It was inevitable. I was going to do something stupid and lose my new DJI Avata drone. And I did, but there is some redemption in this story. Let me explain and give you a link to my first ever drone video: The wonders of piloting a drone first hit… Continue reading
As covered in a prior newsletter, the Dunning-Kruger Effect states the less we know about a particular topic, the more we think we know. It’s what won David Dunning and Justin Kruger the Nobel Prize. The effect was discussed in the above-referenced newsletter on motorcycle riding, so I’ll not elaborate… Continue reading
Competing in debate, our Fairmont High School team accumulated an impressive series of wins, ultimately landing us in completion for the state championship in Minnesota. Debate wins come by accumulating points. Not only the “quality and reasonableness” of an argument, but the sources used to back it up. We learned… Continue reading
Writing about politics is not something I do, but I do write about science. It appears to me our government and courts would benefit if they’d base their decisions and policies on scientific proof, versus information found on the Internet, chat rooms, and blog posts. Legal decisions and government policy… Continue reading
The Dunning-Kruger effect popped into my consciousness recently. A friend had responded in a decidedly authoritarian tone explaining why my assessment of a particular vehicle’s performance was wrong, backing up their assertion with a personal anecdote. This is classic Dunning-Kruger — the less we know about a particular topic, the… Continue reading
Before collaborating with Oltman on many articles for Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) magazine, I knew him as the slightly curmudgeonly Honda Goldwing expert who dispensed advice to riders in the GWRRA (Goldwing Road Riders Association) at their monthly meetings at Chompie’s Deli on Shea Blvd. in Scottsdale, AZ. Stu’s level… Continue reading
My friend Barney Watson passed away in the morning hours of Feb 18, 2023. He’d just turned 80 years old. His brother Rex, and Rex’s wife Tana were with him, along with Barney’s best friend, Roger Meinershagen. Barney is survived by his wife, Claudia. My path to meeting Barney was… Continue reading
After seeing posters and promotions for Shen Yun, Maggie and I finally went to a performance this past Sunday at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix. Going in I had little idea of what it was other than the acrobatic dances in the previews. The dancing and music looked pretty… Continue reading
The final twenty years of my career was directly involved in disrupting large companies stuck with stale “we are too big to fail” thinking. Running into a person near my age, as I did at lunch last week, espousing today’s version of “It’ll never fly, Orville Syndrome,” irritated me. Don’t… Continue reading
I’ve just completed the latest (32nd) book in John Sandford’s “Prey” series which features cop, detective, Marshall, and sleuth Lucas Davenport. This series began in 1989 with Rules of Prey, and the word “Prey” is in all the titles. I’ve become a solid Sandford fan over the years and have… Continue reading