up your hou … | Continue reading
Today we celebrate the traitorous rebellion of slaveowners and land-stealers against the legitimate authority of the British government. Today our family also celebrates a cousin’s wife’s novel, five years in the works, being released. I managed to read the first 60 pages via a … | Continue reading
Recent emails from the Handel+Haydn Society in Boston… Adults: Kids: From the linked-to page: All participants in H+H Youth Choruses activities must be fully vaccinated for Covid-19, and we provide further that H+H agrees to comply with the then-applicable U.S. Equal Emplo … | Continue reading
Strike 1… “Pope Francis says Ukraine war was ‘perhaps somehow provoked’” (Guardian, June 14): Pontiff condemns ‘cruelty’ of Russian troops while warning against perception of conflict as good v evil Strike 2… “Vatican Praises U.S. Court Abortion Decision, Saying It Challenges W … | Continue reading
We are informed by our leaders and our media that immigrants, including infants, make the U.S. wealthier, no matter how low their skill level and no matter how low their parents’ and grandparents’ skill level (see The Son Also Rises: economics history with everyday applications). … | Continue reading
The density of front lawn signs in our corner of Florida has been less than 1/100th of what it was in Maskachusetts. In fact, it seemed fair to say that an N95 mask is far more popular in Florida than expressing one’s political and social justice beliefs via lawn signs or bumper … | Continue reading
Some neighbors refused our invitation to a hot dog and watermelon (but not on Juneteenth!) party. They’d gone on a Royal Caribbean cruise, which requires that all over-11 guests be vaccinated and tested: It seems that more or less the entire ship came down with COVID-19, but p … | Continue reading
Some neighbors refused our invitation to a hot dog and watermelon (but not on Juneteenth!) party. They’d gone on a Royal Caribbean cruise, which requires that all over-11 guests be vaccinated and tested: It seems that more or less the entire ship came down with COVID-19, but p … | Continue reading
From the UK Deplorables, “Anthony Fauci says that he’s experienced rebound Covid symptoms after taking a Pfizer’s antiviral Paxlovid – which studies now show is NOT effective for people who are vaccinated” (Daily Mail): Dr. Anthony Fauci said that he’s on his second course of Pa … | Continue reading
A basic haircut at a barber shop in downtown San Diego was $40 plus tip earlier this month. What are you paying? Based on limited experience, haircuts in the West are much more expensive than haircuts back east. It was $36 in Denver before coronapanic. “Want to Understand Infl … | Continue reading
Two weeks ago: Could our epic deficits drive inflation no matter how high the Fed raises rates? John H. Cochrane, the superstar economist (and sailplane pilot! How does that work when you’re a professor at University of Chicago and the nearest ridge is 1,000 miles away?), answer … | Continue reading
A young relative’s Facebook account was hijacked (via social engineering) and below is my message exchange with the new person behind the old persona. The hijacker initially asked for my mobile number, presumably hoping to complete the conversation via text message instead of on … | Continue reading
Maskachusetts has been prevented by its constitution from imposing California-style progressive tax rates to fund its Progressive government goals. That could change in November if voters approve an amendment that would enable forcing the rich to pay their fair share. Currently, … | Continue reading
Attending mass gatherings is the best way to avoid viral infection, according to Science. See “Pride parades should go on despite monkeypox concerns: WHO” (The Hill, May 30): A World Health Organization (WHO) adviser said on Monday that people should not change their plans to at … | Continue reading
Friends on Facebook have been celebrating a variety of companies previously condemned as “greedy” for their 20-50 percent price increases that have contributed to Bidenflation. What did these companies do to get out of the doghouse? Promise to pay for employee travel related to a … | Continue reading
To celebrate Pride Month, Uber uses a rainbow icon to show the driver’s vehicle. Here’s an example where Uber’s white saviors suggest that “Mohamed” is a follower of Rainbow Flagism: The good news is that, after a ride in the back of a Tesla 3, the Prius seemed luxurious! Of … | Continue reading
From 2020: Why can’t Michael Bloomberg run a fleet of abortion buses? The Supreme Court has said that abortion is a matter for state legislatures to decide, just as states decide on most issues, including medical licensing and practice, and just as states did for the first two p … | Continue reading
From 2020: Why can’t Michael Bloomberg run a fleet of abortion buses? The Supreme Court has said that abortion is a matter for state legislatures to decide, just as states decide on most issues, including medical licensing and practice, and just as states did for the first two p … | Continue reading
A friend teaches at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He described the continued impact of coronapanic at the school. Half of all class meetings can be via Zoom. Vaccine papers are checked to make sure that everyone has had at least three shots of the Sacrament of F … | Continue reading
“The Supreme Court Has Made a Grave Mistake on Guns” (NYT, from November 2021 but updated to reflect the recent ruling): The Supreme Court will soon decide whether Americans have a constitutional right to carry loaded concealed weapons in public and in public places, wherever an … | Continue reading
The non-profit organization that actually wrote the op-ed that got Amber Heard in legal difficulties now wants to profit from the trial after which Ms. Heard was ordered to pay more than $10 million in damages for the defamatory content that the non-profit org authored. From News … | Continue reading
The Bitcoin into which I placed my life savings at $64,000 is down a bit. With stocks, the best time to buy is usually right after a big slide. Is it time to buy more Bitcoin? Stress tends to reduce a large field of competitors. From Wikipedia: Starting with Duryea in 1895, at … | Continue reading
One of the recurring questions in this blog is why American police officers are armed with guns. See Why aren’t there a lot more police shootings in the U.S.? and Should we have unarmed police? (2014), for example. “Police Militarization Gave Us Uvalde” (Atlantic) is an interest … | Continue reading
Lunch in Little Italy, San Diego on Juneteenth (observed): What did folks enjoying slow lunches on a Monday at the expensive restaurants have in common? Nearly all were white. It seems that Juneteeth is a holiday for members of the laptop class and for government workers an … | Continue reading
A friend here in San Diego characterized today as the “High Holidays” because it is both Pride Month and Juneteenth (observed by government workers). Readers: Are you forced to work today or are you relaxing at home reflecting on the injustices experienced by slaves who were als … | Continue reading
Happy Juneteeth, everyone! Last year, a reader pointed out that this is a holiday that celebrates white saviors so let’s look at Chesa Boudin, who became the ultimate white savior as the San Francisco District Attorney who wouldn’t prosecute anyone because prosecution is inherent … | Continue reading
President Biden still has the U.S. under a state of emergency due to COVID-19. Maskachusetts takes our Scientist leader and “the virus” seriously, as evidenced by the fact that students in the Boston Public Schools are forced to wear masks: (Just be sure not to wear an N95 mas … | Continue reading
A Swiss friend got this together for Juneteenth last year: Chocolate and vanilla together. A rainbow of sprinkles on top #BecausePrideMonth. A comment from last year on Happy Juneteenth for government workers: Juneteenth is the ultimate holiday for White Supremacy — it signa … | Continue reading
Our health insurer just sent an Explanation of Benefits. I went to see a doctor and she billed the absurd $528 that would have been charged to the unfortunate uninsured victim. The insurance company knocked this down to $123.75 so they paid $43.75 and I paid the $80 copayment (on … | Continue reading
“What Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’ Has Meant to Women” (NYT): On Wednesday, Ms. Sandberg announced that she was leaving her position as chief operating officer of Facebook’s parent company, Meta — the perch that made her one of the highest-profile women in American business. She … | Continue reading
I’m settling into San Diego to serve as a software expert witness at a trial here in federal court. Would anyone like to get together for coffee? If so, comment here or email philg@mit.edu. Separately, within only a few hours of walking around I was able to get images of all thr … | Continue reading
Americans are obsessively following the Federal Reserve’s interest rate adjustments in hopes of figuring out if the future will be inflation, recession, or some combination (stagflation). “Fed likely to boost interest rates by three-quarters of a point this week” (CNBC) is an exa … | Continue reading
“Australian traveller strip-searched, held in US prison and deported over little-known entry requirement” (Guardian): An Australian traveller was denied entry to the US, cavity searched, sent to prison alongside criminals and subsequently deported 30 hours after arriving, due to … | Continue reading
From May: Is the New York Times the primary promoter of white replacement theory? From June 6, a NYT article regarding migrants with a “high reproductive output”: Lionfish are native to the Pacific and Indian oceans. But in the past few decades, the animal has established itsel … | Continue reading
Comparisons of the current U.S. system of transferism to “Communism” don’t make sense to me. In the Soviet Union under “Communism” everyone had to work, the very opposite of the American system in which tens of millions of able-bodied people are relieved of the need to work eithe … | Continue reading
From the New York Post: Multiple sources said the “Aquaman” star had to switch legal representation and is relying on her homeowner’s insurance policy to cover the cost of her current attorneys in the case.The bill for Heard’s attorney has mostly been footed by The Travelers Com … | Continue reading
Kind readers let me know that there was an alternative to UniFi (multiple wireless access points around your house or hotel or whatever, generally hard-wired back to a power-over-Ethernet switch). See UniFi versus Araknis versus Ruckus. Due to UniFi being unavailable, I decided t … | Continue reading
Inflation is at 8.6 percent: “Consumer prices jumped 8.6 percent in May compared to last year as inflation holds grip on U.S. economy” (NBC). If we dig into the article a little, however, we find that current inflation, month-to-month is actually at 13 percent per year (up 1 per … | Continue reading
I wanted to check on our car insurance, so I went to the progressive.com web site. The #1 priority of the company, as indicated from the position of this information on the page, is a commitment to diversity and inclusion (not actual diversity and inclusion, but a commitment). Me … | Continue reading
In April, Freedom of speech opposite the banner promising freedom of speech shows some of the billboards that New York City had paid to place in Florida, e.g., On June 1, the New York Times did a story on two people who moved from Tampa to NYC, just as Eric Adams had hoped … | Continue reading
From this morning’s email, “The Covid death rate for white Americans has recently exceeded the rates for Black, Latino and Asian Americans.” by David Leonhardt, one of the New York Times journalists who enjoys covering numbers and economics. One of the defining characteristics o … | Continue reading
From back in April, part of an email from the superintendent of the Lincoln Massachusetts Public Schools (K-8 only; high school is shared with another town): The school-sponsored event (in a town-owned house) is happening today, so I hope that readers in Maskachusetts will att … | Continue reading
Me: Should the COVID-19 injections be renamed to something other than “vaccine”? #Science: “The unintended consequences of COVID-19 vaccine policy: why mandates, passports and restrictions may cause more harm than good” (BMJ Global Health)… … we argue that current mandatory vac … | Continue reading
I’m almost recovered from the failed Seagate drive debacle (solution: buy Western Digital; send the Seagate to the nearest gun range to serve as a target). When I try to get Windows File History going again, however, it chokes on someone else’s vomit within a few minutes. There a … | Continue reading