Terrible humans: Tomato edition

We’ve had some fun with growing a bit of food in our small yards. Oranges, lemons, and pineapples have come through nicely, and we planted a mango tree a few months back but it will take a year or years to start producing.

We also planted tomatoes from seeds I got at the library–on the Big Island all library branches have a seed library maintained by a local gardeners association. It took a few months but a few weeks back we saw a couple of tomatoes starting to bud. Yay!

But then they were gone! The cause, or even that it happened, was unclear, and then two weeks ago we saw some new babies. They were coming along, one was starting to turn red, and then BOOM!

This morning they were just gone. No trace or paw prints, like you would expect if an animal had got to them, so it must have been a person. We have some kids in the street who’ve played pranks before and this is my best guess as to who.

Viv and I were both really upset. I realize there are a lot of worse things going on in the world but you can’t help your emotional reaction. The plants are okay so hopefully next ones that grow, whoever did this will leave them be.

The Internet can be so f’ing efficient!

So the day before we left on our vacation to New Zealand last month, a guy who was not being careful rear ended use on Queen K highway stopping at a red light. He was almost stopped so there wasn’t much damage and no one was hurt.

When we got home we followed up and he had indeed filed a claim with his insurance and I used that to get an authorized repair shop for the work. After getting the estimate, and getting it approved, we had the normal couple of weeks wait for parts to arrive on a cargo ship. Honestly I’m surprised it was so fast except the rear bumper is probably a very common part to replace and so kept on hand in the warehouse.

Just now we got a call that the parts have arrived and could we bring our car in Monday for the work to be done. Three or four days so of course we need a rental. I reached out to the guy’s insurance company (AllState) through their webchat–in less than five minutes he had the order in their system to the local Enterprise, and someone from Enterprise called me to settle the details.

Five minutes! If only more things were this fast!

Favorite concert films

Over on the Fediverse, a fellow LFC supporter posted a link to a song from the Concert for George film, which is one of my favorites. George Harrison was such a quiet, positive, loving man and this tribute shows how much he was loved!

Another of my favorites is The Song Remains the Same, Led Zeppelin’s 1976 masterpiece. The music is, of course, the centerpiece but the episodes for each member are mostly cool. However, what gets this on my list is more about the circumstances.

I did see the movie in New Jersey when it was released. Then, the following summer I took a trip to Scandinavia with my parents and a pal, a fellow Zep fan. We found ourselves in Oslo free on a Saturday night and TSRTS was playing at this huge pre-multiplex cinema so my friend and I had to go. The theater was pack with a crowd wearing jeans and leather jackets and we had a blast!

Last up was a tricky choice but let’s go with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Live in Barcelona. Recorded in October 2022, this is a peak performance from The Rising tour.

Update 8/10/2023: The death of Robbie Robertson reminded me I completely missed The Last Waltz, which unquestionably belongs on this list. The music and the members of The Band dominate but the huge range of musical guests push this far past any normal concert film. Ana amazing evening!

200 Days

I try not to make much of my exercise efforts because honestly there’s not much to make.

But I am proud that for the last year I’ve made it to the gym three times a week (with four weeks at two). I don’t do multi-hour workouts but I try and get sweaty and a little achy.

I also try to close the Move Ring on my Apple Watch every day, and to increase the level every month or two. Today my close streak hit 200 days! 🎉🎉

Springsteen: Wings for Wheels

What is your favorite genre of music?

Today’s prompt is What is your favorite genre of music? Which fits amazingly well with what I came here to write. Almost too well. Of course the answer is Classic Rock, headlined by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

I’d seen that Wings for Wheels, the documentary about the making of Born to Run, was available to stream (on Paramount+), perfect Sunday morning watching. I can say that even if you’re not a fan of Bruce’s you’ll probably still enjoy it for the stories behind the scenes and the insights into how a complex record gets made in a highly pressurized environment.

Today everyone takes for granted that Bruce is a huge star and icon. But in 1974 and early ’75 as he was writing and then recording that wasn’t at all the case. In fact based on how poorly The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle had done this album was either going to be a hit or the end of his Columbia recording contract.

Aside: Wings for Wheels was the original title of the song that became Thunder Road.

I don’t know if this was fortunate or common practice at the time but Bruce’s manager Mike Appell had a film crew in the studio pretty much the entire time they recorded so this documentary includes a lot of footage from then as well as interviews with the band members, plus Appell, producer Jon Landau, Jimmy Iovine (Born to Run was one of his first industry gigs as recording engineer), and Nils Lofgren and Patti Scialfa.

Eatcation 2023

This summer because circumstances we couldn’t fly off island and decided to have a staycation. We did drive up and spent Tuesday night in Waimea (can recommend Waimea Country Lodge as a modest, inexpensive place to stay). We also drove over to Hilo Friday for lunch and a little exploring.

Honestly though our focus has really been on food. There are so many good food places here!

We started by doing some home cooking. Viv always takes care of us with good food but I kicked in with a mushroom and beef dish. Mushrooms from a local source, big and muscular, and some Big Island raised ground beef with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.

Monday we hit up Caffe Florian in Captain Cook for breakfast, I had a tasty breakfast panini featuring eggs, ham, spinach, and Gouda on thin garlic bread, Viv had a breakfast sandwich, and we split a chocolate banana muffin.

Me and Viv at Caffe Florian

Tuesday started with a visit to Hapuna Beach, justifiably considered one of the best beaches anywhere. Then onto Waimea. We’d hoped to lunch at Moa Kitchen but it was way full so we had Chinese at Jade Palace. Nice but nothing special. Left room for very enjoyable dessert from Sandwich Isle Bread Company, a strawberry shortcake for Viv and a chocolate obsession for moi.

Dinner though was ono! “Ono” is a Hawaiian term for delicious and what we had at Pueo’s Osteria was outstanding, most certainly ono. Started with the crudo special, Ahi in a sweet garlic sauce. Then Viv had the Hamakua Mushroom Pizza, with a white garlic sauce. I went for the Melanzana alla Parmigiana. Huge portions that we enjoyed over the next couple of days. If only they opened for lunch we would eat there a lot. Too much!

Wednesday breakfast was Hawaiian Style Cafe, sadly the loco moko didn’t meet expectations. Friendly staff though. After checkout we hit the midweek farmers market at Parker Ranch. Decent selections, we got some Blood Orange Rose Petal Cabernet Sauvignon jam from our favorite supplier Akaka Falls Farm plus some fresh shortbread cookies for later. Highly recommend the Akaka Falls Farm jams, preserves, and honey, and definitely the chocolate butters if you want a treat shipped from the Big Island!

Thursday we went back to Captain Cook for Randy’s Huli Chicken. This is a hugely popular roadside BBQ stand,. So popular they can manage only being open Thursday and Friday lunchtime, and now every other Wednesday.

Friday, as mentioned, we drove the 90 miles over the saddle road to Hilo. Picked up a fresh Challah and chocolate chip cookies from Papa’a Palaoa Bakery to bring home. Snuck a couple of the cookies on the (loooong) ride home, very nice.

Lunch was at Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine, most certainly ono! We shared a (non-alcoholic) Big Island Punch, smooth and fruity. Viv had the swordfish fish and chips while I had the Local Plate featuring BBQ Kailua pork and teriyaki Kalbi beef.

Before heading home we stopped at the Prince Kuhio Plaza. This is possibly the only indoor mall on the whole island. For sure the only one we’ve been inside in the nearly two years we’ve lived here. Apparently not something I miss 🤣🤣

Saturday was simple. Breakfast was French toast which Viv made from that challah, topped with some of that sweet jam. So good we had the same again Sunday. Both accompanied by fresh orange juice squeezed from oranges grown in our yard.

One last meal out on Monday, breakfast at Holuakoa Coffee Shack. Tasty! We both had the breakfast burrito with Portuguese sausage and split a lovely chocolate topped donut (from, I suspect, Paradise Hawaiian Bakery). One thing to be careful about is parking, always tricky up there.

Donut at Holuakoa Coffee Shack

All in all definitely an Eatcation, eh? But a lot of walking and a few gym visits mixed in and worth all the calories. Next year we’re hoping to get off island for our vacation but certainly to a place with lots of good eats!

Side note: Loco Moko

One of my hobbies since we moved here is to try every restaurant’s loco moko. Loko moko is a Hawaiian dish, for those unaware, with rice, hamburger patty (or frequently two patties), brown gravy, and topped with two eggs. Lots of places let you change the meat to spam, Portuguese sausage, and so on.

This is apparently harder to make well than you’d expect. Far too many restaurants fail for one of these reasons:

  • burger(s) cooked to death
  • no onions in the gravy
  • no mushrooms in the gravy
  • onions but not cooked until soft

QotD: what is a big waste of time?

This was apparently today’s question of the day. My answer is anxiety.

Anxiety takes time from me all too frequently. It costs me a good nights sleep often. All through the day I waste time arguing with myself internally. Counting things, estimating time left or percentages.

What a waste of time and energy!

USMNT take the 2023 Nations League by storm

Tres a cero against Mexico, losing Dest, McKennie, and Richardson Two-nil over a very strong Canada in the final.

Pulisic was possibly the top US performer across the two games, closely followed by Chris Richards and Tim “Timo” Weah. Defense so tough that Matt Turner barely had to make a save. Gio Reyna showed real grit, constantly getting stuck in on defense and making both goals in the final with lovely passes.

Joe Scally shutting down Canada’s top attacker Alphonso Davies with an overall smart, physical game at right back in place of Dest. (Dest is too emotional on his best days, the red card against Mexico being a prime example.)

A great debut for Folarin Balogun, the goal today was just lovely. Between him and Ricardo Pepe the US are strong at center forward for the first time in maybe a decade.

BJ Callaghan made some very smart moves in both games. He isn’t getting the US job full time but, especially if he leads the US to the Gold Cup, is clearly ready for an MLS head coaching position.

Because we’re hosting the 2026 World Cup we won’t play any qualifiers and so I’m really looking forward to seeing these guys make a strong run in the Copa America and the World Cup!!

AFL on American TV

Happy to find Aussie Rules Football, or Footy, available on Fox Sports. Last time I looked, a year or two back, it was missing, I guess ESPN had given up the rights. Games are still at pretty inconvenient times but looks like plenty are available on demand. Yay!

Climate change is real whether you agree or not

Panama Canal reducing the size of loads allowed due to drought: https://maritime-executive.com/article/panama-canal-s-continuing-draft-reductions-pose-threat-to-trade

State Farm and AllState stop writing new home insurance policies (and pushing huge increases to existing policies) in California: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-06-02/allstate-state-farm-stop-selling-new-home-insurance-in-california

“Even if we significantly curb emissions in the coming decades, more than a third of the world’s remaining glaciers will melt before the year 2100. When it comes to sea ice, 95% of the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic is already gone.” https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/why-are-glaciers-and-sea-ice-melting

Early Days: GPT-4

I tried two related prompts and got total garbage both times:

Write a biography of William Stuart Lazar, born 1961

Take 1:
William Stuart Lazar was born in 1961 in the bustling city of New York. From a young age, he showed a keen interest in technology and computers, often tinkering with gadgets and electronics in his spare time. His parents recognized his passion and encouraged him to pursue his interests, enrolling him in computer programming courses at a local college while he was still in high school.

Lazar’s early exposure to computer programming helped him develop a strong foundation in the field. He went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a degree in computer science. During his time at MIT, he worked on a number of groundbreaking projects, including the development of early artificial intelligence algorithms and the creation of new programming languages.

After graduating from MIT, Lazar began his career as a software engineer at IBM. He quickly rose through the ranks, thanks to his expertise in programming and his ability to lead complex projects. In 1990, he was appointed head of IBM’s software development division, where he oversaw the creation of numerous new products and technologies.

In 1995, Lazar left IBM to start his own software company, which he called LazarSoft. The company focused on developing software for the emerging mobile market, and quickly became a leader in the field. Lazar’s vision and leadership helped propel LazarSoft to great success, and the company went public in 2000.

Throughout his career, Lazar has been recognized as a leading expert in the field of software development. He has authored several books on programming and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events. He has also been an active philanthropist, supporting a number of charities and organizations that focus on education and technology.

Today, Lazar remains at the forefront of the software development industry, constantly exploring new technologies and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with software. His innovative approach to programming and his dedication to excellence have earned him a reputation as one of the most influential figures in the field.

Take 2:

William Stuart Lazar was born in 1961 in the city of Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a family that valued education and hard work, which instilled in him a strong sense of discipline and determination from a young age. As a child, Lazar was always fascinated by technology and electronics, spending countless hours tinkering with gadgets and machines.

Lazar’s interest in technology led him to pursue a degree in computer science at the California Institute of Technology. During his studies, he excelled in his coursework, earning top grades and developing a deep understanding of programming languages and computer systems. He also participated in various extracurricular activities, including robotics competitions and hackathons, which helped him refine his skills and gain practical experience.

After graduating from Caltech, Lazar began his career as a software engineer at a startup in Silicon Valley. He quickly proved himself to be a talented programmer, and his contributions to the company’s projects helped it grow rapidly. Over the years, Lazar rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the company’s chief technology officer.

In 1995, Lazar left the startup to co-found his own software development company. The new venture focused on creating cutting-edge software solutions for businesses and organizations, and it quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and reliable products. Under Lazar’s leadership, the company grew rapidly, expanding its operations to new markets and partnering with major industry players.

Throughout his career, Lazar has been a passionate advocate for the role of technology in improving people’s lives. He has spoken at numerous conferences and events, sharing his insights on the latest trends and developments in the field of computer science. He has also mentored and trained many young engineers, helping to inspire and guide the next generation of tech leaders.

Today, Lazar remains an active member of the technology community, continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible with software and hardware. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the industry, including the prestigious Turing Award in 2010. Despite his

(Ed: Response cut short by a “Network Error” even though there was no network interruption here…)

————

Write a biography of William Stuart Lazar, born 1961 in Newark, NJ

Take 1:

William Stuart Lazar is an accomplished American lawyer and legal scholar, born on December 29, 1961, in Newark, New Jersey. Lazar’s childhood was spent in New Jersey, where he grew up with his parents and siblings. He showed an early interest in law, politics, and history, and often engaged in debates and discussions with his family and friends.

Lazar pursued his undergraduate education at Rutgers University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1983. After graduation, he enrolled at the New York University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 1986.

After law school, Lazar joined the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. During his tenure at the firm, Lazar worked on a variety of complex litigation matters, including antitrust, securities, and intellectual property cases. He quickly rose through the ranks and was named partner in 1995.

In 2002, Lazar left Skadden to join the faculty at the University of Texas School of Law. He taught a variety of courses, including antitrust, civil procedure, and intellectual property law. In addition to his teaching duties, Lazar was also actively involved in research and scholarship, and he published several articles and books on antitrust and competition law.

In 2007, Lazar joined the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he focused on antitrust and competition law. He continued to teach at the University of Texas School of Law as an adjunct professor.

Lazar is a recognized authority in antitrust and competition law, and he has been recognized for his contributions to the legal profession. He has served on several professional organizations, including the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section and the State Bar of Texas’ Antitrust and Business Litigation Section.

Outside of his legal career, Lazar is an avid reader and traveler. He has visited many countries and enjoys learning about different cultures and histories. He also volunteers his time and resources to various charities and philanthropic organizations.

Overall, William Stuart Lazar has had a successful career as a lawyer, scholar, and teacher. He continues to be a respected authority in the field of antitrust and competition law, and his contributions to the legal profession have been significant.

Take 2:

William Stuart Lazar was born on March 12, 1961, in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in a middle-class family in the suburbs of the city, where he was the eldest of three siblings. From a young age, William showed an interest in science and technology, and he spent much of his free time tinkering with electronic devices and building his own inventions.

William attended local public schools and excelled academically. He went on to study electrical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1983. After graduation, William took a job at a small electronics company, where he quickly rose through the ranks thanks to his technical expertise and leadership skills.

In 1987, William decided to pursue an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He continued to work full-time while attending classes, and he completed the program in two years. Armed with his new business knowledge, William returned to the electronics company and helped steer it through a period of rapid growth and expansion.

In 1994, William was recruited by a large technology firm to serve as a vice president of research and development. He relocated to California to take on the new role, and he quickly made a name for himself within the company. Over the next decade, William led numerous successful projects and was credited with helping the firm maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly-evolving tech industry.

In 2004, William decided to strike out on his own and start his own technology company. He founded a startup that focused on developing cutting-edge software for the healthcare industry, which was a field that William was passionate about. The company quickly gained traction, and it was acquired by a larger firm in 2010 for a substantial sum.

Following the acquisition, William took some time off to travel and spend time with his family. He remained active in the tech industry, however, serving as a mentor and advisor to numerous startups and entrepreneurs. He also became involved in philanthropy, donating significant sums to education and healthcare initiatives in his home state of New Jersey.

Today, William is widely regarded as a visionary leader in the tech industry, and he continues to be active in the startup world. He lives in California with his wife and children, and he enjoys hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities in his spare time.
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Water Main Excitement

Just writing this to record events.

On Feb. 28 (2022) the crew showed up to install the photovoltaic system for our house. That afternoon or the next morning they drilled through the main water line in the garage wall. Fair enough, they cleaned up the mess, patched the pipe and repaired the wall.

On March 30, water was leaking out from the same wall and the install company sent a crew to patch and repair. The same crew, which is significant since they made the same repair.

Today we came home from running errands, we were gone maybe 75-80 minutes, and water was gushing and the garage floor and driveway we covered in water.

I called the installers and they sent an electrician right away and this time agreed to call a real plumber. I had one here last week for unrelated work and he was available for an after hours call. Phew!

As soon as the plumber arrived he saw the issue. The electricians, not being plumbers, used the wrong connector on the pipe patch and it was only ever a matter of time before the previous repair blew!

Hopefully this is the last time the pipe blows!!

The Blowout

Springsteen: Best of the Rest

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10:  Bruce Springsteen and The E Street band perform onstage at the 29th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on April 10, 2014 in New York City.  (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Any fan can put together a Greatest Hits record for The Boss, and you’d get very little variety. Asking the same fans to pick a 12-14 (or 2021) track Best of the Rest playlist, I believe, would give a much wider and interesting range of selections.

This is my list (YouTube playlist). Here’s a Deep Cuts list from Apple Music. What’s yours? This is a record so sequence the songs for the best listening experience.

And if you’re saying, Bill my favorite band is Not Bruce well (foolish you) try to do this for your favorites. If they have enough good stuff!

Side One: The Sunny Side

  1. Growin’ Up: an amazing solo performance from 1972.
  2. Waiting on a Sunny Day: Let’s follow that up with a 2008 full band (16? 17? E Streeters) and, at the 4:00 mark, pulls a young girl up to sing for him while he “dances”.
  3. All that Heaven Will Allow: Sweet version from 1988 opening with a beautiful Big Man solo and a pre-song story (actual song starts at about the 8:00 mark)
  4. She’s the One: London 1975, Clarence in his sharp white suit, Bruce in wooly ski cap and Steve still in his fedora blasting the Bo Diddley beat
  5. Thundercrack: “Her bones they rattle and her brains they shake, she’s the angel from Inner Lake.” 2013 performance
  6. Spare Parts: A year before the Wall fell, Bruce did a huge show in East Berlin including this Texas rock version of the Tunnel of Love tune
  7. Mary’s Place: Nice R&B/party rock arrangement, an uplifting end to Side One

Side Two: The Gritty Side

  1. Night: Leads off the side with twin guitars blazing (really hard to find a decent concert version)
  2. Jackson Cage: From Wembley 2002, would prefer to get an early 80s performance but again not finding much
  3. Living in the Future: One of the last Big Man shows, miss him so much!
  4. Point Blank: Hard choice between this and Drive All Night (intimate version with Bruce on piano backed by SVZ on acoustic guitar and Clarence with his sax)
  5. Atlantic City: Paris 1985, electrifying performance
  6. Cover Me: Born in the USA tour, with Bruce in guitar hero mode
  7. Prove It All Night: From a ’78 show great Clarence/Bruce solos, let’s close with a song that’s down in the dirt but enough heart to lift you out.

Bonus EP: “Covers”

From the beginning Bruce and the E Streeters have been a pop music jukebox so I’m throwing in this list of favorites, including a couple of Bruce tunes that he wrote but were hits for other artists.

  1. Fire: Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ, Sep. 1978, black and white but looks professionally shot
  2. It’s My Life: This has one of the classic Bruce story intros, about his dad and trying to understand each other (Atlanta, 1977, decent audio, poor video)
  3. Jersey Girl: Bruce finally gets the band back together in 1999 and blows the roof off the Meadowlands Arena. Hearing this always makes me think of my sister (Hi Jo!)
  4. What’s So Funny (About Peace, Love and Understanding)?: From the 2004 Vote for Change shows, Eddie Vedder, Jackson Browne and John Fogerty join the E Streeters in this power pop gem from Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello
  5. Many Rivers to Cross: More gospel than reggae in Bruce’s version (this 1993 video is “the other band”)
  6. Light of Day: Bruce joins Joan Jett on the screamer he wrote for her 1987 movie (2001 video)
  7. Viva Las Vegas: The Boss pays homage to The King (this 1993 video is “the other band”)

Jeez this was hard to do than I expected! Keeping the list to just these 20 was really difficult but I have a tough time understanding that anyone listening to this playlist wouldn’t come away loving Bruce’s music.

The Year of Starting Over

Chinese New Year was early on the Western calendar that year but the real holiday happened in North Korea. State television interrupted the normal schedule for a speech by an Army colonel named Yee hardly known outside the barren state.

Colonel Yee announced that Great Leader Kim had passed peacefully in his sleep and none of his family members were ready to step into such huge shoes. Yee said he was asked by his colleagues to take up the chair of a new State Administrative Council, whose members included a Navy captain, colonels from the Army and Air Force as well as the senior administrators of the nation’s largest food and clothing collectives. The council would manage the brave Korean people through this difficult transition.

Yee finished his speech by stating that the Council’s first decision had been to withdraw troops and materiel from positions bordering “our family to the south.”

Confused American intelligence analysts had already seen this via satellite coverage, quickly notifying their bosses who had, in turn, interrupted the President and Secretaries of State and Defense from their dinners.

Colonel Yee ended by stating simply that the Council had also determined that nuclear enrichment was no longer a required element of the brave Korean peoples’ development. Accordingly he hoped that “our family members to the south” and their friends would see fit to resume shipments of desperately needed food and material aid.

World reaction was swift: astonishment. Had their been a coup? Yee was, after all, barely a part of the senior military cadre who commanded the Army regiment assigned to protect the North korean capitol. Conservative pundits were skeptical and urged the President to use American forces to roll north while the DMZ was still open. Liberals were just as vociferous in demands that aid be sent on the next available plane.

Before either side could get enough support to do anything, Colonel Yee and several other members of the State Administrative Council appeared again on television. This time the broadcast originated from Pyongyang and sitting with them were the South Korean President and his top cabinet members.

Colonel Yee spoke first.

“The time for the division in our family is over; as was said, a nation divided against itself cannot stand and so tonight we have agreed to end this separation. Together we will forge a bright future that our sons and daughters will build, one that will bring joy, health and prosperity along the entire length of our peninsula.”

Then South Korean president spoke, detailing their plans. He asked the people of the world to see their newly forged nation as an inspiration.

The world’s people did, for the most part. Stock and bond markets raced to new highs with aid loaded onto ships and planes less than 24 hours later.

Eventually details leaked out–as they will even from a place that had been for so many years shielded by secrecy–and we learned that Kim, his adult family members, the senior leadership of North Korea’s military and the top scientists and managers of their nuclear program had all died between noon and 3:00 the day of Yee’s first speech.

Yee was, in fact, the most senior North Korean inside their borders to survive.

Chinese New Year had indeed come early.

In mid-February the world was still sorting out what this new Korea meant when the next bombshell exploded. The CEOs and presidents of the ten largest banks in America, Britain and Japan, as well as the top executives of the largest hedge funds and private equity companies were all poisoned on George Washington’s birthday.

Different poisons were delivered via different channels but with total, fatal accuracy.

Capital markets and pundits were not joyful that day or the following weeks. Almost the entire gain recorded since the ‘good’ news from Asia evaporated by Friday and the remainder soon after.

“We heard a message and our organization is going back to basics, back to what we did that fueled economic growth for the US and for the world,” said Georgina Simand, the new CEO of Citibank, on Bloomberg TV the morning after her appointment. “No more financial engineering or creating Towers of Babel out of mounds of imaginary debt.”

March was the month the ayatollahs and hard liners in Iran, including most of the Republican Guard, died. In the riots that followed so many bodies were destroyed that cause of death died with them. Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States erupted too, none of the ruling families surviving the month. Oil markets temporarily crashed over fears of lost production but the rioters were smarter than that and did little damage to wells, pipelines or ports.

So ended financial support for Islamic terror groups; a few fought on while as supplies and money lasted but most channeled ambitions into political parties. As the Muslim Brotherhood had done some time before in Egypt, Hezbollah became the majority party in Syria while a reformed Taliban were once again atop Afghanistan. Palestinians merged the West Bank territory under their control into Jordan and the Gaza Strip with Egypt; Lebanon was a strange case still being figured out.

The summer months were quieter; a chance to catch one’s breath and find a new equilibrium. In Asia and South America rebels and governments found new ground to talk; Africa didn’t go easily but did find some calm. Tweeters and standup comics got their sarcasm back and @cuteemergency was trending again by making people smile with silly photos of kittens and puppies.

On September 11 the presidents of Russia, America, Korea and China made a joint offer to India and Pakistan to mediate a lasting peace. “Whether the respective national governments accept our offer of mediation or not,” said President Nezhanov of Russia, “multi-national teams are coming in one week to take control of both nuclear arsenals, which will be immediately dismantled.”

The four partners announced their own arsenals would be massively reduced in the same time frame. Behind closed doors, Israel was given a similar requirement for their atomic weaponry. Reluctantly their government agreed.

Thanksgiving in America was celebrated like no other. So much had changed for so many. The same question was asked around many tables that afternoon: who’s next?

An answer came from a surprising if not totally unexpected source.

An earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale ripped the earth at 2:00 am Eastern Standard Time on December 1st. Centered under the ocean south of Asia, it unleashing a horrendously devastating tsunami. Sea levels had been rising a few inches a year for the past decade but the tsunami unleashed a tidal wave that blasted through the low lying islands and coastal zones of South Asia.

Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Guam, Micronesia, Sri Lanka, the eastern coast of India, southern China, Taiwan and many smaller island countries were simply decimated. More huge quakes followed around the Rim of Fire as Japan, the American and Mexican west coasts, Argentina, the whole of Central America were inundated.

Death tolls throughout the affected zones were uncountable and continued long after waters calmed, from disease, starvation and pure misery. Banditry was rampant as governments struggled to restore basic services to the legions of homeless.

The world sank into a funk. People couldn’t believe that a year which had brought so much change for the better and generated real hope for the future could end in utter darkness and horrific loss.

Emotional whiplash, some geek tweeted, and in true Internet Age style the phrase went viral.

On January 2nd of the next year a tech billionaire tweeted a photo of himself with four other mega-wealthy retirees and their families standing in front of a row of 747 cargo haulers, with supplies being loaded on board. The only text was three hash tags:

#startingover #morecoming #wecandoittogether

Happy Deck of Cards Day to Me

52 years ago today, my mother brought forth on this continent a new baby, conceived in, well, let’s not go there, dedicated to the proposition that life is wonderful and meant to be enjoyed. And so I have!

For the most part I’ve had an easy time of it, though into every life some rain must fall, and I won’t complain about the storms sent my way. Why should I, when I’ve had it better than 99% of the other people around me?

Two wonderful parents, a great sister, a loving wife and lately two of the cutest little dogs you’ll meet.

So say Happy Birthday to me and I will say thank!