Ten Things That Occurred to Me #14

Stuff occurs to me. I write it down.

1. People who think the President of the US can control -- or is even a real factor in -- gas prices make me laugh.

2. I may have mentioned this before, but it is very frustrating.  I find the lack of a clear “Ok/Cancel” button on many web dialogs to be very frustrating.  It’s particularly bad when you are setting values.  I hate just clicking outside the dialog for “okay”. Here’s what I mean:  In your Chrome browser, go to Settings.  Make some changes.  Where’s the freaking “Ok” button?  The Ok button lets you be sure your changes were taken, and a Cancel button lets you know they've been abandoned.  I do not like this trend.

3. Many people dismiss as silly or stupid things that they don’t understand.  I think the better approach is to recognize that most often when you don’t understand something that smart people are espousing, there is something you are missing.

4. I find it startling that anyone -- anyone -- would find what happened on January 6, 2021, to be in any way, shape, or form dismissable, or worse, acceptable.

5. Am I un-American because I utterly despise fireworks of all kinds? (Well, except sparklers.  I like sparklers.)  I never look forward to the obnoxious noise over the Independence Day period.

6. James Altucher has a great Twitter thread on why Crypto is indeed backed by something. Bottom Line:  There is value in trust.  (And read this Twitter thread by him, too...)

7. People often dislike markets for rewarding greed.  They are right -- greed is rewarded (if you define "greed" as "I want to make money").  But the only way to satiate your greed in a market is to provide things that people value.  Sure, someone is greedy, but the benefit to the many is exponentially beneficial. 

8. Also, human greed is a given, a constant.  Free markets turn greed into things people want.  I’m not saying greed is good, but that greed can conjure up good for many people.

9. In my experience, to get over depression and anxiety, one has to get the things that are inside you out of you.  But all too frequently things come out as anger and even violence.  Better -- much, much better and lastingly beneficial -- is getting them out via talk therapy and journaling.  

10. This is something that I cannot explain, but a soft drink tastes bet with just the right amount of ice.  Too much ice and too little ice somehow reduce the enjoyment.  I have no understanding of why this is so.