Category: Uncategorized

Now We Have To Verify. “One Small Step…” Fly Me To The Moon.

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• We have all read about the impact of the booming artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which is impacting business, politics, education, and the media. Unfortunately, the use of AI is raising serious concerns that bad actors are posting AI-generated photos and video that are fake, false, and a hoax. The difficulty in discerning real news is becoming alarmingly more difficult, with people using AI and social media posts to push out false information. Further advancements in AI-generated images are blurring the distinction even more, with the question of how this false news could influence the stock market and an election.

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I Have Questions……..

• I am not one for the government to impose itself on private businesses or sectors, but when does the State of Florida step in to stop insurance companies, including Farmer’s, State Farm, and Allstate, from dropping their insurance coverages?
• I am both alarmed and amazed why and how Delta Airlines personnel could decide to leave people onboard one of their planes for hours, on the tarmac, with temperatures inside the aircraft above one-hundred degrees?
• Is Vladimir Putin, whose reported failing health reportedly includes early stages of Alzheimer’s, at the end of his regime?
• Is it much hotter this summer? It was 98 degrees Fahrenheit in Athens, Greece yesterday, and 124 at Death Valley, California. How do you get to Peter Sinks, Utah? It was 33 there yesterday.
• Could a Hollywood script be written any better than Lionel Messi’s last minute, game-winning goal on his debut with Inter Miami?
• Just when the cruise industry was enjoying full-capacity ships after two-years of Covid-19 related issues, countries including the Netherlands are thinking about banning ships from entering their ports. When will this madness stop?
• Has anyone seen the new Mission: Impossible movie? Is it a must-see? For me, I am looking forward to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which explores the invention of the atomic bomb and the implications of the creation of the deadly weapon.

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• The ‘Only in Florida’ headline of the week: A Florida restaurant is under investigation after authorities said seven patrons became sick after ingesting food contaminated with meth.

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• On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong’s iconic words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” echoed across the globe. Last week, we celebrated the 54th anniversary of landing on the moon. Space programs around the world have come a long way in fifty-four years, with NASA’s Artemis project, named Artemis III, putting astronauts back on the moon late in the year 2024. The progress made over the last fifty-four years is astonishing, with the privatization of spaceflight led by SpaceX, who year-to-date has launched forty-eight rockets into space, helping many entities and countries with deploying communication satellites. Does anyone want to guess what the space program will look like in the next fifty-four years?

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• Born in Long Island City, New York, Anthony Dominick Benedetto amassed many accolades, including an astonishing twenty Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He sold more than fifty million records worldwide, all of this achieved after fighting in the late stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantry soldier in the European Theater. Anthony Dominick Benedetto, a.k.a. Tony Bennett, passed away last week at the age of ninety-three. Bennett broke the individual record for the longest run of a top-ten albums on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist; his first top-10 record was I Left My Heart in San Francisco in 1962. Bennett also broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days. The legacy of Tony Bennett will live on, and with respect to the take on the space program above, here is one of many Tony Bennett performances. RIP Anthony Dominick Benedetto.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!

Top Of Mind Things I Think. A Song Performed At 963 Hz.

• Quote of the week: “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe

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Top of mind thoughts for mid-July

• Are the energy sanctions imposed on Russia finally starting to make an impact? If so, will Russia’s depressed economy force Vladimir Putin’s hand in normalizing relations with Ukraine and the West? Time will tell but as long as China refrains from equivalent sanctions, it does seem like Putin and the Russians can leverage their holdings in the Chinese yuan to prevent a complete economic collapse. Meanwhile, the Russia-Ukraine war is on day 509. So sad, so unnecessary.
• Did you check your Powerball ticket this morning? If you won the $875 million, all the best to you as I am sure I will never hear from you again.
• Dogs are impressive. Loyal, usually obedient, and there for you all the time. Sometimes their expressions and reactions are quite similar to humans:

• Football (the American version) – we are only forty-two days away from the start of college football as the August 26th schedule has seven games including Navy vs. Notre Dame at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. This game will be played at the magnificent Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Let’s go!
• Only in Florida: The promotional campaign for the Florida Python Challenge is in full swing with this annual competition starting next month. The website does state that there is mandatory online training. Yes, only in Florida. https://flpythonchallenge.org/

• Previous posts went into detail about the tragic events surrounding mass shootings across the United States. Mass shootings are loosely described as violent crimes in which an attacker kills or injures multiple individuals simultaneously using a firearm. In the first six months of this year, the U.S. endured twenty-eight mass killings, a staggering and sad amount. There is no clear path with gun control, but I did dig up Chris Rock’s answer to the problem. Funny, facetious, and unreasonable….but he does make a good point.

• The competitive nature of athletes is well-documented and does not always translate well, especially when trash talking is in play. I was a big trash-talker, always engaging with my former teammates and opponents with some level of spirited discussion, which sometimes went a bit too far. We have all watched Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes pull off many incredible plays, with his arm strength and scrambling ability – but in my opinion Mahomes’ competitive spirit is a tipping point, raising him far and above most quarterbacks in the National Football League. The video below is just one example of his ‘spirited’ nature.

• Much to the chagrin of many, the men’s swimming brief, some refer to the swimwear as ‘budgie smugglers’, a.k.a. the Speedo, is making a strong return across the globe. One fashion reporter, based in London, reports that the much- maligned swimwear is a “booming” market. Just as a level-set, here is a humorous quote from Speedo’s VP of Brand Marketing, deeming the Speedo brief as “very practical and the lightest and most comfortable item to wear when swimming.” Practical and comfortable for whom? Any comments from women are welcome…….. 🙂

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JustMyTake avoids subjects relating to religion and politics. With that said, this young man from London performed in what music and sound specialists call ‘divine harmony’, which according to religious theorists is a frequency of 963 Hz, also known as the Frequency of Gods. This young man’s performance, before a live and televised audience, was simply amazing.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Sunday Funday!

I Am Definitely Not Referring To Boxing. A Big Fat Crocodile Wedding.

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• The English language is rife with homonyms. Examples of homonyms include words such as bands, mean, right, rock, and bat. The homonym I am deeply involved with over this weekend is the word ‘knockdown.’ The epitome of a homonym, knockdown to me refers to a term used in boxing. Think Jack Dempsey, Mike Tyson, Joe Louis, George Foreman, and Marvin Hagler. The knockdown of an opponent in the sport of boxing is celebrated as it sometimes results in the match being over.

Regarding the word knockdown, there has been no celebration in my household this weekend – as I was given “the gift that keeps on giving” – a beautiful double-Adirondack chair/table set that I will use and enjoy on my patio overlooking Lake Eola and downtown Orlando. I am excited about this really nice gift, something that I had my eye on for a few months, as I will use it often. Here is a photo of the gift already assembled as shown in the catalogue:

Two stool-height Adirondack chairs joined by a table that is easily able to handle one or two cocktail glasses. Tall enough to see over the balconies’ rail, this is a perfect gift to enjoy sunrise and sunset. The finished product can only be as good as it’s sum of its parts – a term never so relative when attempting to assemble this furniture.

This is the definition of knockdown (KD) furniture as described by Encyclopedia Britannica: “…is made of the “knockdown” type; that is, it can be taken to pieces and stacked flat and parts joined by different types of fittings.” Pieces and fittings would be the key words of this definition as the unpacking of this knockdown furniture unveiled twenty-eight pieces and 76 fasteners. A fact check:

Not alarming at all.

Of course, my tremendous background in carpentry and assembly makes this endeavor easy-peasy, especially when pulling out the large bag of fasteners and fittings, all seventy-six of them:

The two wrenches – thank you for those!

Notice how the manufacturer does everyone a solid by including tools such as a wrench and Allen key – really fantastic thinking on the part of their product manager!

Not to be outdone, the product manager obviously thought through the dynamics of assembly and included twelve pages of instructions. More importantly, at the top of page two, the manufacturer clearly states that if you run into issues with assembly, or the twenty-eight parts, or the 76 fasteners, to contact “their friendly customer service department…, etc.” What is actually fascinating about this Contact Us directive is that nowhere in the instructions, in or on the box, or in the hardware bag, are any references on HOW to contact the manufacturer – no phone number or email address to be found.

Tremendous Customer Service

I am sure that the product manager is the only one laughing their ass off this weekend. My gift is direct from the manufacturer, not from IKEA, who many of us have had the wonderful experience of assembling their furniture. “Things never said by couple assembling Ikea furniture” has never sounded so true:

I would expand on this weekend’s dilemma but I am obviously very busy. Genuine fun and with complete sincerity I am very grateful to receive this gift. 🙂

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• Headline of the Week: “Mexican mayor weds crocodile ‘princess’ in age-old ritual for good luck.” As another fact check, here is the mayor’s bride:

I have no words.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!

The FAA – A Harvard Case Study. Freedom Comes At A Cost.

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• I find it interesting, maybe ironic, how U.S. air travel is now in a state of chaos. One would think, coming out of the pandemic, which obviously affected worldwide airlines’ bottom line, air carriers would be fully engaged and staffed with handling the pent-up demand of U.S. air travel. Sure, there were weather issues last week, but tell me the last time there were not weather issues in the U.S. in the late Spring and early Summer? According to FlightAware’s website, there were 8,000 flights canceled between June 24 and June 28…a staggering number that does not just line up with weather issues. In what I will call a most insensitive decision by an airline CEO, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby issued an apology Friday for chartering a private jet at the height of the nationwide travel disruptions last week. In the understatement of the week, Kirby issued an apology and said it “was the wrong decision” to charter a jet “because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home.” The epitome of insensitive, to say the least.

Where and what is the real issue? It is our infamous Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a vast and complex federal agency. We could debate the dismal state of the FAA for days, but their systemic failures include not modernizing their technological systems and not hiring enough air traffic controllers and safety specialists. I am not going to go politics but the FAA’s oversight is obviously under the Department of Transportation. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation, who has been on the job for over two and one-half years, is Pete Buttigieg. Just as a level set, his background before becoming the Secretary of Transportation included two terms as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and seven years in the U.S. Navy Reserve. I am in no way diminishing Buttigieg and his service to the United States. What I am saying is that Secretary of Transportation’s C.V. should include a vast background relating to transportation and logistics. Enough said.

Last Monday at Chicago’s O’Hare airport.

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Things I Think To Start Off July:

• People hiring phone bots to torment telemarketers = fantastic idea.
• Have you watched “The Bear” on Hulu? So far, it is two seasons of great writing, casting, and acting.
• I find it interesting how the banking ‘crisis’ of just a few months ago is no longer news. Some good news from the banking front, direct from the Federal Reserve: “The 2023 stress test shows that the 23 large banks subject to the test this year have sufficient capital to absorb more than $540 billion in losses and continue lending to households and businesses under stressful conditions.” My question: what about small to midsize banking institutions, including community banks?
• Headline of the Week: “Every person in South Korea suddenly becomes at least a year younger after law changed.” Seriously, what a great idea!
• Are you going to see the new Indiana Jones or Mission:Impossible movies?
• Will Thursday’s Supreme Court decision lead to less-diverse student bodies?

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• Freedom and independence, based on history, come at a high cost. Along with a few other countries, Ukraine is top of mind for me on this Independence Day weekend. Sometimes, it is interesting to take a look back at different perspectives regarding freedom and independence.

• “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” – Bob Marley
• “Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” –Moshe Dayan
• “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” –Ronald Reagan
• “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
• “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” – Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf
• “Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.” – Aung San Suu Kyi
• “We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless.” –Lech Walesa
• “The American flag is the symbol of our freedom, national pride and history.” –Mike Fitzpatrick
• “We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression–everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way–everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want–which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants–everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear–which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world.” –Franklin Roosevelt
• “No other date on the calendar more potently symbolizes all that our nation stands for than the Fourth of July.” – Mac Thornberry

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• A happy 4th of July weekend to you and yours.  I hope that no one takes our Independence with a grain of salt, especially in light of some of the chaos and terrorism happening at home and abroad. I was surprised that Independence Day was only declared a federal holiday in 1941, considering the United States is celebrating our 247th birthday.  On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence and two days later, on July 4, delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by the one and only Thomas Jefferson. If you have a flag, fly it. If you do not have one, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware have flag kits for under $15.00. Buy a flag and fly it proudly. To our Canadian friends: you celebrated Canada Day yesterday….and my experience with Canadians tells me most of you are still celebrating one day later!

An interesting rendition of Lee Greenwood’s salute to America seems to be appropriate for this weekend:

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a great July 4th weekend!

A Statement Regarding Slavery & Racism. Below The Surface and Above the Atmosphere.

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• Last Monday was the federal holiday, Juneteenth. Last Monday made me think. Last Monday provided a bit of reflection. Last Monday reminded me, no matter the ups and downs of life, how fortunate I am. I experienced and witnessed racism and bigotry – it does not matter where and when, it just matters, and I came out the better for it.

Last Monday, June 19th, commemorated the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Commemorating the end of slavery should be celebrated to ensure we never forget the millions of people forced into slavery in the United States…and to help ensure that it never happens again. In essence, Juneteenth is no different than the Passover holiday celebrated by millions around the world, which celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites’ redemption and escape from four hundred years of Egyptian slavery.

The unfortunate news is that in no way has slavery ended. There are forty million people who are victims of modern slavery worldwide, with twenty-five million trapped in forced labor and 15 million pushed into forced marriages. Almost three-quarters of the forty million are female, from young girls to women, and one in four a child. Most prevalent in Asia and Africa, North Korea has the highest rate of slavery, with about one in 10 people enslaved. Yes, and this is the year 2023.

Slavery and racism, after all the hard work put in by many, are still rampant in the United States. There are many reasons for the socioeconomic-racial divide in the United States. None of those reasons hold water but there is no doubt that the race issue continues to rear its ugly head way too often. Morgan Freeman, in an interview with Mike Wallace, discusses Black History Month, and most importantly his disdain for this month-long celebration. I really like what Freeman has to say – at a baseline level, it does make sense:

Regarding socializing the racial divide, all of us should give a great deal of credit to Norman Lear. Lear was an American producer, writer, and director known for his work on influential television series as All in the Family (1971–79), Sanford and Son (1972–77), and The Jeffersons (1975–85). Lear had the guts to bring the White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian divide to the forefront, using television sitcoms as a platform to expose and make fun of people making fun of race. In this scene from an episode of All in the Family, the sometimes-vile Archie Bunker (played by the great Carroll O’Connor) makes a massive statement to the television audience by defending his housekeeper from a racist and bigoted associate. A scene that surely resonated with many watching this episode:

There were, and still are, many who fight to end systemic racism. Of course, there are many feel good stories, with people stepping up to help people without regard to race, religion, creed, or origin. A long story short, Quincy Jones, who worked with Michael Jackson to produce Thriller and many other soundtracks, asked Eddie Van Halen if he could help enhance the song, Beat It. The interview below tells the story, and to the surprise of many, Van Halen had no problem helping out both Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. The guitar riff Van Halen layered into the Beat It track is world-renowned, winning the Song of the Year in 1984. Just as importantly, Van Halen did not charge Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson, doing the work for free in support of two great artists. In this interview, Eddie Van Halen discusses his reasons for doing the work:

For those of you who are too young to remember, or similar to many of my friends, just do not remember, here is the track “Beat It” with Van Halen’s riff at the 2:52 mark. The question “Who did the guitar riff on the song Beat It?” is still one of my favorite trivia questions.

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Quote of the week: “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” – Jack Dempsey, nicknamed The Manassas Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.

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• The loss of the OceanGate deep-dive submarine and the five people aboard is very sad. The depth of 12,500 is extremely dangerous and obviously something went very wrong with last week’s journey to see The Titanic. Not to minimize the loss of those five people, but my thoughts move on to the company Space Perspective, who I have previously discussed as they are planning to take people to space using a fancy capsule tethered to a balloon. I am sure the owners, investors, and marketing staff at Space Perspective, after this incident with the OceanGate submarine, are scrambling to review and promote the safety contingency plans with taking people to an altitude above 100,000 feet…at $125,000 per person.

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!

Russell Bertrand’s Take. It Is Time To Take A Break. If You Could Read My Mind.

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• Best known as a campaigner for peace and as a popular writer on social, political, and moral subjects, British philosopher Bertrand Russell often voiced his opinions on a variety of subjects. This quote by Bertrand resonated with me to some degree…what say you? “The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.”

I do like Russell’s philosophical approach to happiness – one that was stated by him long ago but could not be more relevant in today’s interesting world: “The secret of happiness is this: let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.“

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• Today’s JustMyTake is #316. I do not have writer’s block, nor have I ‘hit the wall’ with my enthusiasm to write and post the blog. What I am going to do is take a bit of break, possibly change the format and content of the blog, and come back with fresh ideas -as Joe Cocker sang: “With a little help from my friends.”

Many of you have offered up your input as a guest writer – something that both myself and the readers of JustMyTake appreciate and enjoy. I am again asking (begging and pleading!) for you to take a stab at guest writing – a simple take on subject matter that interests you, or in some form bothers you. You provide me with a simple word document and I will edit/format your take accordingly. The only request: Please, no politics and no religion.

I have some travel coming up – so this is a good time to take a pre-summer siesta…but I will be back in the next few weeks with the weekly post that hopefully includes some of your input. Note: a few of you have suggested that I go to a podcast format with JustMyTake. I am interested in making that happen, but due to time constraints, no time soon.

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• Credited with defining the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s, Gordon Lightfoot became a worldwide musical talent with his whimsical and thought-provoking music, both as a songwriter and performer. Lightfoot passed away last Monday but the legacy of his baritone voice and folk-based twelve-string acoustic guitar will live on forever.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!

Trade And Vocational Schools. End Of April Questions. Saving The Day. So Funny, So Strong.

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• STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. Trade-oriented instruction at the high school level and beyond was usually reserved for boys and young men, and to a degree, to groups of students seen as low achieving or low ability. This dynamic, dovetailed with many school systems reducing or eliminating traditional vocational offerings, has put the U.S. labor market in a precarious situation. As the world, and hopefully the U.S., move forward with solar electric, solar thermal, and geothermal systems, the alarm has gone off with the lack of tradespeople who are trained to install and service these types of systems. Electricians, plumbers, and other construction-related trades will be more essential as we move forward, and there are many critical issues with providing young people the essential training to eventually fill millions of available jobs.

I feel strongly that the “valorizing” of white-collar jobs has gone off the rails. We have put an emphasis on tech workers and the so-called knowledge economy. As we have all experienced, the tech world has again changed quickly, with most tech-related entities laying off workers and right-sizing their workforce, while the trade-related businesses are begging for workers to support their increasing workloads. A startling statistic from Stanley Black & Decker: In 2022, there were six hundred and fifty thousand unfilled jobs in construction-related trades in the United States, and ten million worldwide. From a personal standpoint, I had my car serviced last week. When I picked up my car, I briefly spoke to the owner of the car service and repair center. She told me that they are desperately looking for auto mechanics, offering $37 per hour, and cannot find anyone to interview. She told me she went to list the job on Indeed, but there were already fifteen pages of listings for auto mechanics – just in the central Florida area. Yes, we have a problem and one that is going to cause big issues as we move forward with 21st century technologies. Investing in vocational schools may be a smart play.

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I Have Ten Questions For the End of April:

• Is the conflict in Sudan a war between two Generals, or a proxy war involving Russia and the United States?
• Is anyone up for another Covid booster?
• Thank you, CNN. With that said, does anyone really care where Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson end up?
• Were there no checks and balances or redundancy allowing a lower-level intelligence officer to download and steal classified documents?
• Is the smell of cannabis wafting the New York City area not better than the smell of garbage – especially on a hot, summer day?
• Many are taking the Netflix series “The Diplomat” too seriously. Can we not just enjoy the writing and plot without questioning the political semantics?
• It is day 432 of the Russia-Ukraine war. How long will Vladimir Putin’s collateral damage continue with the sovereign nation of Ukraine?
• Does anyone have a phone that folds?
• What economic indicator is your barometer to forecast the near-term economy? One of mine is truck traffic as it is a forward-looking indicator, as trucks move products before consumers spend money. My other positive economic indicator is airport growth. For example, the Sarasota-Bradenton airport is the fastest growing airport in the country. There must be some strong economic indicators in southwest Florida.
• With all the negative news we see/read daily, how can we reward this young man, who saved the day (and some lives) with his calm and heroic action?

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• You have to smile when you watch former world-class Ukrainian powerlifter Vladimir Shmondenko, who introduces himself to gym rats with the name “Anatoly.” Posing as a custodian, Shmondenko pranks the strong and mighty in a very funny way. At one time, Shmondenko was deemed, pound-for-pound, one of the strongest men worldwide. His acting and mannerisms are priceless, and the reactions from the people he interrupts are very funny.

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!

A Moment Of Silence. The Post-Pandemic Reality. High-Speed Rail. Prime Time Delivers A Message. RIP Estelle Harris.

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• Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. Two minutes of an air raid siren to remind people of the six million Jewish men, women, and children and millions of others killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. This video shows traffic on a busy highway in Tel Aviv last Tuesday, with people coming to a stop to observe a moment of silence. Honor and sadness in one brief moment.

• I returned late last week from an eight-day stint in Las Vegas. On the surface, you may think entertainment, food, and gambling, but this ordeal was dealing with a hundred details surrounding the massive National Association of Broadcasters conference. A great deal of work, very long days, and many meetings with customers, partners, and many media platforms. All went well with the conference, but something else was even more important and positive with these eight days in Sin City – the number of people at the conference, in the hotel, at restaurants, and at both the Orlando and Las Vegas airports. I was in Las Vegas during the Covid-19 turmoil, and the city was quiet, with hotels 75% empty, most restaurants only providing a take-out option, and the conference I participated in at 40% of their usual attendance. Thankfully and hopefully those days of despair are long gone as last week’s experience showed me that the food, travel, and entertainment business is once again strong and vibrant.

_{70,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibitors at last week’s NAB show.}

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• It is certainly not at the level of high-speed rail service that spans most of western Europe, but Florida’s intercity train system, at a minimum, is a good model for others states to follow. Eventually connecting South Florida with stations in West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa, the Brightline rail option will certainly be a welcomed alternative to driving I-4, I-95, and the Florida Turnpike.

The Miami-Orlando non-stop train will take three hours with other trains stopping in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, and Aventura. Tickets for some routes will be available next month with other routes, including Tampa, later this summer. A key step for Orlando is to obtain federal funding to connect their SunRail system to Brightline, which will provide Orlando residents easy access to Brightline routes. A long time coming but a welcome alternative for the state of Florida.

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• I have previously discussed Deion “Prime Time” Sanders – once a remarkable athlete who played in an afternoon NFL game with the Atlanta Falcons, and later that evening played in a Major League Baseball game with the Atlanta Braves. He is a coach now and does not exactly have a lot of experience or tenure as the head coach of a major college program. What he does bring is a high level of motivation and expectation to a team, with demands from his staff and players that do not sit well with many. In fact, his new head coaching tenure at the University of Colorado, all of five months, has seen many Colorado players leave the team for many different reasons. He has taken over the Colorado program after leading Jackson State University to two Southwestern Athletic Conference championships, losing only three games in two seasons. He has a mountain to climb with the Colorado program, who won one game last year, and lost their remaining eleven games by an average of 32 points. The ‘Sanders effect’ at Colorado has been amazing. Yesterday’s spring game had 45,000 people in attendance, apparel sales have jumped 525%, and 20,000 new season ticket applications have been processed since his December hiring. Most importantly, Sanders has delivered a stern message and warning to his players about respect. You have to love how he delivers this message to his players:

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Five Things I Think I Think

• If you think you had a rough week, take a look at Elon Musk. His Tesla investors are up in arms, his Twitter platform continues in controversy, and his SpaceX Starship exploded in midair shortly after takeoff. Rough week.
• The Polar Ice Sheet loss now accounts for more than 25% of global sea level rise. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting seven times faster than in the 1990s. The ramifications of this ice sheet loss are too complicated for me to understand but obviously this is not good.
• The Oakland A’s moving to Las Vegas? Another legacy franchise may be leaving its long-time roots for the money. Do you blame their ownership? I do not.
• Nothing to do with politics, but I am done with Covid booster shots. Two shots and one booster will need to suffice.
• Headline of the week: Alec Baldwin is working with a crew making a documentary about the Rust shooting. Take this the way you want, but the optics really look bad.

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• Seinfeld’s cast of characters were amazing, from the neurotic George Costanza to the looney-tunes Kramer. Estelle Harris, who played George’s mother, was one memorable character from the show, with her persistent level of paranoia and exasperation. This scene was one of her best in the twenty-seven episodes she appeared in from 1992-1998. Estelle Harris passed away at the age of ninety-three and will always be remembered as Estelle Costanza. RIP Ms. Harris.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and Have a Funday Sunday!

Finland Puts A Line In The Sand. New Rules. Well Said. Passover Via The Italians.

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• Finland and other countries in the geographic region surrounding Russia have long maintained a military nonalignment. Finland had kept their distance from NATO since the end of WWII, but last week their application and entry into the thirty-one-country alliance was ceremoniously accepted at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The Nordic country became the alliance’s latest member, spurred by the war in Ukraine, in what becomes a strategic setback for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Putin is fuming with Finland’s inclusion in NATO, as the move doubles the alliance’s border with Russia, adding to NATO’s expansion to the east. Putin’s main concern is NATO having the largest artillery capability in Western Europe, with a reported 1,500 pieces in operation. Sweden may be next to join NATO, though their application is caught up in a political quandary with Turkey and Hungary. Does anyone want to provide their take on Putin’s next moves to counter NATO’s inclusion of Finland?

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Thoughts for an Easter Sunday

• Has Tiger played his last Masters?
• Will mortgage rates continue to drop and spur home-buying?
• The understatement of the week: “Ukraine says the coveted F-16 fighter jets are four to five times better than its Soviet jets.”
• The Sunnis and Shias of Saudi Arabia and Iran, after seven years of cutting off ties, have re-established diplomatic relations. Blend this with Middle East tension bubbling up, and who knows if escalating conflicts flare up in the next few weeks?
• CNN’s morning ratings must be favorable as I cannot think of any other reason they would keep Don Lemon on air.
• Tomorrow marks the 25th Anniversary of the ‘Good Friday Agreement’, a historic deal that ended the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Troubles is the term used to describe sectarian violence that took place in Northern Ireland, which led to more than 3,500 deaths and even more casualties. Horrific terrorist attacks were conducted by members of paramilitary organizations, as were acts of brutality by police and army officers. I was in Belfast a few years ago and along with my daughter and son-in-law, took a Black Cab tour, which unexpectedly included a visit to IRA headquarters and their “munitions museum.” A great eye-opening and learning experience for the three of us.
• An Easter egg hunt. Great stuff for children (and adults) of all ages.

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• Last week’s post went into detail about the changes Major League Baseball has made to speed up the game. These changes include a pitch clock, a limit to the number of times a pitcher can throw to pickoff a baserunner, and the number of times a batter can step out of the batter’s box. There is some great news after the first week of the season as baseball’s new rules have made a difference. Game times for the first week of the season were down by an average of twenty-five minutes, with one game between the Twins and Marlins ending in under two hours. There is not much wasted time with these new rules. Kudos to Major League Baseball!

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Six quotes I really like:

• “There is no such thing as a grouchy old person. The truth is once you get old, you stop being polite and start being honest.”
• “Do what is right, not what you think the high headquarters wants or what you think will make you look good.”
• “Your level of grit and resilience will define you more than your wins and losses do.”
• “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
• My dad once told me: “You are a product of your environment.” Derek Jeter said: “Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.”
• “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”
• “A mother’s job is to teach her children not to need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success.”

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With Passover and Easter overlapping this year, I thought I would give you Sebastian Maniscalco’s take on the traditional Passover dinner celebration, the Seder. I shy away from religion, but Maniscalco’s take is one to watch. Happy Passover and Happy Easter to All!!

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and Enjoy Easter Sunday!

Sinatra and racism. Generative Artificial Intelligence. Take Me Out To The Ballpark. 60 MPH!

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• There are many stories about Frank Sinatra. Once called the “Chairman of the Board”, Sinatra’s legendary career is well-documented. Another amazing detail about Sinatra was his disdain for racism. This short video clip has Quincy Jones explaining an incident that speaks volumes. In today’s world, still rampant with racism, we could all probably use more Frank Sinatra’s. Warning: this video includes language not suitable for youngsters.

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“Our mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence—AI systems that are generally smarter than humans—benefits all of humanity.”

That is a positioning statement from OpenAI, one of many technology entities exploring and developing artificial intelligence platforms – that will allow all of us to expand our knowledge base, solve problems faster, and create and compose simple tasks like technical writing as well as generating complex applications and services.

I used Bard, Google’s entry-level AI platform, to test their AI offering by simply inputting ‘April Fools’ Day.’ Within seconds of entering the subject matter, Bard produced the information below. I could have been more specific with my Bard inquiry regarding April Fools’ Day, but my goal was to witness how quickly the information was produced. Here is the information Bard provided:

April Fools’ Day and Springtime: A Perfect Match

April Fools’ Day is a day for fun and laughter, and what better time to celebrate it than in the springtime? The days are getting longer, the flowers are blooming, and the air is filled with the sound of birdsong. It’s the perfect time to pull off a harmless prank or two on your friends and family.

History of April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on April 1st every year. It is a day for fun and laughter, and people often play pranks on each other. The exact origins of April Fools’ Day are unknown, but there are many theories about how it started.

One theory is that April Fools’ Day is a day to celebrate the start of the new year. In the past, the new year began on March 25th. However, in 1582, the Gregorian calendar was adopted, and the new year began on January 1st. This change caused a lot of confusion, and some people continued to celebrate the new year on March 25th. These people were often the butt of jokes and pranks, and this may be how April Fools’ Day started.

Another theory is that April Fools’ Day is a day to celebrate the spring equinox. The spring equinox is the day when the sun crosses the equator and the day and night are of equal length. It is a time of new beginnings, and it may be why April Fools’ Day is celebrated on this day.

The world of AI and how the platforms will help all of us is limitless. Sure, there are and will be limitations and issues with the use of AI. A statement from OpenAI: GPT-4 still has many known limitations that we are working to address, such as social biases, hallucinations, and adversarial prompts. We encourage and facilitate transparency, user education, and wider AI literacy as society adopts these models. We also aim to expand the avenues of input people have in shaping our models.

We have only witnessed the beginning of AI and how it will change our lives. Many have discussed how the cell phone forever changed the way that we live our everyday lives. AI, when fully developed, vetted, and socialized, will make the advent of the cell phone look like the Stone Age.

AI and all it will offer us is exciting but many technologists are asking everyone to pause on the development of AI systems. This sentence, taken from a letter signed by many, including Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, says it all: “Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders.” Well….now what?

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• Baseball has always been a dilemma for me. While I enjoy going to the ballpark and the long-standing traditions of the game, sitting through three-to-3.5 hour games, especially on a warm day or night, is not exactly enjoyable. The good news: Major League Baseball, with pressure from fans, marketing partners, and television networks, has introduced some changes that should SPEED UP THE TIME OF THE GAME. Sure, some of these changes go against the ‘purity’ of baseball, but there was really no choice if baseball was going to stay relevant with their targeted demographics. Take a look at some of the changes:

• The pitcher has fifteen seconds to make a pitch with the bases empty; 20 seconds with runners on base. This will decrease the overall game time.
• The hitter gets one timeout per plate appearance and must be in the batter’s box with 8 seconds left on the pitch clock. This will decrease the overall game time.
• A pitcher gets two disengagements (pickoff attempts or step-offs) per batter; violations are a balk. This will also decrease the overall game time.
• There is no more infield shift allowed where three infielders were allowed to be on either side of second base. Now, two infielders must be positioned on either side of 2nd base. This should provide more base hits and scoring.
• No more positioning where the shortstop or 2nd baseman were positioned in the shallow outfield. All four infielders must now be positioned in the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber. This will also provide for more base hits and scoring.
• The first, 2nd, and 3rd bases have increased in size from 15″ to 18″. This will decrease injury events.

Well done, Major League Baseball! Better late than never.

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• I hope you did not get fooled yesterday. April 1st is always an interesting day, with ‘pranking’ taking place at all levels of foolishness. Speaking of fools, the first Sunday of April takes us to Kevin Hart as he explains, in too much detail, his encounter with an ostrich in Nebraska. Yes, Nebraska. Note: in case anyone cares, an ostrich is the world’s largest bird, can run at speeds up to thirty-eight MPH, reach a height of 8′ and weigh as much as 320 lbs.

Warning: this video contains language not suitable for youngsters.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday!