February 2021
47 articles published this month.
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Worth Reading
The Turncoat
The Turncoat By Siegfried Lenz Translated by John Cullen 384 pages Written in 1951; posthumously published in 2020 The Turncoat is the story of a German soldier’s experience of World War II, fighting for a…
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Worth Watching
Delhi Crime
Delhi Crime (2019) Directed by Richie Mehta Starring Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, and Rasika Dugal Available on Netflix I’ve been to India a half dozen times – for business and pleasure -- and have nothing…
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Postscript
Supporting Survivors Through Jyoti's Family Legacy
If Delhi Crime moves you to want to take action, you should investigate the Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust, launched by Jyoti’s family, which provides shelter and resources for victims of sexual abuse in India. Amaru…
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Notes From My Journal
My Unexpected Bitcoin Windfall And Lingering Doubts
I’ve never been able to get a convincing answer to this question about cryptocurrencies: Why would the US government allow any currency to replace the dollar when it has the means to prevent it? (Which it…
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — February 25, 2021
THE FACTS * The NBA player with the second-highest net worth was not a well-known all-star. Everyone knows #1 on the list (Michael Jordan: net worth $2.2 billion), but few people outside of the business world…
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Postscript
Life Without Petroleum Products: A Visual Exploration
Ever wonder what life without petroleum products would be like? Take a look at this video sent in by my friend Joe S…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
The Hidden Choreography of a Compelling (and Very Profitable) Marketing Tool
“Advertising is fundamentally persuasion and persuasion is not a science, but an art.” – William Bernbach As a consultant to one of the world’s largest digital publishing networks, I’ve had the opportunity to…
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Postscript
Twelve Warhol Works That Challenged The Establishment
Say what you will about Andy Warhol, the man was one of the most influential artists of his time. What I liked about his work was his undeniable enjoyment in producing pieces that shocked or even offended the…
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Notes From My Journal
Yawn!
I have four grandkids. Watching them grow these past five years, I’ve been reminded of many things I’ve forgotten over the 40 years since I had my first child. One of those things is that newborns sleep…
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Notes From My Journal
Afternoon Drag: Don’t Fight It! Take a Nap!
“Sleep is the Swiss army knife of health.” – Matthew Walker Afternoon Drag: Don’t Fight It! Take a Nap! It happens like clockwork most days, says Dr. Eifrig. Around 3:30 in the afternoon, you get sleepy. Your…
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Worth Considering
The New Normal” Documentary
I had heard about this documentary, and remembered it described as a conspiracy theory disguised as a documentary. My lifelong friend TG sent me the link, and I watched it. It didn’t strike me as such. It…
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Postscript
Inflammatory Political Rhetoric Predates Trump's Recent Statements
The election is over. And so is the impeachment trial. But the bellicose rhetoric that Trump used – rhetoric that the impeachers categorized as inciting violent “insurrection” – was hardly a Trump trademark…
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Notes From My Journal
The Politics of Goal-Setting
This week’s movie recommendation – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – is a surprisingly well done bit of political satire aimed at the Trump administration. But first, speaking of politics, take a look at David…
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Worth Watching
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, aka Borat 2 (2020) Directed by Jason Woliner Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova Available on Amazon Prime Video I loved Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G character since I first…
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Worth Reading
A Letter from Charles Darwin, age 12, to a friend (Jan 4,
You must know that after my Georgraphy, she said I should go down to ask for Richards poney, just as I was going, she said she must ask me not a very decent question, that was whether I wash all over every…
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Postscript
We Need People Like This
I’m not sure why. But I’m pretty sure we need them.
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — February 18, 2021
THE FACTS * China is conducting another test of their digital Yuan. To start off the lunar new year, $1.5 million worth of digital currency will be given to 50,000 randomly selected Beijing residents. They…
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Postscript
Dogs Having More Fun Than Kids In Snow
For those of you who favor fun with canines… My favorite is the one that stops the toboggan, tosses out the kids, takes it from them, and sleds down the hill. uploads/2021/01/DOGS-IN-SNOW.mp4
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Notes From My Journal
Glowing Mermaid Sculpture Arrives At Paradise Palms
The latest addition to Paradise Palms & Sculpture Gardens arrived last week. We commissioned it about a year ago, and we’ve been eagerly awaiting its arrival. It’s the second piece we’ve purchased from Austin…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Buying Investment-Grade Art: An Inside View
“People don’t buy art based on the personality of the artist. Or there wouldn’t be much art bought and sold.” – David L. Wolper Buying Investment-Grade Art: An Inside View There is so much bullshit in the art…
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Postscript
Political Parody Beyond Saturday Night Live
If you like political parody but aren’t inclined to the perspective of SNL, there are plenty of equally good (often better) pieces done on social media.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
What Are You Waiting For? Start Firing Already!
“Procrastination is the thief of time.” – Edward Young What Are You Waiting For? Start Firing Already! You are ready. Your start-up idea passed the various tests you gave it. You have a handle on the size of…
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Worth Reading
French Museum Directors Revolt Against COVID Closures
Good news for art lovers… but only if you live in France. French museum directors have banded together and are revolting against the country’s COVID guidelines. Read the story here.
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Postscript
Interesting Maps: #2
Tracking a Single Eagle Over a 20-Year Period
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Worth Watching
A Man Called Ove
A Man Called Ove (2015) Directed by Hannes Holm Starring Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars, Ida Engvoll, and Filip Berg A Man Called Ove. It sounded familiar. Had I seen it? Did I read the book? I thought it might be…
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Worth Reading
Self-Reliance
Self-Reliance By Ralph Waldo Emerson 52 pages First published in 1841 Something about the word bothered me. If a writer was described as a “transcendentalist,” I didn’t want to read him. (Talk about prejudice…
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Postscript
Buster Keaton's Dangerous Stunt Work Revealed
I knew that the great Buster Keaton did his own stunts, but I never realized what risks he took!
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Notes From My Journal
Nicaragua's Hidden Gems For English-Speaking Travelers
The tourist board of Nicaragua did a short promotion highlighting the many amenities the country has to offer English-speaking tourists. Rancho Santana contributed to it. This short video does a good job of…
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — February 11, 2021
THE FACTS * The NAACP’s founders were all white. On February 12, 1909, Mary White Ovington, William English Walling, and Henry Moskowitz established the NAACP as an advocacy organization for black civil rights…
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Postscript
Digital Stethoscopes Are Transforming Modern Medicine
From my friend JS: This is very cool. The stethoscope is passé. Here’s what’s replacing it.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
My Take on the GameStop/Reddit Fiasco
“A scam is a scam. A fraud is a fraud.” – Emily Thornberry Last week, I predicted that, despite the hype and bravado of those behind this fiasco, the share price of GameStop would eventually come back down to…
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Worth Reading
Nick Cave Prevails
On December 7, I commented about this: a fight between an art museum that allowed some “artist” (Nick Cave) to paint the words TRUTH BE TOLD on one of their walls, and the local community that objected to it…
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Postscript
America's Overlooked Illness Finally Gains Recognition
One of the lesser-recognized illnesses in America is finally getting the attention it deserves…
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Notes From My Journal
Happy Talk Is Here Again!
Contrary to what The New York Times has been saying for 9 months, they are now maintaining that the number of infections is not so important after all. What’s important is… well, here are some excerpts from a…
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Worth Considering
Washington Post Reverses Course On Lockdown Policy
And here’s another flip-flop… The Washington Post, staunch supporter of a federally mandated lockdown, has lately changed its tune: “Vaccines plus masks minus lockdowns. That’s the approach public health…
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Postscript
White House ASL Interpreter Accused Of Signing Conspiracies
While we’re pricking at this juicy topic of loony media bias, here’s a breaking story from the Jeff Bezos Post: an alarming report that the White House ASL interpreter might be signing right-wing conspiracies…
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Notes From My Journal
Purposeful Reading
I’ve long made it a practice to read at least 50 books a year – half fiction, half non-fiction. I read fiction for the experience of the story and the pleasure of the writing. Consequently, I read every…
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Worth Watching
Goodfellas (1990) Remains Masterfully Crafted Despite Its Simplicity
Goodfellas (1990) Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, and Joe Pesci I watched Goodfellas last night. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I saw it first when it came out in 1990…
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Worth Reading
The Price of Privilege: Raising Healthier Affluent Children
The Price of Privilege By Madeline Levine 224 pages Published in 2006 by Harper Collins The Price of Privilege is two books in one. It’s a critique of how some affluent parents in America today handicap their…
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Postscript
Larry Elder Exposes Capitol Riot Political Hypocrisy
In this video, Larry Elders does a good job of pointing out and poking fun at the hypocrisy of the political rhetoric over the Capitol riots…
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Notes From My Journal
Kim Basinger's Oscar Win Couldn't Survive Contract Law
I try to read a question/answer each day in the French and Spanish editions of Quora to keep my language skills alive. I like Quora because the content is basic (easy to understand), and the questions are…
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Worth Considering
Could This Happen in the US?
Argentina is broke. It’s been sinking into debt for some time. The 2020 shutdowns from the pandemic have only made things worse. Seizing on the latter, the government just initiated a wealth tax with the…
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Worth Watching
Are we in control of our own decisions?
This is a very good TED Talk about decision making by Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, that should be helpful to both consumers and marketers. (I’ve been…
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Postscript
Interesting Maps: #1
States (shown in dark gray – nothing to do with their politics) That Have Collectively a Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County
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Worth Considering
The Rise of Cryptocurrencies
Another Reason to Buy Gold Longtime readers know that I own gold. I bought it not as an investment per se, but as a hedge against some extreme financial catastrophe, such as hyperinflation or (its cousin) the…
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Notes From My Journal
A Record-Breaking Year for Art
“Art is primordially eternal.” – Egon Schiele A Record-Breaking Year for Art Once a year, I like to make a quick survey of the art market to get a feeling for its current health and future direction. 2020 was…
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Postscript
Elon Musk's SpaceX: Beyond Electric Vehicles
You may have heard that Elon Musk is now the richest man in the world, bypassing Jeff Bezos. But you may be thinking, “He’s the Tesla guy. What else has he done?” Here’s a good, brief video that covers one of…
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