2024

Time for another entry in my annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year.  But first, let's see how this year stacked up to last year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

A rising stock and bond market.

STOCKS UP NEARLY 25%, BUT  BONDS FLAT.

That Vladimir Putin is purged as a leader.  Any mysterious and/or violent way is acceptable.

IT WAS A BIG ASK.

Newly remodeled bathrooms in my house.

100%

Me attending a major sporting event.

DOES A KANSAS BASKETBALL, NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL, OR INDY CAR RACE COUNT?

Elon Musk leaves Twitter, or I leave Twitter for another similar service.

NO BUT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.

Drought relief for the western U.S.

NOT REALLY.

Me getting a golfing hole-in-one or eagle.

NOPE.

MAGA-death, and a crop of moderate presidential candidates for 2024 who aren't aged 70s or 80s.

UNFORTUNATELY, LOST GROUND HERE.

More acceptance and usage of plant-based proteins.

I SUPPOSE YES, BUT NOT AT ALL WIDESPREAD.

And now, my new annual list of things I'd like to see happen next year:

The demise of the MAGA movement via defeat of their candidates in the 2024 elections (repeat).

Streaming service mergers and resulting price decreases.

Downside my residence -- or in the alternative, have my trailer trash neighbors relocate.

Finally get my Real ID driver's license.

Delegitimization of the LIV golf tour.

Consistently avoid working on Mondays and/or Fridays.

More pay-at-the-table restaurants.

A new technology device or service I want but don't have

It Isn't WOITH It

Over a decade ago, I started to write a number of blog posts about people (politicians) I considered to be Whacked Out In The Head, shortened to the acronym WOITH.  I stopped adding to it years ago, it seemed / seems a juvenile thing to do, it took time away from other things I wanted to write about, and frankly, there would be no end to the list.

However, due to the overwhelming number of very deserving new candidates that have crawled out of various holes since 2016 or so, I've decided to make one last(?) update of WOITH award winners.  There are really too many to list, so I'm simply going to name it as a group:

Every so-called MAGA republican.

This includes now high-ranking folks in the U.S. Congress, including current Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a truly weird, conspiratorial, and homophobic person.

It includes a new, even crazier generation of Iowa politicians, mostly (but not all) older white guys who think people want them to ban books, legislate medical care, and minimize vulnerable people.  

And of course, it includes the leader of the band, DJ Trump, a malignant narcissistic, grifting, admittedly fascist, wannabe dictator.  He's as WOITH as it gets, and unfortunately very good at trying to get weak-minded folks to be more like him.

The Anti-Thanks

We're acknowledging a life-changing milestone today.  No, not the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, or the 60th anniversary of my conception (if I do the math backwards nine months from my birthday).  It's the 15th consecutive year (14th anniversary of the beginning) of my annual list of things for which I am not currently thankful;

The non-tech, political opinions of tech executives

Airline travelers flying with non-service pets

So-called Freedom Caucus members of the U.S. Congress

Potholes

Vendors who still don't accept Apple Pay

Porch pirates

Convenience store pizza

Reality talent shows on broadcast or streaming TV

People who don't pick up after themselves

Cats

Major college super-conferences

The Charles Schwab investment advisory platform. (professional item)

Sending Us Their Worst And Brightest

With one year to go before a presidential election, the Republican candidates are ramping up their presence in Iowa for the January presidential caucuses.  Most of them have been in the state for months already, either in person or by way of their persistent, local media advertisements.

Now's a good time for my one-sentence review of the viable contenders, each trying their best to appeal to the farthest right of the far right political spectrum, which now dominates the entire GOP.  Not going to comment on the four-time indicted, democracy-hating, malignant narcissist former president who's also running (from something as much as for something).

Ron DeSantis -- An Ivy League educated, military veteran who offsets that by being a demagogue who's consistently awkward when campaigning in person.

Nikki Haley -- The only one who occasionally says some moderate-sounding things, which is probably why she's concentrating more on the New Hampshire primary.

Tim Scott -- Something oft-putting for Iowans about about a single, soft-spoken, southern black man trying to show everyone how conservative he is.

Vivek Ramaswamy -- An annoying, weird, egotistical rich guy who everybody agrees is the least likeable candidate, which isn't great for him.

Chris Christie -- Credit to him for being the only candidate to call out the ex-president and his MAGA cult, but he's really just playing the role of spoiler.

Mike Pence -- He's dropped out, and he may have temporarily saved democracy by doing his job as VP, but wanted to say how much he deserved the disdain he received from all sides.

Waking Up The Echoes

My childhood happened during the pre-cable / satellite television days, meaning there were four analog channels (including public TV) to watch.  On Sunday mornings, this meant religious programming was the only thing on, with one autumn-time exception:  Notre Dame Fighting Irish football reruns.

Not just any rerun, but a condensed, one-hour version of the game played the day before.  I'm not sure why this was on, or who sponsored it, but I remember it well.  I even remember the commentators -- Lindsey Nelson on play-by-play and Paul Horning (former Notre Dame star) as the analyst.  

Notre Dame was a football power then, even more than now.  Consequently, they usually won, and watching them play in these Sunday morning reruns basically made me a Notre Dame fan, even if I knew the outcome of the game beforehand.

The reason all of this matters is because last month, I did something I've wanted to do since childhood -- I attended a Notre Dame home football game in South Bend, Indiana.  It turns out there's a lot more to a Notre Dame football weekend than the game.

Friday afternoon, there was a variety of activities to attend, including free lectures, band and vocal performances, and other sporting events like a soccer or volleyball games.  I attended a lecture that just happened to be given by one of my favorite economists, and also went to the volleyball game, allowing me to see the Joyce Convocation Center.

(Back in the day, the JCC was where a huge pre-game pep rally was held, but apparently not anymore.  It's still home to Notre Dame basketball, and has banners displayed from some great players and teams.  I remember watching on TV as the Notre Dame men end the 88-game winning streak of UCLA in 1974, a famous game from a bygone era.)

Saturday pre-game, there were more free lectures and music performances on the beautiful Notre Dame campus, including a bagpipe band and an a club cappella ensemble.  These happenings seemed to take the place of traditional parking lot tailgating, as it appeared visitors mostly swarmed around these events or other notable campus sites like the Grotto or library.  Meanwhile, there were numerous food tents run by various campus groups for people to get food and beverages.

The late Saturday afternoon game itself wasn't much different than any other major college football experience.  The student section was probably bigger and more active than most, and the fight sang is famous, but otherwise the game was the most ordinary thing of the entire weekend.  I still enjoyed the thought of how many meaningful games held at Notre Dame Stadium that I'd seen on TV in my life, and all of the legends that had been there before me.  And yes, Notre Dame won.

I realize not everyone is a Notre Dame football fan, and I've largely grown out of it myself in adulthood.  But I'll always appreciate the entertainment I got from their Sunday morning football reruns.

Best Song Lyrics (Part XXV)

Over the summer, I spend many evenings on my deck listening to mellow rock.  This is usually done by tuning into the Yacht Rock channel on satellite radio, or something similar on another station or streaming service.

In doing this, you hear a lot of the same artists, like Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers.  But one group I noticed move of this summer was 1970s and 80s icon Chicago.

Chicago has/had such a unique sound, thanks to with the brass horns the band often put out front.  They also had some tunes with unique lyrics, like Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, and the strangely titled, marching band favorite 25 or 6 to 4.  (It's the time of day, either 3:35 or 3:34.)

For me, however, none of their many hits had lyrics as good as the classic song Saturday In The Park.  It really made you feel like you were spending the day at the park.  [I've edited the following to avoid repetition.]

Saturday in the park

I think it was the Fourth of July

People dancing,

People laughing

A man selling ice cream

Singing Italian songs

Eh Cumpari, ci vo sunari

Can you dig it? (yes, I can)

And I've been waiting such a long time

For Saturday

People talking

Really smiling

A man playing guitar

And singing for us all

Will you help him change the world

Can you dig it? (yes, I can)

And I've been waiting such a long time

For today

Slow motion riders fly the colours of the day

A bronze man still can tell stories his own way

Listen children all is not lost

All is not lost, oh no, no

Funny days in the park

Every day's the Fourth of July

Funny days in the park

Every day's the Fourth of July

A Home Where The Bison Roam

About a year ago, after a trip to the mountain west region of America, I mentioned I'd been to all but two U.S. states -- North Dakota and Alaska.  The North Dakota deal is a little crazy really, since I grew up only about a half-day drive from its southern border.  But I never got closer than northern South Dakota.  (Is everyone keeping up directionally here??)

So now an update...I've only Alaska left to visit, after taking a side trip earlier this summer from Minneapolis to Fargo, North Dakota.  What did I miss from a life having never seen North Dakota?

It turns out, not a lot.  Typical upper midwestern landscape of farmland and prairie grass.  Also: Flat.

I did find the city of Fargo to be quite pleasant.  I was there on a Sunday, and the downtown area was modern and vibrant.  It even looked like one establishment was setting up for an early-evening outdoor concert.

Fargo is also the home of North Dakota State University, which I'm sure is a great economic engine for the city.  Lots of school colors (green and gold) and school mascots (bison) to be seen.  And don't forget the Fargo Dome, which predictably had lots of hotels and restaurants around it.

Remember now, this was summertime.  I can only imagine, and hope never to see, what the city looks like when it's a snow-covered, below zero temperature climate.  I guessing no one would describe the downtown area as 'vibrant' then.

Be that as it may, I'm glad I visited, and glad to have only one more state to go.  Alaska seems like a great place for a retirement cruise sometime in the not-too-distant future.....

RAGBRAI - 2023 Edition

I last rode my bike on RAGBRAI in 2017, after coming out of a self-imposed retirement for the second time.  I didn't ride in 2018, and drove a support vehicle one day in 2019.  There was no ride in 2020, and I've had no desire to ride, nor fear of missing out, the past two years.

2023, however, marked the 50th RAGBRAI.  In conjunction with that, the route tried to follow the original route, staring in Sioux City and ending in Dubuque, with larger overnight towns in between.  So yeah, I had to come out of RAGBRAI retirement for the third (and final?) time to ride another day.

Compared to most segments, the one I rode this year from Ames to Des Moines was easy.  It was flat, with little climb, and under 60 miles total.  I can only think of one prior day of RAGBRAI I ever rode that was less strenuous.

The one big negative was the heat.  It was a sunny, humid, near 100 degree day, with little wind.  Water and shade were at a premium.  I can only thing of one prior day of RAGBRAI I ever rode that might have been as uncomfortably warm.

But forget all that.....here are this year's observations:

* There were an estimated 60,000 riders on this day, probably a one-day record.  Consequently, the roads and stops along the way were jam packed.  The number of cyclists also meant it was more dangerous than usual, as you were constantly surrounded by riders on the road.  And some of them hadn't spent much time handling a bike on their own, much less a bike in a crowd.

* An unfortunate RAGBRAI tradition continued, as the first town from the start simply wasn't big enough to handle everyone wanting to stop there for early morning food/beverage nourishment/elimination.  (The elimination part is true for all towns; there are never enough portable toilets.)  To make matters worse this year, due to the number of cyclists, most had to walk (rather than ride) for the final 1/2 mile into the town.

* Pie report: Had some good church-lady berry pie.  Didn't find pineapple pie, but did find a delicious peach-pineapple slice at a corporate stand.

* Demographics report: The ride continues to age.  My estimated ratio would be 10 age 50+ people for every younger one.  Virtually no one under 30, and this on a day the ride went from a college town to a nightclub area of a large city, when you'd think a younger person my be more interested.

* I was pleasantly surprised to see almost no E-bikes on the day.  I counted two.  Let me be clear, unless you are a special needs individual, nobody on RAGBRAI should be allowed to use an E-bike, it's already dangerous without them.  If you feel you need one, the ride isn't for you, go ride it somewhere else, except on a trail because motorized vehicles aren't allowed!

* A quintessential RAGBRAI moment happened during a rest stop, when among the 60,000 riders, I asked a random person next to me where they were from.  Turns out we unknowingly grew up about three miles from each other in NW Iowa.  Amazing.

* Did not see any memorable new team names, but I did see a group with jerseys that said  'BILLSTEAM - Ratifying It Since 2017 - Where's Logan?'.  That had to be something, but I don't know what.

The View Isn't Improving

I spend a fair amount of time on my back deck in the summer, and over the years I’ve used this time to make observations on my neighborhood/neighbors.  Lots has happened since my last update, but the more it’s changed, the more it’s also stayed the same…..

Starting with my neighbors to the northeast, they still have their adult (early 20s), high-school dropout daughter living with them.  Over the past few years, she’s cycled through a couple of boyfriends, and apparently a couple of very part-time jobs.  Earlier this year, I thought she may have moved out, but it turned out she was in some type of rehabilitation facility for a few weeks.

So much for the rehab, because police and ambulance vehicles rolled up to the house one recent Sunday morning, as she laid on the front lawn in some stage of unconsciousness.  My neighbor will gladly tell me what happened the next time I’m outdoors, but I’m sure it will be only a minor variation from all the past substance abuse-related emergency vehicle visits.  He’s embarrassed by his daughter’s behavior, but never enough to make her accountable, so nothing changes.

Meanwhile, my widowed neighbor to the east said goodbye to her delinquent granddaughter long ago, but now has her grandson living with her again, after his stint of more than a year in prison.  I was led to believe his incarceration was due to multiple impaired driving convictions, however, there’s more to it than that.  I know this because a couple months ago, in a strange Google deep-dive, I discovered he is currently on the state of Iowa sex offender registry!  It’s not great to have your neighbor’s house as a dot on the sex offender registry map, but that’s where we are.

Upping the ante, he now has a less-than-fully employed girlfriend and her five-year-old son living with him in the house as well.  It doesn't seem like a great situation, living with grandma, but the worst of it is that yard has become trailer-trash central.  The widow is rarely seen outside these days; she doesn’t really know or care about the property condition, and neither does her son who lives nearby.  Meanwhile, the grandson and girlfriend just leave everything outside (bikes, coolers, chairs, toys) where they last left it.  Alas, the grandma doesn’t make them accountable, so nothing changes.

Unfortunately for me, the lack of accountability by my neighbors does change one thing – it keeps my property value below where it should be. 

The Complexities Of Persecution

When someone constantly feels they are being treated unfairly, with no objective evidence to support these beliefs, I consider them to have a "persecution complex".  In some cases, such people perceive themselves as victims to the point of being oppressed or targeted, and even interpret benign situations as evidence of deliberate torment.

Persecution complexes are often manifested in simple ways.  For example, that person we all know who agrees to perform tasks, only to incessantly complain about it.  Or how about the person who doesn't get invited to an outing they wouldn't have been able to attend, yet complains about that.

We've all been around people like this, and it gets worse all of the time, thanks again to social media as a handy device to use for the complaint.

No one may know what personal insecurities or past traumas or politics leads people to this place.  We just know it's awful to be around them, be it friend or family.

Unfortunately, there's no absolute cure for persecution complexes.  Silence, avoidance, and confrontation all work to a degree, but also have their downsides.  Regardless, anything done to appease them will suck.  Why should those who deal with the afflicted also suffer?

So, my coping mechanism is to write this blog entry about them.  It's no extra work, I needed a topic anyway.  And there's virtually no chance they'll read it, much less internalize it.

Or maybe they will -- after all, they have a persecution complex.

Dear Graduating Class of 2023

Welcome to this year's high school and college commencement address, an annual tradition since 2012.

Congratulations, Class of 2023!  You've reached the summit -- at least in terms of a simple and carefree life.  Now you have to go out there and fix things, er, I mean, change the world, and no amount of bingeing on food, beverages, or social media will accomplish that for you.

Let's face it, a lot of things need to be fixed / changed, so you have many choices.  I have one in mind today, something that requires no manual labor, so I consider it an excellent choice for you in which to ease into adult life....

There are fewer things more trite than to make a point by starting with the words, "The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines such-and-such as...."  But since it serves my needs I'm going to do it.  The word 'woke' is defined in that dictionary as “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”  That dictionary also defines 'woke' as 'not sleeping', but let's explore that former definition for now.

A little more research will tell you the word 'woke' originated in African-American English in the 1940s and 50s, referring to being aware of instances where discrimination was happening, either covertly or overtly in the form of Jim Crow laws.  The word 'woke' was put back on the radar around 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

But in less than a decade, political conservatives have turned 'woke' into a slang word, applying it to show disdain for anyone or anything opposing their views.  Their favorite targets these days include tried-and-true things like gun restrictions and climate change, but most recently have been focused on the LGBTQ+ community.  If a person or company shows support for them, they may well be ridiculed by being labeled 'woke'.

My fix / change for you is, go out into the world and embrace your woke-ness!  Now don't be offended.  I just gave you the actual definition -- it means you are aware of important facts and issues.  Why the hell did you spell all of that time in school if not to be aware of facts and issues?  I mean besides the parties.....

Being woke will be easy for you, too, it won't take much effort.  All you have to do is get your information from a wide variety of sources, right, left, and center, and make up your own mind.  Read. Listen. Watch.

Another way to put this is, under no circumstances should you let somebody else tell you what to be pissed about.  Others want you angry because that generates engagement which, thanks to the mighty social media algorithm, manifests itself in monetary revenue to those who espouse it.  Ignore them, and decide for yourself if you want to be pissed about something!

And while you're at it, you should make it a stretch goal to reclaim the word 'woke' as a non-pejorative.  It's bizarre that the far right has co-opted this word from black America to show contempt for other opinions.  Do they feel it would be better to be asleep instead of alert to the things happening around you?  Maybe you aren't the best audience to answer that question, since as students I know the value you put on sleep -- but you damn well know what I mean.

To recap for you graduates in a more understandable, abbreviated way:  Woke = good; extreme political views = bad; informed opinions = good; social media algorithms = bad; sleep = good at night and bad other times.

So to the Class of 2023.....WAKE UP and get out there.

Misbehaving

Almost six years ago, I wrote about my interest in the behavioral sciences, especially behavioral economics and finance.  I further mentioned books I'd read on the topic, notably a book titled Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman.

Since then, I've read many other books related to behavior, including three by former poker player Annie Duke (Thinking In Bets, How To Decide, and Quit), and another by a journalist who became a poker player for a year, Maria Konnikova (The Biggest Bluff).  On the more data driven / less fuzzy side were books by Robert Cialdini (Influence) and another co-authored by Kahneman (Noise).

Now I've just finished a book on this topic that I've enjoyed probably only less than Thinking, Fast and Slow.  It's not a particularly new book (2015) by another Nobel prize winner, Richard Thaler, titled Misbehaving.

Thaler was an early collaborator with Kahneman and his longtime research partner, Amos Tversky.  Misbehaving reviews the early, largely ignored stages of behavioral science, and how it eventually grew to become accepted by all but the most hardcore intellectuals.  

Thaler is more widely known now for a later book he co-authored with Cass Sunstein, called Nudge.  While I also enjoyed reading Nudge (to the point I gifted it to clients), Misbehaving provides many more examples of how people will respond differently to a given set of facts, depending on how those facts are phrased.  This was a prime writing / teaching method of Thinking, Fast and Slow.

Here's one example:

600 people are sick from a disease, and a choice has to be made between two policies:

Would you rather take

A) policy will save 200 people for sure

B) policy will offer a 1/3 chance at saving everyone, but a 2/3 chance of killing everyone

Alternatively, would you rather take

C) policy where 400 people will die for sure

D) policy where there's a 1/3 chance of killing no one but a 2/3 chance of killing everyone

Logic demands that we take either A and C, or B and D, because they are effectively the same thing. But in group tests of this, we don't always do that, because we are not always rational beings.  We also care about things like what seems right, instead of just the logical.

The book reviews the decades-long conflict between the data-only 'econs' and the non-conforming behaviorist 'humans'.  Knowing about this conflict, and the sometimes illogical 'misbehavior' that humans follow, can be a very important advantage to those in a particular field.

Misbehaving has a large section on how this applies within the investing world, so if you're interested in that sort of thing (like me), read it!  Or as I said six years ago, don't read it, and I'll use it to my advantage.

Berky Meeting Nuggets 2023

This year's Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, was very similar in structure to last year, when the event returned in-person post-pandemic.  A crowd said to approach 40,000, including corporate celebrities like Bill Gates and Tim Cook, gathered to listen to Warren Buffett (age 92) and Charlie Munger (age 99) answer questions again for about five hours.  Vice-Chairs Greg Abel (future CEO) and Ajit Jain were also on stage to answer questions in the morning session.

A summary of some items that stuck with me:

• While the 2022 crowd seemed smaller, perhaps due to people getting used to streaming the meeting post-pandemic, the 2023 was as large as I've ever seen it.

• Early on, when discussing the quarterly results that had been released that morning, Buffett showed a chart showing that over the past 5-10 years, Berky has held about $125 billion in short-term U.S. Treasury bills (cash).  Until last year paid at little as 0.04% interest, generating about $50 million a year.  Due to last year's interest rate increases, that same amount of cash this year is projected to generate about $5 billion a year!

• Buffett noted the recent regional bank failures, and said that while the law says the FDIC insurance limit is $250,000 for accounts, that isn’t how America is going to behave in a banking crisis.  If the contagion would be too great, the federal government would bail them out.  So as a practical matter, there is no FDIC insurance limit for depositors, especially in larger banks.

• Jain took a few insurance operations questions, and mentioned how GEICO is doing better, but still has a long way to go to catch up to Progressive in telematics technology.  Abel took a few utility and railroad questions, and is clearly ready to become the next CEO.  In fact, the company movie included videos from prior meetings where the question about succession was asked -- a question no longer asked.

• Both Buffett and Munger saw the enormous potential in artificial intelligence, but didn’t see it ultimately replacing human intelligence.

• Buffett quote of the day:  "What gives you opportunities is other people doing dumb things."

• Just before the lunch break, some too-smart-by-half dude quoted Munger from prior meetings / interviews to question whether he still believed it was 'stupid' and 'ignorant' for people to not get the "untested mRNA" COVID vaccine.  He simply replied, "Yeah, sure."

• Munger had lots of other memorable quotes as usual, but it was his term 'diworsification' that most won't remember.  He used it to refer to those who preach investing 'diversification' at all costs.  Munger and Buffett have long stated that if you only have a few good ideas, you should concentrate on those instead of hedging your bets on a bunch of other things that aren't as good.

As usual, there was so much more.  Here's a link to this meeting and others.

Meet Me At (Bud &) Mary's Place

It turns out April 20th on the calendar is a day of infamy in many ways.  In 2010 it marked the day of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that led to the largest oil spill in history.  In 1999 it was the day two stupid and heavily armed students murdered 13 people at Columbine high school -- one of the first notorious school shootings, which have since become almost commonplace.  And if you really want to go down a hole, apparently April 20th was also the day Hitler was born.

But let’s face it, April 20th is really a national day to celebrate marijuana.  You know, that federally illegal substance which is less addictive and probably less mind-altering than federally legal alcohol or prescription drugs.  Because America is repressed like that.

More states continue to authorize regulated, recreational cannabis use. Recent ones include the more liberal state of New York and the more conservative state of Missouri.  That latter one means Iowa now has neighbors bordering on two sides (Illinois being the other) that will suck up tax money for recreational sales.

Iowa still remains in the dark ages with only a limited medical marijuana program. Recently, however, I looked more closely at Iowa’s medical marijuana program, and I’m glad to say it isn't quite as draconian as I thought.  

Iowa's main retailer of medical cannabis has recently changed its name to Bud & Mary‘s, and has started a subtle yet effective marketing campaign to make sure people are aware of its availability. They even had a booth at last year’s state fair.

Based on direct knowledge I have from someone with an Iowa medical cannabis card, they aren't that difficult to get, thanks to willing physicians who sign off, many of whom are recommended by Bud & Mary's.  And while the maximum amount that can be obtained in a 90-day period is limited, one would have to be daily user to be affected by it.

Knowing that Iowa's conservative Republican legislative majority and governor have gone out of their way for years to keep recreational sales illegal, and minimize that availability of medical marijuana, it gives me great pleasure to hear that out more informed Iowa citizens have done what they can to 'stick it to the man' when it comes to access.

Now that's something to celebrate.

Blogging With Artificial Intelligence

Technology innovations come and go.  Most turn out to be nothing, but some turn out to change the world -- things like the internet / web, or cellular / smart phones.

The current most-talked-about tech innovation is artificial intelligence (AI), more specifically, ChatGPT.  It's an AI chatbot developed by a company called OpenAI.  In the vernacular, when asked for information, it can scour the web and give detailed responses for practically any topic.

Of course, the technology is still new, and it can give some strange, even inaccurate responses.  But one can certainly see how it could be a game-changer, for better or (gulp) for worse.

I signed up for the 'free' version being used for testing, and today I asked it for "A blog entry on the topic of Spring Break."  Below is the result, which I have not edited:

As the weather starts to warm up and the end of the school year approaches, students everywhere begin to eagerly anticipate spring break. This much-needed vacation is a chance for students to relax and recharge before the final stretch of the school year. In this blog entry, we'll explore the history and significance of spring break, as well as some popular destinations and activities.

History and Significance of Spring Break

The origins of spring break can be traced back to ancient civilizations, who celebrated the arrival of spring with festivals and other festivities. In the United States, the modern concept of spring break began in the 1930s, when college swim teams began traveling to Florida for training camps. Over time, other colleges and universities began scheduling their own spring breaks around the same time, and the tradition grew.

Today, spring break is an important part of the American academic calendar, and students use it as an opportunity to unwind, spend time with friends and family, and explore new places. For many students, spring break is also a chance to engage in activities that they may not have time for during the school year, such as traveling, volunteering, or pursuing hobbies.

Popular Destinations for Spring Break

One of the most popular spring break destinations in the United States is Florida, particularly cities like Miami, Panama City Beach, and Key West. These destinations offer warm weather, beautiful beaches, and a range of activities, from water sports to nightlife.

Other popular domestic destinations for spring break include Las Vegas, Nevada; Cancun, Mexico; and Puerto Rico. These destinations offer a mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation, and are popular with students looking for a more unique spring break experience.

For those looking to travel further afield, Europe is a popular destination for spring break, particularly cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona. These destinations offer a mix of culture, history, and nightlife, and are a great way for students to broaden their horizons and experience new cultures.

Activities for Spring Break

While some students choose to spend their spring break relaxing on the beach, others prefer more adventurous activities. Popular activities for spring break include hiking, camping, skiing, and snowboarding. Students may also choose to volunteer during their spring break, whether by participating in a service trip or working with a local organization to give back to the community.

Whatever your preferences, spring break is a great opportunity to explore new places, try new things, and recharge before the end of the school year. So whether you're planning a beach getaway or an adventure in the great outdoors, make the most of your spring break and enjoy this much-needed break from the rigors of academic life.

Not bad, huh?  You can certainly see how it can be used as a way of generating a first draft for something like a term paper, or news article.  Let's just hope this isn't the beginning of a takeover by our AI overlords.

What's The Harm

Have you ever wondered why so many people care so much about things that do no harm to anyone?  I have, and it’s recently been a recurring theme politically, professionally, and personally.

Starting with that former one, in Iowa and other republican-led states, politicians and their activist buddies are primarily focused on passing laws that hurt the LGBTQ community.  Why?  How are they or anyone else being harmed by library books, drag shows, or gender-identity causes?

The answer is they aren't harmed, but they're scared -- not only about change, but about losing money, power (same thing), and religion (also the same thing!).  Fake conservatives want no threats to their straight white Christian world.

Moving on the the professional front, I work with vendors who need authorization forms.  That's no problem, until they start requiring a specific manner of delivery.  We've long ago entered the digital age, and the COVID-19 pandemic made it even more common, but I still work with vendors who require original documents.

Who is harmed by accepting verifiable electronic signatures?  I guarantee these companies are going to digitize the document anyway!  I suppose the answer here is, some companies will only do things the way they've always done them.

Finally on the personal level, I've experienced an increase in the already-high number of people who want to make everything about themselves.  No conversation can be had without them taking it over, for nothing can be more important than what they or their loved ones do.

They'll even complain when told good news, if it isn't given at the time and place or their choosing.  A family / friend getting more attention harms no one; it only interrupts the desire of some for affirmation from others.  (Thanks, Facebook!)  Those who represent the 'some' should be avoided.

My conclusion in all of these items is pretty libertarian: If it harms no one else, why do you care?

The NASCAR Noncompete Clause

Another new season for NASCAR began last week, with the running of its most famous race, the Daytona 500.  Why they start their season with their biggest race is a mystery decades in the making.  To say the least, it's unique; to say the most, it's the dumbest thing a spectator 'sport' could do.

I'm not a car racing fan, I don't watch and I don't really care.  But I still can't get over how, inside every NASCAR race, are two dumber ideas that have come to fruition.  I submit to you 1) stage racing, and 2) overtime a/k/a the green-white-checkered ending.

With stage racing, each race has 2 or 3 'segments' to it, basically a prescribed number of laps.  At the end of each segment, the yellow flag comes out to pause the race, and the top finishers for each segment receive 'points' to be used in a season-long competition.

One of the outcomes of these stages is a re-bunching of the field.  So, if the driver leading the race was ahead by a lot, now his lead is gone.  In other words, it takes the strongest cars / drivers and evens them up with everyone else throughout the race.  Huh?

Imagine that happening in any other competition.  A team takes a big lead into halftime?  Reset the score for the second half.  A golfer has a big lead after two rounds?  Give the other golfers strokes to even things up.  It's unimaginably stupid.

However, when it comes to stage racing, NASCAR's overtime rules say, "Hold my beer."  The overtime rules were established years ago, after many races were being decided while the field wasn't actually racing, but proceeding 'under caution' due to a crash near the end of the race. While that type of ending was very much a buzz-kill for fans, the overtime rules don't help.

Now, instead of the race ending like that, extra laps are added, so that at least two laps can be run full-tilt to the end.  This sounds better, except it isn't.  Again, it hurts the race leader.  Plus, it often doesn't work.

Consider this year's Daytona 500, which went to overtime not once, but three separate times, because crashes just kept happening after re-starts.  In the end, NASCAR basically put the race out of its misery by declaring the race over, and naming the winner to be the car in first place at the last crash.

So after an extra 30 miles / one hour of boring caution laps, there was still no racing to the finish line.  The winner wasn't the best car / driver, it was more a matter of who was lucky enough to avoid the crashes.  Again, unimaginably stupid.

NASCAR has long fought the stereotype of being a good 'ol white boys 'sport' with fans that aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.  In the case of these rules, it takes one to know one.  If they were looking for ways to make races more boring and non-competitive, you could say they're the big winners.

We Care How You Care

Many years ago, my late mother became a resident of a long-term care facility.  While it was hours away from where I lived, over three years I still spent dozens of hours visiting her.

More recently, my wife's parents have also been, let's say, voluntarily relegated to a similar long-term care facility.  This time, it's quite near where I live, and in a short time I've already spent many hours there.

These care facility visits have made me, in my own mind, enough of an expert to know a few things that work and don't work -- not for the residents, but for the loved ones who visit them.

First, we want to have enough caretakers there to help.  Finding employees to work at these facilities wasn't easy before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's even harder now.  But figure it out -- no resident should have to wait too long for help the basic activities of daily living.

Next, we want everyone to show kindness.  Of course, there will be days that workers there are stressed, and short of time, and basically don't want to be there.  Let's just keep that to a minimum, and be as pleasant as possible to those who have no choice but to be there.

Finally, an overlooked on one for a financial-focused person like me -- let's have staff that understands the health care provider / insurance administrative labyrinth.  By this I mean a staff that can understand and explain it, and doesn't allow it (or them) to make obscene profits off of the elderly.

I have more knowledge about how medical providers and insurers operate than most, and I still struggle to understand the rules and costs.  The residents of care facilities are already losing their independence, let's not let them unnecessarily lose their money.

Beware The Phog

If I had a written bucket list, which at this time I do not, some of the items would involve attendance at certain sports events and/or sports venues.  I was able to make it to one of those venues this month, Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, home of University of Kansas basketball.

This is possibly the most famous college basketball venue in America.  Its history is magnified by the success of the men's team, which as of this writing has the most wins of any large university, along with several national championships (including last year).

I attended a close game between #14 ranked Iowa State and #2 ranked Kansas, so presumably I experienced everything the venue and crowd had to offer.  So did the visit meet my expectations?  Yes, but not all in a good way.....

When people refer to Allen Fieldhouse (named after former coach Phog Allen), they don't say 'old' they say 'historic' to put lipstick on a pig.  Yes, it has hosted historic games, and even has on display the original first draft of the rules of basketball by the game's creator, James Naismith.  The entrance also doubles as the KU Athletic Hall of Fame, with many trophies and pictures to be seen.

However, 'old' also means 'not contemporary'.  It has mostly uncomfortable fieldhouse seating, with hard-to-get-at wooden bleachers that have you sitting next to the feet of the people behind you.  Let's just say it isn't spectator friendly by today's standards.  Age comes with a cost, in both people and structures.

It's also not visiting-team friendly, in the sense it's small by dimension but still holds 16,000 people.  The crowd is very close to the court, and consequently, very loud.  When you can't hear the person next to you shouting in your ear, it's noisy.  It's quite a home-court advantage.  To make a football comparison, I'd refer to Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City -- another very old structure with close bleacher seating.

The Kansas fans themselves were a good group, friendly and very knowledgeable about the game. They knew when to cheer or not, when to complain about officiating or not, that sort of thing.  Put differently, they know and respect the game and opponent.  To make another football comparison, I'd refer to Nebraska football fans at their home games. -- also friendly and game-knowledgeable.

One odd thing about the Kansas fans.....there were an unusually large number of them wearing the team jersey of a current or former player.  That's something you might see at a professional sports event, but it was very strange to see it at a college basketball game. 

All told, it was a fun trip to your basic college town, with a very old, er, I mean historic basketball venue.