What It Means for a Leader (e.g., a President) to "Take Responsibility"

It is easy to take responsibility when things go right (as Kennedy said, "victory has a thousand fathers"). It is extremely difficult to find someone to take responsibility when things go wrong (as Kennedy said, "defeat is an orphan"). It is a complete cop-out, and the antithesis of taking responsibility, to say, "I take responsibility" if that is accompanied by the following qualifier: "Even though things did not go as well as we might have wished, everything went as good as they could have gone." 

[EOP]

Only Murders in This Building (2021 Series on Hulu)

This is the first week/episode of Only Murders in This Building with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. It's quirky for sure. But you get drawn in for sure, and it looks like it will be a series worth watching, with both laughs and mystery and a bit of pathos thrown in. The episodes are under a half hour which is big positive. 

[EOP] 

Imminent Phoenix Restaurant Closure

As if the pandemic weren't bad enough, I regret to inform you that one of everyone's favorite restaurants is closing any day between now and January. I'm not at liberty to disclose its crazy name or it's location other than to say it is across 15th Avenue from where the original Lenny's Burgers was.

[EOP]

Fantastic Fungi (2019 Documentary on Netflix (free) and Amazon Prime (small rental fee))

Documentaries are not my thing, but Fantastic Fungi is totally riveting both because of its amazing photography and because of the story it tells. As it turns out, fungi (mushrooms) were the key drivers to humans' development and ascendency and could be the key to survival of the planet. In short, this film opens an entirely new look into our planet and its history and its future. If you think the internet and brain synapses are intricate transmitters of knowledge, you ain't seen nothing. But wait, there's more. The last half hour of the film deals with the medicinal (including psychedelic) applications of mushrooms, which might explain why mushroom coffee (yes, there is such a thing) might enhance one's energy level. Like any good film, it is under 2 hours (1h 20m to be precise) making it possible to watch in one evening and easy to watch it over two.

IMDb Link to Fantastic Fungi

 

Automatically Delete Spam in Gmail and Outlook

Although you run the risk of not seeing an email that was coded as spam but actually was not spam, if you want to delete incoming spam automatically rather than have it appear in the spam folder here is how:

For Gmail:

Open your Gmail Settings by clicking on the Gear button.

Select Filters tab from it.

Now click on Create a New Filter.

Now a window will pop-up, look for the Has the Words field in this window and type "in:spam" without quotes.

Leave all other fields empty and click Create Filter with this Search and select OK to proceed to next step.

Check mark the box Delete it and Also Apply filter to next to Create Filter and click on Create Filter.

Now you will see a message Your Filter was Created.

For Outlook:

Click on Home/Junk/Junk Email Options and check the Permanently Delete Box

[EOP]

Getting Onto a Streaming Site (e.g., Hulu) for the First Time

Say you just added Hulu but, when you go to watch it on your TV, your profile and watch list are not there. If you have a TV that's even a few years old, that it shows a streaming site, like Hulu, does not mean it's the updated, current streaming site. And if your TV cannot update the site, then you need to access it through your Amazon Fire Stick or Roku Stick to be able to see, for example, your profile and watch list. This might seem obvious, but when you call say Hulu for tech support, Tier 1 does not understand the problem and hence cannot advise you as to the fix, so you need to have the issue escalated or get a newer TV or just always access through your Fire or Roku Stick.

[EOP]

The Courier (2020 Movie on Amazon Prime)

The Courier is a true story about espionage surrounding the Cuban missile crisis. I won't say any more other than to say it is riveting, extremely well scripted, flawlessly acted, and totally engrossing. I also must confess it was recommended by the not-so-loyal reader who recommended the last two things, and while many would have bet he could not come up on the right side with three in a row, he somehow has managed to do so with this recommendation. His next recommendation is This Way Up on Hulu. We'll see.

IMDb Link to The Courier 

[EOP]

Streaming Services to Multiple TVs

Many (perhaps all) streaming services (such as Netflix and Hulu) have a plan that allows streaming to 2 TVs at once. As a result, if you know someone with a streaming account who uses just one TV, you might asked to be added to that account and you can split the monthly fee (in that way, in the case of Hulu, each household gets the advantage of Hulu ad-free (which cost $12) for the cost of Hulu with ads (which cost $6)). Or, if you have a streaming account and use just one TV, you might offer someone else to be added to your account. These are what are known as win/win things.

[EOP]

USB-c Charging Port

On the next laptop you get, be sure its USB-c connection is a charging port (in all likelihood it will be). Such a port is 2-way, in that items connected to it that need to be charged will charge and if you plug a charging USB-c cable into it, the laptop will charge. If I understand this correctly, it means you don't need a separate plug-in charger which might be a convenience at home but certainly is a convenience when traveling.

[EOP] 

Further Laudation for Acer

Earlier posts have given high marks for an Acer laptop. Based on anecdotal evidence of 1 data point, Acer tech support is fast and easy to get on the phone, and they are highly professional, courteous, and helpful on an issue not covered by The Google. 

[EOP]

How to Help Afghans Arriving in U.S.

This PBS News article sets out various ways one might help Afghans arriving in the United States.

[EOP]

Triaging Medical Care Based on Vaccination Status

Here is the intro to a recent article, the full text of which can be read in this link to WAPO.

"Two patients need urgent care. The first was vaccinated against the coronavirus at the earliest opportunity and has complied with advisories on masks and social distancing. The second has been skeptical about covid-19 from the start, has declined offers to be vaccinated and even now rejects masks as a violation of personal liberty. Unfortunately, there is room for only one at the hospital. Should vaccination status be considered in deciding who receives care?

"The question is hypothetical, but it may not be for much longer. Hospitals in Kentucky, Washington, Florida and several other states are reported to be at or near capacity. Scores of Texas hospitals have run out of ICU beds. This wouldn’t be happening if everyone eligible for vaccination had accepted the jab. Is it time to put those who are endangering public health by refusing vaccines on notice that if they need care they will go to the end of the line, behind the patients who acted responsibly?"

PS: Those not heeding the evacuation order issued on the Gulf Coast with Hurricane Ida boring down were warned not to expect EMT or other life-saving service. There would seem to be ample justification to issue a similar warning to those not heeding the compelling call to be vaccinated.

[EOP]

Getting Post-Sale Price Reduction From Costco and Some Cautionary Notes

When you buy a significant product, like an Acer laptop, if Costco's price drops on it within 30 days, Costco will give you the benefit of (i.e., refund you the amount of) that price drop which might be substantial. It is easy to submit a request for such a refund online under Customer Service. But there are some tricky things and hidden aspects to this:

1. You need to check to see if there has been a price drop. Costco will not do it for you.

2. If the item your ordered no longer is available, you won't see it online, so you'll need to call Costco to find out if there had been a sale price you did not get the benefit of.

3. To be sure when you check, don't just look at the model name. It is necessary to check the Costco Item No. and the model number. For example, they look alike the Acer 1165G7 is not the same as the Acer 1135G7 (the former has an Intel i7 processor while the latter has an Intel i5), which accounts for a $100-$200 difference because of the speed and graphic display differences.

4. If you mess up on the online refund request submission by not realizing one or all of the pitfalls noted above, call Costco (1-800-955-2292) and a nice rep will be glad to straighten it all out without calling you an idiot for the mistakes you made. In fact, she might even acknowledge that Costco's procedures are not as clear-cut and user friendly as one might hope they would be. 

5. I can't say how long it might take to get through to a Costco phone rep at other times, but early Sunday morning appears to be an optimal time to call.

[EOP]

Speed Cleaning Your (and Your Kids') Teeth With "Whole Mouth" Toothbrushes

Unnervingly futuristic, these high-tech toothbrushes promise to scrub your teeth thoroughly in 20 seconds. That’s the proposition of new “whole mouth” toothbrushes, which rely on vibration and a preponderance of bristles packed inside a structure resembling a mouth guard to deliver an up-to-snuff scrubbing in as little as 20 seconds—10 each for top and bottom sets of teeth. It's all explained in this article from the WSJ .

[EOP]

Why We Love the Pain of Hot Peppers

Chilies [yup, that's the correct spelling] have a defense mechanism in the form of the chemical compound capsaicin, the principal function of which is to cause pain for predators. The scientific term for this is “directed deterrence.” Eating spicy chilies has the effect of a self-induced chemical attack. The evolutionary puzzle is figuring out why we do it. If you're interested in the possible answers, just read this article from the WSJ .

[EOP]

Backing Up Sticky Notes

Sticky Notes are incredibly handy to keep stuff at ready reference. It's worthy of Taskbar status. It is painful if something goes blooey and you have to re-enter the data. That pain is avoidable if you just back up Sticky Notes. Here is how:

Step 1. Open the Run dialog using Windows + R keys. 

Step 2. Type the path below and click "OK" to open Sticky Notes file location:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MicrosoftStickyNotes_8wekyb3d8bbwe\

or

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Sticky Notes\

Step 3. Right-click to copy the StickyNotes.snt or plum.sqlite file to an external hard drive or USB.

[EOP]

Finding Your Windows Product Key

It is a good idea to keep your Windows Product Key Number in case you have to do a re-install or other such remedial thing. To get it, open Command Processor as Administrator (which you can do by typing "cmd" (without the quotes) into the Search box), and then type or paste in the following: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey 

[EOP]

America in Decline?

“Tell me," Ludwig Wittgenstein's asked a friend, "why do people always say, it was natural for man to assume that the sun went round the earth rather than that the earth was rotating?" His friend replied, "Well, obviously because it just looks as though the Sun is going round the Earth." Wittgenstein replied, "Well, what would it have looked like if it had looked as though the Earth was rotating?” Given that, it might be fair to ask and reflect on this question: What would America look like today if it is in decline? Or conversely, what would America look like today if it is not in decline?

[EOP

Superbad (2007 Movie on Netflix) and a Movie-Watching Tip

Emboldened by the laudation he got for recommending This Is Forty, the not-so-loyal-reader, who has a spotty record when it comes to movie recommendations (or much of anything,) has tried for 2 in a row with his recommendation of Superbad. This movie will not appeal to as wide an audience as This Is Forty, and its R rating should be heeded although, unfortunately, it's principally just the language that earned it. It is easy to see why the recommender laughed his fxxxin (aside: inspired by the movie's most used word) axs off as the movie progresses from one inane scene after another in a classic coming-of-age story of senior high schoolers obsessed with the things such youth are obsessed with. Again, you might see glimmers of yourself here, but you also might wish you hadn't. Putting aside the excellent performances put in by the leads--Michael Cera and Jonah Hill--you won't be disappointed to see Emma Stone's and Seth Rogen's either. And putting aside the language, the dialogue is actually well written as well as being well delivered. Finally, there are many scenes that are simply laugh out loud hilarious. Note that it will be evacuated out of Netflix on August 31, but you can rent it after that on Amazon Prime for $3.

Movie-Watching Tip: Yesterday's review of This Is Forty urged always to watch the post-film credits. Sometimes, as with Superbad, don't! Unless you like childish drawings of things that need not be drawn.

IMDb Link to Superbad

Backyard BBQs: A Meal for a Night, a Memory for a Lifetime

Bush’s Baked Beans commissioned a OnePoll survey that reportedly found that 72% of Americans have fond memories of grilling with family. "This summer has been a time for families and friends to come back together," Bush’s Brand Manager Penny Caudill told the British news agency. She went on, "And the grill remains a place where we can all get together and enjoy our favorite foods that make summer beautiful, from burgers to hot dogs to baked beans." The survey, which consulted 2,006 Americans, also found that more than half – 51% – believe outdoor barbecues are an "ideal" social gathering for summer 2021, which coincides with the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

[EOP]

The Chair (Netflix Series)

Everyone has seen it and liked it so there's no point reviewing it here.

[EOP] 

This Is 40 (2012 Movie on HBO Max and Prime (Although Not Free) and a Movie-Watching Tip

Recommended by a not-so-loyal-reader who has a spotty record when it comes to movie recommendations (or much of anything), he managed to eek one out with his praise of This Is 40. When one thinks of coming-of-age movies, one normally thinks of gawky teenagers. Throwing off that shackled view, this movie looks at a couple's coming-of-age-40, and does a heck of a job of it, as well as portraying their kids in a realistic way. While not without its poignancy, it's very funny. Unlike much stuff being filmed today that has gratuitous raunchiness to apparently prove how hip it is, the raunchiness here fits perfectly in the story. Also unlike much stuff being filmed today that feels the need to exaggerate the characterizations in Tennessee Williams-esque fashion, you know these people or you might even see some glimmers of yourself. The only drawback is that it runs over 2 hours (with a scene or two that might have been cut or shortened) so it takes 2 nights or a night and part of an afternoon to watch it. But that's forgivable--especially given the casting. There is character after character whose name you might not know, or you get confused as to who the actor really is, but they're perfectly casted and you know you've seen them before. Lastly, the music is terrific, and when you watch the post-film credits (as noted in the tip below), you will be knocked out by who wrote and performed much of it.

Movie-Watching Tip: Always watch through the end of the post-film credits. Sometimes, there will be nothing. But sometimes, as here, there is a fabulous performance that, even if you didn't like the movie (which is not really possible), you would kick yourself with your footbone if you knew what you missed.

IMDb Link to This Is 40

3:2 vs 16:9 Laptop Screen Aspects

While I wasn't looking, laptops, which always had 16:9 screen aspects, started coming out with 3:2 screen aspects. Totally by accident, and not aware what I was buying one, my new laptop, while the same 13" screen size as my previous ones, had a different shape--it is much squarer and less rectangular. This article, entitled Good Bye and Good Riddance to the 16:9 Screen Aspect, will tell you everything you might like to know about the issue.

[EOP]

School Masking Dispute Solution

Separate-but-Equal was an horrendous and unconstitutional education policy when based on race, but it just might work when based on masking to resolve the masking dispute. Here is how: Where possible, confine unmasked students and teachers to different buildings or at least different classrooms than those attended by masked students and teachers, and where not possible, split the school day into two shifts, one for masked students and teachers and the other for unmasked students and teachers. One way or another, the number of unmasked classroom attendees might shrink over time.

[EOP]

Further Tip on Setting Up a New Computer and a Warning

1. Setting up new computer, while still a significant undertaking to get all the settings the way you want them, really has become much easier. Just don't buy a lemon. All kinds of things you've been using all along just seem to pop-up and the plug-and-play capability has advanced dramatically.

2. Several months ago, there was a blog post that touted the Acer Swift 3X as the top laptop. There is now personal anecdotal evidence and one additional data point that confirms that tout. 

3. Warning: If you want to be able to access your computer without putting in a pin, be VERY CAREFUL in the initial set up to be sure you have the login be through a local account and not through your Microsoft account. Otherwise, you will have to set up a separate local account later, and that has its own issues. You can get rid of the lock screen but that requires a registry edit, which I'll leave to The Google to explain. That said, it's not hard.

4. Do not wait until your current computer goes dead before setting up a new computer. Being able to access and copy the settings from your current computer when setting up the new computer really is a huge benefit.

[EOP]

Preliminary Tips on Setting Up a New Computer

1. Do NOT buy a lemon. If you do, return it immediately. Given the return issues with various sources, Costco is your best bet re ease and speed of returns.

2. While not as easy as going to a new cellphone, they (and you know who they are) have made the transition to a new computer easier than it was. Indeed, when you first turn it on, you might find much of your desktop icons and all your documents there for you.

3. If you make a booboo, like deleting your beloved New Tab Page which no longer can be downloaded, consider it an opportunity to find a new one. Speed Dial 2 (from the Google Chrome store) turns out to be better, cleaner, and easier to use.

4. Microsoft apparently has done something to make disabling your pin and lock screen a bit of a challenge. Likely it will require a change of the registry in which event, put it off until you are fresh in the morning.

[EOP]

The Chair (Netflix Series)

Everyone is talking about The Chair and watching it and raving about it. Even if you are a discerning critic and find that the characters might be portrayed in a somewhat overstated manner and a more sublime and nuanced portrayal might have been preferred, there's no question (based at least on two episodes) it is very good and worth watching. Some who have finished say it's worth finishing. Others who have not have their doubts but they are plugging away. If you've ever had to deal with the internal politics of an academic department, you will definitely be grabbed by it. Although Pembroke no longer is a stand-alone school, it was at one point in its connection with Brown tougher to get into than Radcliffe, but if you had higher SATs and Latin AP scores, that would not be a problem. 

[EOP] 

Definition of "Breakthrough Covid-19 Infections"

The technical definition for the term "breakthrough Covid-19 infections" is testing positive after being fully vaccinated. Many experts consider this highly misleading, and argue (with much persuasive force) that non-symptomatic infections should not be counted. And if they are not, then the statistics you are seeing on the matter would be seen as highly misleading.

[EOP]

The U.S. Debt Ceiling Issue Explained

As if they didn't have enough to be worried about, many loyal readers have expressed concern about the U.S. debt ceiling and the implications of its not being raised. While that is an area of my expertise, I decided to have my friend, Alan Binder, explain that matter, which you read in this note that he sent me. I agreed he could also publish it in the WSJ.

[EOP]

Resetting a Computer to It's Factory Settings

While some computers might enable it differently, if you want to delete everything that you've put on your computer (all the files and data and settings) and restore the computer to its factory settings (i.e., to how it was before you turned it on for the first time), when you start to boot up the computer, begin pushing the F11 key, and there will be a few prompts to answer, and then all you have to do is wait. It's a good thing to do before disposing of a computer.

[EOP] 

Modern Love (Season 2 on Amazon Prime)

The first episode of the second season is pretty good, and is an innovative look at the subject matter of this series. But every one of the remaining episodes can be skipped--the stories range from boring at the best to terrible and inane at the worst. There's nothing wrong with the acting or photography or anything else ... just the stories, which aren't worth telling and from which nothing is learned or worth reflecting on. If you decide to pass on this series because of this review, you might consider giving special thanks to our principal cinema critic (me) who slogged through episode after episode with the vain hope a good one would come along.

[EOP] 

How Pfizer's Full FDA Approval Might Help the Cause

It would seem unlikely that there are a significant number of people who have been refusing or failing to get vaccinated  who will now get vaccinated just because the approval level went from EUA to Full. But, one difference Full Approval does make is that it should remove any hesitancy of any employer to require being vaccinated as a condition of employment or any entity to restrict its availability and resources only to people who have been vaccinated. A second difference Full Approval makes is that Pfizer may now advertise its Covid-19 vaccine. Given the billions it has made and will continue to make, it could be helpful if Pfizer flooded the airwaves and social media with advertising that is more effective than the advertising has been to date. Heck, if Pharma (Quincy Bioscience) can sell Prevagen as a brain/memory supplement with its connection to jelly fish, it can sell anything. Indeed, maybe the best route would be for Pfizer to rebrand and rename its Covid-19 vaccine and promote it as the secret to everlasting life or as the elixir that will stop this country from being taken over by socialists and immigrants.

[EOP] 

We Are All America Firsters

Lest there be any doubt whether or not we (and I include myself) are all America Firsters, setting  to the side what's happening in Afghanistan, the distribution pattern of Covid-19 vaccinations puts to rest any argument on that front.

[EOP] 

Never Leave Your Home Without Your License, Vaccine Record, and Passport

If you have a cellphone, there is no excuse for ever leaving your house without your diver's license, vaccine record, and passport. If you have an Android phone, Google Keep is a clean, simple app to "pull" these items from your photos and keep them handy. If you have an iPhone, and insist on keeping it, the Note App will do the same.

[EOP]

There's No Need to Lose Anything Any Moe

With today's technology, you don't need to lose anything. There are GPS disks that will work so you never lose your luggage or your keys or anything else you can attach a disk to. A dog got loose in our neighborhood causing great consternation and a frantic search to find the dog (which after 2 days was found). Had the owner laid out a few dollars for a tag for the dog's collar, much anxiety and distress would have avoided. Same goes for cats. Not to mention kids. Just put "tracking disk" (without quotes) in The Google and you will find no shortage of options at all price points.

[EOP]

13" x 15" Laptop: Revised View and a Note on Laptop Supply

Especially if you're using the laptop at home connected to an external monitor and keyboard, forget everything I said in the earlier post, and go with the 13" laptop. Also, stay away from HP. Maybe they just produce a lemon now and then, but when they do, it's a doozie. While it came from Costo so return was not a problem, Costco's selection of computers has become pretty not so good. Actually, the chip shortage appears to be affecting all sellers (e.g., you might have to wait weeks for a lower priced XPS from Dell). 

[EOP] 

Why Do We Shout When We Argue

I am hounded by loyal readers and others wanting to know why some people (such as myself) never raise my voice, even during arguments, while others find it impossible to remain so serene. This WSJ article has a fairly cogent analysis of the matter, which comes down to this: Research shows that some of you are overconfident in your beliefs but underconfident about being heard. So you compensate by being loud.

[EOP]

Possible Escape From Capital Gains Taxes

[Prefatory Note: This should not be considered financial or any kind of advice]

I have been hounded by loyal readers looking to eliminate or reduce their capital gains tax exposure, who are oblivious to my plight of not owning any capital asset that has increased in value. This WSJ article discusses how quirks in a U.S. Treaty with Malta turn into a tax play. An offshore tax shelter promises rich Americans they can avoid lots of capital-gains taxes by setting up pension plans in Malta—and maybe some can. 

[EOP]

The Irony of Foreign Policy Disasters

It is impossible to quantify the damage Trump did from a foreign policy perspective in general or to our relations with allies including NATO in particular. But, with Trump's defeat at the polls and the election of Biden, it was hoped that the world in general and our allies in particular would see Trump's era as a one-off and Biden's arrival as restorative of American ideals and promises. Biden's handling of the evacuation, together with the mumbo jumbo and obvious dissembling both by Biden himself now in 3 addresses to the nation, and by his press office, the State Department, and the Defense Department on a daily basis, casts doubt that the hoped-for one-off view will hold.

[EOP]

Boosters to Boost Pfizer and Moderna Revenues

As this WSJ article sets out, as Covid-19 boosters loom, Pfizer and Moderna expect to see billions more in sales. Specifically, the spread of the Delta variant is increasing demand for messenger RNA vaccines and boosters, while the companies raise prices.

[EOP]

The Sabbath Setting on Your Oven

Unless your oven is anti-religion, it should have a setting that will honor the sabbath even if your forget to as explained in this WSJ article.

[EOP]

13" vs 15" Laptop

I've been a big proponent of 13" laptops, and they certainly are lighter and easier to travel with and they take up less desk space when you are using your laptop as your hub. But, and while setting up a new computer with all your favorite settings and such is simply a horrendous task, there are two substantial advantages of a 15" laptop: The screen is significantly bigger and the keyboard is bigger and friendlier. Again, these are not advantages in your hub environment, but they outweigh the weight issue when traveling.

[EOP] 

PS re the Covid-19 Booster Shots

Further to the earlier post (as to which all the disclaimers and caveats that were mentioned there apply here), one additional issue has surfaced on the timing of getting the Covid-19 booster shots, and that is the extent to which their effectiveness is raised depending on how long out one is from one's second shot. Put another way, there appears to be some lack of clarity as to the extent to whether one's immune system protection will be raised more if the booster shot is taken 8+ months after the second shot than it would be if the booster shot is taken sooner. One can think of battery preservation, which might or might not be an apt analogy, where the better practice for charging a battery is waiting until the charge level drops to a given level.

[EOP]

How to Handle a Simultaneous Internet and Computer Blowup

Problem: After an ISP outage of 24 hours is cleared, your router cannot see the internet and no quick troubleshooting (e.g., reboots of everything) works to fix it, and then your computer shuts down on its own and will not revive no matter what.

Solution on the Computer Front: There is no other fix for the computer than sending it back for a new motherboard which, if you're out of warranty, is not worth it. Having a second (back-up) computer and having your data backed up is not a pain-free solution, but it's better than nothing. When you go to immediately buy what will be a new second (back-up) computer, which you likely will make your primary computer, be careful that it has a separate A/C power charger port and does not, as Lenovo now does, use the laptop's only USB-C port for charging which will mean you'll need a docking station, and travel becomes more cumbersome.

Solution on the Router Front: This is too long a story, but what will make the solution easier (although still involving excruciating pain and frustration and sleep deprivation) is if you have a back-up router and back-up modem from the same manufacturer. In that event, you can call the manufacturer and not face any finger pointing as the second tier works with you for 3+ hours late into the night through all the manual setting configurations to find what will work. Yes, it typically is the case now that you just plug in a modem and router and all works beautifully. But as a certain president of a certain country seems not to understand, sometimes things can go terribly wrong and, while it is not always possible to prevent them from doing so, you might have a back-up plan ready to go in the event they do go wrong. Some will say that such an approach is more important in foreign affairs when thousands of lives are at stake than it is with a home computer set up. And they would be correct.

[EOP]

Possible Thanksgiving Shortage of Smaller Turkeys

 This article from Food and Wine explains why there might be a shortage this Thanksgiving of smaller (under 16 lb) turkeys. It's all pandemic related, but it's a good micro-version of the supply/demand/shortage issues that have played and continue to play havoc in our supply chains.

PS: SPEAKING OF TURKEYS: My computer and my internet both blew up on the same day. There might be a lull for a while in new posts. I apologize for any inconvenience.

[EOP]

Proof the MSM Is Fake News

When they announced that Gov. Abbott of Texas had tested positive for Covid-19, every TV channel introduced the story of his getting extensive regeneron and monoclonal treatments not generally available and needed by others with symptomatic reactions, and his continuing to attend large indoor gatherings unmasked and oblivious to social distancing, by saying, "We wish the governor  a speedy recovery."  

[EOP]

How to Shop From Local Businesses on The Amazon

Many people hate The Amazon for many good reasons. Among those reasons is the harm The Amazon poses for small, local businesses. This cnet article explains how to customize your search to find what you want at local small businesses. 

[EOP]

Some Considerations re a Booster Covid-19 Shot

 [Prefatory Note: It looks like there will be authorization for a booster (third) shot to be administered  8 months after your second shot. There is much discussion now about getting the booster sooner than it is authorized. I am not a doctor and what follows is not based on what any doctor has said as far as I know. It should not be taken as medical or any kind of advice nor as the expression of any view. It is just some issues you might think about or talk to your doctor about before trying to get a booster shot in advance of its being authorized. While doing so does not raise the same “line jumping” issues when vaccines were in limited supply, there are some considerations, including ethical ones, that one might take into account]

1. Will the early booster shot appear on your vaccination record and, if not, if you ever have to prove your vaccination status will you be able to prove you got a booster?

2. If the booster does not appear on your vaccination record, is there any way you will be able to have a second booster appear on your vaccination record?

3. Are you sure if you get a third shot now that the dosage for the booster when authorized will be the same and, if not, might that matter?

4. Are you aware if there are any risks in getting a third shot earlier than what becomes the recommended interval.

5. Do you know now if it will be better to get a booster from the same source (Pfizer or Moderna) than you got your first two shots from or might it be better and authorized to mix sources?

6. If a second booster becomes recommended, what will be the implication of having gotten the first booster that does not appear on your vaccination record?

7. Are you comfortable that your medical record as it appears in your medical documentation and taken into account by those giving you medical treatment is not accurate when it comes to the booster shots?

8. Do you have any concern that the booster shot you get now might not be authorized for general use or for people with your particular medical profile, and, if so, might it matter to you what the reason will be for the decision not to authorize it? 

9. Are you comfortable having to misrepresent your vaccine status and hence your entitlement to get a booster shot ahead of when it is authorized for someone of your status?

[EOP]

Crazy Jim's (Phoenix on 15th Avenue Just South of Indian School)

Crazy Jim's (the one on 15th Avenue at Indian School, not the one downtown) is as good as it ever was. And ordering take-out online from the Crazy Jim's Website is one of the easiest and most customizable online ordering systems ever.

[EOP]

What an Incredibly Sad and Horrific Day

As if the scenes from Afghanistan were not raw enough, and the incompetence that led to them were not evident enough, to watch a president (especially one not named Trump) fail to rise to the occasion was devastating. The issue it was thought he would address was not whether or not to leave Afghanistan. The issue was what went wrong in the evacuation under his watch and what would he do. Whether Biden is not seeing what's happening or pretending not to see or not understand what's happening, his Trumpian effort to change the topic or otherwise spin it away and blame the victims along with anyone else but himself or his advisors and ignore the abject failure is plain to what everyone (friend and foe alike) is seeing with their own eyes. Biden's failure to take the responsibility that those who deserve to be in positions of leadership take because it is the core of their job will be a stain of historic proportions. His abdication of leadership just might also cripple his efforts to get this country where he says he wants to take it. 

[PS: On what could be seen as a related note, just as Biden inherited Afghanistan, Biden inherited the pandemic. As justified as his blaming the unvaccinated for the mess we are now in is, his blaming the Afghan victims had no place in his speech, and he might ask Lyndon Johnson how botching the handling of an inheritance worked out]

[EOP]

The White Lotus: Episode 6

Of course, having not watched since the first episode. I didn't watch this episode, which is the last episode of the series, but I am told it is glorious that the series has ended. Apparently, this final episode, and the ending(s), were perfectly fitting to how bad all the other episodes were. The only good thing, I'm told, is that one guy stopped wearing a Cornell cap. Everyone's fondest hope is that a second season involving this resort or any one from this first season is not made, and that the writers are not hired to do anything else.

[EOP] 

HBO Max to Be Fixed

The HBO Max smart TV apps have been less than reliable, to put it mildly, but WarnerMedia appears ready to turn things around thanks to our complaining to them vociferously on behalf of our loyal readers. An anonymous WarnerMedia executive talking to Vulture claims the HBO Max team will replace all its smart TV apps with brand new versions inside of the "next four or five months." Roku and PlayStation owners would receive the overhauled apps first, followed by Apple TV users near the end of 2021. Mobile and web viewers would have to wait until early 2022.

The existing apps have suffered from a number of serious flaws, ranging from broken playback controls to forgotten settings and sluggishness. Roku users have faced more problems than most, with lockups and crashes sometimes making the HBO Max app unusable.

The problems reportedly stem from WarnerMedia's scramble to launch HBO Max in May. Where many rivals built their streaming apps from scratch, the current HBO Max app is a repurposed version of the software meant for HBO Go and HBO Now. It was built to handle high demand, but it wasn't meant to cope with an increasingly global audience streaming much more than Game of Thrones.

[EOP]

Maureen Dowd on Obama

Prefatory Note: As gratifying, thrilling, and inspiring as it was to see Obama elected president, his handling of the presidency was at best a head-scratcher. While he wasn't the Republican that Bill Clinton was or as inept at improving health care as Hillary Clinton was, he seemed to many not to either enjoy or be as effective at politics and leadership as say Lyndon Johnson was. Simply put, whether because he disliked it or had no experience at it, Obama was a terrible negotiator, as he disarmed himself voluntarily time and again to the detriment of what he supposedly believed in. But the portrait painted by Maureen Dowd is as devastating as it is well written, drawing the damning parallels with both Gatsby and Antoinette. A gaping flaw in the piece is the focus on the guest-list issue to the exclusion of focusing on his holding any such party while the Delta variant rages out of control. Still, it is a must-read.

[EOP]

Dealing With FedEx (and a Tip on Shipping)

FedEx is very difficult to deal with when you have a problem, even one that is totally their fault. Just getting through to a real person by phone is not easy. Here's the secret if the problem gets to the point where it's not solvable promptly and to your satisfaction: Ask for and insist on getting the special number of their Customer Advocacy group. Actually, you need not bother, here it is: 866-205-2029. Don't stress if you get conflicting promises and statements, and everything they told you turns out to be wrong. In any event, the bottom-line is this: Even if they tell you something cannot be done--like a Sunday pickup, it can be done even if the pick up is done by a nasty and resentful manager. All that said, unless you absolutely cannot do so, if you are doing a return of an order at no cost authorized by the merchant that has generated the shipping label and enabled it to be picked up at your house, eschew the pick up option and take the thing to a FedEx office.

[EOP] 

There are two paragraphs from Biden's statement on Afghanistan worthy of note (this post was written early Sunday morning before everything fell apart):

First, the mini-Trumpian (i.e., not using words like "fire and fury") threat to the Taliban: "[W]e have conveyed to the Taliban representatives in Doha, via our Combatant Commander, that any action on their part on the ground in Afghanistan, that puts U.S. personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift and strong U.S. military response." Yeah, like that makes the Taliban tremble and comforts and inspires our allies.

Second, the actual-Trumpian blame it on someone else while ignoring reality (as explained below): " When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor—which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019—that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on U.S. Forces. Shortly before he left office, he also drew U.S. Forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500. Therefore, when I became President, I faced a choice—follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our Forces and our allies’ Forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country’s civil conflict. I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan—two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth." The ignored reality is that Biden had a third choice: Reverse Trump's pull-out decision and leave 2,500 U.S. troops there indefinitely. There have been 2,500 U.S. troops there for the past several years with NOT ONE casualty and the country (or at least the cities) remaining out of the Taliban's control, at an infinitesimal cost compared to what we have spent and will continue to spend to have kept troops in German, Japan, South Korea and elsewhere for more than half a century.

[EOP]

Throw Away the Kitchen Timer

Whenever I cook, I am hounded for my recipe or other secret as to how the meal came out to be so delicious. Here's the secret: Forget the recipe, forget the timer, experiment, ad-lib, and do what feels right. In other words, take a walk on the wild side.  This article from the WSJ addresses the timer issue. It also, at least inferentially, suggests that waiting for an oven to reach a specified pre-heating level is unnecessary and a waste of energy and money. 

[EOP]

Controlling Your Body Temperature Through Your Wrists: The Embr Lab Waves 2

It looks like a watch but it's not. The Embr Lab Waves 2 uses a compact thermoelectric heat pump to create a series of cool or warm sensations that you feel on your inner wrist. You control the temperature level and set the duration from 5 - 60 minutes, based on your needs. Cooling or warming just one little spot on your inner wrist can change how you feel overall, without affecting your core body temperature. That’s because of your body's innate response to temperature sensations on your skin and the pathway those thermal signals travel to your brain. It costs a bit more than a neck towel wrap we covered in a previous post (perhaps disqualifying it as a stocking stuffer but certainly makes for a unique and wonderful present), and it comes in a myriad of colors. 

Link to Embr Waves Website

[EOP]

The "Endowment Effect" Impact on Investing Decisions

This article in the WSJ by Jason Zweig discusses a fascinating psychological aspect of investing: The longer you own an asset, the more valuable it becomes to you even if it's not in reality more valuable. As it turns out, the article explains, admitting one's investment mistakes is a key to greater returns.

[EOP]

Tip on Dealing With a Service Problem

If you have a problem with an order or a service with a company you're dealing with online, when you phone to get it corrected, try to enlist the phone rep as your partner to help solving the problem the company caused which you understand is not the fault of the rep who otherwise is trying to get you to just go away. It won't always work, but the chance of success in solving the problem is much enhanced. Thus, if you keep a calm but stern voice, explain how upset you are and how terrible the service/issue has been, but, and most important, you are talking about the rep's company and not the rep, whom you hope can help you in dealing with the company, it just might do wonders. In all events, threatening stuff that the phone rep couldn't care less about and unduly raising your voice at one extreme likely is counterproductive, as is being meek and pleading at the other extreme.

[EOP]

Stop Rinsing Before Loading Dishwashers

As this Wire Cutter Article explains, there is no reason to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. And there are good reasons, including saving water and money, and your dishes actually will get cleaner, if you do not rinse before loading. 

[EOP]

Cellphone/Tablet Repair Options

If your smart device needs a repair, say a cracked screen, before taking it to a local or franchise repair outlet, check your manufacturer's options. First, having them do the fix might be less expensive (indeed half the price) and you can be assured the replacement parts will be originals and not knock-offs. Illustratively, U-Break-It would charge $250 to replace a Samsung S10e screen while Samsung would charge $140. Second, you might find a trade-in option with the manufacturer that will work for you as well as or perhaps even better than a repair.

PS: I have no experience with U-Break-It other than calling them for the above estimate and their then scheduling me for an appointment when I made no appointment and then calling me to ask me why I missed my appointment. Looking at reviews across The Google, some people rave about them and others wouldn't get within 100 feet of them.

[EOP] 

Modern Love (Season 2 on Amazon Prime)

Most of the episodes of Season 1 of Modern Love were very good and some were exceptionally good, as noted in these blog posts. If Season 2 comes close, it's worth watching. It's now available on Amazon Prime. It's inspired by the weekly column in the Styles Section of the Sunday NYT.

[EOP]

Proof of Covid-19 Vaccinations

This article from Forbes gives an excellent overview of ways to keep a record of your Covid-19 vaccination.

[EOP]

Should You Buy an 8K TV

8K televisions are here. And they have four times the resolution of your 4K TV. Should you buy one? The answer is a resounding, "no," at least not yet. This cnet article explains in detail why not. Putting aside cost and the lack of 8K programming, the difference in normal viewing might not be as dramatic as you would have guessed. 

[EOP]

Stick the Avowed Anti-Vaxx, Anti-Mask Freedom Up Their Religious Beliefs

[Prefatory Note: No originality is claimed as to this observation]

Any anti-vaxxer, anti-masker who claims their position is justified by right to exercise some freedom, it is ultimately the freedom to spread a disease that will result in the death of innocent people. Whatever one's position on abortion, which perhaps is the most difficult moral issue of our time, one cannot epistemologically uphold or espouse or justify the freedom to not vaxx and not mask with no state limitations on that freedom without also upholding, espousing, and justifying the freedom to have an abortion with no state limitations on that freedom.

[EOP] 

What Is a Perfect Game?

A perfect baseball game is defined as a game of at least 9 innings in which a pitcher allows no hits, no runs, and no opposing batter to reach first base. Under this definition, 7-inning games (which is how double-headers are played now) do not qualify as perfect games unless they go 2 or more extra innings as explained in this article. The reasoning is that because a runner, not a batter, is placed at second base now in extra inning games, that does not disqualify an otherwise perfect game being a perfect game. But, suppose the pitcher balks, and the runner is advanced to third base. Is that a disqualifying event as far as a perfect game is concerned? Assuming that is not a disqualifier, suppose the runner then scores, say on a sac fly or ground out, then the perfect game assuredly is lost. No one said baseball or life is fair. If they were held to a standard of fairness, the answer would be: If the pitcher's been vaccinated, it's a perfect game; if not vaccinated, no perfect game.

[EOP]

What Is NOT Bipartisanship

While perhaps not fake news, the mainstream media gets very little right and much wrong. Most recently, their whooping it up about the $1T infrastructure bill which nearly 20 Republican senators voted for as proof that there can be bipartisanship is laughable. When what's being voted on is sending a ton of money for bridges and roads and other stuff to one's constituents, call it whatever you want to call it, but don't call it bipartisanship.

[EOP] 

What Not to Buy When Buying a Car

This excellent article from Yahoo Finance succinctly and clearly tells you the 15 things not to buy (or at least not to buy from the dealer) when you buy a new car, and explains why and the alternatives if any as to each.

[EOP]

What If re Covid-19

A loyal reader posed this scenario: Suppose instead of just making one sick, very sick, or dead, Covid-19 were to manifest itself by giving one visible hideous boils on one's face. In that circumstance (and one can think of variations, e.g., change your skin color to purple), how many anti-vaxxers do you think there would be? Makes you think.

[EOP] 

It Might Pay to Check Amazon Before Buying Elsewhere

Even if you hate Amazon and all that it stands for and does, and there is good reason to do so, you might test your dislike for it before making a purchase from another source, even the brand source. Here's an example: You want a Herman Miller desk chair and you find it on-sale at the Herman Miller website and buy it, but it turns out, upon its arrival, you don't want it. While Herman Miller will gladly take the chair back, you could be charged a 10% restocking fee and a return shipping charge. If you're fine with that, okay. But you might have found the same chair at the same (or even a lower) price on The Amazon, with no re-stocking or return shipping charge and, if it was Prime-designated, and you decide you do like it, you get a 5% further discount. Just saying. 

[EOP] 

Provocative Analogy

[Prefatory Note: This is not my idea. It is Matthew Dowd's. Dowd was a long-time Republican and chief strategist for the Bush/Cheney 2004 reelection campaign, and is now a Democrat. He's been divorced twice. With apologies because he says it better, here is what Dowd says]

Dowd argues that there is no functioning Republican party, we no longer have a functioning two-party system, and that our democracy is threatened not only by the Republicans' efforts to overturn it, but that the failure to address the assault on voting rights will spell doom. His analogy is this: Think of the Democrats and Republicans being in a marriage, a marriage where one of the spouses is an abuser. In this instance, it is not difficult to see the Republicans as the abusive spouse, as they went after democratic institution after democratic institution, and ultimately after the 2020 presidential election itself with violence, and their fight to continue to battle democratic institutional norms by their abusive conduct continues. The answer says Dowd: Divorce. And in this instance what he means is that the divorce decree is to the end the filibuster when it comes to matters of civil rights, especially voting rights.

[EOP]

Covid-19 Anger Management

The 2020 handling of mitigation efforts to combat Covid-19 was incompetent. With the arrival of the vaccine, the 2021 handling of Covid-19 looks to be tragic. While some blame might be laid on the vaccinated who continue to engage in activities that spread the Delta variant, but for the unvaccinated, we could have had Covid-19 pretty much behind us by now. Not surprisingly, and understandably, the vaccinated are getting increasingly angry. Here are some ways the vaccinated might consider to say it's time to take the gloves off, it's time to stop coddling and trying to persuade, it's time to stop trying to incentivize, it's time to stop giving the option to be tested every so number of days instead of being vaccinated, it's time to stop hearing about the supposed exercise of freedom (to spread the virus and kill people) or a supposed religious exception (to spread the virus and kill people)--indeed, it's time to engage in a full-throttle venting of anger against the unvaccinated: (i) ban them from all indoor spaces (including restaurants, churches, banks, stores, airports, airplanes, buses, railroad cars, etc.) outside their residences; (ii) ban them from all large outdoor gatherings as spectators or otherwise; (iii) ban them from taking up hospital beds including especially ICU beds; (iv) boycott any employer that does not require all employees to be vaccinated and do not allow unemployment benefits for any employee fired for refusing to be vaccinated; (v) boycott all restaurants, sports organizations, and hotels and such that allow the unvaccinated to be in or on their premises; (vi) prosecute lawsuits against any unvaccinated occupying a hospital bed and award damages to compensate any person or person's family or estate who could not get needed treatment because the hospital had to cancel so-called elective surgery--including life-saving surgery; (vii) ban their 12yo and older children if unvaccinated from attending school and prosecute the parents for child-endangerment; (viii) ban them from participating in any sporting or cultural event; (ix) shame any religious leader who does not preach the moral imperative of protecting others through vaccinations and who does not mandate vaccination as a condition of congregational membership; (x) allow insurance companies to exclude coverage for any Covid-related medical issue if the insured is unvaccinated; (xi) sue Fox News and other such media outlets for promoting conduct that in reality and in effect is tantamount to telling people (the unvaccinated) to go out and kill other people (especially those who for auto-immune or age or other such reasons are not eligible to be vaccinated); and (xi) remove from office by impeachment, recall, or otherwise all government office holders who are part of the problem instead of part of the solution.

[EOP]

Credit Cards: Time to Negotiate or Change

With consumer spending rebounding and the economy recovering, credit card companies are scrambling to get new business. As a result, they are offering sign-up bonuses (e.g., cash (often hundreds of dollars or more) and miles (tens of thousands or more)) and better terms (more cash back on cash-back cards). So, you might want to shop around to see if there is a better deal than the deal you have with your current card(s). And, if you are paying a fee on an airline mileage card, you might just call them and "ask" them to waive the fee. They are much more "accommodating" than they ever have been. In all events, though, remember that applying for a new credit card typically involves a hard hit on your credit profile.

[EOP] 

Tonic Water Recommendation

 You can spend more on tonic water or you can spend less, but you cannot do better taste-wise or price-wise or aesthetically pleasing-wise when it comes to the can than the tonic water from Whole Foods:

[EOP]

Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance

There's travel insurance whose coverage applies for certain specified causes of the trip's cancellation. Then there's what is called Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) travel insurance which pretty much means that. CFAR is not available as a standalone policy but only as an add-on or upgrade to a basic travel insurance policy, as explained in this article from NerdWallet.  A good review of the various CFAR offerings appears in this Forbes article.

[EOP]

The White Lotus (This Week's Episode)

As loyal readers and others know, I find The White Lotus unwatchable and so I don't watch it. I have almost as much difficulty understanding those who do as I understand those refusing to get vaccinated. But as a courtesy to loyal readers, I've checked with people who continue to watch it and the consensus view is that everything about it, from the writing to the acting to the plot lines to the wretchedness of the  people to the whole thing being untethered from reality, remains as loathsome as ever. And, while I don't know what the relevance is, apparently the identity of the murder victim continues to be kept under wraps. Finally, I am told that the honeymooner guy continues to wear a Cornell cap.

[EOP] 

Say Goodby to the 1% Advisor Fee?

This article from the WSJ gives an excellent overview of the various fee, discount fee, and no-fee options for one's brokerage account.

Using Smoking Rules as a Vaccination Template

By various laws, one can no longer smoke in public buildings, restaurants, airplanes, and elsewhere. The rationale is not to cut down on smokers or to help them. The rationale is to protect others from being harmed by second-hand smoke that fills the air. Albeit less visible than smoke, the Delta variant fills the air much akin to second-hand smoke. And when "inhaled" by innocent persons, the Delta variant is far more dangerous to the unvaccinated and more prone to being further spread by the vaccinated. The government could do its duty and pass appropriate "anti-virus" laws. The vaccinated can do its duty by avoiding indoor spaces that allow the unvaccinated to be there. The unvaccinated can do ... well, I don't even know what to say about them any more--either they're going to die for no reason or they're going to kill us for even less reason.

[EOP]

New in Town (2009 on HBO and HBO Max)

Yes, New in Town is a totally predictable and schmaltzy story about an urbane corporate executive going to a small Minnesota town to "modernize" and "reconfigure" the factory, where she and the union rep have different views and values just about everything. But, it has your Renee Zellweger who is funny in it, and while the male actors don't do such a great job with Minnesota accents, the woman actors turn in performances worthy of Francis McDormand.  

IMDb Link to New in Town

Stop Blaming the Republicans

The Republicans' cowering to and support of Trump is despicable, and, coupled with their refusal to convict on the impeachment charges, they almost destroyed our democracy in January of this year. That said, it is beyond peradventure that Trump, in a concerted effort with others (i.e., conspired), broke federal laws (re elections and crimes against the country) with his efforts to have states and DOJ overturn the election. If he is allowed to avoid any accountability on those fronts, let's stop holding the Republicans to blame. Thus, if the Department of Justice and now Democrat-appointed U.S. Attorneys do not bring criminal charges, we might be considered as complicit as they are.

At the same time, a dissenting view expressed by a loyal reader (who is as anti-Trump as they come) merits serious consideration, which may in fact be the better view and it goes something like this: "As much as anyone, I would like to see Trump prosecuted. But the Biden Administration Justice Department prosecuting Biden's predecessor for attempting to interfere with Biden's election while failing to do so? That may cause more trouble than it will resolve. The Trump people will be up in arms -- in some cases, literally -- while a fair number of the undecided and even of the Biden supporters will think it would be better to devote resources to other matters of justice. In short, I am skeptical about it playing well in Peoria. If there is to be a prosecution, it will have to be at the state level. I don't think that's being complicit so much as it's being realistic."

Response: If a few state Republican officials and an acting Attorney General had not taken the stands they did, Trump just might have been able to overturn the election and end democracy as we know it. That there might be great pushback or risk in taking a stand in honor and defense of democracy is not sufficient reason to shy away from doing so. Democracy and freedom deserve the protection our legal institutions are there to give them.

[EOP] 

The Girl Next Door (2004 on Netflix)

Recommended by the NYT, and about to be taken off Netflix so watch it quick if you want to see it, this is softish porn with a high schooler coming of age plot. It has a cute scene now and then and a bunch of stupid scenes during its first 35+ minutes. Who knows after that. Rather than spend any further time reviewing it, let's just say it's a good example of why they call it the Failing New York Times.

IMDb Link to The Girl Next Door 

Why World Records Are Silly

Many sports don't have world records because they are scored by judges and not by any objective metric (like gymnastics or ice skating). Actually, for that reason, they aren't sports. But then there are supposed objective measures such as time to run 100 meters. But even there, putting aside factors such as wind and altitude, some tracks are faster and bouncier than others, such as the track at the so-called 2020 Tokyo Olympics (the IOC apparently lost track of what year this is). I could go through every sport, but there does not appear a single one where the supposed world record is the function of a purely objective metric but instead is infected by externalities ranging from conditions to equipment.

[EOP]

College Tuition Insurance

This NYT article has an excellent discussion of college tuition insurance. It turns out that such insurance is not a new thing. But there is fine print to be aware of before buying it.

[EOP]

Manago Hotel (Captain Cook, Hawaii)

If you think staying in Hawaii has to cost you an arm and a leg, check out and then check into the Manago Hotel. It's been around since 1917 and has changed very little (e.g., no TVs in the rooms, no rooms cost more than $100/night) except for some comfortable updating. It's not on the ocean but the views of the ocean from the rooms are spectacular. 

 [EOP]

Guide to Restaurant Dining

This article in the Washington Post has an excellent analysis of the factors to consider in deciding whether or not to dine in a restaurant. You've likely considered everything covered here but it is a lucid presentation that adds clarity to the issue. 

[EOP]

Proving Your Vaccine Status

This article from the WSJ has some excellent pointers on how to prove your vaccine status with your phone and why to avoid certain apps and other supposed ways to prove vaccine status. 

[EOP]

Getting a Private Pilot's License and Your Own Plane

Many people are justifiably concerned about flying commercial during the pandemic. Some of them cannot afford to rent a private plane. As it turns out, the cost of becoming a certified instrument-rated multi-engine pilot and buying and storing a twin-engine plane is a lot lower, much lower, than you would guess. And here's the really great news: There is no maximum age for acquiring a private pilot certificate--once someone gets this certificate, they may exercise the privileges of that certificate as long as they continue to get a medical certificate and a biannual flight review.

Link Outlining Cost to Become a Pilot (Under $50K) 

Link to Economics of Owning a Small Plane (Under $300K to buy/under $300/month to store)

[EOP]

Llamas for Birthday Gifts (and Other Occasions)

If you have nothing better to do, and you're looking for a unique birthday present, especially for someone who has everything, get in touch with Carter's Farm. They will deliver a llama (or other animal of your choice including a camel if you're willing to pay a little more) to the front door of the person you are feting with no apparent means of delivery and no apparent means of taking it back. As it turns out, llamas (at least Dolly the Lama as shown below) are very loving and prefer weeds to flowers so they're a boon for the yard. Carter's Farm also does all kinds of animal parties for kids. The owner is extremely nice and will accommodate even what many might think are somewhat over-the-top requests (e.g., make the birthday boy believe the lama is now his and cannot be returned, so good luck with your lama). Link to Carter's Farm Website

Ikea Swedish Meatball Candles

The worst thing about Ikea is having to navigate the store and assemble the stuff you get. The best thing about Idea is the Swedish meatballs. Great news: You now can get a Swedish meatball scented Ikea candle. It's all explained in this article from Food & Wine.

[EOP]

Update on Super Dragon

Pre-pandemic, Super Dragon (on Northern Avenue in Phoenix) became my and many others' Chinese restaurant of choice, especially their crispy duck. But when the pandemic hit, and they refused to do contact-less take-out, I shunned them, and was under the impression they were still doing dine-in service. As it turns out, a loyal reader has informed me that they did stop dine-in service (and they still have) and that their refusal to do contact-less take-out was likely the result of their limited means and resources. Their crispy duck is as good as ever, and I intend and encourage everyone in Phoenix to do as many "make-up meals" as possible.

[EOP]

How Racism Is So Pernicious and Why CRT Really Matters

If you think racism doesn't infuse itself into every nook and cranny of American life, read this article from the Washington Post entitled, How 'race-norming' Was Built Into the NFL Concussion Settlement . For those lacking the patience to read the article, here's the gist: There's a retired NFL player, around 65, who has dementia from professional football concussions. The NFL kept denying him payment for his treatment and condition because it claimed that Black athletes' baselines (pre-concussion) of their cognitive function are lower than white cognitive functioning, so they don't deserve as much. In fine, when you hear someone say that affirmative action gives people of color an unfair advantage or CRT goes too far, just send them this WaPo article with a note that reads: It must be nice to live with blinders on.

[EOP]

Dealing With the Unvaccinated

1. The WSJ has a long article entitled, "How to Ask If Someone Has a Covid Vaccination," as if that's a delicate question. Here's our view: Just ask, and if the answer is "no," walk away.

2. It is gratifying to see some of the efforts being made to encourage vaccinations, especially restaurants and other fora opening only for vaccinated people despite the short-term economic cost for them. When it comes to employers requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment, the calculus would seem simple: If you are too stupid not to get vaccinated, you are too stupid to work for us and represent us and deal with our clients and customers.

3. Why there is a testing exception to Biden's requiring vaccinations for federal employees and contractors (other than for people who have compromised immune systems) remains a complete mystery. Again, call that exception what it is: The stupidity exception, i.e., it's an exception for the stupid people and it's stupid to allow that exception.

[EOP]

Misinformation About Misinformation

This piece from the WSJ, entitled "A False Narrative About 'Misinformation,'" challenges the common wisdom that misinformation campaigns are a driving force of reluctance to being vaccinated. The article also makes the more general point about the difficulty in changing voter loyalties.

[EOP]

Correction re Olympic Viewership Post

A recent post correctly reported the drop in viewership the so-called 2020 Tokyo Olympics is suffering (I say so-called because the IOC should have known this is 2021). A loyal reader has corrected certain inferences we drew: "Although ... viewership of the Olympics may be down, NBC is not all that unhappy.  According to Tara Lachapelle of Bloomberg, ad revenue has surpassed $1.2 billion, which is a 40 percent increase from 2016. Total number of sponsors exceeds 140, plus NBC is using the opportunity to promote its Peacock streaming service."

[EOP]

Everyone Wants to Be Tom Brady

In an interview a while back, Jerry Seinfeld was asked whether he would have preferred to be a professional athlete to being a comedian. His answer was, "No, because then my career would be over by the time I was 35, but as a comedian, there is no age limit." You likely did not see the USWNT lose to Canada in the semi-final knock-out round because it came on 3 hours before your TV guide listings said it would come on so, if you taped it, what you would end up watching was the Sweden/Australia game or you just said fie on the Olympics, fie on soccer. If you wonder how the U.S. team could have lost to a team it had not lost to since 2001 (although the team rosters changed over time), all you need to do is look at the ages of the team members whose names you know (e.g., Rapinoe, Lloyd, Morgan) ... they are all over 35, an age that's even old for professional golfers who don't have to spend 90+ minutes running up and down a pitch. 

[EOP]

How to Never Drive Without Your License

If you ever are stopped by the police while driving, you want to be sure you have your driver's license with you. Unfortunately, people sometimes forget to bring their wallet or whatever they use to hold their driver's license. For $12 (in Arizona), you can order online a duplicate license, which you then can just leave in your car so it will always be there when stopped by the police or to identity yourself when you do drop-in-the-trunk pick-up from Total Wine. The other way is to photograph your license so that it's always in your phone and can be displayed that way, although whether that will always be "accepted" remains an open question.

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Attaining Herd Immunity

With the Delta variant, the herd immunity percentage is no longer at 75%. It's higher. The experts don't agree on how much higher but they do agree it's not a trivial percentage jump and likely is at least 90%. Enough for the bad news. The "good news" is that herd immunity includes both vaccinated and infected people, and with the rapid transmission rate of the Delta variant, the number of infected people will grow helping to reach herd immunity. So, just as Icarus was undone by flying too close to the sun, and King Midas was undone by his greed, the Delta variant just might meet its undoing by being too effective a transmitter.

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The White Lotus (Episode 4)

As my loyal readers and many other know, I stopped watching The White Lotus long ago because of how stupid and disgusting it is and badly it is written. But, because I'm asked whether it might have improved, I have checked with some reliable sources who have continued to watch it--although I must say it is a bit oxymoronic to think anyone who continues watching it might be counted on for an informed view. In any event, I am told it is as disgusting and poorly done as ever, there is nothing redeeming about any of the people who are in it (either as people or as actors), and that likely no one is watching it any more and no one should be watching it any more. Even the boredom of the Olympics apparently is not reason enough to switch to The White Lotus. Nor does the sporting of a Cornell cap (which I'm told is donned by the newlywed guy) redeem the series in any way.

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Olympic Viewership

If you're not watching the Olympics, you are not alone.  As this article from WaPo details, viewership has been down dramatically from Olympics of the past (although it's unclear if the Olympics are really the Olympics of the present given they are entitled the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and, yes, while there is a big time difference between Japan and the U.S., it's not a year, it's about 12 hours).  And if you are interested in following any Olympic event (including even the so-called big events like women's soccer as opposed to the events (sports?) no one has ever heard of), good luck finding when and on what channel it will be broadcast live or even on tape-delay. The Arizona Republic listings are not close to accurate and the Cox TV Guide doesn't even try in large part. The bottom-line is this: Molly Sullivan's career glide-path might not have the trajectory she had hoped when she uttered this: “I really believe this is going to be the most meaningful Olympics of our lifetime,” said NBC Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon. "After everything the world has gone through … I do think that people are craving the shared experience. What better way to come together than through the stories of these athletes?”

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FAA (TSA) Rules re Batteries on Airplanes

There seems to be some confusion by the flying public as to what batteries might be taken in carryon luggage and what batteries might be placed in checked baggage. The rules are quite straightforward but vary as to type of battery and whether or not it is in a gadget or being carried as a spare. This FAQ Sheet gives a clear and succinct explanation, which you might print and put in your carry-on bag in the event you need to clarify the matter for a TSA agent whom you know are there to serve you and do everything they can to make your flying experience safer and more enjoyable. 

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Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art (2020 on Netflix)

Made You Look is the true story of $80M art fraud over many years perpetrated by at the time a leading NYC gallery. It is the story of a con. As an early blog post explained in a review of Maria Konnikova's book of why cons work, it's not so that we are tricked but because we want to believe in something. Ms. Konnikova shows up repeatedly in this movie with insightful comments. The only down-side of this movie is that it makes you wonder if the Rothko, Pollack, Matisse, Dali, and Oldenbergs you own are the real thing that you are counting on as a financial cushion, or might they be just pretty things of no value. Put that way, the question the movie poses (and answers) is what gives any piece of art the value that it has. Put another way, if you have a fake that can fool all the experts, does that make it any less aesthetically pleasing or artistically wonderful?

IMDb Link to Made You Look 

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When Buying Might Make More Sense Over Renting

As this article from the NYT explains, it is possible to buy nice co-ops and condo units in NYC for under $350K. Given how low mortgage rates are now, if you're renting a small space in a major city for $2,000 or more, you might do much better--namely, a better place at a much lower monthly cost--buying rather than renting.

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Amazon Prime Benefits You Might Not Know About

 1. Free reading with Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited

Prime Reading is your own personal lending library that comes with a Prime membership. With a rotating selection of over 2,500 books and magazines, you can access Prime Reading with the Kindle app on your desktop or portable device or your Kindle e-reader. This Amazon service also lets you share titles with members of your household. Some books in Prime Reading come with Audible narrations so you can multitask while you listen. 

Prime Reading also includes First Reads, which gives members a sneak peek at books before they're released to the general public. 

Kindle Unlimited is a $10-a-month subscription service separate from an Amazon Prime account. It gives you unlimited access to more than 1 million ebooks and up to three magazine subscriptions on a Kindle device or Kindle app. 

2. Trade in used devices to redeem gift cards and shop preowned, discounted products 

Amazon is boarding the train to sustainability station, and it's something you can directly benefit from. With Amazon Trade-In, you can send back your used electronics in exchange for Amazon gift cards. Make sure to check on the eligibility of each product -- some trade-in options are only available for a limited time. 

Amazon Renewed gives you access to products that may have been opened but unused by their original owners, or were refurbished. Amazon assures that these preowned items work and look like new, coming with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. A variety of products and brands are available, even from premium names like Apple and Vitamix. 

3. Shop Amazon's Warehouse items at a discount

Amazon Warehouse resells millions of like-new or preowned items that have been returned by customers. Some of the products only had their boxes opened by original purchasers before they were sent back, unused, so they're sold again at a discount. While there's no regular manufacturing warranty on these products, they are backed by Amazon's 30-day return policy and 90-day renewed item return policy. 

To read more about how you can get the most out of Amazon Warehouse, check out our guide on shopping for the best deals on Amazon Warehouse. 

4. Find discounts on overstock in Amazon Outlet

Just like a brick-and-mortar outlet store, but without the gas money. The Amazon Outlet features overstocked items and other products at a discounted price. Like at an outlet, you can find premium brands, items under $10 and products ranging from home furniture and clothing to books and pet supplies. It's a good place to stay within a budget while being the first owner, unlike some items in the Amazon Warehouse. 

Keep in mind that although the online shopping experience is convenient, just like an outlet, the best deals sometimes take some sifting to find. Luckily, you can do it from the couch. 

5. Discover limited-time offers with Lightning Deals

Amazon's Lightning Deals are a promotion where a product or service is on sale for a short period of time or until it's sold out. You can find them all throughout the site, but especially on Prime Day and in Today's Deals. On Prime Day, Lightning Deals are only for Prime members. 

There is one lightning deal per customer until the promotion ends or all the deals are claimed by other shoppers. You can join a waitlist for a deal, but keep in mind that these discounts are extremely time-sensitive, so grab them fast. Unless refreshing the page over and over is your thing, these deals aren't necessarily the tool to find something specific because of their fleeting nature and limited availability. 

6. Back up photos and videos with Amazon Photos

Amazon's online shoebox for photos and videos offers secure and unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB of video for Prime members. To use this feature, you can choose to manually or automatically upload media in the Amazon Photos app. You can personalize the displays on Amazon devices like Fire TV, Echo Show and Fire tablets as long as you have the app. There are also ways to create keepsakes using the pictures you upload, such as custom cards and prints. 

With the Family Vault perk, up to five family members can share in the same plan. If you want more beyond what Prime offers, there are paid plans available. If you choose to switch -- which can be done anytime -- there is a 100GB option for $2 per month and 1TB plan for $7 per month. 

7. Share Prime benefits with Amazon Household

Sharing is caring, and Amazon Household lets you divvy up Prime benefits and digital content with others. Using Household, share your Prime account with: 

• Up to two adults (aged 18 and over), each with their own Amazon account. Adults can manage accounts of teens and children.
• Up to four teens (ages 13 through 17). Teens can have their own Amazon login to shop with parent approval and stream content.
• Up to four children (children can't shop on Amazon).

8. Shop exclusive discounted Whole Foods hauls

Healthy shopping can rack up the number at the bottom of the receipt. But if you enter your email address, phone number or scan the QR code on your Whole Foods Market app at checkout during your next grocery haul, Prime members receive discounts on select products. 

Blue tags indicate sales exclusive to Prime members, while yellow tags mean an extra 10% off of an item already on sale. This gets you discounts on weekly best-sellers, including produce, packaged goods and beauty products, but note that it excludes alcohol. The few cents saved on items may seem insignificant individually, but savings do add up at the end of the shopping trip. 

Also, if you don't want to make the trip across town, Amazon offers two-hour delivery of groceries for free, as long as you meet the minimum purchase amount. But if you don't mind the drive, there are also one-hour pickup windows depending on your location -- just remember to check in with the Amazon app to see if you need to enter the store. 

9. Build a wish list with Prime's wedding registry

If the big day is coming up, Amazon's wedding registry can get a gift wish list set up for everything from daily essentials to group presents. Amazon can help you cover all the gifting bases, and that makes it a convenient option for you and your wedding guests. 

The registry includes lists of editors' picks and best sellers to help you sort through Amazon's options, while the browsing feature can inspire new ideas or highlight something you may have forgotten about. You can also buy any item that's left on the registry for 20% off -- which can be returned within 180 days if you decide you don't like it.