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Things I’ve Been Thinking About Lately 

Some Good News about China’s Economy… and Why I Am Happy About It 

I’ve never understood why politicians and other thought leaders in the US celebrate economic decline in large economies like China or Russia. I understand why influential and powerful people make a living by casting the world as a battleground between the US and some big, powerful political enemy. I understand the trillions of dollars made by the Military-Industrial Complex. But I can’t figure out how they can convince large swaths of the public that Russia or China getting power is an economic negative for the US.

It doesn’t take a deep dive into macro-economics to understand that as wealth increases in any country, all kinds of desirable things happen. More international trade, for example, which means more global profits and less war, which means less wealth destruction for every country involved. Maybe someone can explain that to me.

In the meantime, I was happy to hear that in March, after five months of decline, China’s factory activity edged up to 50.8 from February’s 49.1, beating a forecast of 50 by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. (The 50 level separates expansion from contraction.)

This news followed a number of indicators for the January-February period showing the world’s second-largest economy started off the year on a solid footing, led by the manufacturing sector, with exports topping expectations and industrial profits returning to growth.

While the recent run of positive data will help lift the immediate pressure on China’s leaders, who recently set a growth target of around 5% for the year, they must still deal with a long slump in real estate property values, which I, for one, am hoping they can overcome.

Click here.

Speaking of China’s economic potential…

I loved this piece by Garrett Baldwin in the March 31 issue of Postcards from the Florida Republic:

“The Francis Scott Key Bridge won’t be ‘quick, easy, or cheap’ to replace.
“Those are Pete Buttigieg’s words.
“To that… I say… ‘Of course not.’
“Every politician in Maryland has their hand out right now.
“China built a mega bridge in 43 hours with 8,000 workers. [Click here.]
“And they did it for $1 billion.
“We can’t do that.
“You see, because of red tape, the US government will likely have to commission a study on the bridge’s impact on diversity and equity.
“Do you think I’m kidding?
“I’m not.”

Read on here.

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Election Watch 

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Kennedy? 

I’ve wondered which party JFK Jr.’s independent campaign will hurt the most. If you can judge by the response to it, it’s the Democrats, says Bill Bonner in the April 9 issue of Bonner Private Research. The Dems, he says, “have created a $100 million war chest to stop Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They’ve also refused Secret Service protection, perhaps hoping that the problem will take care of itself. But just in case it doesn’t…

From Politico:

A billboard truck paid for by the DNC has been circling Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign events. Protesters picketed his vice-presidential announcement rally.

From New York Magazine:

Simultaneously, former Biden deputy campaign manager Pete Kavanaugh launched Clear Choice, a super-PAC whose goal is to help liberals coordinate their efforts to minimize third-party candidates’ political influence by the fall.

Bonner continues:

“Were Kennedy to succeed in reducing the reach of the federal government, balancing the budget and bringing the troops home… it would be a remarkable – almost superhuman – achievement.

“The whole country would change… and we would have to change with it. We’d have to abandon our cynicism. We’d have to put on a happy face, from dour to delighted… and change our outlook, from negative to positive.

“For better or for worse, we doubt we’ll be called upon to make those changes. America’s drift – towards a decrepit, dysfunctional, and corrupt empire – is not likely to be stopped by RFK Jr. or Donald J. Trump. Why? There are too many powerful groups that don’t want it to be stopped.”

Michelle Obama Is Popular, but Not That Popular

Given concerns about Biden’s age, Michelle Obama has been repeatedly floated by some pundits as a potential Democratic alternative to Biden. But a new poll from J.L. Partners and The Daily Mail suggests she would fare no better against Trump in a head-to-head matchup. The survey of 1,000 likely voters found that 47% would back Trump in a race against the former first lady, who secured 44%. Trump led Biden by a narrower 46% to 43% spread in the same poll.

This is not surprising. As I’ve said before, if the Democrats wanted to assure a victory in November, it would be Gavin Newsom for president and Michelle Obama for VP.

A Rare Win for Election Integrity

A federal appeals court has just ruled that mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania have to be dated in order to be considered valid. Click here.

Trends in Wokeness

Are Right-to-Die Activists Making Suicide Contagious? 

State-assisted euthanasia is a trend that is growing. And studies have shown that when countries legalize suicide, the number of people that take that option increases significantly over time.

As someone who has experienced severe depression and anxiety, I’m 100% sympathetic to anyone who chooses death over living in extreme pain. But I do find the rate at which euthanasia climbs when it’s legally (and perhaps socially) sanctioned disturbing.

The uptrend is similar to the uptrend in people with gender dysphoria that choose to “transition.” On the one hand, I think, “They are adults. They have the right to decide what to do with their lives.” On the other hand, I think, “Surely, some of these people are making these irreversible decisions based not on unbearable pain, but in order to feel, at least momentarily, socially significant.”

Click here to read a thought-provoking article from a recent issue of The Free Press.

The End of Western Culture

Trespassers Welcome

I’m not sure why, but in the last year, I’ve read a lot of stories about how the law protects squatters. In this clip, John Stossel makes the point that they are not only legally able to stay in a place without paying rent but feel entitled to do it.

And what are our lawmakers doing about this problem?

* Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) blasted the woke notion of “squatter’s rights” during an interview last week where he again went against the grain in his party by signaling support for law enforcement. Click here.

* In Florida, Gov. DeSantis signed legislation to end what he calls “the Squatters Scam” in his state. Click here.

* In New York, a State Assemblyman from Long Island filed a bill that would make it easier for a homeowner to remove a squatter from the property. Click here.

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James Clear on Feeling Resistance 

“If you feel resistance before you begin, it’s usually procrastination and you need to get started. If you feel resistance after you begin, it’s usually feedback and you need to make adjustments.”

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A Purple Place for Dying 

By John D. MacDonald
First published Jan. 1, 1964
240 pages

After several months of serious books about controversial topics, A Purple Place for Dying was a welcome selection for the April meeting of The Mules.

It is not the best Travis McGee I’ve read. (MacDonald wrote 21 of them.) But it is a solidly structured, amusingly characterized, and well-paced detective/mystery by this prolific and accomplished novelist.

The Plot 

McGee is drawn away from his usual haunt (Florida) by a job offer from Mona Yeoman, who suspects that her estranged husband has stolen from her considerable trust fund. But before McGee’s investigation begins, she is murdered before his eyes by an unseen gunman. By the time he summons the police to the scene, her body has disappeared. He then sets out to solve the murder.

What I Liked About It 

It was an easy, enjoyable read, with a plot that kept moving, characters that were colorful, and several satisfying twists and turns. That’s what one expects from a good genre writer, and that’s what MacDonald gives us here. He is also a true craftsman and wordsmith.

Critical Reception 

I couldn’t find any reviews of this particular book by MacDonald. But, more than 35 years since he died (Dec. 28, 1986), the Travis McGee novels are still in print… and his skill as a writer continues to be praised by his peers. A few examples:

* “The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.” (Stephen King)

* “My favorite novelist of all time…. He captured the mood and spirit of his times more accurately, more hauntingly, than any ‘literature’ writer – yet managed always to tell a thunderingly good, intensely suspenseful tale.” (Dean Koontz)

* “Most readers loved MacDonald’s work because he told a rip-roaring yarn. I loved it because he was the first modern writer to nail Florida dead-center, to capture all its languid sleaze, racy sense of promise, and breath-grabbing beauty.” (Carl Hiaasen)

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Yesterday

Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, and Kate McKinnon
Initially released Sept. 24, 1919

Watch Time: 2 hrs

Yesterday is not a great movie in any sense, but it does not pretend to be. It’s essentially a romantic comedy tied to a fun conceit: A young man wakes up from an accident in a world that is almost exactly as it was before the accident… but certain things are different. For example, there is no such thing as Coca Cola. Just Pepsi. And, to his astonishment, nobody has ever heard of The Beatles… or any of their music. Which means all of their songs are his to sing… and take credit for.

What I Liked About It 

* As a lifetime Beatles fan, I loved the conceit. Imagine what fun it would be to be the “creator” of some of the world’s greatest contemporary music and lyrics.

* I also liked the idea of casting of Himesh Patel in the lead role of Jack Malik, a struggling Indian-English musician and songwriter. His ethnicity is surprising. It made everything about the plot and interactions just a little bit more interesting. (And he does a great job of being Beatle-like adorable.)

* A quirky contribution to the film was Ed Sheeran, who plays the role of Ed Sheeran, whose career is in full swing until it is interrupted by this upstart writing and singing these amazing songs.

* The romance between Jack and Ellie, his pal and road manager, was workable, but thin. Without the conceit of Jack reinventing The Beatles, the relationship would not have been enough to carry the film. Nonetheless, and to her credit, Lily James does an admirable job playing the boyishly pretty and ditzy Ellie – and providing a good counterbalance for Jack’s innocent earnestness.

Interesting 

Yesterday began as a screenplay by the American writer Jack Barth. Barth had been struggling to sell screenplays for decades. He conceived the story when it occurred to him that if Star Wars had not been created and he came up with the idea, he would not be able to sell it. In Barth’s script (which he called a “meditation on professional disappointment”), Jack did not find success with The Beatles’ songs.

Critical Reception 

* “Director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually) have divergent cinematic sensibilities, but they meld well enough in this bittersweet, slightly wacky musical fantasy rom-com.” (Chicago Reader)

* “It’s a chocolate egg of a film: sweet and satisfying enough to distract you from the fact it’s completely hollow inside.” (Independent/UK)

* “Give Yesterday credit for taking a sideways approach to honoring The Beatles. But this Boomer fantasy only pretends to dive into a true appreciation of what made the group a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.” (Detroit News)

If you are a Beatles fan and in the mood for some light and uplifting entertainment, you’ll like Yesterday. If you are not a Beatles fan and are looking for a Class A romantic comedy like When Harry Met Sally, you’ll be disappointed.

You can watch the trailer here.

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5 Quick Bites 

1. The hair whips are the best part! I took ballroom dancing lessons for about a year when I was in my early 50s. I managed to get to the level where I knew the basic steps and could execute the basic turns. At weddings, if I drank a bit too much tequila, I was on the dance floor all night. My approach to dancing was border-line macho, like the young man in this clip, but I wasn’t nearly as good as he is. Notice his partner, though. She is three times better!

2. How NOT to end soft pieces on the piano. This has nothing to do with anything I’ve ever experienced. And yet, I thought it was not just important in some cosmic way, but also beautifully illustrated. Click here.

3. Can you do the math? It took me a moment to figure it out. At first, I thought 45. But since it was a brain teaser, I knew that was wrong. Then I got it: “Divide 50 by half.” Click here.

4. Elle Cordova: Another YouTube person I’ve been liking. Most of her material is science-related, cute and clever, like this bit.

She sings, too! Click here and here.

5. We’ve seen it before, but it still warms the heart. Click here.

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Tricky Vocabulary 

This vocabulary test felt like 8th-grade level for the first 15 questions. I was sure I was going to ace it. Then, sure enough, I got two wrong. So, 23 out of 25.

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From TA: “Thank you for posting the link to the climate change movie in the April 3  issue…”

“I have been a climate skeptic for many years…. My gut told me that a planet that has been around for billions of years has seen huge fluctuations over that time that had to have been worse than what we’re seeing today. And life survived. This movie gave me more resources to inspect the ‘other side’ of the climate debate. It’s frightening how scientists like those in the film have been labeled as heretics, and that the same culture was at work during COVID to limit debate against doctors and scientists of equally high regard.”

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Coming in the Next Issue!

A Fact About Real Estate Your Broker Doesn’t Want You to Know 

Watch this short clip. It’s a teaser for some sort of information product – but what these two men are referring to is probably the most important secret in selling houses. I’ll tell you what it is, and how to use it to your advantage, in next week’s main issue.

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"Were it not for hypocrisy I’d have no advice to give."
"Were it not for sciolism I’d have no ideas to share."
"Were it not for arrogance, I’d have no ambition."
"Were it not for forgetfulness, I would have no new ideas to write about."