This premiere issue of IdleGuy.com turned out to be less an internet magazine and more of an art project in the compilation. Various elements of design coalesced with degrees of opinion - some more agreeable and arguable than others - fact, reality, and a sense of a new dawn to produce a product that is intended to be both visually and intellectually stimulating.
What ensued was more of a learning experience than anything else. Old HTML skills were sharpened, new applications, like the calendar came to life, and a process developed from where there was nothing.
Creating this first issue was a liberating learning experience, about how to not be limited by the standards and opinions of others.
Financial insights were provided this issue by James Rickards, who has published more books on finance than most people have time to read (that's a compliment), and John Mauldin, who proved, in his article proposing a VAT tax for America, that he's not afraid to broach subjects that may be widely unpopular. For his part, Rickards has remained true to his inner goldbug, calculating gold's price prospects with evidence from the past.
Fearless Rick chimed in with his usual skepticism of money and finance, demonstrating how it's actually possible to retire with much less than $5 million in the bank, to the utter dismay of Suze Orman and thousands of financial advisors who insist you keep buying more stocks.
A few friends and some notable figures who just passed on - Henry Kissinger and Charlie Munger - helped shape the ticklish tenor of this month's Toast of the Town.
Even as the holidays pass, Americans can't help themselves when it comes to football. IdleGuy.com hopes to stay up-to-date by detailing continuing developments in both the college and pro ranks. A departure from the static nature of the magazine format, the Sports page will change as conditions in the playoffs warrant.
Just in case you can't let go of the year passing, it's memorialized in the Year in Review and the revelation of IdleGuy.com's Man of the Year.
After another successful challenge of pari-mutuel wagering in November's Breeders' Cup races, surely, our fearless publisher took his own advice and started making mind bets. He reports the experience a dismal failure, as he's now lost his mind.
What's next? Happy New Year? We'll find out soon enough.
Speaking of opinions, those of Alex Jones and Elon Musk were front and center in two of the featured interviews this month, arranged and conducted by the maestro of internet chatter, Tucker Carlson, who began rising into prominence just as Rush Limbaugh was exiting. Tucker is very adept at letting his subjects speak
for themselves, a refreshing diversion from the mainstream's narrative-building shouting festivals. There may be some truth in the ancient wisdom that says when a window is closed another door opens.
Dovetailing into the financial discussion is a man who was entirely unknown until just a few months ago, David Rogers Webb, with his book [PDF], and video, The Great Taking. Helping decipher the message are Mike Maloney and Alan Hibbard.
Those of a bookish nature will find happiness in 10 more classic novels under 200 pages which are available for download and leisure reading. Included in this month's selections are works by Thomas Pynchon and Franz Kafka. Short fiction is supplied by Guy de Maupassant on page 19. His craftiness in the efficient use of language have made his short stories approachable and enjoyable for generations of readers.
Not to let anybody off the hook before making those customary resolutions about losing weight, hitting the gym, or trying to be kinder to small animals, we wanted to make sure that you've still got all your marbles in the same bag with the 2024 version of the Sanity Test.
Well, here we are again.
What you're seeing is what was originally designed to be a 21st century version of Playboy magazine, being that the current owner of all the Playboy publication rights - PLBY Group - seems about as interested in publishing a magazine as the state of Colorado is about having Donald Trump on any election ballots. They just flat out don't want to continue Hugh M. Hefner's legacy. You can read more about that on Page 15.
Having been born the same month as Playboy's first issue (December, 1953; yeah I'm that old), Playboy and I have kind of crossed paths throughout my life. The magazine was a huge hit back in the day - and for reasons well beyond pretty girls - and part of the reason I went into publishing myself as I reached an age of some maturity. So, watching what Ben Kohn, CEO of PLBY Group was doing and not doing with the brand and the magazine, I, and a few others who will not be mentioned here, began looking into taking the reins and doing it ourselves. Once I got started, the task fell to me alone, and that's where we are.
While some readers may find some similarity to the old Playboy magazine, most will see little resemblance at this point. That's likely to change as time allows. For now, with the first official issue out for all the world to see, I've had to settle for what I could cobble together on a monthly schedule with little to no outside help. The most glaring omission is obviously the lack of any young lasses free of clothing, though I did manage to sneak in a tasteful photo of Taylor Swift.
The rationale for not including the fairer sex was multi-layered, but essentially it came down to economics. I had no problem finding suitable models and photos for each of the first three "test" issues, but, a nagging sense that, here, in the part-Woke, part-sissified, part-cancel culture environment that is the 2020s, advertisers would be less-than-excited about supporting my venture. There's simply too many other places to advertise that don't run the possibility of being labeled anti-women, smut, porn, or any of a dozen other off-putting monikers. While I don't need to make money with this venture, doing so is still an avenue down which I wish to travel.
For now and the immediate future, there will be no featured Playmates, Bunnies, IdleGals, or any other iteration of playful, sexual innuendo. It's a shame that adults can't act in an adult manner when it comes to sexuality and some casual, tasteful nudity. Women are beautiful and many wish to be admired for their natural features. But, anybody with a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer can find all the nudity and porn they desire with a few clicks of the mouse or taps on the screen. In the final analysis, maybe nudity isn't such a great drawing card after all. It's all over the place and most of the time it's free, so there's really no compelling reason for me to engage in it unless there's either a greater monetary incentive or promise of a heavy influx of internet traffic, and neither of those seem probable to present themselves.
After running the three test issues without ads, I decided to beat a path to money and moral clarity. Don't kill me for that. We all could use a little extra dough, and, while I might like my entertainment with a little skin for good measure, maybe you don't. And maybe a lot of the people running companies making cool, useful products might not either. I can't judge them on that and I won't. They rightfully have their preferences and principles, so who am I to argue? I'd rather there be no question over the quality and forthrighfulness of what I'm publishing than to continue banging into the same issue over and over again, without resolution or revenue.
I've made a place for IdleGals, and it will remain separate from this space. In the meantime, I hope you take the time to understand my position, read and enjoy what I've put together, and not judge me too harshly.
Happy New Year
- - Fearless Rick