First Blog

What lies beneath sometimes comes out on top. Did you hear about the latest method of gold mining?   From the Economist, we learn that by a careful analysis of tree leaves, it can be determined what the roots bring up from the depths.   In fact, if there is gold deep underground, the roots can bring it up. Inert and almost unusable, it stays in the leaves.   Although the concentration is small, (PPB – parts per billion), it can be detected with modern equipment. Unfortunately, slight variations of the particular tree and depths of their roots do matter, and much analysis is needed to make this a profitable  nuevo mining technique.   In Australia, this is now underway. It is only a matter of time before all minerals deep down may be detected.   Who knows, maybe even new hydrocarbon sources will be found in unlikely places. Very likely, these efforts will create an entirely new field of bio-geology. You can find out more at https://www.cfact.org/2019/06/21/theres-gold

ART. A Caravaggio ( 1569 – 1609)   painting, recently found in an attic, recently sold privately to billionaire J. Tomilson Hill for an unannounced price, though it was expected to fetch $170 million at auction.   On a hunch, I just visited my attic looking   for paintings, maybe a Monet or Matisse.   Alas, all I found were some old shingles, a couple of 2x4’s, a couple of old newspapers, and some duct tape. Bummer. POLITICS.   In politics, what happens when you lean too far?   When you lean too far to the left or right, you fall over. Hence we have American politics, pathetic and stupid.

Any agency that steals from one constituency will certainly steal from another. Stealing knows little restraint, principles, or morality. Theft is a way of life. While China steals IP from US firms, they also steal IP from each other. When Iran steals lives from other countries, they will steal lives in their own country. Moral: Beware   of the base philosophy   of all regimes.   All believe in the “tarnished” golden rule:  Do unto your kin what you do to others. --------------------------------------- +++ --------------------------------------------- The newest camera makers  advertise  they offer telephoto lenses so long they can focus into the future. :)

Begin with definitions.   For Facebook, (1) The customers are those agencies that purchase information from their product (2), the personal data produced by their 2 billion users.     Most of those 2 billion were scarcely aware their personal data was being sold. Thus, for Facebook, implied data privacy is a myth. For Facebook, there seems little measure of business ethics. When the CEO Mark Zuckerberg was caught data-ripping he apologized, and then again when caught again.   “We have much to learn.”   I believe he did learn. Taken to the next step , it would not be surprising if Facebook sold customer data to other customers .   Now Facebook is the principal behind a new cryptocurrency .   With it, people will be able to transfer (and pay) funds from point to point.   This new venture, called Libra *, goes live next year.     With Libra , Facebook will have access to another dimension of data –   financial data, account numbers, and more. Facebook promises they will no

If you consider all the knowledge, abilities, skills, and memories people possess, you note enormous knowledge resources contained by society, but maintained by individual agents.   However, when one of these agents passes, this information is abruptly lost forever. Not reclaimable, redeemable, or reconstructible, it is just gone.   For example, the unrecorded thoughts of Socrates, Kant, and others are gone forever. Sir Isaac Newton, on the other hand, wrote thousands of words on his ideas in multiple notebooks (many bizarre). Every day, individual deaths carry vast amounts of lost knowledge, factual, operational, skills, and data.   Over all time, you have wealth and knowledge, but you can’t take either along.   You can leave behind wealth but not your knowledge.   Your mind, with its lifetime of accumulations, is often the more valuable. What you know uniquely is lost and must be rediscovered. So very much of my parents has been lost forever. Such is the tragic loss

Chexit is the business exit from China.   There was no vote in China or elsewhere to sanction this.   Chexit is a “vote with your feet” exercise.   China’s world-wide reputation has become so sour that many businesses will leave China if they can. Moreover, few new businesses will come.   As well, Chexit is a matter of fashion.   Like popular night-spots that rise to great popularity and then simply fade, China’s popularity for foreign business interests has peaked and now is fading. (Remember Studio 54?)   As with night-spots, the foreign business attenuation in China will continue.   It is not clear to this author China can really do anything about it.   Apparently doing business in other countries on the Pacific Rim is simply easier, more business friendly, and with full corporate ownership.   Chexit is real and is accelerating.   It may well be most business and manufacturing in China will ultimately be owned completely by Chinese.   In fact, it is the historical na

When you are under the strike by a rattlesnake, the smart money says be very quiet, be motionless, and otherwise not even blink, lest the snake will strike. The alternative money says pull your revolver and shoot the snake.   But is there time to shoot?   You are at extreme risk.   Yet, you don’t know what it will do. What is your assessment?   You are smart, you are practical, and you can see both solutions as viable. The answer is subtle, and not to be found in textbooks or at the knee of a learned guru.   The answer is measured in fractions of a second, and with an intuition of what is best – at the instant of danger. This is the issue with trade disputes and tariffs.   What to do?   The smart solution is to lay low, be quiet, and trust on a favorable outcome.   The alternative is to take charge, apply the tariffs, and destroy the risk before near certain strike. So we have... A. Play it safe and hope against risk? B. Destroy the risk at peril?

This is ism-era; let’s call it the age of ismisms .   Too, too many to count such as socialism, communism, capitalism, atheism, progressivism, reformationism, Catholicism, patriotism, classicism, actualism, activism, rationalism, positivism, agnosticism, and thousands more.   Are you an ismist?   You must, if only to keep current with your group membership. You say, “no sir, not for me,” I believe in individualism. There you are, an ismist. No escape. Every ism is a container of characteristics. On the celestial shelf reserved for humanity, we find countless such containers.   Thus, containerism. In fact our entire society is dense with –isms.   They even come in combinations.   How about the progressive atheism? Or capitalistic socialism and its severe cousin fascism?   Or pseudo-dualism? Are you one of those?   Perhaps you are a follower of antidisestablishmentarianism?   This is the nature of our modern characteristicism society – all to be fit or crammed into a slot, doub

Basic comment on the China deal.   My message to the Trade Team.   “Do what you can, BUT accept what cannot be done.”   Probable facts. 1. China has already stolen enough technology and materials to sustain them for at least ten years.   They need no more now, but cannot give up their practices if only to save face. 2. China will continue to hack.   3. China will continue to promote their information hegemony worldwide, and military hegemony in the Pacific. China’s military development in the the South China Sea.   What can you do except get promises?   Here you can exert tariff policies if it continues.   This is measurable! China’s space explorations and militarization.   These will continue regardless. This is not measurable! Trade deal.   Negotiate a move toward a fiscal quid pro quo over the next six/seven years. This is measurable! China’s foreign corporate ownership (in China).   This should be a non negotiable part of a trade agreement.   China is bending

Grilled Baked Potatoes. You need a grille such as to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  A Panini grill is better.  Start with a baking potato or any kind really.  1. Slice your potatoes about the thickness of a bread slice, (about 1cm or 3/8inch).  Thicker slices are ok. 2. Place in grille, close, and wait about 10 minutes, checking a couple of times. When the fork penetrates easily, it's done. Add seasoning, sour cream, butter, etc to each slice as desired.  Delicious.  “Bake” only that part of the potato you want to eat.   I thought this up the other night. It worked!!

In retirement, I watch a lot of business shows.   Here the news is mostly factual, not given to political rhetoric - thankfully.   Most of the shows’ hosts bring in financial leaders to forecast, to project, to explain investment strategies, and otherwise discuss Wall Street comings and goings.   The comments vary, from bull to bear, and from optimistic to pessimistic, from data to anecdote Almost without variation most financial strategists follow first order cause-effect policies.   The market does this, we do that.   Seldom do you see a strategist with an overall command of fiscal conditions.   Their methods are simple and ad hoc . Sometimes, it seems like there is a predictions club where all read what the others write.   This could be a CYA symptom, as they have high paying jobs and must at all times justify their salaries are well deserved.     Some filter their comments through their politics, but either way, it’s useless. From time to time, they offer stock picks.   L

When taking a family vacation...  Visiting a museum or ruin is an exciting adventure, full of surprises, and photo ops – except when you get overdosed on so, soooo... much.   I give at most four hours/day for quality fun.   Sometimes, in the heat of jobs, kids, and growing up, we never really get to know our kids - except as kids.   An adult-style family vacation is a fantastic eye-opener to review the results. In your adventures, you may stumble, trip, or even fall.   Of course, that painful muscle or bruise is all in your mind - except where it really hurts. On vacations, shoot hundreds of pictures. The only penalty is you have to look at them later.   Spare no expense when taking breaks. Remember, the memory plays tricks.   You never quite know which of them will shine in the sunset.