Screens hots not allowed should not be a feature

The Android Mint app does not allow me to take screenshots. I do not think any app should have the ultimate authority to tell me what I can do with my device. I think I understand the logic, which is to protect the user (or maybe a rogue app) from screenshotting sensitive info. So maybe a consent dialog would be appropriate. But at the end of the day, if I want a screenshot of whatever my device is displaying, that should be my decision.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Movie Comments (MILD SPOILERS)

NOTE: Comments below are about the movie. I know there is also a novel. I am very curious to learn to what degree the novel does or does not suffer from these plot problems.

The end ruined it. Wild improbability piled upon wild improbability. The overall plot and theme could have been achieved without such insipid false drama.

Movies get 1-2 suspensions of disbelief. #1 was that she fell for the personal assistant service scam. That was fine--a small stretch, but plausible, especially for an "out there" person like her, and it was a brilliant plot device that plays into topical concerns about privacy and online scams. Suspension #2  was the idea that she could stage a comeback and design the next-gen South Pole station. That's a huge stretch--comeback alone would be big, but designing a polar station when she has no bona fides is really out there. That's okay--that is the one huge thing that makes it a compelling story and entertaining movie. But everything else should be plausible, in service of the bets already placed on incredible things.

For instance, if her family had tried to meet up with her in Antarctica but failed, I think it would have achieved the same ultimate emotional and plot effect. It would have shown they cared about her and literally would have gone to the ends of the earth to help her. Likewise the attempt to stow away and get to the pole. Much more reasonable if she had tried (that's wild enough) and failed, but in failing, attracted just enough attention for her bid to be considered for the  architectural "commission" to be taken seriously.

Strengths

• Cate Blanchette's performance is great.
• The Micro$oft employee husband was really well-calibrated, very human and not at all a tech/geek caricature.

Other Complaints

• There is NO WAY that a mother-daughter relationship so enmeshed would: A) be a strong, healthy relationship; B) result in such a likeable, self-aware 15-year old.
• The idea that Bernadette could, on the basis of one abortive family intervention, very quickly chart a clear path to fixing herself. It would have been much better if they worked in some mental health counseling between the breakdown and recovery.

Criticisms of Le Carre's "The Night Manager"

I love John le Carre, and enjoyed The Night Manager. However, I did not love it as much as almost all his prior books, because it seemed so implausible. WAYYYYY to many low-percentage things are banked on; my quick inventory:

• The fake kidnapping won't result in an innocent being killed.
• A slimebag like Thomas taking so much risk to save a random child is a big stretch.
• Roper will take the bait on Apostoll's bad-mouthing of Corkoran, and choose to replace him with Thomas.
• The crucial info they got was because Thomas went rogue (snooped in Roper's study, when his handlers expressly told him not to). What was likelihood they would have obtained such compelling intel, had Thomas not taken that risk?
• The ensuing scene with Jed, where he bets everything on her goodwill, is a huge stretch.
• That whole priest signing the photo that got him the passport was totally unforseeable? Was that just a bonus?

That is all bad enough. But one thing I really appreciated about le Carre is the "anti-James Bond" approach. Very little physical drama, and none of it involving the protagonist exhibiting physical prowess (more likely, the protagonist is knocked unconscious).

But Jonathan is quite Bond-like, a near-superhero. He is great at sailing, tennis (though that didn't figure in the story), mountain climbing (figured slightly), cooking. And despite only being an enlisted man (I think that is right?), he cultivates the refined manners manners to make a first-rate manager at 3-star hotels. And he is a top-notch streetfighter. And a ladykiller. And able to shrug off tortute.

I still enjoyed the book, but would have enjoyed it more if it had not gone all Bond.

Uber for Parking Spots

I believe there are a lot of private parking spots in cities that are grossly under-utilized. Offices and stores that are closed evenings, when big events are happening. Churches that don't have much going on weekdays. General excess capacity. Seems like it crying out for an Uber of Parking Spaces.

An obvious challenge would be policing usage. How can the private version of a "meter maid" quickly visually ascertain that a given car has paid for their spot? I think the key is for all spaces to be numbered. So the enforcement game shifts from checking the car, to checking the space.

I did a quick search to see if there are startups exploring this space. I found a couple of hits on "Uber for Parking", but nothing that matched my idea. One was on-demand valet parking. Pretty much DOA, due both to its labor intensitivity, and the fact that it does not leverage "sharing economy" principles. It mostly just offered valets to park your car in the same commercial spaces already available to the general public--it did not lead to greater efficiency by utilizing wasted, empty spaces.

This effort, on the other hand, is too old-economy contractual. It seems to want you to sign over your empty space for a month at a time, as opposed to using excess capacity day-by-day.

So my working conclusion is that this could be both a significant business opportunity, and perhaps an overall social gain--less total space in the city required for parking spaces, due to more intensive utilization.

(That is the static analysis, anyway, Perhaps more available, cheaper parking would lead to more driving, which is definitely not a social gain, in my book!)

Hidden Benefit of eBooks

I like not knowing how close I am to the end of the book. With an eBook, unlike a physical book, it is easy to avoid knowing.

Dockless eBikes, Wow!

I spent half a week in Seattle in June, and had my first exposure to dockless eBikes. Total game-changer!

They were very dense, never hard to find one nearby. We had a party of three, 1.5 miles out from downtown, so we had to hunt a bit to find 3 bikes nearby, but still it was easy.

The bike itself is as-advertised. Speeds up to 20mph, going uphill at a good clip is effortless. The electronic assist was smooth and responsive, no skill required.

The whole eBike experience is a showcase for modern tech. Phone to find the bike, and unlock it. Google Maps to effortlessly find a bike-friendly route in a busy, unfamiliar city. Wireless earbud to be able to hear the navigation instructions. Worked great, Maps had me on nice bike lanes very quickly. Would have been so much harder if I had to try to plot my own bike-friendly route in the big city.

Only issue was price: not cheap. It varies a bit, but typically $2 to unlock, and $0.25 per minute. So for our party of 3, there were cases where Lyft/Uber was actually cheaper. I hope that will come down. I can see a minimum of $2-$3, but having that as a fixed cost along with a not-trivial per-minute charge is a bit stiff. Hopefully subscriptions and volume discounts.

YouTube TV Analysis

We dropped DirecTV a few months ago, in favor of YouTube TV. Monthly bill cut in half, from $90 to $45. Not looking back. This is the real deal for many would-be cord-cutters.

Cons:

• Fast Forward and Rewind much less accurate and responsive (but see PROs below).
• A few channels I don't care about (HGTV, Discover) not included.

Pros:

• Half the cost.
• Use of Google Voice for Fast Forward and Rewind--in many cases, better than the highly responsive DirecTv controls, because I can say "Fast Forward 3minutes 40seconds, and that is executed within maybe 10s".
• Cloud DVR is incredible. No limits.
• Search is so much better than the clunky DirecTv interface.
• Eliminates a lot of input switching. Mostly we are using either Netflix or YouTube TV, both via Chromecast.
• No satellites on your roof, nor cables on the outside of your house.
• Highly shareable.
• Can watch your content anywhere, anytime.
• No marketing calls.

Pro Sports Unions Should Aggressively Protect Members Financially

Sad story that superstar running back Adrian Peterson is broke. I think pro sports unions should be as aggressive as possible in protecting their members financially. Which generally means protecting them from themselves. Negotiate for something like 15% salary matching in an approved, low-expense, diversified fund that can only pay an annuity, no touching the principal until age 65.

I don't claim the 15% will be extra money to the athletes. It would effectively come as a reduction in salary. But for newly-wealthy pro athletes, it is money that will never be missed, and will hopefully save them from future penury.