April 2020
68 articles published this month.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Learning Wealth Building From A Skeptical Accountant
When I first started making more money than I was spending, I asked my partner to recommend someone to help me do my taxes. “You should speak to Sid,” he told me. He does my taxes and he’s good. Plus, he got…
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A Word to the Wise
deus ex machina (noun)
Literally, “god from the machine,” deus ex machina (day-us eks MAH-kee-nah) is an unexpected power or event that saves a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived device in a play or novel. As I…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Understanding Treasury Bonds, Notes, And Bills
There are three kinds of government fixed-income securities: Treasury bonds, notes, and bills. T-bonds (long bonds) mature in 30 years and typically pay the highest interest rates twice yearly. They are sold…
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Worth Reading
A Gaucho Appears in the Distance, Riding Hell for Leather…” by Bill Bonner
“There’s an advantage to spending time in a place like Argentina,” Bill writes. “It’s been through these things [economic, political, and social ruin] before. In fact, it makes a habit of it.” Read the entire…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Very interesting. With all the research I’ve been doing, I didn’t…
Very interesting. With all the research I’ve been doing, I didn’t know some of these “facts.”
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
When Did COVID-19 Actually Arrive In America?
“Credit is a system whereby a person who can not pay gets another person who can not pay to guarantee that he can pay.” – Charles Dickens K and I were in LA for two weeks at the end of February. We were…
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A Word to the Wise
solvency (noun)
Solvency (SAHL-vun-see), in finance or business, is having assets in excess of liabilities; the ability of an individual or entity to meet its debt obligations. As I used it today: “[Spending borrowed dollars…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Understanding Treasury Bonds And Their Benefits
Treasury bonds (T-bonds) are US government debt securities with a maturity of 10 to 30 years. They pay a fixed interest rate to the purchaser on a semiannual basis until maturity. At maturity, the purchaser is…
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Worth Watching
Rockwell's Legendary Unscripted Transmission Training Video
Rockwell International decided to get into the heavy-duty automatic transmission business and they wanted an introductory video. What they saw, initially, was this rehearsal for camera, lighting, and stage…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Adley's Pandemic Comedy Gold on Instagram
Good corona humor: “Adley on Instagram” LINK
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
The Corona Economy, Part II
“Performance is better than promise. Exuberant assurances are cheap.” – Joseph Pulitzer The Corona Economy, Part II Will America Survive It? Alec writes: Today marks the 29th day in a row that I have worn…
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A Word to the Wise
hyperbole (noun)
Hyperbole (hie-PUR-buh-lee) refers to exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. As I used it today: “’Opening up’ is bit of hyperbole. Our economy was never truly shut down. It was…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How Bad Was the Great Depression?
The stock market crashed on Black Thursday, October 24, 1929. By the following Tuesday, it was down 25%. Many investors lost their life savings that weekend. By 1932, one out of four people was unemployed…
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Worth Watching
A Surgeon Explains COVID-19's Deadly Mechanism
“How COVID-19 Kills – I’m a Surgeon – and Why We Can’t Save You”
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Fun and/or Interesting
Penguin Takes Its First Adorable Steps
Happy feet! [video width="720" height="406" mp4="uploads/2020/04/untitled.mp4"][/video]
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
My Last Essay on the Coronavirus (I Promise!)
“Imagine preventing health crises, not just responding to them.” – Nathan Wolfe My Last Essay on the Coronavirus (I Promise!) 5 Important Questions; 5 Conclusions Once again, we were having a family argument…
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A Word to the Wise
perfervid (adjective)
Something that’s perfervid (per-FUR-vid) is intense and impassioned; marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion. As I used it today: “After a good five minutes of perfervid shouting, it turned into an…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Obesity Remains America's Deadliest Health Crisis
Unlike what some in the media are claiming, obesity – not coronavirus – is almost certainly the biggest killer in America. * It is responsible for about 600,000 or 20% of the approximate 3 million Americans…
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Worth Reading
Sources Behind COVID-19 Death Rate Analysis
A partial list of the sources I used for today’s essay: “Provisional Death Counts for COVID-19" https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm “COVID-19 risk factors: Age, underlying conditions…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Creative Ways To Build With Matchsticks
“Matchstick Art” – Got some spare time on your hands? Here’s an idea…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Economics And Ethics Collide During Pandemic
“Economics is a subject that does not greatly respect one’s wishes.” – Nikita Khrushchev The Corona Economy, Part I: Will America Survive It? New York City is losing billions in tax revenues, and Mayor Bill De…
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A Word to the Wise
peremptory (adjective)
Something that’s peremptory (puh-REMP-tuh-ree) insists on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way. As used by George Eliot: “There is something sustaining in the very…
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Worth Reading
A Letter From F. Scott Fitzgerald, Quarantined in 1920 in the South of France During the Spanish Influenza Outbreak
The following letter – supposedly from F. Scott Fitzgerald, but actually written by Nick Farriella for the humor site McSweeney’s – recently went viral. It was forwarded to me by several people who didn’t seem…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Mathematical Magic Behind Overtone Singing
Have you heard of polyphonic overtone singing? First, I came across this video on YouTube. I expected to hear a pretty voice. Instead, I heard this: I sent it to Number Two Son, a composer, and he introduced…
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Readers Write
An email from DR
I’m a copywriter all the way from Brunei Darussalam. I just want to say thank you for all the resources that you put together through books & courses. Not only have you played a main role in the industry, but…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Questioning Conventional Wisdom in the COVID-19 Crisis
Finally, some doctors and scientists are starting to talk about all this bad math we’ve been given. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UO3Wd5urg0
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Notes From My Journal
The Questions Nobody Is Asking
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein The Questions Nobody Is Asking I meant to write today about the economic impact of…
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Fun and/or Interesting
US COVID-19 Case and Death Timeline 12/31 to 4/14
Some of my friends are arguing about the administration’s response to the Corona Crisis. I’m not interested in that discussion, except from a social and psychological perspective – i.e., how social myths…
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A Word to the Wise
verbing (noun)
I’d like to interrupt all this Corona Crisis coverage to raise an objection to something bothersome that has been accelerating during this time of stress. I’m talking about the soon-to-become ubiquitous…
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Worth Reading
The Fault in Our Stars
A synopsis of the plot that I found on Shmoop.com crystalizes my initial impression of this tender, teenage novel: “Dying girl meets hot boy. Hot boy and dying girl fall in teenage love and go on adventures to…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Hozier's Haunting Cover Of The Parting Glass
“Hozier Sings ‘The Parting Glass’” – a beautiful rendition of a beautiful Irish song that might bring some thoughts and feelings back into a larger perspective.
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Notes From My Journal
Corona Crisis: Business Survival Tactics
“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill Corona Crisis: Business Survival Tactics I’m reading a lot about how to stay…
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Worth Watching
Online Business Profits During The Pandemic Crisis
From Rich Schefren: “Online Business Profits Are Up During the Pandemic. Are Yours?” Here From Simon Sinek:“5 Minutes on Why COVID-19 Is an Opportunity” Here From McKinsey.com: “Coronavirus’ business impact…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How Companies Navigate Recessions: Four Strategic Approaches
A Harvard Business Review study 4,700 public companies looked at the three years before, during, and after several recent recessions (including the recession of 90/91). They divided companies’ responses –…
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A Word to the Wise
furlough (noun)
A furlough (FUR-low) is a leave of absence. It usually refers to a leave granted to a member of the armed services, but lately we’ve been hearing it in a different context – employees being furloughed instead…
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Readers Write
An email from AD
I’ve been going through your book in an attempt to create a “course” for some rising superstars at our company. Just want to say thanks for putting that together. It’s an incredible compilation of wisdom. We…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Sports Star Opens Up About COVID-19 Experience
A sports star talks about his experience with COVID-19…
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Notes From My Journal
Coronavirus Statistics: Why The Media Math Doesn't Add Up
“Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.” – Mark Twain Coronavirus Update: Bad Math, Dumb Reporting, Unthinking Citizens I had planned to publish an essay today about business strategies for…
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A Word to the Wise
morbidity vs. mortality
According to Dictionary.com, “These two nouns are similar in the sense that they are dark and often deal with sickness or death. However, they have distinct meanings within this heavier topic, and they can’t…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How Ferrara Escaped The Seventeenth Century Plague
As the plague ravaged Italy from 1629 to 1631, killing more than 45,000 in Venice alone, the northern Italian town of Ferrara kept it at bay. Critical to the city’s success, records suggest, were border…
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Worth Reading
The latest issue of AWAI’s Barefoot Writer — April 13, 2020
In this issue: * Superhero Writing Job Lets You Rescue Paying Clients in Their Darkest Hour of Need * Master Mental Time-and-Space Travel for Innovative Writing * The Thriving Writer’s Multitiered Safety Net *…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Marsh Family Performs Les Miserables During Lockdown
The Marsh Family goes viral with a lockdown version of “One Day More” from Les Miz… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRoMfg5ZgZU
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Notes From My Journal
Coronavirus Pandemic: Hope and Progress
“Every glittering ounce of [good news] should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond.”– Hunter S. Thompson Coronavirus Pandemic: Hope and Progress Today, we are going to…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Waffle House Index Hits Red During Pandemic Crisis
On March 25, Waffle House declared a “Waffle House Index Red” in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Waffle House Index, an informal metric used by FEMA for nearly a decade, refers to the measure of…
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A Word to the Wise
Words in the News From Dictionary.com
* Sedentation (seh-den-TAY-shun) – defined as “the adoption of a sedentary mode of life” – has been in use since the first half of the 20thcentury… but never the way we’re using it today. * Supplicant…
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Worth Reading
Famous Writers Share Their Favorite Comfort Books
Looking for some comfort books to read? The New York Times asked some well-known writers for suggestions. Here are some of them… * From Celeste Ng: The Princess Bride by William Goldman – “This has always been…
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Fun and/or Interesting
J.B. Smoove's Hilariously Chaotic Coronavirus Meditation Guide
More corona humor: a “relaxing” guided meditation with Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEoRjS70Vs8
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Notes From My Journal
Coronavirus Update: New Estimates and Answers
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” – John Adams Coronavirus Update: New Estimates…
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A Word to the Wise
Antibiotic” vs. “Antibody” vs. “Antigen”: What’s the difference?
An antibioticis a medicine used to fight bacterial infections. It does not work against viruses. Antibodies are special proteins that the immune system produces in response to antigens. And antigens are…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Pandemic Slang: The New Words We're All Using
The coronavirus has given rise to a host of new slang terms. Here, from Dictionary.com, are some that you may already have added to your vocabulary: * rona – an informal shortening of coronavirus (“Yeah, I…
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