2018

Another New Year's Eve (eve) is here, so it's time for my annual review of the things I wanted to have happen in the past year, and a fresh list of things I want to have happen in the next year.  Here's the 2017 list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

-Again:  At least some progress on medical marijuana in Iowa,

THE GOOD NEWS IS, SOME PROGRESS WAS MADE.  IT'S GOING TO BE A TAD BIT EASIER FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT TO GET IT.  THE BAD NEWS IS, IOWA IS STILL NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO IT.

-Some type of institutional or legal control over fake news / social media.

FACEBOOK HAS TAKEN SOME ACTION, ALBEIT TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.  AT THIS POINT, IT'S HARD TO GET IN FRONT OF IT, BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT LIVES IN A VIRTUAL REALTY WORLD THAT HE WANTS OTHERS TO BELIEVE IS NORMAL.

-Related to the above, more critical thinkers, fewer idiots who believe everything they hear.

THERE ARE MORE CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE LEFT, AND LET'S JUST SAY FEWER CRITICAL THINKERS ON THE RIGHT.

-GPS technology used in major sporting events, e.g. to mark the ball in football games, and for the strike zone in baseball games.

NOPE.  LOSERS.

-More working from home by me.

THIS HAPPENED, BUT TO ONLY ABOUT 25% OF THE LEVEL IT SHOULD HAVE.

-The return of popular mainstream rock bands and rock music.

THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN, HOWEVER, I SAW RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS AND JOE WALSH AND TOM PETTY (AND SCHEDULED TO SEE BOB SEGER) IN CONCERT.  SO IT WASN'T ALL BAD.

-Implementation of the fiduciary rule, and the demise of commission-based financial advice.

THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ALLOWED THE RULES TO GO INTO EFFECT, BUT THERE WILL BE NO ENFORCEMENT UNTIL AT LEAST 2019.  SO, NO.  AND SINCE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE IN THE REPUBLICAN'S POCKETS, MIGHT AS WELL FORGET ABOUT THIS FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.

-The resignation or impeachment of an unqualified president -- no names, any one will do.

NOT AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDED LAST YEAR. WILL ADD PUSH THIS FORWARD.  IT WON'T BE ANY FUN TO ASK IT FOR 2019 BECAUSE BY THEN IT WILL BE LIKELY.

For 2018 I'd like to see:

The failure of Bitcoin, not as an idea, but as an investment.

An NCAA scandal so large they will have to start allowing players a cut of revenues.

More destinations and ways to fly on Southwest Airlines.

A widespread ability to charge devices without a cord (also asked for this for 2016).

A new governor / lieutenant governor elected for Iowa. 

Let's try this -- exponential growth in the cannabis industry to the extent all states will want a piece of it through taxation.

Greater national and international awareness of CRISPR (genome editing) technology.

Smaller entree portions served in restaurants, for a reduced price.

Fewer national weather disasters, but more understanding of climate change.

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.

Strange Bundt Clever

The other day a new business opened nearby called Nothing Bundt Cakes.  It’s a national franchise that makes – you guessed it -- cakes.  I’ve known about the business for a while, having seen one a few years ago in a larger metropolitan area.

This got me thinking about clever names or taglines that businesses come up with to promote their brand, and whether it was effective.  There’s probably no long-term reason to believe a catchy name makes a big economic impact.  In the end, and a business isn’t going to grow without providing good value, no matter what the business name might be.

Regardless, this led me on a quick Google search that resulted in other great examples.  Here are just a few more related to food:

• Award Wieners  (Includes an even more clever tag line of “Best Wiener In A Supporting Roll.”)
• Pita Pan
• The Codfather
• Planet of the Grapes (wine store)

There are undoubtedly many other local food / retail stores that have punny names, some that may use more colloquial terms.  However, you don’t find many clever names outside of those industries.  I suppose those who work in ‘more serious’ trades such as finance or health care are as likely to lose consumers by doing that than they are to add them.

Years ago I came across a consulting business that had an incredibly coincidental, if not clever name.  It was an energy consulting firm that specialized in alternative energy, especially wind energy.  The firm, which still exists today, is called Wind Utility Consulting.  It’s headed by its owner – Tom Wind.

He didn’t have to think very hard about what to name his company.

What's Wrong With Merry Christmas

The holiday season is upon us, with lots of helpful Santas, and a few scattered Grinches.  It also means we're all going to be exposed to another useless argument about saying 'Merry Christmas' as opposed to the more generic 'Happy Holidays' or 'Seasons Greetings'.

I grew up in a super-conservative Christian area.  There was / is no controversy about this issue there; one was / is expected to say Merry Christmas lest they be identified as an outsider.  I imagine this is true for most of the U.S. fruited plain, which is vastly rural and Christian.

But once you've lived in a more populated area, and have plenty of non-Christian friends, the lines get blurred.  I'm much more likely to say Happy Holidays now, not because political-correctness requires it, but because it's easier.  It covers more bases, and I simply don't have to think about it.

The other day, I asked my non-Christian neighbor about his thoughts, not only on Merry Christmas, but other traditions such as Christmas trees and presents.  A native of India, he said he thought nothing of it.  He certainly was not offended in any way.  Unlike me, he came from a religiously diverse country, and everyone there respected others' traditions.

I'm not offended by anyone who wants to say Merry Christmas, but I am offended by those who would expect it of me, or that think it's the only holiday greeting that should be posted on public property.  Those people are close-minded, and ironically, not being very Christian when it comes to respecting others and their faiths.

Just accept my secular holiday greeting if you get it, as I would accept a non-secular one, and let's move on.

No Thank You

Thanksgiving-time is here, and so is my 9th annual list of things for which I am not thankful.  You can get to the prior lists by starting here or by using following the Thanksgiving label on the blog.

As usual, the following list is in no particular order:

Charging my technology devices.

Confederate statues.

Office workers who don’t clean up after themselves.

Invitations to things I don’t want to attend.

Fake (Fox) News.

The first snowfall, and all of the others that follow.

Sexual harassment deniers who’ve had multiple independent claims against them.

Confirmation bias.

Those who forward their confirmation biases on social media dozens of times a day.

The excessively slow pace of college and professional baseball games.

Christmas advertisements and music before Thanksgiving.

Hurricanes.

Beyond The Evolutionary Lottery

There are all kinds of built-in advantages to being a natural 1) Caucasian-born 2) American 3) male.  Any one of these three gives a person a head start in life; being all three is like winning the evolutionary lottery, especially economically and socially.  I realize this, although most do not.

However, there is one thing I believe no one is naturally born with that, if attained through effort and some luck, creates a big advantage in life.  Intelligence.  (I say luck is involved because although it isn't natural, intelligence is still more likely to be attained by those advantaged, white American males who are far more likely to be educated through college.)

Smarter people are capable of doing more things in life, and doing them effectively and efficiently, and therefore they gain advantages over others.  There are tons of examples, some obvious (understanding technology) and some not so obvious (critical thinking).

Knowledge is power, whether it's at the office, at the bar, or at the neighborhood block party.  Just being able to carry on a conversation with the person standing next to you, whomever that is, can be a big plus in a variety of situations.

There is one major downside for some of the smarties out there:  Their frequent inability to grasp that they aren't always the smartest person in the room.  This brings them well-earned disregard from those they would seek to impress.  Let's just say the positive correlation between knowledge and power is sometimes offset by the negative correlation between intelligence and self-awareness.

Regardless, knowing things other people don't know is a huge advantage in a world that relies less and less on physical talent.  The best part of this is, almost anyone can do it.  (I say almost because again, it helps a lot to be born in America, home of taxpayer-funded public education and the public library.)

If only it mattered more in politics, where intelligence apparently provides no advantage whatsoever.

Visiting The Chowdaheads

I've long wanted to visit the far northeastern portion of the United States -- the New England area, as I usually refer to it.  As a bonus, I've always wanted to do that in October, during the peak of Fall colors.

This month, that visit finally happened.  During the week I was there, I swept through parts of six different states.  Here are some observations from each state:

Massachusetts -- The trip started and ended in Boston, the only place in the area to which I'd previously been.  As with that prior trip, I consider it a friendly town, but unless you're really into colonial history, not that exciting.  A day-trip to Cape Cod was a lot of driving, but more interesting.  It doesn't take much to imagine that big sand bar to be choked with tourists and traffic during the summer months.

Rhode Island -- Spent a night in Providence, which struck me as being like Des Moines if it was located on the Atlantic shore.  Even though it's a small state, didn't have the time to get to Newport, which I suspect would have been a lot like Cape Cod.

Connecticut -- Only drove through the corner of this state.  Nothing to report, except that I was there.

Vermont -- It generally fit the stereotype.  A mostly rural state, with dense (and colorful) birch and maple trees covering the landscape, bed and breakfast-type inns, dairy herds, and friendly people.  Home to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Cabot Cheese, both of which I toured.  It's not that much different than Iowa, with the White Mountain range instead of silos.

New Hampshire -- A lot like Vermont, with one major, unexpected exception: About 25 miles of Atlantic shore line, with vast sandy beaches and some huge houses and resorts.  Who knew?  That small corner of New Hampshire was actually a lot more like I expected Cape Cod to be.

Maine -- We weren't able to make it up to Acadia National Park, but the southern part of the state had its own charm.  Think lighthouses, lobsters, and coastal shipping passages.  I got the feeling that everyone who lives there wither worked as a fisherman or longshoreman.  However, that feeling went away on a visit to Kennebunkport -- a vacation destination for the very wealthy and connected, with the Bush family compound being the elite of the elite.

By my count, this leaves Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and North Dakota as only states I haven't yet been to.  A couple of golf trips should fix that.

A Failed History Lesson

“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”  So goes the famous quote attributed to Sir Winston Churchill.

This quote came to life for me again in the past week, after watching parts of two different, public television documentaries on the Vietnam War.   The main one was a new, 10-part series called The Vietnam War from Ken Burns.  The other was from a couple of years ago called Dick Cavett’s Vietnam.

I was only in the single-digits old during the Vietnam War, so I didn’t understand then what was happening, either in Southeast Asia or in America.  I only have a few real recollections of it.  One was a day around 1970, when my family was watching a television scroll of calendar days next to numbers.  (I didn’t realized this until many years later, but they were looking at the draft lottery, and probably wondering if a randomly drawn number would send a loved one to the war.)  Another memory was the day the war informally ended, in April 1975, watching TV reports of the last people being lifted by helicopter from the U.S. embassy roof in Saigon.

So, watching parts of these documentaries was new information for me.  It’s hard to understand even now how much of a dumb, tactical, human failure it was for the U.S.  Tremendous, unnecessary sacrifice and loss of life, just to keep a small, remote territory from becoming Communist.  But that’s the way it was then, Communism was our enemy, and we were blind to our limits to contain it.

What really struck me, however, is how similar things were to the (current) U.S. 'wars' in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They also started out as something that would be quickly managed, and with a fair amount of support after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  But again, we were blind to our limits to defeat an idea (terrorism), and the length of the wars and their eventual human cost, which turned American attitudes against it.

Not only are there general similarities, but as the Cavett documentary showed, there are fascinating similarities with the personalities involved then and now.   I thought of a number of them within a few minutes as I was watching:

Lyndon Johnson = George W. Bush

Robert McNamara = Donald Rumsfeld

Dick Cavett = Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert

Warren Beatty and Jane Fonda = George Clooney (and Jane Fonda?)

Muhammad Ali = ?  Unfortunately, no contemporary famous athlete compares to him, and no contemporary athlete suffered like him.

It’s was 40 years between the Vietnam War and the Iraq / Afghanistan conflicts.  Did we learn anything from history?  Now it’s been 50 years since the Vietnam War.  Have we learned anything yet?

Iowa Pride

This past weekend, I attended another Iowa - Iowa State football game in Ames.  I've gone to a lot of these games over the years, and while the product on the field isn't always great, and some (Hawkeye) fans are irrational about their team, the pre-game tailgating and camaraderie are always above par.

For example, a picture that went viral (at least in Iowa) was of two men wearing Iowa State gear lifting a wheelchair-bound Iowa fan -- later identified as a relative of an Iowa player -- up some steps into the stadium.  This is the kind of routine nice that you usually see in Iowa.

It got me to thinking that I've been spending too much time thinking about what's wrong with Iowa.  Things like our politicians, our weather, our meth labs, and did I mention our politicians?

Anyway, there are plenty of good things about Iowa and its residents, including but not limited to.....

* Generally relentlessly friendly people
* Generally intelligent people
* Wide open spaces
* Low crime rate
* Low cost of living

.....and at the end of the day, it's better to focus on these things than on Iowa / Iowans' shortcomings.

But it's easier to spot and write about the shortcomings, so that's going to keep happening.

Winning The Family Feud

It’s long been an axiom that family and politics don’t mix.  This has never been more true than in the past year, with the unexpected election of a polarizing president – and that’s saying the absolute best thing I can about what happened / what’s happening in America.

Even amongst families, there seems to be no bridging the current ideological divide that has been forged by Fox News, Trump, and the Republican Party.  It’s crazy, because none of those aforementioned things even mattered to the general public until recently.

Since the last national election, I’ve been at a few gatherings of immediate family members.  When social and/or political matters have inevitably come up in conversation, I’ve been very good about quickly changing the subject.  (My favorite line is, ‘So who do you think is going to win the [name sports division here]?”)  Changing the subject is better than silence, lest someone mistake that silence as a tacit agreement about anything being said.

I suppose it was just a matter of time, however, before I heard one of my relatives say something racist or homophobic or xenophobic or misogynistic to the point I could no longer bite my tongue. That happened last week.

So I spoke back at them, trying to expose their beliefs as unacceptable in today’s society, and definitely unacceptable in present company.  (By ‘present company’ I refer to me, but there were several other family members in the room, none of whom were willing or able to engage in a sociopolitical conversation.)

At first, I tried to make my points in a passive-aggressive way, with sarcasm and mocking.   Not surprisingly, that resulted in the other person getting defensive, and doubling-down on their hate speech.  So I stepped up my game to equal their verbal aggression, making much more salient and intellectual points.

But of course, that’s where the ‘conversation’ went off the rails and crashed into an awkward silence, because you can’t argue with another person who is unable to recognize – much less agree with – demonstrable facts.  I knew we’d reached that point when the other person claimed Fox News was actually anti-Trump.  Good god, not even Fox News or Trump agrees with that.

So what was the outcome of this family strife?  I simply declared victory by ignoring the other person.  It was a great moment for rational minds.  #Winning!

When Being Close Counts

I attended another Iowa State Fair this year.  It’s only a small exaggeration to say every time I go, my dozen or so hours there are segmented into roughly 30 minutes each, during which I visit the same exhibits and venues that I do every year.

However, I do try to take in something different every year (besides new fair food).  Last year, it was arm wrestling.

This year’s new thing was spending about an hour watching horseshoe pitching.  Not just any horseshoe pitching, mind you, but the Iowa State Fair Women’s Horseshoe Pitching Championship.

After acquainting myself with the scoring (3 points for a ringer, 1 point for being within six inches – you’ve heard the phrase about close only counting in horseshoes, right?), I settled in to watch a few simultaneous matches.  And then it hit me.

Horseshoes is the more rudimentary ancestor to today’s popular ‘bags’ game that so many can be found playing at picnics, or tailgating events.  Other people probably figured that out a long time ago, but only now did I gain enough insight to make the connection.

You stand about equally as far away from the target.  You throw two shoes (bags), and the other person throws two, with more points for shoes around the ringer (bags in the hole).  Missing the target, but still being close, may get you points.  Winner is the first to a certain number of points.

The only real difference in the two games, other than the horseshoe pit being dirtier, is that horseshoe pitchers are better athletes.  I’m serious.  It takes almost no effort to toss a lightweight beanbag, but it takes a measure of strength and effort to toss metal horseshoes for a while.  It’s more like bowling, in that regard.

Except close doesn’t count in bowling.

RAGBRAI - 2017 Edition

I came out of my self-imposed retirement from the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) again this year.  (Last time!?)  In the first two days, it went through both my hometown and my spouse's hometown in NW Iowa, so I had to ride those.  Here are this year's observations:

* While the overnight towns seem to have plenty of portable toilets for the 20,000 or so visiting cyclists, the pass-through (no pun intended) towns didn't have one-tenth the amount they really needed.  I mean, when you have 20,000 extra people in your little town, even if it's only for an hour or two, you should have more than 20 (one-tenth of one percent) portable toilets.  What the hell RAGBRAI, didn't you warn them this year?  Maybe it's a sign of me getting older, but I've never had to rely on cornfields so much before.

* I found a non-profit stand selling pineapple pie!  But they were sold out -- at 8:30 in the morning!  Overall, however, I felt there was more pie available this year than on any RAGBRAI in recent memory.  Full disclosure: I had three slices of apple.

* For the third time in my RAGBRAI journeys, I rode the century (100 mile) loop that was optional this year on day two.  Each time was an accomplishment, but each time came with the same downside: You don't have as much fun on the ride.  Not only do you have an extra 30 miles or so to power through, but there aren't any good vendor or farmyard stops available during that time.  You don't stop as often, and when you do, you don't stop for as long.

* Best stop this year was a dill pickle stand that also happened to have people protesting against NW Iowa congressman and WOITH, Steve King.  I ended up wearing a sticker the rest of the day that said, "Dear America, Sorry About Steve King. Sincerely, Iowa."  Got great comments on it throughout the day, too.

* Demographically speaking, while RAGBRAI clearly has more men on it than women, I thought there were more women than in the past.  Also, there were many, many more overweight riders than I can remember -- no way some of them were riding the entire week, if the entire day.  At the same time, the median age of all riders continues to climb.

* Still not enough service for cell phones!  Getting a data connection was harder than ever, and impossible where cyclists were aggregated.  This is 2017, people, it shouldn't be this difficult.

* Best jersey I saw this year was on the back of a t-shirt:  Beer....the reason I get up every afternoon!

Golf Outing Etiquette

This week I played in a 4-person scramble golf outing.  I only do this 2-3 times a summer, usually for charity.  Some outings are have more perks, some are more organized than others, some use nicer golf courses, some have better food – it runs the gamut, and I’m typically satisfied that my time is well spent.

Unfortunately, this week’s outing had one big downside – I had a dipshit playing in our group.  He wasn’t unfriendly; he simply had no self-awareness, no clue about golf, nor any clue about golf etiquette.

There are almost too many examples of his dipshit-ness, but it ranged from running out of golf balls early in the round, to playing half of the round in bare feet.  And this may go without saying, but he was a terrible, terrible golfer.

None of that would have mattered if he’d been the least bit self-deprecating.  I’ve played with plenty of terrible golfers in my day, but it’s still been enjoyable.  Most just try to make the best of it, chat you up, limit their embarrassment, and play quickly.  Not this guy.

Even though he never hit the ball more than 100 yards all day (and most of those shots were chunks that went straight to the right or left), late in the round he was still asking about whether he should aim for that tree….the one, you know, 300 yards in the distance.

The bottom line on this is, if you only play golf once or twice a year, you should not be playing in a golf outing.  But if you are absolutely obligated to play, here are the rules you must follow:

• Lower the group’s expectations when introduced to them.  Just acknowledge you don’t golf much.  Any decent golfer can tell how good you are by just watching a few of your swings, and/or by the equipment you’re using.  (In other words, we know by the second hole how painful this will be for everyone.)

• Be friendly and jovial.

• Know golf etiquette.  This includes what you wear (collared shirt and shoes are a must), and what you do on the course.  You can read up about this etiquette thing, you don’t even have to be a golfer.

• Don’t make excuses all day.  

• Play first and play fast.  If you suck at golf, get your shot out of the way and step aside.  Who knows, you might actually hit a putt that others in the group can use as a read to make their own.

Above all remember that you can just politely decline if invited to a golf outing.  Or make up an excuse for being unable to attend, whatever it takes.  Do it for yourself, and every other golfer.

Thinking, Fast And Slow

For the past month or so, I've been concentrating on reading books and articles broadly related to behavioral science.  More specifically, I'm interested in how and why people make the decisions they do, with a concentration on macro-economics and finance.

This is a field I've been interested in for some time.  Over the years, I can think of several books I've read that are generally related to behavioral science.  These include the Freakonomics trilogy of books:  Freakonomics, Superfreakonomics, and Think Like A Freak, by economists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.  (In the past year I've also become a regular listener to the Freakonomics podcast, which has kept me interested during thousands of miles of travel.)

I'd also include the books The Tipping Point and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell in that list.  Those books are more about social science, but they provide real insight about way people behave the way they do.

The most recent book I've read is called Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman, who previously won a Nobel Prize in Economics.  I thought the book would be good, but it was better than good.  It was a tour-de-force about how our brain works, and the many biases that affect it.

How the brain works is basically a matter of two 'systems' that Kahneman called System 1 (instinctive and emotional) and System 2 (deliberative and logical).  But after a few chapters about the science of that, the rest of the book focuses on psychological aspects of thinking -- the cognitive biases.  These include terms / effects like loss aversion, framing, anchoring, overconfidence, and sunk-cost theory.

Once you read about what these biases are and how they affect thinking, it becomes clear how economic / financial decisions (or are they gambles?) are made and why.  This is a good thing to know for me, both personally and professionally.

Thinking, Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman.  Read it.  Or don't, then I'll use it to my advantage.

Just Name Three

Last year on election day, I wrote about my disgust for bandwagon-ing fans, and, for that matter, bandwagon-ing voters.  Today I'm going to write about a larger offshoot of bandwagon-ers, which essentially includes the bandwagon-ers plus the 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) folks.

To identify, these are people who spend money, sometimes hefty amounts, to attend events for which they have little or no passion.  They go solely because they know other people are going.  You see this all of the time with both sporting and music events.

An example:  Last week, I attended a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert.  The following day at lunch, I overhead a 30-something year-old woman talking to others about it.  She admitted she didn't really know any of his music, but tagged along with friends anyway.  This way she could say she was there, not to mention she could party / drink beer.

Who knows, maybe she didn't have to pay between $60 - $100 to go to the concert like the rest of us.  But probably she did, and regardless, she took away a ticket for a sold out show from a real fan who wanted to go.

I've called people out on this before, and when they get all defensive about it I give them a simple test.  That is, for a big-time concert, can you name three songs (just titles, not even the lyrics!) by that artist?  And for a sporting event, can you name three players on the team for which you're supposedly a fan?

The vast majority of those I ask cannot successfully answer.  If you can't do that, you aren't a fan, and definitely not a passionate one.

However, that isn't going to stop them from paying big bucks to take a seat that a true fan would love to have.  (By and large, the artist or athlete would love for the true fan to have that seat as well.)  But never mind all that.  What's important is being seen as a cool person partying with others at a big event.  And of course, posting their fake superfan-dom on social media.

I suppose it's really not that surprising, in the age of reality TV and social media stars.  People make entire careers out of being seen at events they couldn't care less about.

The difference is, those people get paid, rather then paying for the right to do nothing more than warm a seat.

Dear Graduating Class of 2017

It's time for another edition of giving my latest advice to graduating seniors.  I'm sticking with college graduates again this year, for reasons which I outlined last year.

To the college graduates of 2017:

You're facing a tough situation.  The good times are over, your future job prospects aren't great, and our nation's social and political environment has never been more toxic.  Oh, and for some of you, you're student loan debt may be brutally high.

Start with this:  As soon as possible, forget about your college degree.  Once you have a job, your employer won't care about your grades, or where you attended school, or where you spent your summers volunteering for some social good.  All your employer will care about is whether you can add more value than you cost, and if you can, they win again by looking good for hiring you.  Everything else is pretend.

So forget being a college graduate..... but don't forget to live like a college student for as long as possible.  There’s no need, nor should you have any expectation, to live in a nice place the first five or so years post-college.  Instead, try to live like you did in college, by living sparsely with or without roommates.  (So don't move into your parents basement!  Did your parents live with you in college?)

And ignore any peers who you may soon start to see driving expensive cars, and purchasing nice homes. It should be obvious to a college-educated person such as yourself that they're doing this with the parents' money.  Look at it this way -- if your parents are still changing your diapers at 25, that doesn't make you a success.

Last but not least, tackle this tough situation with toughness -- show some grit.  Seriously.  You can start by watching this brief TED Talk by a researcher named Angela Duckworth, who has spent a considerable portion of her life studying how 'grit' leads to success.

Oh, and congratulations.

I-80 East

I made a one-way road trip from Des Moines to Philadelphia last week.  Among other things, this provided me with 1100 miles worth of observations while driving east, with all but the last 100 miles or so on Interstate 80:

* Iowa gets stereotyped for flat terrain, but across the fruited plain east of the Mississippi River, it's actually much flatter through the northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.  I suppose this is due to the proximity of the Great Lakes, but I never hear anyone refer to Ohio being flat.

* Once you cross the state line from Ohio into Pennsylvania, it suddenly gets hilly, and you spend most of the road time crossing the Allegheny Mountains, then the Pocono Mountains.  A much more scenic drive, but a much more difficult drive.

* Although I missed the toll roads in Illinois the lead to Chicago, it was all tollways through Indiana and Ohio.  Why?  The roads weren't any better in those states.  I was particularly discouraged about this in Indiana, a not-so-populous state that can't possibly need toll/road money any more than Iowa, which has no tolls on I-80.

* Did you know that there's an RV / Motor Home Hall of Fame and Museum along I-80 in Elkhart, Indiana.  Again, why?  This was the most memorable, cheezy site of interest along the way.

* It's no surprise that traffic was thick near Chicago, even mid-day.  But the worst of it was eastern Pennsylvania.  Once you get to Allentown, it's high traffic the rest of the way, because for some reason millions of people choose to live on a tiny section of America on the northeastern seaboard.

* Thank you to Google Maps, and Waze, and any other tech app that helps people with directions and traffic.  It's hard to remember how people could successfully made epic drives with only paper maps at their disposal.

Berky Meeting Nuggets 2017

It's time for the latest Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting summary, the 2017 version of  Woodstock for Capitalists that was held in Omaha last week.  Last year I focused on some of the funnier lines said at the meeting, and other times I've focused on specific topic, but this year I'm going more observational.

On the scramble to enter the meeting
The Wall Street Journal published an article the day before the meeting about the secrets of some frequent meeting-goers in their attempts to get good seats once the arena doors open at 7am.  (It’s first-come, first-served seating.)  I have my own strategy that I’ve refined over the years, which includes knowing where the shortest entrance line always is, and also where to find the limited supply of free pastries and beverages are once inside the venue.  I almost – almost – feel bad for those who stand in line outside for so long, only to get much worse seats than I do.

On Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, as one late-day questioner put it, must have iron bladders.  They sit on chairs answering questions for hours at a time, always drinking Coke, and never have to take a bathroom break.  They are ages 86 and 93, respectively.

On protesters
For the first time in several years, one of the questioners was actually a protester.  She had another person hold up a sign behind her while going on a rant about how capitalism is bad, using slavery, wealth and the sugar in Coca-Cola(!) as examples.   She was soon boo-ed loudly enough that no one could hear her speak.  Note to interrupting protesters:  Meeting attendees will only hate you and your cause more for wasting their time doing this.  Also, most of us love sugar.

On foreign meeting attendees
There have always been large numbers of international visitors at the meeting.   However, this year I felt the number of Asians not only far exceeded Europeans, it actually rivaled Americans in attendance.  Many appeared to be there as members of large tour groups.  I sat among a crowd of friendly Chinese folks, and there were also a few questions during the meeting about the Chinese stock market.  Not sure what to make of this trend, if anything.

On Jack Bogle
In this year’s shareholder letter, Buffett went out of his way to point out how much money that Jack Bogle, the founder of Vanguard Funds and the father of index fund investing, had saved for investors.  It’s in the billions of dollars, collectively.  Bogle happened to be in the reserved seating area this year, and Buffett introduced him.  It was an historic moment, knowing that Buffett, Munger, Bogle, and I were all in the same room together.

Iowa's Medical Marijuana "Victory"

Let's briefly ignore the fact that we should legalize recreational marijuana, and instead make time for an Iowa medical marijuana update.....

When last we visited the Iowa legislative and executive branch, our soon-to-be-gone Republican Governor Branstad (leaving to become the biggest dufus ambassador to China we've ever had) and the Republican-controlled House were still doing everything they could to pretend that even highly-regulated medical marijuana was a gateway drug.

More specifically, Iowa law allowed certain medically-eligible patients to possess a small amount of pot, but it can't be grown or purchased in Iowa nor imported it from another state.  It's a joke.

A glimmer of hope for the future occurred at the end of this year's legislative session, when the Iowa Senate -- where there is now also a majority of Republicans, just fewer dumb ones -- overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand medical marijuana to many more afflictions, and well as allow a few Iowa-based regulated growing centers.

Unfortunately, the House watered it down to the point that there won't be enough THC (the psychoactive constitute in cannabis that matters to medical marijuana patients) in the drug to make a difference for most who need it.  And who knows if the outgoing governor will sign it into law, although he probably will because it will politically help the incoming governor.

So in summary, it's another hollow victory for medical marijuana in Iowa, which is actually a step up from the completely empty victory of the past.  The state remains mired in a stupid, fearful 'unintended consequences' attitude that has prevailed in Iowa for some time, even in the middle of the biggest opioid addiction crisis in history, and a still-increasing number of alcohol-related deaths.

The bottom line is, if my child or I was suffering physically, and I knew using marijuana helped, I would go get it anywhere, anyhow, and dare somebody to arrest me for possessing or using it.  Also, I'd laugh at the fact Iowa is missing out on getting taxes from me out of the deal.....Idiots!

The ABC's Of Injustice

Anyone for the alphabet game?
Before now I hadn't thought of it.
Could be interesting.
Don't know if there will be a point to it.
Even a possibility of it being lame.
For now, I'm going to try it.
Gorsuch is now on the Supreme Court.
He shouldn't be.
Ironically.....
Justice was not served.
Keep in mind that another was chosen.
Last year Obama nominated Garland.
Most agreed he was qualified.
Never even got a confirmation hearing.
Opposition didn't care.
Partisan politics at worst.
Questionable constitutionality at best.
Republicans should be ashamed.
Senator Grassley especially is a tool.
Too old, too white, too Trump-loving.
Unfit to represent the state and country.
Very sad situation.
We have other problems in the U.S.
Xenophobia is one of them.
Yet I've no more time to elaborate.
Zero.

Best Song Lyrics (Part XIX)

If I said one of the greatest songwriters of all-time had the given name of Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, would you know who that is?  Maybe 1 out of 100 people over the age of 40 (and 1 out of 1000 younger than that) could tell you it was the artist currently known as Sting.

Sting first become famous as the front man for The Police, writing and singing big hits like Every Breath You Take and Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic in the late 70s and early 80s,  He started his solo career in the mid-80s, and has been going strong ever since.

At the peak of his powers in the 90s, Sting had a string of great songs that included the hits If I Ever Lose My Faith In You and Fields Of Gold.  But it was one of his earlier efforts, a pre-Cold War ending song called Russians, which had the sharp lyrics that resonated with me both then, and now:

In Europe and America, there's a growing feeling of hysteria,
Conditioned to respond to all the threats, in the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets,
Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you, I don't subscribe to this point of view,
It would be such an ignorant thing to do, if the Russians love their children too

How can I save my little boy, from Oppenheimer's deadly toy,
There is no monopoly in common sense, on either side of the political fence,
We share the same biology, regardless of ideology,
Believe me when I say to you, I hope the Russians love their children too

There is no historical precedent, to put the words in the mouth of the President,
There's no such thing as a winnable war, it's a lie we don't believe anymore,
Mr. Reagan says we will protect you, I don't subscribe to this point of view,
Believe me when I say to you, I hope the Russians love their children too

We share the same biology, regardless of ideology,
What might save us, me, and you, is if the Russians love their children too

That's The Ticket

I recently attended the Big XII basketball tournament in Kansas City.  I've been to this event quite often over the past 25 years, back to when it was only the Big 8 basketball tournament held at an older arena in Kansas City,

In all of the tournament game sessions I've attended in that time, perhaps 25 or so, I've only had advance tickets in hand once.  Every other time, including this year, I relied on being able to buy tickets from those selling near the venue.

Given this experience of buying secondary market tickets on the street, a/k/a ticket scalping, I feel I can provide a good list of do's and don'ts in this area.

DO check the secondary ticket prices on-line before you go.  This is something that wasn't available years ago, the ability to look at StubHub or some other on-line ticket broker.  It's nice to have an idea of the prices going in, however, know that the on-line prices should generally be a bit higher than what you could get on the street, where there is no automatic third-party broker transaction fee.

DON'T get too excited.  Know why you often see ticket scalpers many blocks away from the venues?  It isn't because they're afraid of violating some scalping ordinance.  It's because they know rubes who have never bought/sold tickets on the street before are likely to buy/sell them at the first opportunity.  If a ticket scalper is blocks away from the stadium, you can be sure there will be many others closer to it, buying/selling at a more market-based price.

DO try to buy tickets from a non-professional seller.  A good rule of thumb is to look for someone wearing the school colors of a team.  Those folks are more likely to be happy to sell their extra tickets at a less-than-market-based price, just to not delay their getting into the arena.  This is the same reason why a professional scalper is constantly asking if anyone has any extra tickets; then they can buy low and re-sell them again.  (An easy rule of thumb for identifying pro scalpers is, it's anyone wearing a sign about buying or selling tickets!)

DON'T be afraid to negotiate.  No one selling tickets should expect to get the full price for which they're asking.  It's a barter system.  Ask for a lower price.  If you are far apart in price, just say you aren't ready to accept that and walk away.  You might end up buying from them later.

DO wait until as close to game time as possible to buy.  This is the most obvious, and most violated, strategy of buyers.  By game-time, the nervous amateurs will be gone, and the pro scalpers will be more eager to get rid of the remaining tickets they hold.  A willingness to miss some of the pre-game festivities, and maybe even the start of the game, is easily the most difficult and the most valuable thing a buyer can do.

The Critical Condition Of Critical Thinking

I've always sub-titled this blog "The random rants of a critical independent thinker."**  What does this critical thinker moniker mean to me?

First, I now realize it means I've been using an extra, unnecessary word for a lot of years, because true critical thinking is always independent.  It's should not be affected by race, gender, religious or political affiliation, or any pre-conceived notion that would alter one's perspective.

Critical thinking is actively assessing factual information, and then drawing a conclusion.  In other words, it's the opposite of most thinking today, in which people seek out information to support their already drawn conclusions (a/k/a confirmation bias).

Note that I said "factual" information.  Critical thinkers don't just assume everything they hear and read is true.  This is a real problem for most people today, who seem to swallow anything they hear from their neighbor, or read on the internet.  Critical thinkers not only question the rationality of the information, but also the reliability of the source providing it.

As for that sourcing, critical thinkers absorb information from a wide variety of people and places.  You can't call yourself a critical thinker if you only read the same, single newspaper / web site year-round.  Or watch the same broadcast network year-round.  Or talk to only people with the same background.

Based on that basic summary, it follows that I believe there's at least one other truth about critical thinkers:  These days, they are in short supply.

**Due to the second paragraph, as of today, it's "The random rants of a critical thinker."

Better To Be Seen Than Heard

Thirty years ago, I worked in a corporate administrative role that required daily phone contact with dozens of outside contacts around the country.  Most of the time, these conversations were cordial and professional.  Rarely but occasionally, these conversations were the opposite of cordial and professional.

Always, however, these conversations were better if I had met in-person with the individual on the other side of the phone.  Back in the day, travel was the only way to accomplish this (although now one could get halfway there courtesy of technology via Skype or FaceTime), but the relationship was consistently better if that occurred.  Once you looked another person in the eye and interacted with them, the relationship would improve, at least to some degree.

I was reminded of this again this week, after sending emails to my national elected representatives.  Knowing I would only get a form letter in return (maybe), I didn’t spend a lot of time on my email.  I quickly offered my opinions and my support or disagreement, and got out.  And in return, I got my form letters.   I suspect the same would have happened had I called.

With thousands of constituents, I understand that a personal reply from a congressperson is improbable, even from a staffer.   But it’s also too easy to be dismissive of faceless words and voices.  Thirty years ago, that was mostly done using a phone, but today, it can be done by email, text, and a variety of faceless social media.

I’m still convinced that the impact of whatever as individual wanted to say is more meaningful if delivered in person – even in the current political climate.  Each year I visit the Iowa Capitol building to visit my state reps.  There’s no doubt this carries more weight with them than an email, because I personify an actual constituent / voter.   [Note:  I did get personal emails back from my local/state elected officials in reply to my own.]

I’ve never attended a local meeting of a national elected representative; there are usually opportunities to do so, I’ve simply never had the passion for an issue to do that.  Maybe it’s time, because after all these years and technology substitutes, it's still better to be seen than it is to be heard.

It's Faaan-tastic

Last week, I watched an NBA basketball game from a second row courtside seat.  This was the third or fourth time I’ve watched from these seats over the years, enough to make some veteran observations:

• NBA players play HARD.  So many people who watch college basketball will call it physical, but it isn’t remotely close to the physicality of an NBA game.  These guys are much bigger and stronger, and bodies are banging around like crazy, over a much longer period of time, and with more possessions.

• NBA players do play good defense.  I get so tired of hearing people say that NBA players don’t try that hard on defense.  Sure, there are a few bad defensive players, and everyone takes a possession off now and then, but the fact is these guys are consistently playing tough, aggressive defense.

• NBA franchises put on a big show both on the court and off.  There is never a moment during a time out or quarter break that something isn’t going on to entertain fans.  It’s a sporting event, video game, and Las Vegas light show rolled into one.  [Aside:   The t-shirt gun wasn’t a one-barrel launcher, it was a gatling-gun style-device that spewed out multiple shirts in a few seconds.  Impressive!]

• NBA officials have an impossible job, deciding which fouls to call and which ones to not call, because fouls are happening all of the time.  Plus, they have to hump it up and down the court the entire game trying to keep up with some of the biggest, fittest athletes on earth.

Blog Entry Classic

Haven't had much time to write recently, but right now seems a good time to link to a couple of blog entries from years past.  Note when these were originally written -- otherwise I submit them without further comment.

Here is one from 2009.

Here is one from 2011.