Old Man Pondering

(You will find recent posts below or use the category index above)

About the Author
A grizzled veteran of seventy-three Midwestern winters, father to four daughters now settled with husbands ranging from actually helpful to how does he dress himself? Patriarch to nine grandchildren who treat his home like a free Chuck E. Cheese, and bewildered witness to three great-grandchildren who materialized faster than retirement savings disappear.

A Former COO in Fortune 50 companies who ran operations and fixed corporate problems by utilizing factual data and statistical analysis. After watching generation after generation navigate life with the emotional equivalent of a blindfolded drunk driving a golf cart, he learned that anecdotes, emotions and opinions are about as reliable as gas station sushi when making important decisions. However, feelings can be quantified, facts can be found, and data is everywhere. Only cold, immutable and properly analyzed information deserves trust, and defines truth. That is what this website offers. I hope you enjoy it and find it both surprising and helpful.

Author: astarthoraolcom

  • So, You Want the Truth, But Can You Handle It?

    So, You Want the Truth, But Can You Handle It?

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    I started thinking about creating articles that would cut through the fog of today’s headlines like a lighthouse beam—illuminating the jagged rocks of misinformation that shipwreck public discourse. As my fingers hovered over the keyboard, poised to unleash a torrent of personal grievances, I caught myself violating my cardinal rule: facts and data over opinions…

  • The Pain of Ignoring Variation

    The Pain of Ignoring Variation

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    I spent much of my life talking about variation and trying to help people understand why it was important. After all, if you don’t understand it how will you help your children or future generations understand it. So today I offer some simple teaching advice that ranges from something as inconsequential as football to something…

  • The Art of Living Beyond Outrage

    The Art of Living Beyond Outrage

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    In my old age, I often wonder what is worse: the pearl-clutching Karens (all genders) who transform a lukewarm latte into a five-alarm human rights violation, or the doom-prophesying Chicken Littles who interpret every passing cloud as the harbinger of collapse. Both species strut through life with the self-importance of peacocks, their faces flushed with…

  • Understanding Betting Margins: Key to NFL Success

    Understanding Betting Margins: Key to NFL Success

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    Let me answer a couple of your questions. Every week I feed every NFL matchup into my predictive algorithm, even though I don’t always turn those forecasts into wagers. The reason is simple: if the gap between my projected margin and the sportsbook’s line isn’t wide enough, there’s no value in placing a bet. For…

  • Mastering NFL Wagers: Data-Driven Predictions

    Mastering NFL Wagers: Data-Driven Predictions

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    LISTEN UP, PEOPLE! Last week I HANDED YOU GUARANTEED MONEY with the Bills, the Bengals 4th-quarter comeback against the Jaguars, the Ravens, the Lions’ 31-point bloodbath over Chicago, the Cardinals, and the Chargers’ Monday night masterpiece! The week before? I gave you the Eagles who soared over Dallas, the Commanders who bulldozed the Giants, Denver’s…

  • Reflections on Loss and Humanity in Tragic Times

    Reflections on Loss and Humanity in Tragic Times

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    Twenty-three years ago today, I stood at a hotel window in Burlington, Vermont, watching the impossible unfold on a small television while the mountains outside remained eerily peaceful. My meeting—originally scheduled for Tower One of the World Trade Center—never happened. Instead, our meeting site was changed, so I spent a week in that quiet New…

  • Am I Part of the Problem? The True Cost of Freedom: A Parent’s Dilemma

    Am I Part of the Problem? The True Cost of Freedom: A Parent’s Dilemma

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    Today, we talked to our one daughter and grandchildren who live in Minneapolis three different times. Every August, as yellow buses rumble back onto suburban streets, I post my outrage, then scroll to the next distraction. I own stock in companies that manufacture the very weapons I condemn. I vote for perfectly coiffed politicians who…

  • Boost Your Immune System: My Journey to Better Health

    Boost Your Immune System: My Journey to Better Health

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    After decades of playing hide-and-seek with the healthcare system, mingling with a colorful cast of doctors, nurses, and medical wizards, each with their own bag of tricks, I’ve finally stumbled upon a routine that keeps me in tip-top shape. It was a journey full of twists, turns, and a few banana peels. Back in the…

  • Responsibility? Respect? Advice?

    Responsibility? Respect? Advice?

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    For weeks, I’ve been mulling over the post you’re about to dive into. Should I be my unapologetically honest self, or slap a layer of sugar on my words to fit into the molasses-drenched commentary of today’s so-called enlightened society? I went with the former, so if you can’t handle it, well, that’s just too…

  • Pace and Probability: Betting Insights for Horse Racing

    Pace and Probability: Betting Insights for Horse Racing

    —

    by

    astarthoraolcom
    in

    I previously unveiled the 10 golden rules for horse‐race handicapping. Today, I’ll conclude this series by revealing the general formulas behind the system that works for me. First, pace. Picture the thunder of hooves as horses burst from the gate—their early fractions define the race’s rhythm. I start by collecting each runner’s early‐pace figure and…