Apple Corporation: Please Make These (small) Changes!

Apple products are some of my favorite things on Earth. They make many things in my life easier, from work to travel to just plain fun. I am quite grateful for the innovation Apple provides that helps drive all tech.

While many of Apple’s products are quite good, all products everywhere can be improved upon. For if we stop trying to innovate and improve, research is at an end.

Here are my top suggestions for Apple

1. Allow devices to Bluetooth stereo sound out to multiple receivers at once. My wife and I were recently sitting in an airport trying to catch up on the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, aka the greatest thing ever!),  and we had to revert to corded headphones with a splitter to connect to our iPad Pro. This clunky and uncomfortable set up was far from ideal as our AirPods and Wireless Beats sat useless nearby.
2. Downloading rented or purchased movies & TV shows is very clunky and worst of all, doesn’t seem to have a memory. In the same airport as above, we began the download of ‘Thor: The Dark World’ after paying $3.99 to rent it from the iTunes store. We had to restart the movie download numerous times – this is unacceptable! At one point the movie was 90% downloaded and sure to finish before we were to board our flight. The free wi-fi at LaGuardia Airport reset after 45 minutes and we had to re-login to the wi-fi, at which point our Apple iTunes download paused, and then re-started at 0%. Totally unacceptable! First, let me download from my LTE, after all it’s my data! Second, make it so that the devices start at the % they left off when a download is paused. Re-starting from 0% is terrible and makes me want to stop using iTunes to pay to rent movies.
3. When I rent a movie from iTunes, I’m given 30 days to watch it. Fair enough. However, once I start the movie, iTunes only gives me 48 hours to view it, and then it’s deleted from my system. This illogical thinking makes me not want to use iTunes to rent movies! I can’t control the next 48 seconds let alone 48 hours, so handcuffing me to finish a movie in 48 hours is not ideal for me. Why not just delete the movie after 30 days, or after I’ve finished watching it? Apple should be incentivizing me to rent movies, not instituting arbitrary time deadlines that make me want to find alternatives ways to view.

I will continue to add suggestions for Apple and (hopefully) make notes on the suggestions above as Apple incorporates my suggestions into future updates.

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5 Books #RequiredReading To Be A Better Human Being

Use the links found here for affordable ways to purchase the following books. I highly recommend adding the Audible.com companion so you can listen to the books at your convenience.

I cannot place enough emphasis on how important each of the following books have been for me as I try to grow into a better human being. I highly recommend that every human being on earth read (or listen) to these books and strive to understand and live by the lessons learned on these pages.

1. Learn How To Properly Treat ALL Humans

How To Win Friends & Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie [1888-1955]

How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is amongst the best books ever written and should be considered required reading for ALL HUMANS. Read or listen to it ASAP. If you truly want to be a better human being you should be sitting up right about now.

2. Five Simple Steps To Living Your Most Meaningful Life

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life

Authors: Ryan Nicodemus (@RyanNicodemus) & Joshua Fields Millburn (@JFM)

I have previously written about the importance of this book. I cannot emphasize enough the profound impact it has had on my life as I grow in the five categories it outlines to living a meaningful life. If you truly seek to grow and learn to live a more meaningful life, this book is a must-read for you.

3. Understanding Basic Economics Is A Vital Piece Of Being The Best Human PossibleEconomics In One Lesson

Author: Henry Hazlitt [1894-1993]

I have also previously written about Henry Hazlitt’s timeless book, Economics In One Lesson. Throw away your preconceived (and likely incorrect) ideas of what economics is and how it works, and let Henry explain, in very simple terms, the truth behind how economics works. Your basic understanding of these principles is a vital piece of being a better human being.

4. How To Build Wealth (aka Time)

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not!

Author: Robert T. Kiyosaki (@theRealKiyosaki)

Books on wealth building are a dime a dozen and I’m sure that many are very good. That said, nothing can compete with Robert T. Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. This short book can open your eyes up to a different world – a world where people just  like you understand wealth building just a little bit better but enjoy a vastly different quality of life. Stop making excuses, invest $15 or less for the book and audible companion, and learn what many of us already know: true wealth is the one thing no one can create or buy more of: time.

5. Information All Humans Need So People Stop Dying Needlessly

Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic

Author: Sam Quinones (Twitter: @samquinones7)

Avoiding Opiates entirely is the BEST way to reduce and eventually eliminate death by opiate overdose. Fighting the system, which includes the Government and its insane prison system, evil companies like Purdue Pharma, crooked doctors and fake pain management centers,  is NOT the answer. The ONLY way to defeat the opiate epidemic is to ensure all people understand the dangers of opiates and choose, like I have chosen, to never take any opiate of any kind. EVERYONE ON EARTH MUST BE ADVISED OF THIS SIMPLE LIFESAVING INFORMATION!

#RequiredReading. Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic

Dreamland: The True Tale Of America’s Opiate Epidemic

Author: Sam Quinones (Twitter: @samquinones7)

Avoiding Opiates entirely is the BEST way to reduce and eventually eliminate death by opiate overdose. Fighting the system, which includes the Government and its insane prison system, evil companies like Purdue Pharma, crooked doctors and fake pain management centers,  is NOT the answer. The ONLY way to defeat the opiate epidemic is to ensure all people understand the dangers of opiates and choose, like I have chosen, to never take any opiate of any kind. EVERYONE ON EARTH MUST BE ADVISED OF THIS SIMPLE LIFESAVING INFORMATION!

The Bourbon License Plate Game

On a recent holiday drive I spotted a license plate that started with “GTSxxxx” and pointed it out to my wife. “Look honey, a George T. Stagg!”

She was hardly amused.

So the challenge began…spot your own license plate bottle! In that moment The Bourbon License Plate Game was born!

With 100+ miles left to cover we began to think of rules and scoring system. After all, not all license plates that double for bourbon are created equal!

What we arrived on is the simple system set out below. Feel free to tinker and come up with your own variations and improvements! Most importantly, after playing The Bourbon License Plate Game, be sure to safely arrive at your destination and enjoy a delicious whiskey with good friends!

Rule #1: BE SAFE! When operating a vehicle, safety is your #1 priority! Please do not put yourself or others at risk looking for license plate numbers for a friendly game!

Rule #2: Spot plates with commonly accepted bourbon abbreviations that contain a minimum of 3 letters and/or numbers. RY96WT2 for “Rebel Yell” would NOT count (only two letters) but RY1093V would count as RY10 is the commonly accepted for abbreviation for Rebel Yell Ten Year Bourbon.

Rule #3: All letters/numbers must be in order, but can be anywhere on the plate. For example, XPVW939 would count (PVW) but XP3VW7 would not count as PVW is not consecutive.

Rule #4: Whoever has the least amount of points at the journey’s end buys the first round of whiskey!

Scoring Points

3 consecutive #s/letters = 18 points

4 consecutive #s/letters = 40 points

5 consecutive #s/letters = 75 points

6 consecutive #s/letters = 126 points

7 consecutive #s/letters = 196 points

The plates below are examples of 3 consecutive #s/letters = 18 points

 = Elmer T. Lee

 = William Larue Weller

= George T. Stagg

= Sazerac

= Thomas H. Handy

The plates below are examples of 4 consecutive #s/letters = 40 points

= Colonel E.H. Taylor

= Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

= Eagle Rare 17

The plate below is an example of 5 consecutive #s/letters = 75 points

 = Pappy Van Winkle 23

The plates below are an example of 6 consecutive #s/letters = 126 points

= Old Weller Antique 107 (also one of the author’s favorite pours!)

 = Maybe a super fan will have a Weller vanity plate?

The plate below is an example of 7 consecutive #s/letters = 196 points

= Perhaps Julian has a car in Ohio?!

The Truth About The Inventor Of Bitcoin

Legend states that Bitcoin was designed and created by a person named Satoshi Nakamoto. However, no one actually knows who that is or if he/she even exists. There is speculation that Nakamoto is simply an alias for one or many individuals who worked on creating and launching Bitcoin.

However I haven’t seen any speculation that Nakamoto never existed at all. At least not in the flesh.

If my theory that Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) already exists is correct (it is), why would Nakamoto have to exist? He would not. He could simply be made up by the ASI that controls our reality.

If ASI is as smart as its name implies, humanity would only know about it if the ASI chose to reveal itself. Most people simply cannot wrap their heads around that. Give it a try! Clear your mind. Take a deep breath with a long exhale. Read this: If ASI is as smart as its name implies, humanity would only know about it if the ASI chose to reveal itself.

Mind blowing, isn’t it?!

The Secret To Personal Happiness!

FCC Head Ajit Pai: Killing Net Neutrality Will Set The Internet Free (from Reason.com)

Most people seem to disagree with FCC head Ajit Pai on his plan to repeal net neutrality rules governing actions of ISPs & mobile carriers.

However most people probably don’t have any idea as to why they disagree save their celebrity filled Facebook feed urging them to take a stance against the repeal.

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to read this article from Reason.com and follow it up with a :27 listen to the interview with Ajit Pai. Keep an open and clear mind and try to use logic and common sense when processing what you hear.

Enjoy!

Is Hating President Trump Against Your Religion?

First: Take the Nationalism quiz.

Next: Realize your problem is with the American political system and virtually all politicians.

Last: Read my quick thought on all of the vitriol directed at President Trump…

Are not your words & thoughts going directly against the teachings of whatever religion you claim to practice?

According to this study, ~84% of Americans claim one religion or another, with ~70% of those claiming they are Christians. ~16% of us claim no religious affiliation at all.

While there may be a religion that advocates hatred like the kind being lobbed at Donald Trump, it isn’t yours!

The next time you are about to criticize or condemn Trump (or anyone for that matter) ask yourself: What would (insert deity or Dale Carnegie here) do?

Simple Solution To The Opioid Crisis

President Trump is expected today to declare a public health emergency for opioids. I find that kind of ironic considering it was the lack of actual freedom in the United States that led to this crisis in the first place.

Why a public health emergency? Perhaps the 150 Americans that die every day at the hands of an opioid is a start. (That’s a new 9/11 every twenty days…)

But aren’t opioids safe? They are sold by the big pharmaceutical companies and prescribed by doctors! They must be the best option for us!

Opioids are NOT our only option! Opioids are NOT safe! In fact they are very toxic. Let’s review.

An opioid is a substance that “acts on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects.”

Morphine is a “pain medication of the opiate type which is found naturally in a number of plants and animals. It acts directly on the central nervous system to decrease the feeling of pain.”

Sounds great, no?! A substance that occurs naturally in the Universe that can alleviate our pain!? Sign me up!

BUT WAIT! Are there any negative side effects associated with opioids?

There sure are.

According to Wiki:

The side effects of opioids may include itchiness, sedation, nausea, respiratory depression, constipation, and euphoria. Tolerance and dependence will develop with continuous use, requiring increasing doses and leading to a withdrawal syndrome upon abrupt discontinuation. The euphoria attracts recreational use, and frequent, escalating recreational use of opioids typically results in addiction. An overdose or concurrent use with other depressant drugs commonly results in death from respiratory depression.

So opioids may decrease the feeling of pain but will definitely include side effects as serious as DEATH.

Should another option be available, would it not make more sense to replace the toxic pain reducing substance with something that cannot lead to death?

I believe it would. And I’m not the only one.

Multiple studies (and common sense, if anyone uses that anymore) show that cannabis usage is associated with lower opioid usage.

Lower opioid usage leads to fewer opioid related deaths.

Fewer people dying because they were legislated into using one naturally occurring (potentially deadly) pain reliever over another naturally occurring (non toxic) pain reliever is a very good thing.

Click here and here for more reading from better sources and many more studies citing similar results. Click here and here for more of my thoughts on this subject!

The National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine states: “Legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths. As additional data become available, research should replicate these analyses in other states with legal recreational cannabis.” (source)

Yet cannabis remains illegal in some form in two dozen states and in all forms under Federal Law. This is insane!

For a country that self-proclaims it “leads the world in freedom” America certainly does not lead the world in “allowing its citizens to pick and choose what they put in their own bodies.”

As long as Americans are forced to play the USA prescription drug game where drug companies, politicians and bureaucrats have more control over the individual than the individual herself, people will continue to needlessly die at the hands of the opioids they are forced to use.

The Killers: Why Do I Keep Counting?

TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS TO 11 AND ENJOY THE POETRY!

Lyrics below were found here

There’s a plane, and I am flying
There’s a mountain waiting for me
Oh, these years have been so trying

I don’t know if I can use them
Am I strong enough
To be the one?
Will I live to have some children?

Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down
Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down

If I only knew the answer
I wouldn’t be bothering you

Father
Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down
Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down

If I only knew the answer
And if all our days are numbered
Then why do I keep counting?

My sugar sweet
Is so attainable
This behavior so unexplainable
The days just slip and slide
Like they always did
The trouble is my head
Won’t let me forget

I took one last good look around
So many unusual sounds
I gotta get my feet on the ground

Help me get down
I can make it

Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down
Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down

If I only knew the answer
I wouldn’t be bothering you

Father
Help me get down
I can make
Help me get down
Help me get down
I can make it
Help me get down

If I only knew the answer
And if all our days are numbered
I wouldn’t be bothering you

Would you help me get down?

If I only knew the answer
If I change my way of living
And if I pave my streets with good times
Will the mountain keep on giving?

And if all of our days are numbered
Then why do I keep counting?