Devious Airport Pickup Practice Which We Condemn

At many airport on many occasions, the crush is such that picking up arriving passengers is daunting to say the least. We have heard of a devious practice being used by some unscrupulous people to get around the problem. Specifically, they have their arriving passengers go the Ride Share (Uber/Lyft) pick-up area, which at some airports presents a much less crowded area for the pick-up (e.g., at Terminal 4 of a certain airport we shall not name, the Ride Share area is on the outer lane which has far less  traffic than the inner lane). I trust we do not need to explain why we condemn this practice (e.g., Uber/Lyft pay a fee for their airport pickup space), and trust loyal readers will not engage in such an untoward practice.

[EOP] 

Difficulty in Buying I-Bonds Explained

The WSJ article explains the difficulties in buying I-bonds some people have heard about. Here's the scoop: When you go to buy I-bonds on the treasury.gov website, there are some questions to confirm your identity. If you “pass” them, then buying the I-bonds takes just a couple of minutes and is easy, which was my experience. BUT, if there is a problem in confirming one's identity, then one has to buy them through a bank or some such entity and certain matters are handled by snail mail, and that’s the process that is being referred to when mention is made of how difficult it can be to buy I-bonds. So, if you want them (they are paying over 9% right now and are government insured), there’s no reason not to try the treasury.gov site.

[EOP] 

The Best Keyboards

We love Wirecutter, but when it comes to their keyboard analysis and recommendations, we think they have missed the boat. Put another way, we think the ship sailed without them. Particularly for travel, wireless bluetooth-enabled keyboards (and mice) have a distinct advantage over wireless USB-enabled keyboards (and mice): They do not take up USB ports. And they don't cost any more. Many of them have embedded chargeable batteries, but they come with replaceable batteries as well. Indeed, my favorite, which I've been using for years, is the Arteck HB193 Universal Bluetooth Keyboard Multi-Device Stainless Steel Full Size Wireless Keyboard, available from The Amazon for under $25. 

[EOP]

Trump's Criminal Intent

[Prefatory Note: Courtesy of a loyal reader who once served as a crack federal prosecutor (not me)]

Some kids tore down a stop sign as a prank. Shortly thereafter, there was a fatal accident at the intersection. After prosecuting the kids, the attorney was asked, "How could you prosecute them, they were just kids?" His answer: "What did they think would happen when they took down the stop sign?" Trump's situation is somewhat different because some say he's not a kid and it's not clear that he thinks at all.  

[EOP]

The Lack of Ethics and Outrageous Judgment of the NYT

I generally like the press (except when they are writing stories where I have first hand knowledge and realize how they don't get stuff straight). But here's a breaking NYT story about Thomas Windom (red added for clarity of the point being made by this post), the lead DOJ investigator going after Trump, where no keen analytic insight is needed to see the lack of any real importance compared the harm it can do: "Mr. Windom remains largely unknown even within the Justice Department, outside of two high-profile cases he successfully brought against white supremacists when he worked out of the department’s office in Washington’s Maryland suburbs. Mr. Windom’s bosses appear to be intent on preserving his obscurity: The department’s top brass and its press team did not announce his shift to the case from a supervisory role in the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland late last year, and they still refuse to discuss his appointment, even in private. That might not be a bad thing for Mr. Windom, the latest federal official assigned to investigate the former president and his inner circle, a hazardous job that turned many of his predecessors into targets of the right, forcing some to exit public service with deflated reputations and inflated legal bills. “Don’t underestimate how every single aspect of your life will be picked over, looked at, investigated, examined — you, your family, everything,” said Peter Strzok, who was the lead agent on the F.B.I.’s investigation into Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia until it was discovered he had sent text messages disparaging Mr. Trump. “You think: I’m doing the right thing and that will protect you,” added Mr. Strzok, who is still bombarded with threats and online attacks more than three years after being fired. “I didn’t appreciate that there were going to be people out there whose sole goal is to totally destroy you.” Any investigator scrutinizing Mr. Trump, former prosecutors said, is liable to be marked as an enemy, regardless of the nature of their inquiry. “They were out to destroy Trump, and they were members of our, you know, Central Intelligence or our F.B.I.,” Doug Jensen, 42, a QAnon follower from Iowa who stormed the Capitol, said in an interview with federal authorities, reflecting the views of many right-wing conspiracy theorists about Mr. Strzok and other investigators."

[EOP]

You Be the Judge

Here are two catches from my library by Johnny Davis, one in 2019 and one this year. It is for you to decide which is the better, the more spectacular, the more amazing, the more mesmerizing. The point of this post is to teach two important lessons: When saying something is the "most," it depends: (i) what word comes after "most" to know the answer; and (ii) there are many different kinds of "mosts."

The Catch This Year

The 2019 Catch

[EOP]

Best Wi-Fi Routers

As explained in this Wirecutter article, if your router is more than a couple of years old and is struggling in more places than not, a new router or a mesh-networking kit will improve your Wi-Fi’s range, stability, and speed all over your home. The article then gives its recommendations, ranging from $60 to $300. My only objection of these newer routers is the unsightliness of the antennae.

[EOP]

Dr. Monica (1934 Movie)

If you're looking for a movie to take you back to a time you miss, Dr. Monica might be just that movie.  It's the age-old story of an obstetrician who is unable to have children and then discovers that the baby she is about to deliver was fathered by her husband. If you think that's a downer, you'll be cheered how everyone, especially the doctors, smoke and drink during every moment, and there's much angst, and people have neat domestic uniforms. The only problem with the movie is that it's boring, but the good news is  that it's over in an hour. Although I'm sure everyone reading this will watch it, for anyone who doesn't, here's how it ends: The child's mother (Mary) discovers that Dr. Monica knows who the father was and she feels terrible because Dr. Monica's husband loves Dr. Monica and not Mary, so Mary leaves a note giving the baby to Dr. Monica and flies off in a plane (she's pilot) into the ocean and dies, and Dr. Monica tells her husband she has adopted the baby but doesn't tell him that he's the father. Yes, this certainly calls for a sequel to find out what happens whether the child finds out the truth and, if so, what happens to her and her adoptive parents.

[EOP]

Three Take Aways From the January 6 Committee Hearing on June 28

1. I have long not understood why so many commentators seem to believe there is some difficulty in proving criminal intent on the part of Trump and his co-conspirators. That said, the Hutchinson testimony put to rest any doubt about Trump's and his co-conspirators' consciousness of guilt or their allegedly not knowing that what they were doing and failing to do were wrong.

2. While it is now completely understandable why Mark Meadows, Giuliani, Eastman, Clark, Jim Jordan, Scott Perry, McCarthy and others won't testify, it is a total mystery why Cipollone and others who appear to have done nothing wrong and urged correct courses of action won't, for the sake of the country not to mention for their reputations and self-esteem, testify.

3. If DOJ were to prosecute some of the people (in the mob) who stormed the Capitol to stop a government function and not prosecute those (the mob bosses) who knowingly and plottingly set the stage and inflamed them (and thousands of others) to do so, and had the power and duty to try to stop them and refused to do so, it would be shredding any sense of proportionality and fairness and will have torn up its mission statement which reads as follows: "To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans."

[EOP]

Long Covid in Seniors

As this WaPo article reports, "[o]nly now is the impact on older adults beginning to be documented. In a study published in the journal BMJ, researchers estimated that 32 percent of older adults in the United States who survived covid infections had symptoms of long covid up to four months after infection — more than double the 14 percent rate an earlier study found in adults ages 18 to 64. (Other studies suggest symptoms can last much longer, for a year or more.).

[EOP]

A Perfect Pairing (2022 Movie on Netflix)

It remains a complete mystery how it is that a totally cookie-cutter, predictable, insipid, rom-com can still be made, especially when there is nothing  to commend it except the beautiful Australian scenery and some nice music. But A Perfect Pairing is solid proof that it still can be and is done, and one can only wonder how the actors must feel plodding through their parts. And why it's labeled as a "com" in addition to being a "rom," when I am certain no one in any audience anywhere laughed once during the movie, even when people get sprayed with various stuff or otherwise are subjected to various semi-degrading slap-sticks. 

[EOP]

Post-Mortem re Passing on Passwords

Many people have estate plans and living wills, but we have found that, too often, care is not taken ahead of time to be sure your various online accounts and other entities requiring passwords can be accessed. This WSJ article gives some very helpful advice for being sure your passwords will be easily passed on upon passing on.

[EOP] 

Twin Omicron Variants: Some Confusing News

As this article from Fortune explains, "[a] pair of immune-evading Omicron subvariants are now dominant in the U.S., having overtaken so-called "stealth Omicron" and close relative BA.2.12.1 in mere weeks, according to federal health data released Tuesday. BA.4 and BA.5, which swept South Africa this spring along thanks to their ability to evade immunity, were estimated to have caused slightly more than half (52%) of COVID infections in the U.S. last week, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is the worst version of the virus that we’ve seen,” Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, wrote Monday in anticipation of the viral coup. "It takes immune escape, already extensive, to the next level, and, as a function of that, enhanced transmissibility," well beyond what has been seen before, he wrote. "You could say it’s not so bad because there hasn’t been a marked rise in hospitalizations and deaths as we saw with Omicron, but that’s only because we had such a striking adverse impact from Omicron, for which there is at least some cross-immunity." And this NYT article explains where the FDA is on approving vaccines to meet the different variants.

[EOP]

Should One Use a VPN at Home

Views on this issue might differ and I have no view or expertise, but here's what the founder of Data Doctors Ken Colburn wrote in the Arizona Republic about using a VPN at home: "A VPN is a tool that can provide a variety of security and usability services that are most useful on networks that are shared by others or when you are traveling. Unless you are sharing your home network with random strangers, the primary security advantages of using a VPN don’t really apply. Depending upon the VPN you are using, you could also experience slower Internet connections as everything has to go through the server supplied by the VPN you are using. If you work from home and are required to use a VPN to access your company’s secured network, you may want to do some tests with it on and off for your personal use to see if there is a performance impact."

[EOP]

My Three Musts for Any Smart Phone

The three features that I've found to be absolutely essential for any smart phone are: (i) wireless charging; (ii) an SD card slot; and (iii) a screen that doesn't need a protector. Here's why: (i) wireless charging not only is easier, but enables one to keep the phone freer of dust; (ii) an SD card slot lets one, for well under $40, expand the memory to zillions of gigabytes allowing one to buy the least expensive model phone in any line and not worry about filling up memory; and (iii) I don't like seeing no lousy bubbles and it's impossible to put on a screen protector  without getting at least one bubble.

[EOP] 

Dance, Fools, Dance (1931 Movie)

It's not everyday you see a movie with Clark Gable and William Holden not playing in lead roles, but that's part of what makes Dance, Fools, Dance so intriguing. Set in the early 1930s America, this is the story of what happens to a socialite who gets a job as a cub reporter while her brother becomes involved in bootlegging, after their father died when his stock market holdings get wiped out and they had  to go to work. Putting aside the last 15 seconds of the movie which are a bit odd given the tenor, thrust, and point of the movie, this has elements of Greek tragedy, and many poignant and what  would even today be considered powerful and relevant things to say about women succeeding in a male-dominated work world. It actually is a really good movie that will hold anyone's attention throughout. And Joan Crawford's eyes and expressions, which do much of the acting for her, will confirm that any notion that there's any truth to the Mommie Dearest story are bunk. 

[EOP]

Loot (2022 Series on Apple TV+)

After watching about half of the first episode of Loot, starring Maya Rudolph, I will pass on the second and future episodes even though they are only a half hour each. Although many might not relate to the plot, given the divorces of the Gates and the Bezos, it's not far-fetched, to-wit: After divorcing her unfaithful husband of 20 years, Molly Novak must figure out what to do with her $87 billion settlement. She decides to reengage with her charitable foundation and reconnect with the real world. But the characters are so diminished and the acting so over-done that it's more farce than anything, and not a good farce at that.

[EOP]

The Card Counter (2021 Movie on HBO Max)

I don't know how long I lasted watching The Card Counter, but it was too long. A loyal reader apparently watched it to the end, and his comment was (the last line of which I missed hence explaining my trying to watch it): "This movie will keep you guessing  almost from the beginning through the very end.  Guessing this:  Who in his right mind thought that making this movie was a good idea?" The answer is: No one. To say it's dark and eerie is not to do justice to how bad it is. The main character is a gambler, and you would be wise take the advice to fold 'em and walk away, no run. Don't just walk away--run!!!!

[EOP]

Just When Things Were Looking Up

As if the MLB gods are not capricious enough, just as the beloved Phillies began staging a comeback for the ages, as WaPo reports, Bryce Harper is out indefinitely with a broken thumb.

[EOP]

Why Prosecute Trump

This blog has come out in strong favor of prosecuting Trump. Although it does not share Richard Hasen's concerns about the difficulty of proving intent as set out in his NYT piece, we applaud the reasoning in this piece which agrees with our conclusion and recommendation that it is the right thing to do in the defense of democracy.

[EOP]

How the Supreme Court Treats History

Justice Thomas was not phased that the New York gun safety law he struck down had been on the books for 100 years. At the same time, Justice Alito rooted his decision in the historical views of abortion. In so doing, his most "curious" reliance was that placed on Lord Matthew Hale, a 17th-century English jurist who embraced the view that spousal rape was not a crime. Alito cited Hale 8 times as evidence that abortion was considered a crime at the time the U.S. Constitution was written. As the NYT explains: "A central tenet of Hale’s legal philosophy was that giving women legally enforceable rights over their own bodies was a threat to men’s freedom. That comes through clearly in his famous description of rape as “an accusation easily to be made and hard to be proved and harder to be defended by the party accused, tho never so innocent.” That became the basis for centuries of jurisprudence and jury instructions that treated the moral character of rape victims as the paramount concern in rape cases, and often presumed that they were lying if they could not produce corroborating witnesses or other outside evidence for their claims. Hale also wrote in his influential common-law treatise that marital rape could not be a crime because marriage itself constituted irrevocable consent to sex — but only for the wife. “For by their mutual matrimonial consent and contract,” he wrote, “the wife hath given herself up in this kind unto the husband which she cannot retract.” That belief was an outgrowth of the doctrine of coverture, which treated a married woman’s rights as “covered” by her husband’s. Her property became his, and she could not bring legal actions in her own right. The family, in this view, was a private sphere in which the husband was essentially the sovereign, and the wife could not appeal to the state for protection."

[EOP]

Ways Around the Supreme Court Decisions

Aaron Tang's piece in the NYT presents some intriguing ways to get around the recent Supreme Court decisions. Ed Montini's piece in the Republic sets out how an initiative might work to get around the legislative efforts to outlaw abortion in Arizona.

[EOP]

Note to Loyal Readers

There seems to be an issue with our email delivery service over which I have no control. For several days, I did not get daily emails, and I was just informed a loyal reader has suffered the same fate. We are working diligently to rectify the situation, but remember, one can always click on the blog site itself to see the new posts. They all go up each day by 5 pm Arizona time. In the meantime, we apologize for any inconvenience.

PS: I am aware of the irony that any reader not getting the emails might not get this. But, let's not make the perfect notice the enemy of the good notice, which can be seen on the blog site itself.

[EOP]

King Richard (2021 Movie on HBO and HBO Max)

King Richard is the story of how Venus and Serena's father and also their mother guided them from nowhere to dominate the pro tennis world. All the acting performances are stellar (including Kevin Dunn's cameo whom you know from Veep and Rich Sommer's cameo whom you know from Mad Men). I had had the impression that Richard Williams was a tyrannical beast a la Tiger Woods' father, but if this movie is accurate, he's much more complicated and nuanced--he was a fantastic father in many ways and they had a fantastic mother in all ways. I just wonder if I had seen this movie some decades ago, I could have fulfilled my dream of having my son becoming a professional baseball player, which I failed miserably at in trying to pull off.

[EOP]

The Divisiveness in This Country

It is said that we need to talk to each other, to bridge the gap, and end the divisiveness in this country. I think Bill Barr had the perfect response to this notion when he characterized the Trump claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The divisiveness in this country is not a symptom of any problem. It is the dramatic proof that the Republican party and those who continue to adhere to it truly live in an alternative universe, and there is no reasoning with them. And if those who committed the obvious crimes that were committed in their concerted and conspiratorial efforts that would have toppled our democracy are not indicted and prosecuted, we perhaps don't deserve our democracy. 

[EOP]

Nightmare Scenario for Pro Choice Advocates

In reaction to Dobbs, pro-choice advocates look forward to the day when Congress enacts federal legislation establishing the right to choose recognized in Roe vs. Wade. Without jettisoning the filibuster, that would seem a hope for something that is at least decades away if attainable at all. What is far more likely if the Republicans retake the senate, is McConnell will jettison the filibuster which would open the door for passage of a federal law banning abortions in every state.

[EOP]

Jailhouse Rock (1957 Movie)

Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, does not reach the level of A Face in the Crowd, starring Andy Griffith, but both 1957 movies capture the rise of pop culture in the 1950s, and the corrosive force it has on its stars, or perhaps more precisely, how it feeds on the allure of power and fame, to the point of overriding more ennobling human emotions like love. This is Elvis's first dramatic role, but fear not, as much drama as there is, there's plenty of his songs and movements strewn in through the story.

[EOP]

The January 6 Hearings Are Better Than Anyone Expected

While I was not pleased with the opening salvos (hearings) of the January 6 Committee, and I don't know what their impact is going to be especially if DOJ or at least Georgia doesn't  indict the big orange kahuna, the last several hearings have been dramatic, stunning, moving, educational, and compelling, especially in letting the witnesses (all Republicans most of whom if not all voted for Trump) tell the story and demonstrate by deeds what courage and character look like. The hearings are all available on You Tube so, if you missed them, treat yourself at least to the last two. Michelle Goldberg's piece in the NYT ("The Jan. 6 Hearings Have Been So Much Better Than I Expected) does a much better job than I could in explaining this wonderful surprise to the upside.

[EOP]

What Comes Next After Dobbs (the Case Overturning Roe vs Wade)?

1. Justice Thomas Sees Dobbs as a Launch Pad: Thomas’s concurring opinion signaled that he would like to use the ruling in Dobbs as an opportunity to reconsider other constitutional rights: “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” he wrote, referring to rulings that, respectively, established constitutional rights: to contraception; to engage in intimate, consensual sexual conduct; and to same-sex marriage. Whether his signaling increases the likelihood of those constitutional rights being taken away or that it is concurring opinion not adopted by any other justice is a question of vigorous debate.

2. Technology Undoes the Anti-Abortion Laws: As this NYT article sets out, with the growing popularity of abortion pills, many of the people who live in anti-abortion states and can’t travel will still be able to obtain safe abortions, often without the direct involvement of a medical provider and within the privacy of their homes. And this technology likely will improve dramatically, making it more available to more people.

[EOP]

Unashamed (1932 Movie)

If you miss the simpler times we used to live in, Unashamed will take you back there, along with making a strong statement about the danger of guns, as well as about the importance of the rule of law in the context of the unwritten law. Dick will do anything to protect his sister Jean as would her father. But she is in love with sleazy Harry Swift who has his eye on her money. When Harry has her stay with him at a hotel all night, her father still will not give his permission for a wedding. Harry threatens to tell everyone about Jean, and Dick shoots him dead. Jean cannot forgive either her father or her brother and will testify against Dick even if it means the electric chair for her brother. Dick is played by Robert Young, in a role like you've never seen him. Two-thirds of the movie is taken up by the trial, and it's a trial, and lawyering, like you've never seen. It's also nice to see a time when, even if locked up in the big house, the defendant wears a suit and tie.

[EOP]

Tip re Internet Shopping for Mattresses and Perhaps Other Goods

The June 27, 2022 New Yorker has an excellent article on how to choose and buy a mattress and some cautionary notes about warranties and other related issues. One tip, when buying online, was to put the mattress of your choice in the cart and just leave it there for a few days. Often, you will get a notice that they are discounting the mattress or adding in some freebies like linens and pillows. This same "cart-and-wait" trick sometimes works on other products as well.

[EOP]

International Travel Has Some Problems as Well

The the problems with air travel (e.g., cancelled flights, long lines at airports, etc.) are not just U.S. issues. As this WSJ article  chronicles, many international terminals and flights are suffering similar fates.

[EOP]

Notes From a Flight Attendant

A flight attendant has asked a loyal reader to share with you their advice on travel this summer. Here it is:

1. Things are not good..... if it’s less than 7 hours - DRIVE! I'm not kidding. There is nothing enjoyable about flying right now. On any airline. If you must fly, keep reading.

2. Download and use the app of the airline you are flying. You can do everything on it - get your boarding pass, track your bags, see your incoming plane, and change a flight. It sure beats waiting in the long line to talk to an agent! Trust me - Usually these apps will tell you a flight is cancelled before the crew even knows!

3. Fly MUCH earlier than you need to - a whole day early if it’s important!! This week I saw many people miss important things like weddings, funerals, cruises, international connections, and graduations. The tears were very real, for very real reasons, and there was nothing I could do! If you have to be somewhere, spend the extra money, go a day early. Have a glass of wine and stay in a hotel, enjoy your night not being stressed while everyone else misses their events. 

4. ALWAYS fly the first flight in the morning so you have all day to be rebooked if the shit hits the fan. Yes, that means it might be a 3:00 alarm, but morning flights don't cancel nearly as often.

5. This is not unique to this year, but keep in mind summer is thunderstorm season. A single storm can shut down a whole airport. We can't fly through them. Storms usually build as the day gets later. Book early flights! 

6. Schedule long layovers - Your 1-hour layover is NOT enough anymore. 30 minutes, not a chance. 3 hours minimum.

7. What you see on the news is an understatement. We are short staffed and overworked. Not just pilots and flight attendants, but also ground crews. Without ground crews there is no one to park the planes, drive jetways, get your bags on/off planes, or scan boarding passes. This causes many delays that snowball throughout the day. Sometimes HOURS. (Another reason morning flights are best!)

8. When flight crews get delayed we time out. We can NOT fly longer than 16 hours. It’s illegal. So, it doesn't matter if you have a wedding to get to, when we are done we are done. The way things are now, there are no back up crews, so when this happens your flight cancels. (Now you are starting to see why those morning flights are best!)

9. Avoid connecting in Newark (Or any New York airport for that matter). It is literal hell. You have a 50/50 chance your flight will cancel or missing your connection. They have been cancelling flights at their starting points just to keep the planes out, because there just aren't enough people to manage the planes, so the gates stay full. Also, the restaurants are expensive, it is not a great place to be stuck.

10. Be nice. As stated above, we are overworked and tired. We will not help you if you are mean. No one cares that you are going to miss your cruise if you are an asshole. So even if we can help, we will save our help for someone nice. Tensions are high. Our patience is gone. If you make us mad - you will not be flying on our planes. We will leave you behind without a second thought and laugh about you later.

11. Being drunk on an airplane is a federal offense, so don't overdo it. If you drink too much at the bar waiting for your delayed flight you risk not being allowed to fly at all. We are too tired to deal with your drunk ass when we have legitimate issues to deal with. 

12. Get trip insurance if you have a lot of money invested. I hate the whole idea of this, but I also hate the idea of losing money. Example: I was working a flight yesterday that waited over an hour for a gate. A family of 8 missed their flight to Rome. The only flight of the day. They were going to a cruise which they would now miss. They were all crying, there was nothing I could do. (Also, a reason to fly a day early!)

13. Flights are FULL. If you buy the cheap seats you will not be able to sit with your family. It says so when you purchase your ticket!! Flight Attendants aren't there to rearrange the whole

family because you tried to save $100 on a third-party website.

14. Speaking of third-party websites and saving money..... Like I said flights are FULL. If a flight is oversold, and no one volunteers to give up their seats, who do you think is the first to be bumped? You guessed it, the family that saved a few $$ by using sites like Expedia, Kayak, Hotwire etc.

15. Pack smart. Don't be "That guy" Don't hold up boarding because you have your extenders open till they are busting and you can't figure out how to make it fit in the overhead. (Passengers are stressed too, they can be aggressive when boarding a delayed flight) 

16. Take showers, brush your teeth, leave the perfume off, don't eat stinky food (Caesar salad and tuna fish I'm talking to you!), and bring headphones. Trust me. These things sound basic but add to stress on crowded planes. If you are stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours after a 4-hour flight, you will thank me for this.

17. Bring a sweater if you tend to be cold. So tired of half-naked girls asking me to turn the heat up. NO. Wear clothes!! Side note: If you dress like this and ask for heat, there's a chance I will turn the AC up. 

18. That’s not water on the bathroom floor. For the love of God wear shoes to the bathroom!!!

19. Don't tell a Flight Attendant they look tired. We are and we know. You may cause us to ugly cry right there in galley.

20. Happy Travels!

Spare Parts (2015 Movie on HBO Max)

There are many reasons to watch Spare Parts. First, Marisa Tomei is in  it, along with others who turn in terrific performances. Second, it takes place in Phoenix and there are many great shots around it and Arizona. Third, it is based on a true story (although  undoubtedly quite a few of the scenes are embellished), and an amazing one at that, about four Mexican high school students who form a robotics club and, with no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, go up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT. I won't spoil the ending, but, beyond revealing they came in ahead of Cornell, I will say: (i) it reminds me of another true story of a father and son who started a 105-pound tackle football league for 13 year-olds, who ended up playing a Thanksgiving Day game at the high school stadium against a team from another state, which, due a mistake, was a 125-pound team, but that true story was not made into a movie, and I'm not telling how the game ended; and (ii) it's from the same genre as October Sky which is the story of Homer Hickam, the Karate Kid, and Rocky. 

[EOP]

Good News on the Vaccine Front

As this NPR article sets out, Moderna says its new vaccine candidate, which fights both the original COVID-19 strain and the now-dominant omicron variant, shows a "superior neutralizing antibody response" against the coronavirus compared to its original vaccine. The "bivalent" vaccine — meaning it targets two different antigens — is Moderna's leading candidate to have an effective booster ready for fall of 2022, and possibly as early as August. Because of the higher antibody response seen with the new vaccine candidate, Moderna predicts that people who get the booster will have protection that is "more durable over time" against omicron, and the protection is so strong that it could potentially last a year, which means that if the company's findings bear out, people might only need annual COVID-19 boosters from now on.

[EOP]

New Souped-Up Flu Vaccines Recommended for Seniors

As is being reported, a CDC advisory panel is recommending that Americans 65 and older should get newer, souped-up flu vaccines because regular shots don't provide them enough protection, which might offer more or longer protection for seniors, whose weakened immune systems don't respond as well to traditional shots. Options include: Fluzone High-Dose, Fluad with an immune booster, or Flublok which is made with insect cells instead of chicken eggs.

[EOP]

Housewarming Gifts

This Wirecutter article shows what it says are the 33 best housewarming gifts. In reality, this article is proof of why not to give housewarming gifts that are things the recipient would need to display in their home. Just look at the list to see stuff that shouldn't be anyone's home. If you feel compelled to gift, keeping housewarming gifts to things that are edible or can be worn is the safest and most thoughtful way to go. Many will say that is true for gifting on other occasions as well.

[EOP]

Public Bathrooms

In an example of the worst kind of fake news, this NYT article will try to convince you that using simple precautions will help "keep at bay" the pathogens in a public bathroom. If you're convinced, you are welcome to participate in the auction I'm having for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

[EOP]

The Truth About Youth (1930 Movie)

You might think a movie staring Loretta Young and Myrna Loy, which runs just 75 minutes, can't miss, but The Truth About Youth will make you think  again, as it reminds you how interminable 75 minutes can be. It's that age-old story of a man who has raised his deceased friend's son from childhood with the help of his housekeeper and her beautiful daughter, Phyllis, who then arranges a marriage between Phyllis and the boy, but the rascal impulsively marries a notorious nightclub singer, "the Firefly," instead, and the femme fatale dumps the boy when she discovers he has no money, but by then Phyllis realizes she is in love with Richard, not his foolish ward. As foolish as these people are depicted, in a world that has gone nuts, and nothing seems to work any more, it's comforting to know that the movies of today are better than the movies of just 90 years ago. 

PS: Lest anyone think anything works any more: The CDC cannot keep straight what it recommends and no one believes it is following the science; there are so many cancelled flights that air travel has become a lottery; you never know until you get to the store what shelves are going to be empty or how much prices have risen or the packaging has shrunk since the day before; the stock market has taken a dive; fuel prices (for cars and homes) have gone through the roof; the Republican dominated state and local governments are insane, and the Republican senators and representatives renew their Faustian bargain on a daily basis; Biden seems out of touch or uninformed when he addresses any issues; the Senate couldn't care less about anything but keeping their job; the second amendment and anti-vaxxer, anti-masker zealots are killing school children and seniors at record levels but their so-called "freedom" is so important to them and those whom they elect that Fox News thrives on them. And that's just a short list. I apologize for the rant. But permit me to add one thing: The polarization in this country is not a problem--it is a legitimate and sane reaction that one of the tribes has it wrong.

[EOP]

Why Be Good (1929)

There are many reasons Why Be Good merits watching. First, it's not a talkie, so it's fascinating to watch how important the acting is given the lack of dialogue, and it's also a pleasure not to have to watch a video where you cannot understand what the actors are saying ... in essence, it's a pre-closed caption world, but without the typos. Although not a talkie, much of the dialogue is done by acting without any captioning. Second, as it focuses on a flapper with a dubious reputation enjoys a vivacious night of dancing and finds herself romantically linked to her boss, it captures the problems of sexism and related problems in the corporate culture, confirming how long they've been around and engrained they have been. Third, shot before the Wall Street crash of 1929, it brings into sharp focus the lifestyle of the rich. Fourth, it would be nice if movies today had music going on throughout the movie. Fifth, it makes you long for an era of ties, jackets, and hats, instead of the dreck of casual wear that now seems to have invaded every fora. 

[EOP]

Let's Hope Dominion Voting Systems Can Dent Fox News

As explained in this NYT article, a judge presiding in the defamation lawsuit against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems ruled this week that the cable channel’s parent company, Fox Corporation, can be included in the suit (for $1.5B), broadening the possible legal exposure to the highest ranks of the Fox media empire. Dominion had argued that Fox Corporation should also be part of the litigation because its two most senior executives, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, played “a direct role in participating in, approving and controlling” statements that fed false perceptions of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Let's just hope this inspires DOJ to go after the big orange kahuna.

[EOP]

LIV Golf vs the PGA Tour

However minor the threat from LIV Golf is seen by the public, in making the announcement of changes that will be going into effect starting this year and more next year, the PGA Tour certainly and concededly sees LIV Golf as a huge threat. The Commissioner no longer is talking in terms like the bloviator Brandel Chamblee talks about "growing  the game"--he's now talking about "growing the business," meaning, increasing the revenues that will pass through to the players--particularly the top 50. It's a shame LIV Golf is backed by the Saudis, because if it were not a such a morally tainted entity, it would become the new model for professional golf, and the PGA Tour would be toast. That said, it is a head-scratcher that the PGA Tour's biggest change is to the funding and importance of the so-called Fall Tour. Maybe the PGA Tour hasn't heard that the NFL schedules many games at that time.

[EOP]

Tuesday's January 6 Committee Hearing

If you didn't watch the January 6 Committee hearing on Tuesday (June 21), watch it. It is an amazingly powerful presentation. The best parts confirm what can be done when the Committee let others tell the story and are good enough to at least not appear like they are reading from a teleprompter. That said, there's no excuse for the way the deposition testimony was photographed, which we've discussed before. Also, and I understand why others might differ on this, but undue repetition over and over and over and over again, particularly of a snippet of testimony the Committee loves because who doesn't love a former attorney general using some a particular salty phrase, really can get on the nerves of anyone paying attention, and has no effect on those not paying attention. But to repeat, this is MUST-SEE TV.

[EOP]

How to Find and Connect to Free Wi-Fi When Traveling

This cnet article will help you find and get on free wi-fi places anywhere in the world. The article includes two helpful links--one to find wi-fi spots and one to find if needed the password for those wi-fi spots.

[EOP]

Tie Me Up! Time Me Down! (1989 Movie on HBO Max)

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! is the movie that made Antonio Banderas an international star and was the first movie collaboration between Banderas and Pedro Almodovar (who goes by Almodovar on the credits as the writer and director). It's the story of an unbalanced but alluring former mental patient who takes a porn star prisoner in the hopes of convincing her to marry him. The cinematography (i.e., the camera shots) are mesmerizing, and it's great example why European film-making is so much more textured and edgy than American film-making. Not a spoiler alert but a cautionary note: The film has its salty language and more if you know what I mean. Heck, it's French.

[EOP]

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 Version on HBO Max)

The 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty stars Charles Laughten and Clark Gable. It was filmed mostly off the island of Catalina but a remote crew had to go twice to Tahiti, and twice had  to hire 2,000 extras, because the first filming turned out to be not kept right and spoiled. Charles Laughten is really odd looking and Clark Gable smiles about 95% of the time, often for no apparent reason. While I loved it on the big screen when it first came out, you might find it difficult to watch and get through the whole thing. It certainly leaves you not wanting to be on a ship  ... Covid or no Covid.

[EOP]

Status and Future of Covid PS

Yesterday, we put up a post linking a NYT article about the status and future of Covid.  In appreciation, The New Yorker, which is one of our most loyal readers, sent us this which captures well that article:

[EOP]

Status and Future of Covid

This NYT article gives an excellent overview of where the Covid pandemic stands and where things might be headed. Personally, as my loyal readers know, I'm over the moon to be able to say the pandemic is over, to act accordingly, and to say good riddance to it.

[EOP]

Is This Country Splitting Apart, or Has It Already?

The argument against prosecuting Trump for his leading a conspiracy first to undo and then to stop the electoral vote count in 2020 is the rift and strife it would cause in this country. That is a unreasonable argument and one articulated well in the next post. But one can only wonder when, two years after that election, and with the mid-terms coming up, the forces tearing this country apart are only growing and cannot be appeased. Just two examples: (i) The Texas Republican GOP has adopted a platform "declaring that President Joe Biden “was not legitimately elected” and rebuking Sen. John Cornyn for taking part in bipartisan gun talks. ... and they also voted on a platform that declares homosexuality “an abnormal lifestyle choice”; and (ii) Greitens, the former Missouri governor-turned-GOP Senate candidate, released a campaign ad Monday in which he and a group of armed men in tactical gear are on the hunt for “RINOs” - Republicans in name only - “We’re going RINO hunting,” a shotgun-toting Greitens, with a handgun holstered at his side, says before bursting into a house with the men in tactical gear, one of whom throws what appears to be a flash-bang grenade--“Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit and it doesn’t expire until we save our country,” he says at the end of the video, which encourages donors to pay $25 for a “RINO hunting” sticker. Earlier in the video, Greitens says, “the RINO feeds on corruption and is marked by the stripes of cowardice.” We have a paid a dear price as a result of the Republicans' failure to stand up to Trump. But, it just might be that declining to prosecute Trump is the ultimate proof of the cowardice of a democracy to use the powers it has to confirm the core values--namely the rule of law and the principle that no one is above the law--it says it believes in.

[EOP]

Reflections on Mike Pence, Prosecuting Trump, and Biden

The weekly dialogue column of Gail Collins and Bret Stephens is usually quite good, but their latest one is excellent. It mirrors the conversations all of you likely have had around your kitchen table and with friends. And if you've made up your mind on Pence, prosecuting Trump, and Biden, you might find yourself  nudged to rethink what you've concluded.

[EOP]

Best Father's Day Card

 [Prefatory Note: Modesty and humility prevent my disclosing who the recipient was of this card]

Difficulty of Proving Trump's Criminal Intent: Give Me a Break

The NYT on Sunday had a front page story, by two of its supposed lead reporters on Trump--Michael Schmidt (now Nicole Wallace's husband) and Maggie Haberman, outlining the purported difficulty in piercing Trump's defense to any criminal charge that  he lack the necessary intent to violate the law. If a prosecutor were to not bring a case against Trump for his leading the charge to stop the electoral vote counting because they thought they could not prove what lawyers call mens rea, they need to get another job. If Trump can escape prosecution based on lack of intent, then someone who robs a bank and steals money should be able to escape prosecution upon their saying, "I didn't think I was doing anything wrong--I was just getting money to buy food to keep my children from being under-nourished." And the NYT should stop with reporters who think they are so smart because they can rebut the obvious with allegedly nuanced drivel. Put another way, Trump was right for once: This is the NYT engaging in fake news.

[EOP] 

Bear Markets

Bear markets are not unusual. Indeed, since 1929, according to the NYT, the US stock market has been in a bear market nearly 24% of the time. As Jeff Sommer points out in this NYT article, "bear markets visit as often as severe storms." And he apparently is not even taking account of the impact of global warming.

[EOP]

Inventing Anna (2022 Mini-Series on Netflix)

Although the episodes seem longer than an hour each, Inventing Anna would seem to merit a second look. A post on this blog gave it a good review based on the first episode back in March, but then I stopped watching because the second episode was not so good. The third episode was as good as the first, so if you stopped watching it, you might take a chance and keep going. It's the story of a con artist, which clearly is timely and topical given what we are living through.

[EOP]

Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022 Movie on Apple TV+)

Cha Cha Real Smoooth has gotten good reviews and Cooper Raiff wrote, directed, and starred in it. It's the  story of a young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host and strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter. There's only one problem: It's really boring. Half the audience left it after about 20 minutes and the other half left not much longer after.

[EOP]

Walmart Drops My Pillow

As is widely reported, Walmart has dropped My Pillow, which is owned and promoted heavily by a Trumper nut job, and he's not happy about it. Kudos to Walmart.

[EOP]

The Other Big Lie: Playing Through

While much attention has been paid to debunking and ridiculing The Big Lie re the 2020 presidential election, the Playing Through feature NBC is using at the US Open is as big or bigger and  more seditious lie. The rationale (aka the myth) behind it, by using the split screen, is that you don't miss anything when a commercial is being shown--with the commercial on one screen and the golf on the other. But you don't need an army of cyber ninjas to debunk that theory. First, because of the lack of commentary and poor camera work, you often have no clue what's going on the golf side, and you almost never have a good view. Second, and far more important, because every shot is recorded, just because there is a commercial time-out, there is no need to miss any shot and certainly any shot of importance because they all can be shown with the commentary, "just a moment ago" here is X on the _ hole. In reality, what the USGA and NBC are doing is cramming more commercials in than they otherwise would to the disregard of the viewer, particular viewers with attention issues. And compared to the "limited commercial" interruption of The Masters and even the PGA Championship, what the USGA and NBC are doing is as much a disgrace as is any tournament where one has to watch a guy named Zalatoris move up the leader board.

[EOP]

Further Proof of Debunking of the Hot Hand Theory

Loyal readers undoubtedly will remember the blog post we did in 2014 debunking the hot hand theory. Further evidence to the point is now being reported in this WSJ article. Golfers may hope to get on a hot streak, but a new study suggests that isn’t likely. In fact, it’s more likely they will find themselves stuck in a cold streak. Using data from 119 PGA Tour and LPGA Tour tournaments, the researchers found no evidence golfers even have hot streaks, which they define as success building on itself for successive holes. When the researchers looked at birdies, eagles or better, they didn’t find that the score predicted better performance on the next hole. The researchers, however, did find evidence of the exact opposite: Golfers do get cold streaks.

[EOP]

Good News on Long Covid Front

As is now being reported, a new study found that the likelihood of developing long COVID was significantly less after having the Omicron variant of COVID-19 compared to having the Delta variant of the disease. The article is worth reading on that point and related points.

[EOP]

Give Trump What He Has Asked For

Trump has voiced his concern that the January 6 Committee "is a one sided, highly partisan Witch Hunt, the likes of which has never been seen in Congress before." "Therefore, I am hereby demanding EQUAL TIME to spell out the massive Voter Fraud & Dem Security Breach!" The January 6 Committee should immediately invite Trump to testify at the next hearing, and give him all the time he wants to say whatever he wants, and he can have any witnesses he wants also appear. And while it is at it, the same invitation might go to Pence, Meadows, Eastman, Giuliani, and the others at the core of or with first-hand knowledge of the conspiracy to obstruct Congress and stop the transfer of power.

[EOP]

Tesla Raises Its Prices Again

 As can be seen here, Tesla has raised its prices several thousand dollars on each of its models.

[EOP]

The Next Tiger Woods

Everyone agrees that what the PGA Tour needs more than anything is the next Tiger Woods. There is no shortage of phenoms and great young players, but there is no one in sight (with one exception) who could elevate the game the way Tiger elevated it and the way Nicklaus did before him. I trust you will keep this a secret because no one else knows and I've never told anyone this before--the next Tiger Woods is Charlie Woods, Tiger's son. Before you even think of scoffing, just think Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Bonds, the Mannings, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Pete Maravich, Bruce Matthews, Klay Thompson, the Boones, and Grant Hill. Okay, maybe not Grant Hill. But the rest of them eclipsed their father's careers.

[EOP]

Pressers at the US Open: Blown Opportunity

I am perhaps one of the few people who didn’t watch the pressers at the US Open of Mickelson, DJ or any of the other LIV members, but I saw excerpts on TGC. From what I can tell, while the questions were hostile, they almost all focused on the players' decision and motivation to join LIV and whether the LIV posed a threat to the PGA Tour and to the game of golf and  growing the game of golf. The questions that should have been asked, but of course reporters never ask what should have been asked, were as follows:

Q. Would you be comfortable criticizing the American government and calling out by name American government officials if they were acting immorally or illegally?

Q. Are you comfortable, having joined LIV, criticizing the Saudi government and calling out by name Saudi government officials if they were acting immorally or illegally?

If the answer to that is no, end of interview. If the answer is yes, the following:

Q. What is your view of the established fact that the Saudi crown prince MBS ordered the murder of WaPo journalist Khashoggi, which every decent and objective observer considers to have been both immoral and illegal?

[EOP]

DOJ vs. January 6 Committee

As is now being reported, there is clear tension between DOJ and the January 6 Committee. I am at total loss to understand it, but here is the scoop: "The Select Committee’s failure to grant the Department access to these transcripts complicates the Department’s ability to investigate and prosecute those who engaged in criminal conduct in relation to the January 6 attack on the Capitol,” the department wrote in a letter Wednesday, signed by Criminal Division chief Kenneth Polite Jr. and National Security Division head Matthew Olsen, as well as the U.S. attorney for D.C., Matthew Graves. The House committee’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said that his panel wants to help the Justice Department but that the higher priority for the members right now is to complete their hearings, which began last week and continued Thursday, with more sessions expected in the coming weeks. The committee also intends to prepare a report, he noted. “We’re in the midst of conducting our hearing. … We have a report to do. So, we’re not going to stop what we’re doing to share information that we’ve gotten so far with the Department of Justice,” Thompson said. “We will eventually cooperate with them.” All I can say is this: It must be nice to live in the Committee's world where time, timing, and deadlines seem to not matter.

[EOP]

How to Avoid the Rough at the US Open

The rough is brutal at most US Opens, and certainly is said to be at this one. Putting aside our concerns that growing the rough to be unduly penal might not be consistent with the architect's design intent and vision, there are two ways to avoid the rough. The first is to hit your tee shot into the fairway. The problem is the fairways are narrow and so doing so is easier said than done. The second way, which is much easier, is to take aim where possible to hit it into the gallery lining the fairway, because that area will be trampled down and almost assures a good lie if not an excellent one. Everyone remembers how Ian Woosnam used a similar strategy to avoid the bunkers on 18 to win the 1991 Masters, and some remember a junior golfer's figuring out that driving  into the 5th fairway on Philmont's North Course avoided the problems posed by the very narrow tree-lined 6th fairway, turning a tricky difficult hole into a fairly easy one. But today's professionals seem oblivious to history and innovation, as they are blinded by their allegiance to metrics and obsession with  technology. 

[EOP]

Emily in Paris (Netflix TV Series)

Emily in Paris is a Netflix Rom-Com series set in Paris. It stars Phil Collins' daughter (yup, that's the kind of trivia my loyal readers expect and what my staff is so adept at digging out). I've seen only the first two episodes, and the best thing I can say is that they are 1/2 hour each. I doubt I'll watch any more. Everything from the story to the characters to the dialogue to the vignette events is over-stereotyped, over-stylized, and overly-predictable. I wish I liked it more because the City of Lights is so amazing, but it calls for depth and emotion and this series has neither.

[EOP]

When It Comes to Inflation, Economics Has Some Explaining to Do

Everyone knows the Fed messed up when it didn't see inflation sticking around and getting as bad as it has gotten. This piece by Greg Ip provides an excellent analysis of how, not just the Fed, but virtually all the economists missed the inflationary spiral we are now in. 

[EOP]

Bill Gates Says Cryptocurrency and NFTs Are Based on the "Greater Fool Theory"

I was talking today to Microsoft founder Bill Gates who told me that, in his view, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies are 100 percent based on “the greater fool theory that somebody’s going to pay more for it than I do,” the idea that people can make money by purchasing assets that are overvalued and later selling them at a profit. Later, Gates, speaking at the Tech Crunch conference, said that he is not involved in cryptocurrency and added he’s used to asset classes such as “a farm, where they have output, or a company, where they make products.” According to Gates, at the heart of the crypto and NFT movement is an anonymity allowing buyers to avoid taxation or government rules about “kidnapping fees or things."

[EOP]

Easy Fix When Phone Doesn't Charge

If you plug in your phone and it doesn't charge, there could be many reasons. But the most frequent one is dirt in the charging port. Fortunately, as this cnet article will show you, it's very easy and safe to clean it out. Of course, we have long recommended wireless charging, which allows one to put a plug into the charging port so no dirt ever gets in and it will always be available should there be a problem with the wireless charging.

[EOP]

Failure of January 6 Committee to Realize Trump Is No Nixon

[Prefatory Note: Submitted in revised form to the NYT]

There have been two presidents that have assaulted and subverted our democracy: Nixon and Trump. But that's where the similarity ends. Trump is markedly different than Nixon in that, unlike Nixon who thrived and obsessed on secrecy, Trump's seditious attacks on the constitution and our democracy were done openly and in plain sight. Uncovering Nixon's secrets is what made the Watergate hearings of such high drama. In sharp contrast, while the January 6 Committee delights in revealing various details it has "discovered"--such as Giuliani being drunk on election night, its pre-hearing announcements and its hyperventilated presentations pretend like they've uncovered some sinister heretofore unknown cabal. Their job was to put together the case so the American people could understand why they would refer it for criminal prosecution to DOJ. Their job was not to solve some mystery. Indeed, virtually everything Trump did in his stop-the-steal campaign was done in public and on television. That's how con men do what they do, and, compared to Trump, Nixon was no con man.

PS: While not relevant here, and certainly of far less importance, a second difference between Nixon and Trump is that Trump doggedly used the presidency and various illegal means to enhance his wealth.

[EOP]

What Is the January 6 Committee Doing?

We have been disappointed with several aspects of the conduct of the January 6 Committee from its over-hyping its evidence, starting a hearing a hearing scheduled for weeks nearly an hour late, canceling or postponing another hearing (assertedly "to give staffers more time to prepare the committee's extensive video presentations"), reading its presentations from teleprompters, focusing on supposedly salacious albeit irrelevant details (e.g., Giuliani being drunk on election night), spending laborious and droning time on matters well-known and not in dispute, and its Chairman announcing that no criminal prosecution referrals would be made leading to an open dispute among members. But, whatever criticism might have been leveled at the Committee by us or others, there has until now been no challenge to its good-faith or its credibility or the fundamental indisputable accuracy of the matters it has presented. So it remains a complete  mystery why the Committee would release a videotape it says shows a Republican congressman (Loudermilk) giving what it calls a "reconnaissance tour" of the Capitol to persons who would participate in the riot the next day, and highlight it on television, when, as reported by this NYT article: "The Capitol Police have investigated those claims, and on Monday, the force released a letter in which its chief said Mr. Loudermilk’s tour appeared to be innocuous. We train our officers on being alert for people conducting surveillance or reconnaissance, and we do not consider any of the activities we observed to be suspicious,” the Chief of the Capitol Police (Manger) wrote in a letter about Loudermilk’s tour. Chief Manger said Capitol Police had reviewed surveillance footage of the complex on Jan. 5 and observed Mr. Loudermilk leading a tour of about 15 people, who visited the Rayburn House Office Building and the Cannon House Office Building. His letter described the tour as a “visit by constituents” and noted that the group did not enter the Capitol or its tunnel system. Tours of the Capitol were limited at the time because of pandemic restrictions. On Wednesday, Capitol Police said they could not offer additional comments but had “cooperated extensively” with the committee." With such an overpowering case against Trump, one would have thought that the Committee would strain not to put themselves in a position where a Republican congressman could put out a credible statement that said: "The committee was engaging in a smear campaign against him, causing his family and staff to receive death threats. As Capitol Police confirmed, nothing about this visit with constituents was suspicious. The pictures show children holding bags from the House gift shop, which was open to visitors, and taking pictures of the Rayburn train.”

[EOP]

LIV vs. PGA Tour Properly Understood

[Prefatory Note: Submitted in revised form to the NYT Sports Editor]

Most observers and commentators seem to think that the struggle between LIV and the PGA Tour will come down to which tour survives. That might be a myopic and flawed view of what actually is going on and is at stake. In short, the question is NOT which tour will prevail. Rather, the question is which business model will prevail. The LIV business model is like that of every other major televised professional sport, while the business model of the PGA Tour is unlike that of any major televised professional sport. Thus, LIV has a discrete group of players under contract, who are paid more than any other players of the sport, and who have a set schedule where all of them (except if injured or excused for a non-golf reason) have to show up--just like the players of MLB, NFL, and NBA. In sharp contrast, the PGA Tour has thousands of members, some of whom get to show up for televised events but none have to, and, while a relatively few make more money than others who players of the sport, most don't. While current PGA Tour professionals, especially the highest paid ones, have good reasons to avoid and eschew LIV, it would not be surprising to learn that, behind the scenes and off camera, they are right now in serious negotiations with the PGA Tour management about reforming its business model. In sum, the question is not which tour will survive. The question is, when the dust settles, what will be the PGA Tour's revised business model be?

PS: Our many loyal readers who have an unholy interest in antitrust might enjoy this NYT article, which discusses some of the antitrust problems the PGA Tour faces in its efforts to quash the LIV.

[EOP]

Apparent Cryptocurrency Problems

[Prefatory Note: We repeatedly have stated here that, along with electricity, cryptocurrency is the principal thing in this world we have no clue about. We don't know what it is or how it works or what mining it means or what it looks like. As such, we have no clue whether the difficulties cryptocurrency described below are real or phantom hype. It also should be noted that, after following them for decades, I am equally ignorant and the poorer for dealing with the equity markets and the fixed income markets]

As this NYT article explains, over the last two years, as the prices of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies surged, crypto start-ups proliferated. Companies that market digital coins to investors flooded the airwaves with TV commercials, newfangled lending operations offered sky-high interest rates on crypto deposits and exchanges. A global industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars rose up practically overnight. Now it is crashing down.

[EOP]

Right to an Abortion Protected Under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment

About a month ago, we did a blog post and sent a letter to the NYT suggesting that a mainstream religion could challenge any abortion ban as a violation of their religious beliefs. A synagogue in Florida has just filed such a lawsuit: “For Jews, all life is precious and thus the decision to bring new life into the world is not taken lightly or determined by state fiat,” the lawsuit said. “In Jewish law, abortion is required if necessary to protect the health, mental or physical well-being of the woman, or for many other reasons not permitted under the act [the new law]. As such, the act prohibits Jewish women from practicing their faith free of government intrusion and thus violates their privacy rights and religious freedom.”

[EOP]

Traveling to Europe: Same Problems as Here

As the NYT reports, the start of the summer travel season in Europe has been marred by chaos at airports and popular tourist destinations as airlines, government agencies and industry operators struggle to meet travel demand, which, in some spots, has already surpassed 2019 levels. The mayhem is likely to get worse, travel experts warn, as more people decide to travel following the recent decision by the Biden administration to drop its coronavirus testing requirement for international air travel. Hundreds of flights have been canceled and delayed daily at major European airport hubs over the past two weeks. At London’s Heathrow and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airports, passengers waited up to six hours in security lines, and those waiting to check-in spilled out of the terminals into parking lots. Bon voyage!

[EOP]

How to Report Home Covid Test Results

This NYT article explains the problem created for tracking Covid as a result of home testing, and further explains how one's testing results should be reported.

[EOP]

PS re Are You Kidding Me Post

There is nothing better than This song to express how everyone who cares about our democracy must feel about the January 6 Committee given Chairman Thompson's announcement as set out in the below post that no criminal referrals will be made. 

[EOP]

Dear January 6 Committee: You've Got to Be Kidding Me

The chairman of the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol told reporters Monday that the panel will not make any criminal referral of former President Donald Trump or anyone else to the Justice Department. "No, you know, we're going to tell the facts. If the Department of Justice looks at it, and assume that there's something that needs further review, I'm sure they'll do it," Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson said.

[EOP]

PGA's Leadership Problem

If you need any proof that the commissioner of the PGA Tour might not be the person best able to handle the brawl with LIV, just watch this interview of Jay Monahan during the final round of whatever the PGA tournament was this weekend (which I didn't watch).

[EOP]

Second January 6 Committee Hearing

The Committee keeps saying that they have so much evidence of the illegal conspiracy to overthrow the government led by Trump that they can show us only a tiny fraction of it. One can only wonder why that small fraction is taken up with repeating over and over and over and over, both from statements of  multiple Committee members and deposition testimony, that the election results were not the product of widespread fraud. One also might  wonder whether tossing in TMZ-ish tidbits such  as Giuliani was drunk election night when he told Trump to announce victory. And one also might wonder whether the Barr and others' testimony that Trump might have been detached from reality sets up an insanity defense if he ever is charged--okay, just kidding. All that said, it's not fair to criticize the Committee as one might criticize the presentation by a trial attorney (e.g., the prosecution in the OJ Simpson case). After all, these are politicians. Putting all that nit-picking aside, it has to be said that: (i) the 98% of the hearing's time which was spent on making the case that the election was not stolen by fraud, and that Trump's claims that it was were bogus, and that Trump was told by various officials that the election was not stolen by fraud, made that case; (ii) perhaps the most effective presentation (showing Trump's fraudulent fundraising off of the big lie) was done in 2 minutes near the end with the kind of video presentation we had urged the Committee to use for its entire presentation and wish it would for its remaining presentations; and (iii) I trust that the final minute of the hearing, which showed short video clips of 4 rioters saying they were there to stop the steal as Trump asked them to, is just a teaser to make the case that Trump is criminally liable for master-minding a conspiracy to overtake the government and prevent a transition of power.

PS: Not a big deal, but it's curious that the video of the depositions doesn't just zoom in on the witness, but instead often shows the whole room, or puts the witness's lawyer's melon of a head as the prominent part of the shot, or often focuses more on the lawyer or multiple lawyers asking the questions rather than the witness.

Importance of Promptly Testing and Treating re Covid

[Prefatory Note: The following is a screenshot of an email Medicare sent to me. I checked with them, and, while it was a personal communication from them to me because of our special relationship, they okayed my sharing it with all of you]

 [EOP]

Follow Up Comment on January 6 Committee Hearings

Now that the post-Thursday night self-congratulations of Committee members and hyperventilating of partisans seems to have dissipated, it looks like: (i) the prediction of this blog that minds would not be changed has been borne out; and (ii) the only hope for a positive outcome would be a criminal prosecution by DOJ--which this blog has long pushed for by way of a criminal referral, and which view now appears to be the view reflected increasingly by comments of members of the Committee and by columnists and commentators. As has been said by others far smarter than me, the key to success in this kind of thing is the setting of an attainable objective and pursuing it doggedly, while avoiding the trap of overselling overpromising that results from the intoxication of smelling one's own perfume. And most of all, do not  let the clock run out, which the delay to date might already have let happen. As one former DOJ spokesperson put it, even "an open-and-shut case on television is different from proving someone violated a criminal statute.”

[EOP] 

The Janes (2022 Documentary on HBO)

The Janes documents the story of seven women, who ultimately were arrested, who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE. It is well done, although it would have been even better if  edited to about half the 1.5 hours it ran. Besides its coverage of the impact of criminalizing abortion, it gives a different slant into what the male-dominated radical movements of the 1960s looked like and how they treated women.

[EOP]

Recommendation re Boxer Briefs

While Ex-Officio boxer briefs are my choice ever since sailing with them through the Greek isles because of how fast they dry in the air, Wirecutter has different recommendations, including pairs from Costco for under $5 each, which is like the opposite of taking it in the shorts.

[EOP]

The Phillies

My worst fears have come true. My post of yesterday jinxed the Phillies. They went down in a humiliating defeat (marked by a lack of hitting coupled with atrocious fielding) to the Arizona Diamondbacks. So, I beg of all my loyal readers--stop hounding me to do Phillies updates. They are easy to get online and through other media.

[EOP]

The New Yorker Captures the Angst of Our Existence

[EOP]

 

Best Travel Translation Apps

Whenever I travel to a non-speaking country, I immerse myself to become fluent in the language.  This WSJ article notes the best apps for doing so or at least learning some helpful phrases. But I realize most travelers are lazier than I am, so for them, this same WSJ article is a must for learning about the best translation apps. If you eschew these helpful tools, this is how you can expect to be seen and treated.

[EOP]

Finally, a Clergy Voice in Favor of Protecting People

As set out in this NYT article, the Archbishop of San Antonio has forcefully taken the position that "the nation must overhaul its gun laws, limiting access to weapons designed to maximize carnage and suffering." It must also abandon what he described as "an unsettling cultural embrace of violence these weapons represented." “We have to!” said Archbishop. “We’re supposed to promote life, the life of people.” We applaud the Archbishop as a refreshing reminder of "promoting" what we had always thought should be the most important mission of any religious institution. The tens of thousands of people who die from gun violence is a national disgrace, which all houses of worship should rail against and promote policies and legislation to end. I would hope that every house of worship would condition attendance on not carrying a weapon because of the danger they might pose to the life of people. What I remain dumbfounded about is why, instead of taking the lead on "promoting the life of people" when it comes to Covid, so many religious entities: (i) have failed and refused to take a lead to promote the life of people by advocating vaccinations and wearing of masks at least in indoor spaces; and (ii) have demonstrated a disregard for the sanctity of life by not conditioning attendance on proof of a negative test or vaccination and on wearing a mask--knowing full well the danger posed to the life of vulnerable people. I guess 1 million deaths from Covid is just a statistic, and not a national disgrace.

[EOP]

The Philllies

I really wish loyal readers and others would stop Harpering on me to give Phillies' updates. I hate the thought of jinxing them just by mentioning how they are doing. Their win streak is now at 9, they are over 500, and they have not lost a game since firing their manager. They are not closing ground on the second place Braves who have won 10 in a row but are on the first place Mets who have lost 4 of their last 10. They're winning with shut-outs, with come-from-behind heroics, and with powerful hitting. All that said, our glee should not be seen to obscure the empathy we feel for the niece of a loyal reader who is the girlfriend of a young opposing starting pitcher the Phillies clobbered (although he was let down by an infielder's error that should have resulted in a double-play end of the inning).

[EOP]

Benefit of Dealing With an Agent/Rep If You Are on Medicare

Typically, one cannot switch Medicare Supplemental plans without going through underwriting and, if you have any condition at all, the switch likely will be denied. Unbeknownst to one loyal reader, on occasion Blue Cross will run a special where it will accept new enrollees within a 90-day period without any underwriting. As a result, one can keep the identical plan one is one, e.g., Plan G, with the exact same coverage and no downside, but the monthly premium might be $50+/month lower than that charged by one's current carrier, which is a $600/year savings. One also might be able to switch to a better plan and still have a lower monthly premium. So, if you are navigating Medicare without any help, you might be leaving money on the table.

[EOP]  

My Problem With the January 6 Committee

Unlike the Watergate Committee, the January 6 Committee is (and makes no pretense to the contrary) acting and presenting its case as one would to a grand jury, i.e., with no cross-examination or any presentation by the defendants. I say this not as a criticism, and believe they came to the conclusions they did after studying the evidence they collected. If there is any hope of any justice being done, however, it's going to be by DOJ, i.e., the Committee cannot prosecute anyone, but it can make criminal referrals to DOJ.  My understanding is the January 6 Committee has not yet turned over to DOJ any of the deposition transcripts or documents they've been collecting over the past year.  It either has the goods or doesn't. But time matters, and what they're waiting for remains a mystery to me. 

[EOP]

Lesson From the Rodney King Trial

Rodney King was brutally beaten by police and it was all caught on tape, which seemed to lead the conclusion that the case against the police for use of excessive force was open-and-shut. At the trial, the defense showed the tape of the beating over and over and over again. The jury acquitted the police officers. One theory of  the acquittal was that the repeated showing of the beating on tape dulled the jurors to the horror. We leave it to the reader to decide whether this lesson might have any applicability to the January 6 Committee's presentation.

[EOP] 

Covid Testing No Longer Required to Fly to the U.S.

As is now widely reported, the CDC is dropping the requirement to test negative before flying into the U.S. This certainly makes sense to the extent the requirement was designed to stop the spread of the infection because the impact of infected people flying into the U.S. on the overall infection rate is trivial. What was nice about the requirement, though, is that it made airports and planes, especially with the dropping of the mask mandates, safer for at-risk travelers. Oh well. Bpm voyage.

[EOP]

LIV and the Tipping Point

Those betting against LIV or betting on the PGA Tour might read The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell before making an outsized bet. Given that the PGA Tour controls none of the majors, nor the Ryder Cup, what would FedEx's ending its  sponsorship of the so-called FedEx Cup mean? How sure are you that the likes of these top 20 players--John Rahm, Cameron Smith, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele, Hadeki Matsuyama, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bruce Koepka--would not join the 2 top 20 players who already have joined LIV? And what would it mean in terms of TV viewership and ad revenue if just 5 of them bolted along with who knows how many from the top 50 who could look to be making far more money than if they did not bolt. What happens if Fox or another network does decide to broadcast LIV events. Finally, are you certain that Tiger Woods would pass on the opportunity of becoming the richest person in the world and not be stuck, as Forbes reported today, as just 1 of 3 sports billionaires (along with Michael Jordan and LeBron James)?

[EOP] 

Additional Way to Watch TV Reruns and Other Stuff

Say you set your DVR to tape the January 6 Committee hearing but someone in the household accidently deleted it, and while you saw parts live, you had to endure some fast-forwarding by that someone and now you want to go back and watch the parts he skipped. There's a YouTube app on your smart TV and, if not, it's downloadable through your Firestick or Roku, and you can see the entire hearing replayed from any of many sources. Putting aside the pay YouTube channel, in this way you can see anything on your TV that's available on YouTube that you can see on your computer or phone or tablet.

[EOP] 

Getaround: Another Car Sharing Alternative

An earlier post highlighted Turo, Uber's car sharing service, which has some substantial advantages over rental cars especially when picking up at an airport. Turns out there is another car sharing service: Getaround, which might be worth checking out as well when you next have need to rent a car. Beside avoiding the hassle of dealing with rental car services, it seems car sharing gives you a heightened security that your reservation for a car has not just been taken, but  held. There is graphic evidence that at least some car rental companies know how to take a car reservation but don't know how to hold a car rental reservation. This phenomenon applies also to the circumstance where one's nephew knows how to get a job but doesn't know how to hold a job.

[EOP] 

Possible Alternative to Urgent Care and Emergency Room: DispatchHealth.com--Urgent Care at Your Home

[Prefatory Note: I have NO knowledge whatsoever about DispatchHealth.com. The reviews seem quite  good but I cannot vouch for them either. Their services might not be available outside of the Phoenix metropolitan area but other such entities might be, and there might be competitors who are as good or better]

DispatchHealth brings urgent care services to your home. You likely can get an appointment the same day you call, and often within a few hours. It appears the cost and insurance coverage are about the same as they would be if you went to an urgent care center. I guess if you live long enough, everything comes full circle, in this instance: house calls have come back. 

[EOP]