Kevin Duffy on the death of Paul Ehrlich, author of 'The Population Bomb'

Funny how life has come full circle, at least in my lifetime.  The experts who once worried about: 

- global cooling -> now obsess about global warming

- world poverty -> now fear the economic rise of China 

- overpopulation -> now issue dire warnings about countries with declining populations

~ Kevin Duffy, Twitter/X, March 16, 2026

(Paul R. Ehrlich, 1932-2026)

1968

 

Brigitte Bardot on feminism

Feminism isn’t my thing.  I like men.

~ Brigitte Bardot

(1934-2025) 

 

Tho Bishop on the assassination of Charlie Kirk

Modern America has been one of constant shock: decades of war, economic turmoil, covid lockdowns, contested elections, rising political escalation, and resulting political violence. Despite this contemporary backdrop, the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a moment that stands apart in the way that singular death—with a face, a family, a story, a particular context—is always easier to process than a broader event, no matter how horrible. 

Kirk was a 31-year-old husband, a young father, and perhaps America’s leading “political influencer” of an age defined by the craft. His traditional calling card, the one that brought him to the Grand Valley State University campus, was characterized by debate and dialogue that was dismissed by enemies on the left as cheap stunts and criticized by some on the right for being corny. Regardless of one’s opinions on Kirk’s individual views, it was a throwback to the romantic notions of persuasion and conversation still holding value when so many voices advocated for political domination and conquest.

It was precisely Kirk’s desire to engage with those he disagreed with that put him in the path of a killer bullet. This event will forever shape how generations of Americans view our politicized society.

~ Tho Bishop, "The Dehumanization of Charlie Kirk Came from the Establishment," Mises Wire, September 11, 2025

 

Jerry Kuhlman on Pete Rose, R.I.P.

RIP Mr. Charlie Hustle! 

We were in Vegas on our way to Bryce and Zion and I saw that Pete Rose was signing autographs at some casino in town.  He was my Dad's and my favorite because of the way he played the game.  I wanted to get a pic with him and send it to my Dad for Father's Day.  So I convinced my family to go the next day.  I spent the night before preparing what I wanted to talk to him about, specific plays etc. 

We got there just before they closed, and you could tell he was getting tired of signing.  I was the last person they let sit with him.  He didn't look up at first. 

- I brought up the way he ran out Walks.  ("One in a million times they drop the ball and I'm on second, maybe third.")  He started getting fired up. 

- I brought up the play where he caught the foul ball in the World Series after it popped out of Boone's glove.  I said he would've backed up that play even if it was a spring training game ("because, that's how you play the game") 

- Astros Series... play at the plate.  Took the catcher out like you could then. (" only time I went through a "stop sign" from the 3rd base coach) 

- then he started telling me stories.  It was the best!  They said they had to close the store, but then I said, see my son over there?  His name is Kyle.  I wanted to name him Pete Rose Kuhlman, but my wife wouldn't let me.  He stared down Kim, then laughed. 

I know he wasn't perfect off the field... who is?  If you have an opinion on that, don't post it on my page.

No one PLAYED the game harder.

~ Jerry Kuhlman, Facebook post, September 30, 2024

Jerry West on competition

I'm just ultracompetitive.  I will be till they put me in the grave. 

~ Jerry West, 1938-2024

Bill Walton on happiness

There are four pillars to happiness, which is the ultimate goal in life-to be happy.  Health is first, family is second, home is third.  That safe place where you can go to and regroup, be in a safe place by yourself to start over.  Those three things lead to the fourth pillar which is the hope and dream that tomorrow is going to be better.  Without that you have not much at all.

~ Bill Walton, Hall of Fame basketball player and commentator, R.I.P. (1953-2024)

Charlie Munger on how investing isn't like physics

I think [Warren and I] have had some effect [on investing and thinking], but they’re still teaching the Efficient Market Theory at business schools.  The old ideas die hard. And by the way, it’s roughly right.  It’s just the very hard form, which everybody believed.  They believed it was impossible, they didn’t think it was rare.  They thought efficiency was absolutely inevitable, like physics.  I call it physics envy.  That’s what they had in the finance field, they wanted to make their subject like physics.  Now, what kind of a nut would want to make stock markets like physics?  It ain’t like physics.  It’s more like a mob at a football game.

~ Charlie Munger

January 1, 1924 - November 28, 2023

Jimmy Buffett on business

If you're an artist, if you want to have control of your life... then you gotta be a businessman, like it or not.  So the businessman part evolved out of being an artist.

~ Jimmy Buffett, 1946-2023

Steven Leuthold on being a contrarian

I am contrary but not for the sake of being contrary.  It’s good business.  When everybody hates something, we buy it.  When everybody loves something, we sell it.  There is a warm comfort in being part of the herd.  But I can live without it.

~ Steven Leuthold, 1937-2023

Barbara Walters on work ethic

Work harder than everybody.  You're not going to get it by whining, and you're not going to get it by shouting, and you're not going to get it by quitting.  You're going to get it by being there.

~ Barbara Walters, 1929-2022

Pelé on success

Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. 

~ Pelé, 1940-2022

Christine McVie on writing music

Learn your instrument.  Be honest.  Don't do anything phony.  There is so much crap floating around.  There is plenty of room for a bit of honest writing.

~ Christine McVie, 1943-2022

Queen Elizabeth II on work ethic

Work is the rent you pay for the room you occupy on earth.

~ Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022

Julian Robertson on long-short investing

Our mandate is to find the 200 best companies in the world and invest in them, and find the 200 worst companies in the world and go short on them. If the 200 best don't do better than the 200 worst, you should probably be in another business.

~ Julian Robertson, 1932-2022

Olivia Newton-John on her cancer struggle

I look at my cancer journey as a gift: It made me slow down and realise the important things in life and taught me to not sweat the small stuff.

~ Olivia Newton-John, 1948-2022

Olivia Newton-John on learning

My biggest mistake was my best lesson... you don't learn anything when everything is going perfectly.

~ Olivia Newton-John, RIP

Bill Russell on teamwork

The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play. 

~ Bill Russell, 1934-2022

John Madden on coaching

Coaches have to watch for what they don't want to see and listen to what they don't want to hear. 

~ John Madden

April 10, 1936 - December 28, 2021

Betty White on humor

It's your outlook on life that counts.  If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives.  And sometimes it can be a lifesaver. 

~ Betty White

January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021

Dr. Sohrab Lutchmedial on the Covid vaccine (2021)

So happy to do my part.  I'm really looking forward to visiting my father again and not being worried when I do.

~ Dr. Sohrab Lutchmedial, after receiving his first mRNA vaccine, January 16, 2021

For those who won't get the vaccine for selfish reasons - whatever - I won't cry at their funeral.

~ tweet, July 10, 2021

The vaccine has been tested on youth and looks undeniably safe.  You have a higher chance of getting into a car accident on your way to hockey practice than you do having a complication from this vaccine.

~ Facebook post, September 25, 2021

I think all of us would treat that unvaxxed patient with respect and to the best of our abilities.  But the people that convinved them not to get vaxxed?  I want to punch those people in the face.

~ tweet, October 9, 2021

Dr. Lutchmedial received his third vaccine shot on October 24 and passed away in his sleep on November 8.

1969-2021