My New Year’s resolution: Throw some new things at you in these posts!

Truth: I spend a lot of time on my phone. I used to listen almost entirely to audio podcasts, but a lot of podcasters have added a YouTube channel to their productions, so now I watch/listen to YouTube as well. “The Almighty Algorithm” suggests a lot of things, I try out a fair number of them, click away after a few minutes and try something else. But today I’m offering you a link to a channel that has really caught my attention recently.

The host, Sal Mercogliano, has a long history in the maritime industry. Through his posts, I’ve learned about the rash of Russian vessels sinking recently in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Who knew?

Other posts talk about the size of container vessels, the problem of too many goods going one direction and too few goods going the other direction, and the need for the US Navy to have a sizable merchant marine fleet to assist with deliveries, and other functions. Again, who knew? And who knew that American ship-building capacity has dwindled since the demise of the Soviet Union whereas China’s has increased rapidly.

If you take a look around your home and around your community, the importance of shipping to our privileged lives is obvious. But we just don’t think about it much. Spend a few hours in 2025 learning more about shipping!