Slice and Dice. Give Me Some Answers. Beer v. Whiskey. No Turkey for Me! I Hope You Find Your Way Home.
- Quote of the Week: It is a popular delusion that the government wastes vast amounts of money through inefficiency and sloth. Enormous effort and elaborate planning are required to waste this much money. – P. J. O’Rourke
Whether exaggerated satire or some level of truth, P.J. O’Rourke’s quote is never more relevant than right now. With the new administration assigning Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency, it is obvious that it will take an enormous effort to slice and dice government inefficiency and waste. Within the confines of the law, do Musk and Ramaswamy not only have the responsibility, but the authority to wipe out inefficiencies, redundancies, and departments that the administration deems useless? Politics aside, will this Department of Government Efficiency be effective?
Milton Friedman’s resume is vast and impressive. Friedman concluded that capitalism and freedom were paramount and that “government should stay out of matters that do not need it and should only involve itself when absolutely necessary for the survival of its people and the country.” Friedman is recognized by many as a great economic theorist and was rewarded with his work by winning the 1976 Nobel Prize for Economics.
Elon Musk, a bit bias due to his new assignment, posted this video of Milton Friedman directly answering the interviewer’s questions regarding government and what departments he would keep and discard. Friedman’s assessment and answers are eye-opening.
I Have Six Questions on the Last Sunday of November:
- Is Comcast’s spinoff of their cable networks, including CNBC, USA, MSNBC, Golf Channel, E!, and Syfy the last straw with cable properties? Yes, the former bold step of ‘cutting the cord’ has become the new normal.
- I am a big supporter of NASA and the space program. The Artemis lunar exploration effort is now delayed with NASA’s Office of Inspector General now stating that each of the first four Space Launch System/Orion launches will cost $4.2 billion. Does anyone else have an issue with this?
- Do you like hanging out in a grocery store? I go to Publix or Fresh Market once a week and it could the least favorite thing I do. Now I read that two Publix stores are opening a beer, wine, and coffee bar. Say what?
- The Orlando Pride of the NWSL wrapped up a historic season last night, winning the league championship with a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit. This was the Pride’s and the legendary Marta’s first league title. Will the 38-year-old Marta enjoy this championship and retire? I do not think so.
- I have mentioned the demise of craft brewpubs in a previous post. What happened to this sector of the restaurant/bar industry?
- Where are the two favorite places you have traveled in the last five years? I am going somewhere soon, and I am looking for suggestions. No cruising for me, just a place to visit. Thanks.
- Billy Bob Thornton (BBT) is one of my favorite actors. He can play most roles, with an uncanny ability to make his character relevant. BBT currently stars in the series “Landman” set in the oil boomtowns of modern Texas. BBT uses his awkward personality and voice cadence to pull of different types of roles as good as any. He does make a great point in this bar scene:
- The Thanksgiving holiday is like no other. Never mind that I am not a fan of turkey, the Thanksgiving holiday, whether with a group of family and friends or solo, is a time to reflect on the thankful things. No matter your surroundings, enjoy Thanksgiving for what it is meant to be: A day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. At whatever level, enjoy.
- Pure Talent. Mesmerizing and soulful as we head into Thanksgiving week. Steve Winwood’s rendition of “Can’t Find My Way Home” sets a very high bar for the blend of guitar and voice. Whether it was his work with The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, or Blind Faith, his experience and skill set led the way to fifty million albums sold, two Grammy’s, and his election into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Eric Clapton once said to Winwood: “You’re one of the best guitarists out there and nobody knows it.” Steve Winwood = Pure Talent.