Facebook Musings since 2013
2022
December 9, 2022
The third law of management: A decision to decide is not a real decision. DGR-MBA
December 7, 2022
Thank goodness it's December 7! Hope they will stop those annoying Medicare Advantage ads on TV. BTW WaPo called those plans Medicare DIS-Advantage.
November 29, 2022
I forgot to mention how Thankful I am for USB-C. Not having to look which way the connection fits, has already added about a week on to my useful life. Computer weenie management finally got their head on straight!
November 11, 2022
When we watch CNBC, we need to remember that most of those folks have more dollars than we do. But let’s NOT assume they have more sense: They are all just common-taters, except for the one from Wharton.
November 8
If I were a state or local politician and had serious misgivings about the election system I would first get involved and fix it. If I failed to do that or did not even try, I would certainly NOT run for office and submit my future to the vagaries of a system I perceived as rigged. Instead, I would just go get a real job, as distasteful as that seems. To enter a political race in a system believed to be irreparably broken displays GROSS IGNORANCE: Any savvy electorate would certainly figure that out, and my electability would be doomed whether the system was rigged or not. What state are YOU in?
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November 7
Family and friends who WORK on elections at ground-level in various states do not see rigging. Be sure to VOTE! Issues? Short-term? Long-term? Don’t be short-sighted.
November 6
We all know THEY do not allow anything on the internet unless it is verified.
October 7
Life is good: We’ve got a couple months of emergency expenses squirreled away in savings, and we have 12 double rolls in the pantry.
October 5
Is COVID over? Are you deMASKulated?
October 2
WOW! This thing really works!
September 13
If you see something, say something: Hhhhmmm
I’ve seen some of my friends and neighbors using Arabic numerals. Should this be reported?
August 26
A down day on “the market” got YOU down? You might be too heavily invested. Increase your cash position, then you can celebrate a down day as a buying opportunity!
August 23
Just in, this is a classic: Microsoft wants to let me know they are updating the terms of our Services Agreement as of AUGUST 15. Oh, wait a minute, that’s more than a week ago! Does anybody at headquarters read this stuff? Of course not. Their computer weenies run wild: No supervision, no management. Maybe someday they will grow up and be an adult company?
August 18
I’m working on an electric car that has a small windmill mounted on the roof. As you drive, the windmill spins a generator that charges the battery. Not rocket science, but why has no one thought of this before? I’m about to google the U.S.P.T.O. and apply. – Captain David, BSME
August 17
OK, it’s time for corporations to be taxed at least 15% (of their disposable income) which will help balance the Federal budget. But where will these companies find the extra money to pay increased taxes? Of course, from their customers. Wait a minute, that’s us!
August 14
HEADLINES:
Bad news: The arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the earth.
Good news: The rest of the earth is warming four times slower than the arctic.
Thanx?
August 11
Where's Barry McGuire when we really need him?
August 4
WOW! It's hotter than Haiti - It's only 90 degrees in Port-au-Prince!
July 19
Just think: If it took 60% of the voters to elect a state governor, then most states would be without a governor, and presumably without an effective government. Hhhhhmmmm.
I am David Rathgeber and I approved this message.
July 15
Did you hear the news? 'The lobbying that resulted in Biden's Saudi trip was in tents.'
July 4
Have a great fourth, and don't forget the fifth!
A man who drinks a fifth on the fourth usually cannot go forth on the fifth!
May 21
But what would Emily Post say?
May 6
Modern miniaturization and Chinese mass production methods of recent years have resulted in proliferation of the turboencabulator: Click https://drrealestate.net/misc.html#M916
Originally too large and complex for general use these unique machines have been discovered by many in their cars, usually in the trunk behind a panel on the passenger side, and even in their home utility closets, or under kitchen sinks. One was even discovered in a toilet tank. These amazing machines keep humming along using only piezoelectric power to provide subtle but ubiquitous benefits to modern-day life. The most recent innovation has been the incorporation of microchips to enable automatic adjustment for changing conditions in nanoseconds, by constant sampling and dithering.
Almost unbelievable! Don't know who is responsible, but let me know if you find one.
As a result of all your incisive private comments and questions, I’ve done some research which indicates, with a 96.9% confidence level (i.e., 2 standard deviations), that Bill Gates has had an indirect hand in covert placement of many of these devices, perchance with a nod from Joe Biden. This has become somewhat disconcerting, if not surprising.
April 24
Look what I found in the kitchen: Lucky to not be in jail!
March 26
Think about the WHITE HOUSE: Pretty subtle, ‘eh?
March 20
Didja ever wander what they put into sugar to make it taste so sweet?
March 14
Virginia Dare. Do you know who that was? Do you know what that was? Say it again? I dare you!
March 9
Out of the blue: I’ve not fact-checked this, merely assembled bits and pieces of news. 90% of the Russian military is involved in Ukraine. That’s approximately 200,000 troops. That leaves 20,000 troops to secure the rest of Russia. We have 100,000 in Europe and the rest of NATO must have 200,000 for a total of 300,000 troops. Let’s mass 90% of them, 270,000, troops in Latvia on the border of Russia, about 500 miles from Moscow. We can no doubt secure Moscow militarily in 3 or 4 days. Wonder if that would make Pooti-poot reevaluate his priorities? Don’t bother to shoot holes in this, I have not fact-checked it at all.
March 3
I wasn’t paying attention to the mesothelioma ad on TV, when I suddenly realized that it fits perfectly into the tune “Gary Indiana.” Whoops: I once worked in a factory that made insulation from asbestos.
February 6
Wow! We were starting dinner about 5PM and the TV was on. There was a reporter live on a street in Kiev talking about the Russians invading the Ukraine. But I noticed that it gets really dark over there, really early. It seemed just like it was the middle of the night.
February 4
When you call a business, their answering service will warn you to listen to all the prompts, because they have changed recently. Did you ever wonder whether recently is 5 days or 5 years or somewhere in between?
So, you pick a prompt and punch a digit and learn that wait-times are longer than normal. Did you ever wonder; whatz normal? Predictions of the current wait-time are rare, so here is a translation of the longer than normal message: "We really do not care whether you wait or not. We are leaving you with uncertainty because we have found it makes folks feel uncomfortable, and quite frankly, many just hang up and leave us alone."
January 31
Joe: Should you add Anita to your list of Supreme Court nominees?
January 29
Just think: If they really wanted to be fair, they would have subpoenaed 14 democrat alternate-electors too!
January 28
I lived in England for a few years and those folks ALWAYS sound like they really do know, even when they’re full of it.
January 24
Nothing ever changes: They had Mr. Filibuster problems way back on the Howdy Doody Show, if I remember correctly.
January 23
Call me a socialist: I always cash my monthly social security check; never send it back to the G’ment.
January 22
On Saturdays, it's weigh-in, and today I was under my fighting-weight of 145 pounds. Part of my success is due to avoiding doughnuts, but I do have a pet-peeve: My favorite is the vanilla-crème filled, and by 9AM, every Dunkin Donuts in the country is out of that variety. One thinks they might just make more of them, but in 5 decades, no one in the entire company has figured that out. Duh!!!
January 13
Long ago, when I had a real job, job descriptions were needed for each of my people. An unnamed but unimpeachable source has provided the official job description for every member of Congress:
JOB DESCRIPTION
1-Get reelected.
That’s it, now itz up to us: VOTE!
I am David Rathgeber and I approved this message.
January 9
Whatever happened to Sargent Joe Friday?
January 4
Have you heard that some overwhelmed hospitals are admitting ONLY those COVID patients who have been vaccinated?
2021
December 21
A note to all my friends across the river in DC
Be sure to remember the 2nd rule of negotiating: Never believe what anyone says.
November 27
Just did a routine check, and the machine says I have the OMRON variant.
November 26
Perspective: It's only money!
November 16
The yeast will rise in the sun!
November 15
And the judge said . . .
-Go to jail
-Go directly to jail
-Do not pass GO
-Do not collect $200
. . . and if you get near the Boardwalk, for heaven’s sake, do NOT take your buddy Donnie: They don’t like him in Atlantic City anymore.
November 15
Does 5 o'clock keep getting later, and later, or is it me?
November 5
I’ve been saving a lot of time: I decided to stop wracking my brain, trying to understand things that are absolutely CRAZY. Make sense?
October 31
Check this: Do odd-numbered children tend to resemble their mother, and even-numbered children tend to resemble their father?
October 21
Q: How do brewers in Saudi Arabia start their day?
A: They face the yeast.
October 19
Corporations pay tax with money. They get money from sales. Sales money comes from customers.
Wait, that’s you and me! Politicians and the news media have been BAMBOOZLED us into thinking it comes from somewhere else. Itz just a hidden tax on you and me.
. . . and what about tariffs?
October 13
I stopped currency trading a while back and just realized itz been a while since I had a yen.
October 7
I think it's time for a little humor: #37 !!!
October 4
My brain scan came back negative.
September 29
One of the most important things I know, is what I DON’T know.
September 20
I hear this is the very best way to cure folks who have contracted COVID-19.
Antie bodies!
September 16
Not rocket science: It is utterly ridiculous, as well as distressing to hear that Homeland Security expects 700 demonstrators in DC on Saturday. That turnout qualifies as a non-event. Someone should be planning for thousands. What do YOU think Dewey? You are my only rocket-scientist friend.
September 13
When I was younger, I actually had an Afghan on my bed. (Don't over-think it.)
September 12
Why did Edgar Bergen ever let McCarthy get off his knee? Ugh!
September 10
Lost a lot in the market today. Glad I’m not a baker.
September 5
This 2-factor authentication has gone too far: I desperately have to go to the bathroom, and I have forgotten my pissword.
September 5
It seems that EVERYONE has come to a conclusion about the effectiveness of masks in stopping the spread of COVID. Just wish we had all come to exactly the same conclusion.
September 1
Awaiting the start of a virtual meeting, was I pre-zooming?
August 30
Well over 50% of our population is vaccinated and many hospitals are still filling up with Covid patients. This is worrisome.
August 27
Of course I believe it: They would not be able to post it, if it were not true!
August 17
Redskin potatoes are filing suit to have their name changed. They find it derogatory and demeaning, and would like to remind us that they are NOT common taters.
August 8
Florida hospitals are filling with Covid patients and Governor DeSantis blames Biden’s lack of border control. If DeSantis would simply step up and send the FHP to close I-95 and I-75 at the border to Georgia and I-10 at the border to Alabama he could control his own border. Florida is a bigger state, but closure is an option: We all remember when Delaware needed to be closed on occasion when it became full. They used state troopers to stop incoming cars and turn them around at the border. We don't fabricate this stuff!
August 7
Everything is going to be OK: I have it on good authority that the Secretary of Commerce can type more than 65 words per minute.
August 6
Red* tide in Florida. Hundreds of tons of fish have washed ashore, 100% were non-vaccinated and not a mask in sight!
Thanx Governor DeSantis.
*This is not a geopolitical statement.
August 3
When they asked van Gogh why he cut off his ear, do you know what his reply was?
July 28
My ultra-rich friends tell me they would be happy to pay more in taxes. But the rest of us need to understand that the IRS administers an INCOME tax. So, the oft-quoted net-worth of any individual is irrelevant. Further, there are perfectly legal ways for them to adjust their income and minimize or avoid income tax. The news folks and politicians don’t have time to tell you the details, which could take the edge off their stories. An alternative: A value added tax (VAT) which is applied to PURCHASES, and is used in many other countries.
July 18
"Soc et tuum," Julius Caesar
July 16
What will they think of next? Here ‘tis:
- 5-factor authentication for everything.
- You will need a court order to see your own medical test reports.
- You will be known only by an algorithm-generated string, instead of your given name.
Privacy concerns will shield you from your own information. Thanks?
July 7
Better late than never . . .
June 24
A bit fruity, but It’s plum-easy to see that if you are impeared, you might be impeached, especially if you are an old prune in a banana Republic, raisin a flag other than Old Glory just to get into the lime-light.
June 20
Is it me, or has the national political news been kinda boring for the last 4 months or so?
June 15
I became concerned that my whole head was spinning again, but then I realized that this time it was only lettuce.
June 6
Cyber-crime (Gas / Meat / Transit / Etc): Why can’t Russa just get rid of all their cyber-criminal entities, like we have.
May 29
Do you know which of your friends cracks their eggs on the BIG end and which ones crack their eggs on the LITTLE end? Check them out and you will find some have been cracking their eggs on the wrong end, which is totally disgusting. Worse: They refuse to come around. I have had to un-friend about a third of my Facebook group so far.
May 25
Who WAS that masked man?
May 19
I went to school so long ago they were still teaching Civics, you know, how the government works. Three co-equal branches and all that stuff. I thought it was a waste of time. Why can’t we just leave all that to the folks in government, thought I. But I do still remember some of those details, so maybe the memory is NOT the first thing to go. Recent events have given me a new understanding and appreciation for that part of my edumincation. It seems that somewhere along the way, they stopped teaching that, or at least, kids stopped learning that.
May 12
There was always one kid in the class who did not get "Simon Says."
May 7
To all my Facebook friends: It’s been great. The end can come instantly and the meteorologists seem so preoccupied with the weather, we will have no warning if we’re about to get obliterated by a meteor. (If you’re asking me.)
April 6
I lived in the U.K. for a bit over 3 years and they often spoke of a British empire. I finally realized why I never saw him: They don’t play any baseball over there.
April 5
OK, just tax the corporations! (Assuming your AGI is also under $400,000.) BUT I hafta wander where the corporations are getting all that money to pay the extra tax. Hhhhhmmmmmm.
March 15
Most folks on TV who site an INFLECTION POINT, have no idea of what that is. How many inflection points to you see below?
March 7
My grandparents occasionally made reference to something called "common sense." They departed in 1970.
March 2
This QAnon thing has gone too far: I just spotted this icon right on my desk top.
February 4
WOW, the House is about to vote to strip whatz-her-face. I wonder if they will show EVERYTHING on TV?
January 31
Has crazy gone off the charts? In the last few years electric vehicles have gained popularity. Their requirements for lithium (for their batteries) have put an immense strain on the world’s limited supply. This has severely limited the lithium available for medication to treat mental illness. Is this why the crazies have gotten even crazier in the last few years? This is just a theory, and we need to remember that correlation does not equate to causation.
January 14
In 6 years being John McCain’s neighbor, I never saw any hint of security personnel. I often thought how remarkable that was for such a high-profile individual. Every morning he got, up took the elevator to the garage, hopped in his Ford Focus, and drove to work just like everybody else. Amazing!
2020
December 22
Editor's note: Prophetic?
December 9
Common sense?
December 5
Remember: There are 2 sides to every mouth.
November 30
I am old enough to remember why December 7 is a date that will live in infamy. But times change, and now I’m looking forward to December 7: It will mark the end of the Medicare open-enrollment period and we won’t have to listen to all those dumb TV commercials anymore.
November 25
So, if a little knowledge IS a dangerous thing, I asked myself, “Self, do you know the difference between what you DO know and what you DON’T know?”
Self: “Of course I do, what a silly question!”
Well then self, tell me HOW you know the difference. And why are you so SURE? (Self is thinking.)
Self: “That’s beyond the scope of this forum, but you can always check my shoes.” (Hhhmmm)
November 21
Proverb for today: 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.' (Alexander Pope 1709?) or google: dunning kruger effect
November 20
More COVID-19 cases! Bad news? It doesn’t mean that more people are sick, it’s just more information. Good news? Certainly, if some of the positives can quarantine and save others. But maybe we can leave analysis of cases to the experts. There are different kinds of tests and some are not too accurate. And who gets tested is rather uncontrollable. Test a bunch of folks who feel sick and you’ll get a lot of positives. Test a bunch of folks who feel fine and the positivity rate will be much lower. And if you test negative today, you could have the virus tomorrow. Further, not all 50 states have the same reporting criteria. What a mess!
Just in CASE you’re asking me, I’m more tuned to the number of deaths, and which local hospitals are full. But there are no perfect datasets out there. I avoid unnecessary exposure, and wear a mask to help me, and possibly others. Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable. The chance of getting sick and dying his small, but it is greater than zero. And talk about uncomfortable! Finally, the cost of living continues to rise, but I’m not opting out.
November 12
Wondering which Turkey will get pardoned this year.
November 10
"In like Flynn" may not have been redefined (nor reinforced) yet, but it certainly has been nuanced.
November 7
Perspective? Let’s take a deep breath and remember that it ain’t over ‘til Congress certifies the electoral college results on January 6, even if you hear Kate Smith (aka the fat lady) singing somewhere in the background. Declarations from either candidate, or the awarding of electoral votes by any news outlet, are merely recreational. All of us who have voted have done our part, and all legal votes should be counted. Likely there are enough Federal and state laws and courts of competent jurisdiction to handle any question. Understanding this will relieve our living rooms of enormous pressure, whether or not the Emperor has any clothes on.
November 5
They’re counting the male ballots here, and the male ballots there. That’s almost all I hear about. Did they stop women from voting this time?
November 5
What ARE they thinking? Thinking???
November 3
To quote our ex-neighbor, "Interesting times," John McCain. We could see the White House from our balcony. John had an even better view, 7 floors above.
November 2
I am SSSOOOOO patriotic! I checked with the County and they’ve received and recorded all 4 of my mail-in ballots.
November 2
The New England Journal of Medicine, the Scientific American, USA Today, The Economist, and MAD Magazine: All respected mainstream publications that have never, ever endorsed any presidential candidate. They have now all gotten behind the same candidate. How does this happen? Is it coincidence that they all decided on this time to break their political silence; and to all endorse the same candidate? It’s got to be some sort of a conspiracy. Maybe they are all owned by Reverend Moon, certainly NOT by Rupert Murdoch.
A conspiracy? – Not to mention high ranking military and defense officials, former administration officials, former Trump friends and family, current and former high ranking Republican party members, etcetera, etcetera. I think we got 'em this time: Conspiracy for sure!
October 31
Follow up on my October 3 post: The plot of total deaths is still a straight-line (notta lotta bending) since May. We might be able to spin the number of tests, number of positives, positivity rate, etcetera; so the number of deaths might be the best indicator of how we’re doing. If anything, it is an UNDERESTIMATE due to lack of attribution for the excess-mortality-rate (just google it). On the other hand, it could actually be an OVERESTIMATE, if we assume that hundreds-of-thousands of local officials across the country conspired to issue fake death certificates. Hhhmmmmm. Time will tell.
I am David and I approved this message.
October 29
Biden is lucky he has a lot of donors: We taxpayers are not covering HIS plane tickets.
October 27
Have you noticed? Almost everyone believes that we are rounding the bend on COVID-19.
October 26
There certainly are a lot of different opinions out there. I’m assuring each of my friends that I totally respect your opinion, no matter what it is, as long as it does not differ from mine.
October 20
I'm OK with young folks, but I'm not in favor of Youth in Asia.
October 19
What are they thinking? We hear that the Russians are spreading misinformation by various means. We have no way of personally verifying this, but let’s assume that it is true. (If you have personally verified that this is untrue, please let me know so I can remove this post.) And after we get the Russians under total control, then it will be the Chinese, and then the Iranians, etcetera. Don’t we have enough misinformation of our own without all of them? Maybe we can beat the social media companies into being censors. Good luck! What are WE thinking?
But we have met the enemy, and THEY ARE US. A picture is worth 1000 words. And when we see it, we can spot it immediately. But 1000 words, maybe not so easy. There must be ways to discern the truth, but discussion of that is beyond the scope of this humble post. Nevertheless, let’s all redouble our efforts to not automatically consume whatever happens to be put on our plates. It will be a LOT easier if we just take control of OURSELVES, and it will be a better country once we are ALL using Shinola on our shoes. Waddaya thank?
October 17
If 1,000 people go to a mask-less event, it is likely that at least 30 of them have contracted the coronavirus, have no symptoms, and are spreading it unknowingly. As 1,000 people leave the event, it is likely that 150 of them have the virus. It might have been a lot better if they had just been packed in olive oil, water, mustard, or tomato sauce.
October 15
Singles: Obtain a marriage license to marry YOURSELF. Yes, fewer disagreements, a smaller carbon footprint, AND cut your income tax in HALF. The authorities might not warm up to it at first, but keep pushing and they will come around.
I am David, and my tax accountant has NOT approved this message.
October 13
If you have been listening carefully, you know that . . .
1-While masks give YOU some protection, their main benefit is to trap larger infected droplets that you emit and thus your mask primarily PROTECTS OTHERS. Similarly, their masks are important in protecting YOU.
2-Folks infected with the corona virus can spread it to YOU even before they know they have it. That’s why you want them to put their masks on NOW.
If you have been listening less than carefully, now you know! And the farther you stay away from everyone, the less chance you have of contracting ANY communicable disease. Stay safe. The life you save may be your own.
I am David, and I approved this message.
October 11
"What this country needs is a good five-cent cigar." White Owl
October 8
Just sayin’: If I got sick and was administered several different medications and then recovered, I would ASSUME that one or more them caused my cure. While that seems reasonable, it is not necessarily a "given." In any event, I would certainly NOT want to guess whether any ONE of the several medications was the proximate cause of my cure. But thatz how I yam.
October 3
On TV, they estimate the number of total US covid-deaths by a certain date. Rocket science? Calculus IV? A fancy Al-Gore-Rhythm? Or just eighth grade algebra? Y=MX+B.
From about mid-May, the total traces a very straight line. "Y" is the number of deaths on a certain day. To calculate that, determine the number of days that day is from May 18; that is the "X". Multiply that by the slope "M" which is 847 and add 88,000 which is the intercept "B" or the death toll on May 18.
If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll keep getting what we’re getting, and the calculation will work indefinitely. That could change depending on how many folks go to bars and restaurants, back to work, back to the college campus, etcetera. Spending more time indoors in the winter will aggravate the situation, assuming you believe the experts.
October 1
A whole lot of dollars does not mean a whole lot of sense. Major investors sent the DJIA up 500 points yesterday morning because of something that somebody SAID. As we used to say in the old country, "This boggles my mind."
September 30
When candidate A comments on their own record or the record of candidate B or visa-versa, I’m listening.
When candidate A or candidate B comment on their own plans, I’m half-listening.
When candidate A or candidate B comment on plans of the opposing candidate, I’m gone. If I want to know about any candidate’s plans, THEY are certainly the best one to ask.
Even when a comment is 100% accurate, we need to remember that any candidate’s plans are often not translated into future action. In Virginia, the Governor’s race was once won by a slogan "No car tax." So why are we still paying car tax decades later? While Governors and Presidents certainly have power, they do not MAKE laws, nor do they INTERPRET laws.
So always be careful to avoid the umgawa.
September 27
GO Skans!!!
Whoops, GO WTF!!!
Double whoops, GO WFT!!!
September 24
Women’s rights and a conservative Supreme Court: Their planned ultimate end-game is to confiscate their drivers’ licenses.
September 22
Reflecting: Decades ago, when I had a real job, it would have been nice if vacation entitlements, retirement accounts, healthcare, etcetera were separate from my employment. In general, that would improve employee mobility, as well as an employers’ ability to focus on their principal business. Make sense?
September 17
An observation: The rescues we see on TV after hurricanes often show rescuees in a boat being pulled through ankle-deep water by the rescuers. Did they just get saved from getting their feet wet?
September 12
Has anyone checked the news recently? It seems that there is some sort of an election coming up.
September 4
Early to bed, early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and a wise-ass.
(I had to settle for 2 out of 3.)
August 28
Stay safe, shelter in place. Not a problem: I've been going nowhere for years!
August 24
Of course, "they" would not be allowed to post anything on the Internet if it were not true. No need for fact checking. If it sounds right, it MUST BE right; especially if it confirms what I already believe.
August 16
A famous man once said: 'Figures don't lie.' (Mark Twain 1854?)
August 5
OK OK! I do NOT want adversary China to get my TikTok data. Give it to Microsoft where it will be safe.
August 3
(Can you finish this jingle in 25 words or less?)
Tweet’ll D . . .
?????
August 3
The Commonwealth asked if I would need an absentee, mail-in ballot. I told them I would just print one off the Internet and send it in. They said: "No, no, it doesn’t work that way."
July 24
Just heard the corona-virus report from Brazil on TV. Not good down there, but apparently, they don’t even report how many American lives were lost today on their news.
July 23
Is the Gestapo coming to a city near YOU?
July 22
Fine tuning! Many modern thermostats allow you to select degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius. To improve the precision of your temperature control, select degrees Celsius. Most thermostats will then allow you to control to ½ of 1-degree. Since ½ of 1-degree Celsius is slightly smaller than 1-degree Fahrenheit, control-precision will be improved a bit. The degrees Celsius you will likely want to set, is in the mid-20s.
July 17
Seems there’s a worldwide competition to develop the first vaccine for the corona virus. The Ruskies have allegedly tried to steal our secrets. (Obviously, they understand that we are the smartest folks in the world by a wide margin.) It might be better for every single PERSON in the world if we all would cooperate, instead of compete, in this particular instance. The Ruskies could just ask us what they wanted to know, and we would just tell them. Unthinkable, but might they have some valuable info to share with US? All would benefit. Is money is getting in the way? Politics? If we could just bring John Lennon back for a day or two.
July 11
The trillions in government-corona-virus-bailouts are certainly needed by most citizens as well and businesses. We have heard about where some of the money has gone, and I hope you have gotten your share. But don’t you wonder where all this money is coming from?
July 9
Could someone let treasury secretary Munchkin know that the website for the IRS is irs.gov NOT irs.com.
July 5
Some thought it sounded looney: The UV lights, or injecting or ingesting various liquids to kill corona virus germs. I might have heard Lysol, Clorox, Listerine, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol; but I don’t listen too closely, and I can’t hear anyway. But I was way ahead of the curve with the UV lights. No, I did not shine them up my nose, or down my throat, nor swallow them. But I did install one in my HVAC system a few months ago. See my April 25 post.
After further thought, I decided to ingest some liquid to kill germs, even though Deborah did not warm up to the idea. After due consideration, having worked as a lab-chemist at Mobil Oil R&D for several years, I thought my best bet was ethanol. You know, the stuff they put in your gasoline. I have been ingesting ethanol every day now and it really works. I feel great; give it a try.
June 20
You learn something every day. Here’s one for the would-be chemists: What do you call a 5-membered ring with two carbon atoms and two nitrogen atoms? When you learn the answer, you can relax for the rest of today. (azole)
June 15
Real Men: Don't let them de-mask-ulate you!
June 12
Legalized off-track betting: Available in every state, weekdays from 9:30AM to 4PM. If you have not heard, it is called . . .
. . . the stock market.
June 7
Today, I feel sub-lime.
June 6
Herd immunity. The idea does not seem to be going well for Sweden. They are nowhere near their 70 or 80% infected goal; which experts generally believe will be effective. Hope the experts have factored in that this is a NOVEL virus which can be spread by ASYMTOMATIC carriers: Maybe a 99% infected rate will be required for effective herd immunity.
June 3
CNBC June 3: Why does the stock market continue with strong gains despite the coronavirus, record unemployment, and civil unrest in major cities? Their answer: 'Because of the trillions of dollars pumped into the economy by the FED.'
So, if you’re still waiting for your $1,200 before you go to the supermarket, or waiting for your PPP funds so that your small business will still be here next week, be patient. Meanwhile, investors all across the country would like to give you a sincere, big "THANK YOU."
May 30
A picture is worth 1,000 words
If you see this, you immediately know what it is.
But do you recognize it when you hear it? Huh?
May 28
Follow-up from the APRIL 24 post on antibody testing:
"Remember where you heard it first. Antibody testing: The results so far clearly indicate a major problem with reliability of the tests. I believe they will announce the need for a redesigned test soon, and the current results will be trashed."
MAY 28: They're getting on board. The latest news indicates that current antibody test results are wrong approximately 50% of the time.
A LOT easier than getting tested: Just flip a coin! Instant results and you will be right about 50% of the time. Always on the front of the wave, Dave.
May 26
We saw a lot of unmasked clustering folks on the TV news over the holiday weekend. We owe them sincere thanks for being the test-case. It will take a couple weeks, but if it worked, we will all be encouraged. If it did not work, it will be very good to know. Thanx brave clusterers; assuming "brave" is a good choice of words.
May 22
I am backing my home-selling book on amazon Kindle 100% . . .
Guarantee: This will save you time and money.
If you are one of the many folks who has been genetically endowed with a complete set of real estate knowledge (including how to deal with unforeseen complex problems) in your DNA at birth, stop now. You have just been saved a dollar and a couple of hours: Guarantee fulfilled.
On the other hand, if you have a spark of curiosity, or if you're one of the unfortunate folks who has not been granted total real estate knowledge at birth, read on. Invest a dollar and a few hours with hope that the author will share critical information he has learned in 3 decades. Your guarantee will be fulfilled at the closing table.
For the full scoop, put "HQ2 Rathgeber" into any amazon search-box.
May 21
If "Shinola" makes you check folks’ shoes, you are old enough to know your "stuff"
May 19
Skip the hydroxy-chloroquine and have a few gin and tonics every day: Tonic contains QUININE; chemically similar to chloroquine and also used for malaria. Not sure whether it acts as a prophylactic, but the therapeutic effect is immediate. (No, it’s not that kind of prophylactic, Silly.)
May 18
BTW, hope my posts . . .
1-always make you smile
2-possibly provoke thought
3-never provoke friends.
May 14
Are we now hearing that Flynn LIED in when he pled guilty to lying? Inveterate?
May 6
Got Georgia on my mind: We all need to thank them for being the Guinea pig. It will only take 2 or 3 more weeks and we will know how it worked. Employees will have a personal decision whether to return to work. Retail businesses will certainly not have the number of customers to which they have been accustomed. Many of the folks that do venture out might wear masks and stay their distance. Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under. Additional deaths might be limited to the hundreds. Success? If the "curve" steepens, they will certainly have to shut things down. Whether a success or failure, we can learn from their experience. Hope we ALL are tractable.
Note to Davey who teaches at UGA in Athens: Stay safe!
May 5
INSIDIOUS - Have you heard that word recently? (Think COVID-19)
May 2
Of course, we ALL want to minimize coronavirus deaths, AND get back to normal as soon as possible. Also, we all recognize that there are at least 250 million opinions in this country alone, regarding how, where, and when to take action. After contemplating governmental guidelines and directives at all levels, we will each have a PERSONAL choice to make. Stay safe, no matter what State you are in! (Confusion?)
April 26
Remember where you heard it first. Will the coronavirus severity decrease as the summer approaches with the warming weather? Nobody knows, but Miami-Dade County (a kinda warm place) has had at least 295 deaths so far. Iceland (a kinda cold place) has had only 10 deaths. No how’s that for cherry-picking?
April 25
UV light? After weeks of planning, I just finished installing a UV (ultra violet) light in my HVAC system to kill germs. A few of us remember when every classroom had one to vanquish polio. There are 3 classes of UV light: A, B, and C. Only UV-C is an effective germ killer with a preferred wavelength of 253 nano meters. BTW, those who are averse to skin cancer and blindness are cautioned to avoid exposure to UV-C light. A sail-switch was installed so that the light is on only when the HVAC fan (heat or A/C) is blowing. The bulb was $45 on Amazon and while it works well for the HVAC application, it is way too big to fit down one’s throat. Always on the front of the wave Dave.
April 24
Remember where you heard it first. Antibody testing: The results so far clearly indicate a major problem with reliability of the tests. I believe they will announce the need for redesigned tests soon, and the current results will be trashed.
April 23
Note to CBS This Morning: Please ask Gayle King to straighten the pictures on the wall behind her.
April 22
Remember where you heard it first: It is going to be sssssoooooooo boring when Joe Biden is the president.
April 21
What is going on? I am a news-junkie and keep track of the world and do my civic duty with the major news programs at 5PM, 6PM, and 7PM. But 7 days a week they get preempted by an ass-kissing séance. Could they just give us an executive summary?
April 9
Did you see the headline? "Tiger tests positive for corona virus."
Holy carp, he docks his 143-foot yacht, Privacy, in our back yard.
April 8
What are they (government, media, others) thinking? "The coronavirus might come back in the fall."
HELLO folks: The coronavirus has not yet GONE anywhere.
April 1
???Nobody wants to come out and play anymore???
March 30
Note to computer weenies, your managers, and Bill Gates: Is common sense dead? We do NOT need a pretty new look every two months with new menus spread all over the page, clever brand-new names for old things, flashing banners, plus ads covering up what we paid for. You obviously never heard of INTUITIVE.
March 23
To all you folks who are hoarding TP because of the Coronavirus: May YOU be wiped out.
March 22
Thanks Walmart: " . . . we’re doing everything we can . . . "
But we have to draw the line somewhere: Some NECESSARY items on our web are marked "In store purchase only." Thanks again, I guess I'll wear my mask; customers are SOL!
March 14
Good news: Most supermarkets are not out of cat food yet.
March 5
Did you realize that almost anything can be called a DEVICE? Are the computer weenies saving words, or are they just too lazy to figure out what they’re talking about? Does anyone else find the ubiquitous use of "device" somewhat divisive?
February 21
Can you lubricate your Tesla with Musk Oil? (DGR-MRDC-1974)
February 16
Wow!!! I just checked the status of my Virginia tax return. It has been 2 weeks and they are still "processing" it. Let’s see: Virginia has about 2.7 million taxpayers. Assuming they are just about done processing mine, let’s say it takes 2.7 million times 2 weeks, to process this year’s returns. That’s 5.4 million people-weeks which means they need about 104,000 people processing tax returns to get them all done before next year. I wonder what 104,000 tax processors make in a year. Hope they’re only getting $10 an hour.
February 4
Wow! The state of the union address does not start until 9PM EST. I think that’s a bit late, but understand they try to help the folks on the west coast who are 3 hours away. But if the time zones were run north-south rather than east-west, we could probably get away with just 2 zones, and they could start at 8PM. Check it out; the US is 9 ½ inches east to west but only 5 inches north to south.
February 2
PROBLEM: Trendy brown eggs are selling at a premium, but your hens are laying only white eggs.
SOLUTION: Add a paint-booth to the end of the line, where the eggs are rolling out of the hen-house to be collected.
IMPROVEMENT: Pay a little more and load the spray gun with paint that does not wash off in water.
February 1
January 29
John Bolton, John Kelly; wondering whether either of these Johns required 10 flushes?
January 21
Mitch, "Oh no, I thought John said administer partisan justice."
[Return to Top]
2019
December 31
If you’re headed out to celebrate tonight, be sure to nominate a designated drinker.
December 6
Kids today! Ugh! All they want to do is party and have fun. We were soooooooo different.
December 4
"Thanks, America: Your unwavering disdain for nations meddling in other nations’ elections and political affairs is greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work." Boris Johnson, Nicolas Maduro et al.
November 17
"Is it 5 o’clock yet?" she asked. Always in tune with the times, I replied, "I’ll take the fifth."
November 10
Is the TV News industry is a subset of the TV Entertainment industry, or entirely separate? Wondering what the producers think: Ratings?
October 25
Itz the bottom of the fifth! (Game 3 of the World Series.)
October 9
During my years at Mobil Oil’s corporate research laboratory, I became a specialist. I learned more and more about less and less. Finally, I knew absolutely everything about nothing.
When I left R&D and went to the big city, New York, it really opened my eyes: How could I have been so narrow-minded? I decided to ditch the specialist mantle, and become a generalist. As you might guess, in the next couple decades I learned less and less about more and more. Now I know absolutely nothing about everything.
October 3
The Dunning-Kruger effect: The phenomenon that one's incompetence also renders an individual incapable of detecting his or her own incompetence.
I am thankful to be blessed with the ability to recognize, and therefore avoid, all my misteaks.
October 2
They’re only 1 day late: The TV news folks just had all the reasons why it was a really bad day on Wall Street. Why didn’t they tell us all that yesterday? Duh!
August 23
If there’s one thing we can count on, itz uncertainty.
August 21
Let’s head off the next energy crunch. They’re putting 10% ethanol in our gasoline and the average driver uses about 20 gallons of gasoline weekly. 10% of that, or 2 gallons, is ethanol. Do you know what that is? Itz BOOZE. All we need to do is STOP putting that stuff in our gas tank and sell every driver 2 gallons of it every week for $2.79 per gallon. That’s approximately equal to 3 bottles of Vodka per day. Folks will drink that, and won’t drive anywhere, ever. The savings in gasoline will be enormous. Energy crunch averted. (CO2 and global warming? Icing on the cake!)
August 20
Inverted yield curve: Trouble ahead? The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Again? Click herefor the latest.
August 18
The relative-humidity was really LOW this afternoon: The wine kept evaporating from my glass every 10 minutes. (Just flaunting my techno-savvy!)
August 15
Carrots and sweet potatoes = beta carotene. Didja ever wander what happened to the alpha carotene and the gamma carotene? Shorter half-life?
August 2
Computer-weenies: Wanted to let you know that when I push the 30-second button on my microwave, I really mean it. You don’t need to have me confirm it by pushing a start button. And yes, when I push the button I mean NOW: If I wanted 30-seconds at a later time, I would push the button at a later time. DUH! Not a major complaint, just daily unnecessary ignorance.
July 18
If you wanna get a head, here y'are!
July 16
Poor CBS News commentator Major Garrett: After all these years, you'd think he might have been promoted to Colonel.
July 13
You likely recall that many years ago all popular jokes were assigned a number by some resourceful soul, possibly for brevity in a prison setting.
Reflecting on that, take a moment to revisit #43. (Pretty sure that was the one about the Fresca salesman.) Enjoy!
July 11
Can Microsoft learn from Boeing? When you let the computer-weenies run wild, unsupervised and unmanaged, it creates BIG problems. While Microsoft crashes are less serious, they are certainly more numerous. And when your premiere, flagship program (Windows 10) needs an update every week, it really says something.
June 29
Plan your future: Planning the past is an exercise in futility.
June 25
HURRY! Only six (6) shopping months left until Christmas.
June 20
TOMORROW will be one of the longest days of my entire life. But I'm ready.
June 19
Did you ever notice: PEOPLE cause more problems than anybody.
June 14
You've often heard it, but now you see it: There IS an eye in Real-I-tor.
March 22
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Have you heard the news? The yield curve is inverting. (Shorter-term bonds are yielding more than longer-term bonds.)
What the media forgot: The Fed is selling billions of Treasuries every month which might be introducing perturbances. If they sell shorter-term bonds, the extra supply would push the price down, and the yield up, possibly higher than longer-term bonds. Hhhmmmm.
Some of the recent media grousing referred to the 3-month note whose yield has been rising for a year so. When the Fed raises overnight interest rates, as they have been doing for a year so, short-term notes like the 3-month will be most affected. Duh!
The longer-term bond yields are merely back to where they were a year ago. If a recession is really coming this is NOT the harbinger. Remember where you heard it first.
Some still see a recession coming: The last time the yield curve inverted was 2007 and we all remember what happened. But conditions then were MUCH different. For my brief analysis of the 2007 debacle, click here.
March 16
If you're not multi-tasking, you're only living half a life.
March 11
2 of the new 737 MAXs have crashed in the last 4 months almost certainly due to their automatic anti-stall feature MCAS. Does anyone remember when the last time any jetliner crashed due to a mid-air stall? Ever?
Further, the MCAS stall-sensor(s) on the 737 MAX could signal stall conditions when the plane is merely banking and turning. Also, it seems that both planes encountered problems shortly after turning. Likely the technical folks are on top of this, but I have heard nothing about it.
March 5
Inflection point: Do you notice that most of the media folks who use the term, don't have a clue what it means? (Editor's note: An infection point on a graph generally is about as far from a maximum or a minimum point as one can find.)
February 12
Fat-free milk is OK, but has anyone tried Stolichnaya blue-label on their shredded wheat in the morning?
February 7
I just knew I should have run for Virginia Governor: I've never done any really dumb thing in my entire life!
[Return to Top]
2018
December 24
Holy carp, this is not gonna work: We don't have a chimney!
November 8
Y' know: Some of those chiropractors are not all they're cracked up to be.
November 2
This is getting serious. I want to let everyone know right now that if I’m out of circulation and offline for a while, everything will probably be OK. It seems that my social security number has been charged with serious crimes and the authorities are coming for me if I don’t call them back. I forgot to call, and now no one answers. I wouldn’t be so worried except that I have received several similar calls in recent weeks, so I know they’re serious. If they put me in the hoosegow, please come visit me and bring a sheet-cake with a couple hack-saw blades baked in. Thanx.
October 20
The Russians!
We have met the enemy and they are US.
1-The Russians (or maybe the Chinese, the Iranians, or the Ukrainians) put together information to influence our election. Certainly no one in our country does this.
2-Facebook (or other social media) disseminated this information.
3-Apparently, some have seen this incorrect, slanted, fake, or hateful information (or supply your own adjective) and believed it and acted upon it.
Are we in control of #1, #2, or #3 above? Hint: Likely not #1 or #2.
Do we think the acid-test of veracity is merely . . .
-does this support what I already believe?
or worse yet . . .
-if it SOUNDS right it must BE right.
Is it a gift to distinguish real-stuff from bull-stuff, or is it just uncommon sense? Huh? Are there learnable skills that can help folks who are less savvy than US, to use only Shinola on their shoes? . . . and sort out the truth? THAT is the challenge.
October 13
I finally got it: If I only send one sentence per email, no one will ever miss the second and third sentences! 3 Sentences? 3 emails!
August 27
I'm enjoying a glass of pinot grigio: Amazing grapes! (Put it to a tune?)
August 14
I thought it would take a lot longer to get this old.
August 1
Just think!
July 31
What's wrong with me? I LIKE working!
July 30
Lucky Earth: After 10's of millions of years, man has finally arrived to abolish extinction!
June 26
Saudis: What are you thinking? You let 'em drive cars; next thing y'know they're gonna wanna VOTE!
June 26, 2018
Thanks for your recent letter, Medicare. It's great to know that my $183 Part B deductible for 2017 has been met. (Yes, 2017; not a misprint.)
April 28
Many tanks to all who helped me celebrate. Another trip all the way 'round the Sun. Next time I might grab the brass ring.
April 9
Are the news folks fooling with us? For example, when something happens in the Middle East, the media's foreign correspondent is often reporting from London. Washington is about 5,000 miles from the Middle East and London is a lot closer: Only 2,500 miles. Does that mean the commentator has twice as much information? Or might they just as well be talking from the Moon?
April 6
Don't worry about fake news; real news is bad enough. I've heard this several times: ‘Our EPA Secretary paid $50 for something that normally costs $6,000.’ The problem is that the $50 was per NIGHT and the $6,000 was per MONTH. They left it for us to calculate that the secretary paid $50 a night for something that was worth $200 a night. Isn't that bad enough? The news media should listen to the trash they put out. Maybe 50 vs. 6000 is better for ratings than 50 vs. 200; to hell with proper perspective?
. . . but don’t get me started.
March 17
Help me out (I don't pay close attention): McCabe was a government employee who got fired for lying. Just wondering if there are any other government employees out there who have lied recently? Stay tuned.
March 9
Routers and modems, cell phones and network extenders, smart TVs, Roku and Chromecast, Alexa, microwave ovens and smart appliances, wireless doorbells and light bulbs, etcetera ad infinitum.
Eeeeek! There's a gauss (rhymes with mouse) in the house. (just google it)
January 23
Thanks Bill Gates!!!
. . . for keeping my Windows 10 up-to-date with eleven (11) updates in the last five (5) days; NO exaggeration. Do you MS folks have your head on straight? Why can't you fix something to work for more than 8 or 10 hours? Duh!
January 13
Thanks Verizon FIOS!!!
. . . for offering me, as a loyal continuing customer, internet access for $65 monthly. This is the same internet service you offer to perfect strangers for $40 monthly. I feel sssooooooo appreciated!
January 4
Thanks, American Airlines - To make a lloooonnnnngg story short . . .
Waited until 24 hours before my flight to check in and select my seat. Unsuccessful after a couple dozen tries.
Thought I would call: Got a representative after just a bit over TWO HOURS on hold. No success there. Give me your manager! Got a supervisor - close enough. No success there either. Of course, I could always pay $64 extra for an aisle seat or ask at the gate. LOL.
Note to American Airlines: You GAME the fares. Then you GAME the seats. If that's not enough, we can play the MILES game. I'm really tired of all your GAMES. In the future, it's JetBlue or I will drive or walk.
[Return to Top]
2017
December 31
Another Amazon success story . . .
The nice folks at Boating magazine offered me a one-year subscription for $16 and additional subscriptions at $12 each. Before accepting their offer, I checked amazon.com and found that I could order one-year subscriptions for $8 each.
Tax time is coming up so don't forget to check Amazon for software. They sold me Quicken for LESS THAN HALF the retail price.
December 17
Itz a new moon tonight. Seems we have a new moon every 3 or 4 weeks or so. Started wandering: What (in the world) do they do with the old moons?
December 11
Itz colder than a witch's. Did Al Gore approve this?
December 6
So sad: Just listened to a song by a Bob Dylan. With a voice like that, the poor guy is never gonna make it.
November 27
Just watched a beautiful sunset, and I started to think (doesn’t happen often). In less than 14 hours, the sun will be rising in a very different place. Simply amazing to think about what that means: The Sun is about 91 million miles away and the circumference of a circle is 2 times the radius (91 million miles) times Pi (3.14159265359 apx). That’s about 571 million miles around. When you divide that by 24 hours you realize that the Sun has to travel at a rate of almost 24 million miles per hour (MPH) in order to make it all the way ‘round to rise again in the morning. Fortunately, that’s well below the speed of light (670 million MPH), so it all works.
Observation: It musta slowed down to 23 million MPH (apx) 'cause itz been gettin' here about an hour late for a couple weeks.
November 18
A few weeks ago, I listed a residence owned by Laura Auer and I still can't get the song out of my head . . .
Auer house,
Is a very, very, very fine house,
With two cats in the yard, . . .
November 9
Detailed questioning of our decorator revealed ulterior motifs.
November 8
GLOBAL WARMING
1-Is the globe warming? Is the Ice Age still here? Question answered!
2-Are humans contributing? Do we extract oil, coal, and uranium from the ground? Do we use them to produce heat? (You don’t need Al-Gore-rhythms or even greenhouse gasses for this.) Question answered!
3-Does it matter? Let's look at the history and measure the temperature of the globe.
This seems problematic. Where I am, the temperature goes up and down every day and night. Further, it is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. How do we measure the temperature of the globe? Do we insert a giant rectal thermometer somewhere? Can you nominate a city where we should stick it? (OK, I’m from New Jersey and the city begins with C.) Question answered!
November 7
Finally, some unity in Washington! For all 6 hours of the hearing last Thursday, every single member of the House Intelligence Committee was on the same PAGE. (Editor's note: Think Carter Page.)
November 4
Even my closest friends do not realize that I once studied at OXFORD. My innate shyness and humble nature prevented my discussing it until now . . .
In 1980 I was headed from London to Stratford-upon-Avon but not sure of the route. I pulled over onto the left shoulder of the road in OXFORD and studied my map for at least 5 minutes. Are you impressed yet? Unfortunately, this did not make me a Road Scholar.
November 2
When I find something on sale at a great price, I always buy 2 so I save twice as much!
October 9
If you're putting on your shoes, and a hidden scorpion stings you on the big toe, is that toe-main poisoning?
September 27
Headline: "Most Americans disagree with cutting corporate taxes."
Hhhhmmmmmmmm.
Wondering where those corporations find the money to pay taxes? Perhaps they are just philanthropic? I hope they are not getting the money from their customers, 'cause THAT'S US!!!
August 24
What means it? Your body temperature right now is probably 98.6 degrees. However, for decades mine has been 97.6 degrees. What does that tell you? Cool?
July 24
Did a 5k Park Run with Peter Vandevanter Saturday and finished FIRST in my age group! (Also finished LAST in my age group, but that kinda has a hollow ring to it.)
June 29
Thanks Verizon: For waking me up at 1:15AM to let me know my phone update was available!
June 24
That nice old Bill Gates just updated my Windows 10, but how did he know I was just dying to have an amazon assistant icon added onto my desktop.
June 2
The words "believe in" certainly have a place, but it bothers me when they are used in the context of science. Do you believe in global warming?
May 28
Just heard on Fox News " . . . the President does have broad authority . . ."
A bit out of context, but I'll go along with that. Experience counts!
May 22
Just wandering: Did Bill Gates totally screw up your Windows 10 in the last few days? (Like he did mine.) I just don't have hours on end trying to find where the computer weenies hid all the stuff I was using a week ago. Or what trendy new name they gave it.
May 15
Dr John says my routine bone density scan came back OK! Told him to cancel the Viagra prescription.
April 24
Amazing! For the 365th night in a row, David Muir (ABC News) has breaking news!
April 23
Is the sun over the yardarm?
March 15
A few months ago, the folks at Quicken told me they were going to turn off my connection unless I upgraded to Quicken 2017. However, they were kind enough to offer me a 20% discount to buy the $75 program for only $60. Since I did not fall for that one, they recently offered me 40% off cutting the price to only $45. In a burst of inspiration I checked AMAZON.COM who sold me the same program for $35.
March 6
Bad news: Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey is going out of business.
Good news: Our elected officials in Washington will fill the void.
February 17
?Is it true? I hear that churches in the Denver area are selling marijuana (and paper) for the holy rollers!
January 21
Yur only as old as you feel.
. . . OMG!
[Return to Top]
2016
November 15
Is it me, or does 5 o'clock keep getting a little bit later every day?
November 9
Mark Burnett for Chief of Staff!
October 28
True confessions: Just beneath this calm façade, I'm a bundle of seething nerve ends.
October 8
If you can read this, itz working fine.
All I had to do was cut the cord off: WIRELESS!
August 19
Remind me not to eat at Sam 'n Ella's.
August 18
Home, home and deranged . . .
. . . where the beer and the cantaloupe lay . . .
July 7
Weight control? Whenever possible, have a lite lunch.
May 20
Take comfort: A decade or 2 ago there were many problems in the world, but today there are almost none at all. Maybe a bunch of ISSUES, but very few problems.
May 13
Wow! Just cleaned my glasses: Maybe I DON'T need cataract surgery after all.
May 9
Global warming in perspective: Our 2 degrees increase is about 0.4%. Minus 460F is absolute zero.
May 9
This is what makes my Monthly Report so accurate.
May 5
Global warming?
Have you heard of the ice age? By some accounts there were five of them. Is the Ice Age here now? No! Proof of global warming. It seems clear that the earth has been warming since the last ice age. In fact, global warming likely has occurred five times.
Does man contribute to global warming? When we take coal, oil, and uranium out of the earth and use them to make heat, that certainly contributes to global warming. And that is merely the added BTUs not to mention any greenhouse effect. But does it matter? Is it statistically significant? And let's not forget that correlation and causation are 2 different concepts. By the way, did you know that you exhale carbon dioxide (about 4.5%) with every breath? Trees and plants thrive on it and "exhale" oxygen.
As an engineer, I can imagine that it must be tricky to measure the temperature of the entire earth today, let alone back 100, 200, or 300 years ago. Where I am, it warms and cools every day. It makes me wander!
By one account, we have warmed 2 degrees in the past 50 years. Let's assume that's Fahrenheit although they forgot to tell us. Here's one for you:
Is that 2 degrees out of 32 degrees or about 6%?
Is that 2 degrees out of 100 degrees or about 2%?
Or is that 2 degrees out of some other number like 1,000 degrees?
What do you think?
April 30
Someone told me that it really IS a presidential election year #6
I’d like to hear my candidate say: "Don’t ask me about my personal ideas and beliefs; focus on my proven ability to correctly analyze complex situations, which I will utilize to make the right decisions for the country."
Need an alternative candidate? Click here.
April 25
?Is it a presidential year? #5
I’d like to hear my candidate say: "Trying to make things perfect is a full-time job FOREVER. Trying to make everybody happy is looney. Listening to a small vocal minority is . . . (fill in your own idea in 25 words or less)
April 20
?A presidential year? #4
Employers have found the best experience for any job, is to have held a similar position. That goes for being president, and now YOU are the employer. The most similar position is having been governor of a state. Next in line is a successful high-level business career. After that, comes the experience of having been a senator or congressman (i.e. winning a popularity contest).
April 16
?Somebody mentioned presidential #3
There HAVE been a lotta presidential-aspiring folks on TV for a few months, but they haven't listened to me . . .
- Bush got his contact lenses way too late.
- Kasich likely got his new barber too late.
- Christie never got his bariatric band.
- Paul never found a tube of Brylcreem.
- Fiorina and Carson needed bottles of Visine.
- Cruz still needs Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends . . .
- . . . and Trump still needs a teleprompter.
April 14
?Is it a presidential election year? #2
We all know what’s wrong with government and what needs to change. In citing these items, candidates are merely proving that they are as qualified to be president as each one of us. If all the job requires is a long list of what’s wrong, we can just elect Glenn Beck.
April 9
I sense that 2016 is a presidential election year: Thought #1 . . .
The ability to stand on a stage, and address questions that have complex answers in only 60 seconds is indeed admirable, but it says very little about one’s ultimate success leading the nation. We need much more than just a master-debater.
April 4
Thanks Medicare: Only 18 minutes on the phone to order a Medicare booklet. (Can't be ordered online.) AND, they will get it to me in just 3 WEEKS!!!
February 5
KICK 'EM WHEN THEY'RE DOWN!
Have you heard 'bama's idea for a $10 tax on each barrel of oil? Have you heard that the current low oil prices have devastated oil company profits? (How do profits go down when the cost of raw material goes down? It certainly sounds counter-intuitive. It's a long story, too long for here. Nevertheless, profits are down.) The oil companies have been around a long time, and they will be fine. We need not worry about them.
But oil companies are NOT philanthropic organizations. They need profits to stay in business, which is desirable for those of us who own cars. How in the world will they handle this new tax? Easy, just pass it along to the folks at the pump. (Of course, our gas is already taxed at the pump.) If we assume that half of a 42-gallon barrel of oil gets turned into gasoline, that yields a 47.6 cent per gallon price increase.
A tax on crude oil sounds great:
1-No complaints about someone raising gas taxes.
2-A whole new set of federal employees to administer and enforce this lowers unemployment.
Let's not kid ourselves, NOR let ourselves be kidded by others. This is really NOT a tax on oil or a tax on oil companies. This tax, like all corporate taxes, will ultimately get paid by CONSUMERS. Wait a minute; that's US! No time for rejoicing. (And don't get me started about new taxes that are "dedicated" to, or "earmarked" for this or that.)
January 23
Global warming! Where's Al Gore when we need him? Off inventing new Al-Gore-rhythms?
January 21
Have some fun: The next time you hear some Wall Street guru talking about real estate on TV, email or call in with this question: When is your program going to have a group of Realtors advising what stocks to buy?
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2015
December 11
Just remember: It ain't over 'til . . .
. . . Janet stops yellin'.
October 25
Note to ALL computer weenies: In the unlikely event we are willing to give feedback on your website, it will be after review of at least part of the contents. A request for feedback TWO SECONDS after we log on, exposes your UNMITIGATED (and unsupervised) IGNORANCE. Further, it makes a statement about your management. And yes, we find it annoying!
October 19
I'm throwing my hat into the ring for the Nobel prize in macro-economics. Here's my profound discovery:
In 2015, the world will get to consume, enjoy, use, or save, EXACTLY the amount of goods and services it produces in 2015. Wall street, the national debt, trade imbalance, GDP, China, the Fed, and Europe, are all side-shows.
October 7
If you saw John McCain on the Colbert show Monday, I was the guy he referenced as telling him he looked a lot like John McCain. But it was not in the airport (as he said) it was in our elevator. Dorothy was our only witness.
August 28
I have seen the truth and it makes no sense.
August 19
Things are more like today than they ever have been before.
August 16
One-seventh of your life is spent on Monday. Enjoy!
August 12
This is as bad as it can get, but don't count on it.
January 17
Food for thought: We have all heard of Enron and Bernie Madoff, who made off with the money. And there are hundreds more examples out there. No doubt we have also heard: "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket." Incredibly, folks lose everything because they do not heed that advice. Why do they continue down such a path? Simply because it seems to work. Do you recognize the name Ponzi? The end comes quickly, so NOW is the time to examine our own situation. For much more info, click here.
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2014
November 20
Thanks Bayer!
The bottle on the right had 300 baby aspirin, but the 120 aspirin bottle on the left was only HALF FULL after I put all 300 into it. Why do they do this? To make us think we’re getting "more" and to take up more shelf space in the store. Who pays the extra cost of . . .
- The extra plastic needed to make the oversize bottle?
- Shipping this 90% air stuff to market?
- Larger stores, when retailers run out of space?
But on the brighter side . . .
- My Dupont stock should rise.
- My transport ETF should rise.
- It should be good for commercial real estate.
And as a bonus, I got a lifetime supply of absorbent cotton in the big bottle!
November 6
For an important update on my Lipitor vs. diabetes post, click here.
October 28
Sunrise from the balcony. Sailors take warning!
October 12
The davidr DIET is hidden here.
September 27
I don't really FEEL that old until I try to move!
September 7
What kind of meat do they put in a filly cheese steak?
June 7
Deep in the heart of . . . TAXES
Seen on TV recently: "For every dollar in taxes that corporations do not pay, a taxpayer has to pay a dollar extra."
Dorothy says: "For every dollar in taxes that corporations DO pay, a taxpayer has ALREADY PAID that dollar."
February 12
The absolute latest: Al Gore says he invented algorithms! Of course, why else would they be named after him.
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2013
Selling the Lady Katie.
Editor's note: Is it strange that there were very few Facebook posts until after the Lady Katie was sold? Hhhhmmmmm.