The Flyby #8
NHL records, NASA astronauts, and Formula 1 on Netflix
1. Money and Markets: Crypto Fort Knox
On March 6th, the White House announced a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, effectively creating a stockpile of Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) similar to what the federal government already does with gold.
200,000 Bitcoin seized from criminal activity will initially fund it and they plan to potentially increase holdings in the future via budget-neutral acquisition methods. The aim is to create a digital Fort Knox and will include Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and Ripple (XRP) as well.
As of writing this, there’s been no mention of adding $TRUMP… shockingly.
2. Strength and Stamina: OV’s longevity
On its surface, Alexander Ovechkin being only nine away from breaking Gretsky’s goal record of 894 may not seem like health or fitness. BUT. I would say it’s a prime example of longevity and healthspan. Whatever this guy’s doing to still be getting hat tricks in the NHL at nearly 40? Sign me up.
The secret behind “Russian Machine Never Break” is, in fact, an unfathomable amount of Italian food pregame, flushed down with soda.
And that’s how you achieve peak human performance.
3. Future and Tech: NASA astronauts to come home
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both US Naval Aviators, finally have a (kind of/maybe?) date they expect to return to Earth. What was initially supposed to be a “chill eight-day deployment” has now been extended to nine months. But hey, they’re both Navy so this isn’t their first rodeo.
I guess the silver lining is space doesn’t have port calls for your CO to cancel last minute.
Hopefully, all goes according to plan and they’ll be having beers at 1G later this month.
4. Military and Aviation: The Army is BACK… kinda
After hitting a 40-year low in recruiting numbers, the Army recently touted their return to record highs. Whether it was the promise of free Camaros and crotch rockets for the first 100 recruits is unclear—and irrelevant. The Army was riding high.
So were its recruits—just on a different substance.
Nearly a quarter of new soldiers fail to complete their first contract. No surprise, given the dramatic drop in admission standards. From the article:
The Army has also loosened restrictions on criminal backgrounds. Last year, the service granted 1,045 waivers for misdemeanor offenses, up from 895 in 2022. More strikingly, it approved 401 felony waivers -- quadrupling the 98 granted in 2022. The Army prohibits waivers for crimes related to sexual violence.
5. X-Factor: Drive to Survive, Season 7
Netflix launched its seventh season of Drive to Survive, a docuseries combining the thrill of Formula 1 with the drama of the Kardashians. If you haven’t seen it—it’s incredible.
It may be the seventh season but every season seems to get better and better. Unlike Lance Stroll. Worse and worse. Every year.
