Picto Diary - 01 to 07 November 2023 - Spring Chicken Inn

Reader feedback on my book review "Going Infinite," and my blog, "Israel/Hamas War Thoughts," scroll to Addendum.

Above: Rail Trail, Wanship, UT. 01 November 2023.

Out and about on the Duc. Walked three miles, allez/retours from Wanship Rail Trail stop, along the Weber River.

Above: Old Spring Chicken Inn, Wanship, UT. 01 November 2023.

Out and about on the Duc.

Restaurant has been closed since circa 2002. Was a favored destination of good friend, former Managing Partner (pre-Enron!) of Arthur Anderson. El Contadore (RIP). Image prompted by seeing roofers at work. Will something be revived here?

Above: Bishop 'n Nashville. Rhode Island Diner. Oakley, UT. 01 November 2023.

Two guys. All hat and no cattle.

Above: Bishop 'n Electrician. Wasatch Bagel, Park City, UT. 02 November 2023.

Two Deer Valley skiers looking forward to the imminent start of ski season.

Above: Elite Panic basement band. Iron Canyon, Park City, UT. 02 November 2023.

Seven original compositions. Granny observes. Grammy awaits. Wear ear plugs. They are pretty good.

Above Controlled Burn. Beaver, UT. 03 November 2023.

Driving to Ivins

Above: Prickly Pear Cactus. Ivins, UT. 05 November 2023.

PM walk with TIMDT and Freddie. These cacti are not indigenous to Ivins, but they thrive here as Ivins sits on the lip of the Mojave Desert.

Above: Dog and Woman. Ivins UT. 05 November 2023.

PM walk.

Above: Ducati Multistrada (2015) instrument. Ivins, UT. 05 November 2023.

Out and about on the Duc.

Just a short loop to Veyo and back via Snow Canyon. Ride clears the cobwebs from the mostly stored Duc and restless owner's addled brain.

Addendum:

Seeing snow always surprises me given our late summer in Los Angeles.

Panama,
Los Angeles, CA

Feedback on my book review of "Going Infinite:"

"Going Infinite" by Michael Lewis | Stephen DeWitt Taylor

Steve:
Very well written analysis of a very complicated individual and subject. Thanks for taking the time.

F16, Park City, UT.

thank-you,
Panama, Los Angeles, CA

thanks for sharing.
mano, San Jose, CA

Steve -

Thanks for the review of "Going Infinite." Your background in finance and banking and your sense of civic responsibility make you the perfect reviewer.

There's no way I would have ever picked up this book, but with your review I now have a pretty good idea of what the FTX story is all about.

I do have a good feeling for what Sam Bankman-Fried is all about. He's an Asperger's guy and brilliant with absolutely no sense of empathy - compare to Howard Hughes or Elon Musk. To him a cryptocurrency exchange was just another game of Dungeons and Dragons. Except that with D & D, win, lose or whatever, there is always tomorrow. When you lose $10 billion of others money and commit a fair bit of fraud in the process as you sank deeper and deeper into trouble, there will be no tomorrow. He may get out of jail someday, but certainly not in our lifetimes.

All is well with us. Someday I'll show up at LSDM, but we have no current plans on the books to head that way soon.

Best,

DHS,
Poulsbo, WA

DHS. Make sure to check in with us when you come this way.

Hi Steve:

Saw Lewis give a TV interview two days ago...was going to pass on his book. TMI.

Have also passed on crypto. Interviewed three Financial Advisors last year, all suggested crypto, just a month before Bitcoin went in the shitter. Two suggested China real estate.

For their 1% fee I figured I know about as much as they did, so paid myself that fee last year.

I'm still reading 2-3 books per week - mostly crime/legal fiction. Passed on the new Stephan King - met him on his Harley crossing the USA years ago and he told me not to buy any of his new stuff, that he really didn't write them, had 4-5 writers pounding them out, was too busy with screen plays and public appearances.

Did sit through FLOWER MOON movie this week ($4.00 a ticket over here in Thailand). Good, but too much fiction. Book (non-fiction) was better. That said, DiCaprio and DiNiro acted strongly and it's said learned proper Osage language.

Pass on a hello to your gang.

Best,

Dr. G,
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Dr. G,

Good to hear from you. Margaret and I are watching Britbox's "Lewis," detective series set at Oxford, UK. Good plots that have us trying to figure out who done it as the show proceeds and well-drawn-out characters. I'm 25% through reading Mailer's "Executioner's Song." Read it forty years ago. Setting is Provo, UT where I was raised. 1000 pages. Considered like a top all time five in crime nonfiction. There is only so much we can read, but if you haven't read this, I think you'd like it.

SDT

Repeat of Theranos
Kilimanjaro, Jackson WY

Wonderful informative review. Thank you.
Marc,
Palo Alto, CA

Yup, you always need to ask the question "How do I know what I think I know?" "The CEO told me so" is the wrong answer.

When Time Warner acquired AOL for a price that implied 100% annual growth in EPS literally forever, a friend (prof at the GSB) and I speculated that maybe there was something new in finance that we didn't understand! As we now know, we understood finance perfectly well; it was the idiots at TW who didn't!

Thanks for the review Steve. Now I don't have to read the book... VERY long story, best relayed in person, but I was a founding investor in Theranos!! D.. L..., prominently mentioned in the Theranos documentaries and docudramas as lead investor and board member, was my office mate for 25 years. I watched that story unfold from the beginning.

Bob,
Palo Alto, CA

Look forward to "in person" story!

And I will be reading Going Infinite. If you liked the part about High Frequency Trading and you also like Michael Lewis, Flash Boys is a great read.

Thanks for the review.

Daggett,
Park City, UT

Bots, bots and more bots!


Feedback for my Blog, Israel/Hamas War Thoughts
Israel/Hamas War Thoughts - War and Free Speech | Stephen DeWitt Taylor

Bravo! Couldn't have said it better.
Ciao
Bosco, Geneva, Switzerland

Thanks. I share your views.
Nathans, Massapequa, NY

Good one thanks Steve
Mikesalcom, Ventura, CA

Steve,

Good post: but you neglect to mention the role of the U.S. left to uncouple “rights” from “responsibilities”- doesn’t work.

Ahn Rhee, Larkspur, CA