First Blog

  Doubt is the beginning of knowledge . It suggests that you will not accept anything without substantiation. Doubt forms the cornerstone of all sciences. The genius who thinks of the great idea begins with doubt on their journey to prove it, to use it to predict, and to harness it in leading the way to further discoveries. Self-doubt is as essential as self-confidence.   Doubt is the enemy of the demagogue. It says, “You can’t pass this one off on me with just a few words.”   Doubt is a form of uncertainty  - but a constructive form. .  Self-doubt is as essential as self-confidence.   Doubt is the main tool of the detective who seeks to solve the crime.   Doubt is the constant worry of parents about whether they are doing the best for their children.   Doubt, or more precisely, reasonable doubt, is the cornerstone of establishing verdicts within the corpus of the Law.   Teachers use doubt to measure whether their students are understanding the lesson and pose questions con

A big term these days is “Uncertainty.” This means people are not sure of what’s happening. Another big word is “Manipulation.” This means some quantity is altered on command. Adding one and one, we have “Manipulated Uncertainty.” And this means some agency is manipulating the uncertainty.   It applies to trade, to stock prices, to war, to politics, to materialism, and even to climate. Massive gains are available, as are massive losses. Causes: Too much money, too much polarization, too much hate, too much emotion, too much greed, too much profit, too much power, and too darn easy. Think it new?  Nope. Ancient.

Plasma Partisans We have achieved a new and advanced state in devotion to alternative political viewpoints.  All of us know the  partisan  has allegiance to a given party.  The next level up is the  hyperpartisan , which means extremely partisan, sharply polarized in fierce disagreement with the opposition. Hyperpartisans are generally uninterested in compromise.  We'll call the next level the  plasma partisan  where all the (political) bonds of allegiance have been stripped away, leaving an ionized substance with an increased polemic political temperature. It is a dislocation of molecular-like bonds of normal political discourse, even to the hyperpartisan.  The plasma partisan, while appearing to want their presence within a party, is substantially beyond their normal controls.  Such could be likened to free radicals, those causing cancerous cell growth within. They often have a well defined, call it plasmatic, cause or agenda. Plasma partisans , unlike partisans o

Uncertainty is by all measures not good.   Create uncertainty in your product, and sales will drop. Create uncertainty in your future, and you are diminished.   Create uncertainty with your investors, and stock sales will drop.    It seems that Elon Musk has done all, which paints uncertainty into all his ventures. Here's a problem.  How does anyone repair uncertainty?  In the family, it takes time.  In public, who knows? --------------------- Corruption has become such a vague term that everyone simply accuses their opponents as being corrupt, without specificity.   Get to specifics.   Bribery has a meaning. Insider trading has a meaning. Diverting funds to cronies has a meaning. Incarcerating opponents has a meaning.   But corruption?   Strictly generic and with little meaning.   Admit it, in some sense almost all of us are corrupt – in some way.

3/27/18. Now retired! Spend much time watching the stock market, where many of my $$ are invested. Last week was depressing. So, I watch the business news, a lot.   Fact about business shows: they trot in well dressed bull market advocates alternatively with equally well dressed bear market advocates. After enough of this, you are totally confused. What I've noticed about these "experts" is that each uses only a few parameters upon which they rely.   These are mixed with a rather heavy helping of intuition.  Just like us in every day living. Turning to politics, we are led to our leaders and which or what are the few parameters that guide them.   For Obama, it seemed that globalism and its corollaries were at the base of his thinking.   Namely, his desire to convert the world to a globalist Utopian dream.   Simple and idealistic.   For Trump, the parameters are not that clear, but he seems to prefers a more nationalistic view of the world where it remains divided int

Rational ignorance .  A state of mind where your analytical powers seem not to work and you know it.  This leads to an uncertainty of how to proceed.  It is an awareness of a state where you are powerless. It can affect your investment strategies, your job seeking strategies,  your relationships with others, or even your foundational beliefs.   Coming to grips with rational ignorance is but one step towards wisdom.  Know it. Understand it. Live with it.  Do all of these with the black flag of caution flying high.  Resist giving in to emotional responses, the alternative response. You have to just plain love this state.  This is certain uncertainty.   Delicious!