June 2019
77 articles published this month.
-
Fun and/or Interesting
Why Los Angeles Covers Its Reservoir With Black Balls
I'd never heard of bromate. Nor shade balls. I didn't even know that the LA reservoir has millions of black shade balls floating on it. This video explains why.
Read full post -
From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Principles of Wealth #28
Every asset class has its own inherent ROI (return on investment) range.History suggests, for example,that it is 8% to 10% for stocks, 5% to 7% for corporate bond, 3% to 4% for municipal bonds, and 5% to 8%…
Read full post -
A Word to the Wise
10-bagger (noun)
A “10-bagger,” a term coined by Peter Lynch in his book One Up On Wall Street, is an investment that has the potential to return tenfold, if not more. As I used it today: “The coveted ‘10-bagger.’ What…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Nuclear Explosions Burn Hotter Than The Sun
The heat from a nuclear explosion is hotter than the surface of the sun.
Read full post -
Worth Quoting
Charles Darwin on Ignorance and Confidence
“Ignorance more often begets confidence than knowledge does.” – Charles Darwin
Read full post -
Worth Reading
The Rive
I’ve never read Heller before, although I read a New York Times book review of one of his previous bestselling novels: The Dog Stars. I remember thinking that the author had that Hemingway thing going on. It…
Read full post -
Readers Write
An email from BWS
Mark Ford, I have always thought of you as a genius but I am now convinced. I will be sending copies of your book to those I know and respect in business…. The basic truisms included should be written on the…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
How To Finally Read Infinite Jest
Ever wanted to read Infinite Jest? Here's how...
Read full post -
Notes From My Journal
8 Other Things That Money Can’t Buy
”Money can’t buy happiness.” A cliché? Sure. But as is usually the case with clichés, it’s true. Problem is, because we hear them so often, the mind filters them out and we ignore them. This cliché, in…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Facts About D-Day
* D-Day commemorates the Battle of Normandy in WWII, which began on June 6, 1944 and resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. * It was the largest amphibious (land and water)…
Read full post -
Worth Quoting
Michael Masterson On Finding Happiness In Small Blessings
“If you cannot be happy with the little blessings, you will never be happy with the big ones.” – Michael Masterson
Read full post -
A Word to the Wise
gadabout (noun)
A gadabout (GAD-uh-bout) is a person who frequently travels from place to place, especially for pleasure. As used by Leopold Throckmorton: “Author: A common gadabout who freely wanders over the landscape with…
Read full post -
Worth Reading
The latest issue of Independent Healing — June 7, 2019
The latest issue of Independent Healing “The Autoimmune Epidemic” Celiac and other autoimmune illnesses are now more prevalent than heart disease or cancer. Here’s why our bodies are attacking themselves and…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
How Music Shapes Our Brains and Behavior
The Power of Music
Read full post -
From My Work-in-Progress Basket
The Retirement Trap!
I should have said something… He began, 25 years ago, as an accounting executive with a German partner of ours. Bright and ambitious, he rose quickly through the ranks to head of marketing, head of operations…
Read full post -
Worth Watching
Kon-Tiki
I’d give Kon-Tiki a B for cinematic values and a B+ for historical interest. Seeing the movie made me want to read the book again and try to find the documentary made about the expedition that won the Academy…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki Expedition
* Kon-Tiki is Thor Heyerdahl’s account of his 101-day, 4,300-mile journey (with five friends) across the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947. * The purpose of the voyage was to prove Heyerdahl’s theory that it…
Read full post -
A Word to the Wise
rutilant (adjective)
Rutilant (ROOT-l-unt) means glowing or glittering with a reddish or golden light. As used by Ben Hecht in Fantazius Mallare: “Standing against the wall and blinking at the rutilant glare of the room, Goliath…
Read full post -
Worth Quoting
Aristotle on Knowledge and Teaching
“Those who know do. Those who understand teach.” – Aristotle
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Everything Is Horrible
“Everything Is Horrible” In this New Yorker article, River Clegg is poking fun at those that use the internet to avoid feeling depressed about global issues they have little control over. I am one of those…
Read full post -
Notes From My Journal
The New York Times Takes on CBD
Nearly everyone I know is taking some form of CBD. Jiu Jitsu athletes are rubbing it on their muscles before training to reduce soreness and accelerate heating. Executives are eating it during the day to calm…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Facts About CBD
CBD stands for cannabidiol, a molecule derived from the cannabis plant. Unlike THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), its better-known sibling, CBD won’t get you high. But it is – and this contradicts what you’ve…
Read full post -
Worth Watching
Slaughterhouse Five
This month, Bob S challenged us with 2 books and a movie. The books were Slaughterhouse Five and Cat’s Cradle(both by Kurt Vonnegut). The movie was Slaughterhouse Five. I watched the movie last night. It is…
Read full post -
A Word to the Wise
volition (noun)
Volition (voh-LIH-shun) is the act of making a conscious, deliberate decision regarding an action that you intend to take. As I used it in my mini-review of Slaughterhouse Five, above: “Ultimately, it’s an…
Read full post -
Worth Quoting
Helen Keller On Overcoming Life's Suffering
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller
Read full post -
Readers Write
An email from JB
Hi Mark, Just want to thank you again for your idea of a big all access pass type offer. We have just crossed over $1mil in sales from that idea…. We are now setting our sights on $10mil and I'm confident I…
Read full post -
Fun and/or Interesting
Bill Bonner on “How America Goes Full-Venezuela
It doesn’t take a genius to understand that Venezuela’s economic policies had a lot to do with its current problems. But unless you dig into it, you may not realize how lethal Communism was. This very engaging…
Read full post