February 2022
56 articles published this month.
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Notes From My Journal
My Revolutionary Indulgence Diet
At my age, I shouldn’t worry about how I look. It’s futile and undignified. And yet, I do. When I’m feeling fat, I tell myself that my weight doesn’t matter. So long as I am fit and healthy, I should be happy…
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News & Views
Update on “Sh*thole” Cities
Homeless man says this liberal city practically pays him to be homeless. Click here. Update on Pandemic Mandates On Feb. 9, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not reinstate President Biden’s…
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Notes From My Journal
What I Believe: About Wars
Proxy wars don’t work: Since the US military industrial complex was established after WWII, its lobbyists, in collusion with Congress, have kept America in nearly continuous wars (Korea, Vietnam, Iraq…
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Business & Marketing
Three Quick Ways To Recruit Top Talent Now
Three Ways to Recruit Great Talent FAST A colleague writes: “I am losing a great employee. And so, I’m in the market for a last-minute replacement.... Do you have any advice on getting a great replacement tout…
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Fun and/or Interesting
About Jordan Peterson…
You’ve heard of Jordan Peterson. You may have formed an opinion of him. If you read the NYT and watch CNN, you think he’s a homophobe. Or a misogynist. Or a racist. He is, in fact, a clinical psychologist with…
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Recommended Places
Key West
Key West is part of the Florida Keys archipelago. It’s Florida’s southernmost point, lying roughly 90 miles north of Cuba. Famed for its pastel-hued, conch-style houses, it’s a cruise-ship stop, and is also…
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Arts & Letters
The Scream's Daring 1994 Oslo Museum Heist
“Thanks for the Poor Security!” On the opening day of the Norway Winter Olympics in 994, thieves broke into Oslo’s National Gallery and stole Edvard Munch’s The Scream. They left behind a note reading “Thanks…
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A Word to the Wise
A word to describe something that smells like your grandmother’s attic: fusty
Fusty – probably from the Old French fusté (“tasting of the wine cask”) – usually means damp and dusty, having a stale odor. As used by Wilkie Collins in My Miscellanies: “The cab is fusty, the driver is…
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Readers Write
Readers Praise Business And Financial Planning Guidance
Re Ready, Fire, Aim: “As a mompreneur, I had to have this book. It showed me how to set up a plan to save for me and my business. Also, my kids can learn many ways to succeed in their first jobs, and not be…
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Postscript
JM's "Dancing on the Ceiling" Video Recommendation
Another great video from JM: “Dancing on the Ceiling”…
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Notes From My Journal
Why I Secretly Loved Cleaning Office Bathrooms
Here’s something you don’t know about me. I once worked as a maid. For several months in my late teens, I took a job working evenings for an employment agency. The job was cleaning offices. It was dull and…
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Worth Reading
The Maid
The Maid By Nita Prose 304 pages Published Jan. 4, 2022 by Ballantine Books The Maid was the March selection of my book club, The Mules. I didn’t finish it. I couldn’t . This book is absolutely the worst piece…
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Worth Watching
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan
Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan Written by Olivier Megaton and Brice Lambert Directed by Oliver Megaton Season 1 released in 2021 - Available on Netflix An interesting look at dissociative…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder And Its Symptoms
Previously called multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is a mental illness arising from traumatic events and/or abuse in childhood. Symptoms (criteria for diagnosis) include: * The…
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News & Views
Stocks Are Down: What to Do?
The stock market took a drop on Tuesday after the Ukraine story got scary. On Wednesday and Thursday, the financial media was full of advice on what to do. Sell? Hold? Buy? The answer depends. If you are a…
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Postscript
A Better Model For Cleaning Services
Speaking of maids… here’s a new and improved concept for a cleaning service.
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Notes From My Journal
The Depression Issue
About 10 years ago, I had my first experience with depression. Not sadness. Not extreme sadness. But severe depression, the life-threatening kind. That first experience was a nightmare that lasted for three…
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Notes From My Journal
The 10 Stages of Mental Health and Happiness
As I emerged from that second bout of severe depression, I began a journal, recording my recovery with an OCD attention to detail. I made entries into my journal about every three hours. I recorded not only…
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Worth Quoting
Barbara Kingsolver On Depression And Sadness
“There is no point treating a depressed person as though she were just feeling sad, saying, ‘There now, hang on, you’ll get over it.’ Sadness is more or less like a head cold – with patience, it passes…
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Postscript
Depression's Severity Levels Explained
Here’s a little clip about depression. I don’t think it’s entirely right. Most of the symptoms described here are related to Levels 5 and 6 (as opposed to Levels 2, 3, and 4), but the main points are accurate…
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Notes From My Journal
So, You Haven’t Been to Rancho Santana Yet?
Here’s What You Are Missing… I’ve spent most of my career in what I think of as “the idea business” – writing and publishing books, newsletters, and now blogs and podcasts on such far ranging subjects as…
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News & Views
China Races Ahead With Digital Yuan Launch
China and the Digital Yen Last June , I talked about why I believe the US is eventually going to have a digital dollar. And on Feb. 3, I noted that the Fed had taken the first step. But as I had said in the…
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Notes From My Journal
What I Believe: About Civilization
As Steven Pinker proved convincingly in Enlightenment Now, the world has been getting more civilized almost non-stop for hundreds of years. And that means, in terms of population percentages, greater wealth…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Interesting; Obesity by Country
In the Feb. 7 issue, I referred you to a video about obesity. Following are some facts about obesity that I’ve found since then. Not necessarily surprising, but nonetheless edifying: * About 30% of the…
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Recommended Places
Monaco's Hidden History Beyond The Glitz
Monaco City, Monaco Monaco, a tiny city-state on the French Riviera, is best known for yachts, billionaires, glamorous casinos, and the Grand Prix. But it’s also a treasure trove of history, archeology…
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Arts & Letters
Man Ray's Iconic Portrait Could Break Photography Record
Le Violin, the photograph above, which was taken by Man Ray of his muse Kiki de Montparnasse in 1924, is expected to fetch between $5 million and $7 million at auction next month. If it sells in that range, it…
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A Word to the Wise
A word I just recently came upon for the first time: comminatory
* A word I just recently came upon for the first time: comminatory Comminatory means threatening, punitive, or vengeful. Example from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: “I suspected something comminatory in…
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Readers Write
Readers Share Impact Stories And Book Recommendations
Re my comments about identity theory in the Feb. 11 issue: “Mark, I recently read a fascinating book that addresses the question of gender fluidity and trans people – as well as several other woke issues –…
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Postscript
Tina Turner's Legendary Performance in Her Prime
Tina Turner in her prime…watch it here.
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Worth Considering
Lessons From TV Land
I was having a conversation with a friend last night about a TV series. Which was it? I think it was Godless. I said I had liked the first few episodes but gave up before the season ended. We were speculating…
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Notes From My Journal
Television's Pioneering Moments Through Personal Memory
* We got our first TV when I was about six, in 1956. It was a little box, with a dial that had 13 channels, only some of which worked. And it had a “rabbit-ears” antenna that had to be constantly adjusted in…
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Postscript
Bill Burr's Best Moments On Conan
Bill Burr’s Top 10 moments on Conan…
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Notes From My Journal
The Soft Side of Estate Planning
The Soft Side of Estate Planning Debate is a cherished sport in my family. A pastime that may have originated hundreds of years ago between the Fords and the Fitzgeralds, who were, I once discovered…
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Worth Considering
How to Destroy Your Wealth… and Your Family
How to Destroy Your Wealth… and Your Family It’s a well-accepted (and reasonably-well documented) fact that most family fortunes are dissipated within three generations. The first generation creates the wealth…
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News & Views
Inflation Hits Four-Decade High As Energy Costs Soar
* US inflation rose 7.5% during the 12-month period ending in Jan., according to newly released government data. The largest increase since Feb. 1982. What is even more alarming is that the cost of energy was…
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Fun and/or Interesting
43.4 million
* 43.4 million – the number of borrowers who have federal student loan debt. * $11.7 million – the value of a cube that a German artist created from 186 kilograms of pure 24-karat gold. The cube sits in New…
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Recommended Places
Why Buenos Aires Deserves Its Paris Of Latin America Title
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is located at the northeastern edge of the flat plain known as the Pampas, which occupies the agricultural heartland of Argentina. It is situated at the point where the Parana River…
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Arts & Letters
From
“I’m writing to let you know I’m releasing you. I’m amputating you. Be happy and never seek me again. I don’t want to hear from you, I don’t want you to hear from me. If there is anything I’d enjoy before I…
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Worth Quoting
On Achievement
* On Achievement: “Enterprise and hard work will almost always win, even under communism or African dictatorships.” – Taki * On Forgiveness: “I once met a man who had forgiven an injury. I hope someday to meet…
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Readers Write
Reader's Tuba Trauma Resurfaces After Decades
Re the Jethro Tull video in the Feb. 9 issue: “I looked at the Jethro Tull video and had a flashback to grammar school. Sister Claire Eileen entered me in a music competition for the tuba when I was in 6th…
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Postscript
Two Years of Pandemic Life in Five Minutes
A well done video that sums up the last two years of our pandemic in less than five minutes…
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Notes From My Journal
Why I Haven’t Retired: It’s Hard to Explain…
When I complain about how much work I have to do, K says, “Well then, quit.” I say, “I can’t quit.” She says, “Of course you can. You could have retired 40 years ago.” Then I say, “I don’t want to quit.” Then…
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Postscript
The French Approach To Sustainable Weight Loss
Losing weight the French way…
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Notes From My Journal
What I Believe: About Identity Theory
A Problem No One Seems to Have Noticed Modern Identity Theory allows for the idea that gender identity is a “social construct,” and, as a social construct, it can be changed. A man that “identifies” as a woman…
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Postscript
Sacha Baron Cohen's Comic Brilliance On And Off Screen
Sacha Baron Cohen – He’s brilliant as a comic actor. He’s also very funny as a guest. Oops! Thanks to JJ for pointing out this goof in Wednesday’s PS. “Hi Mark. I’m sure many others will write to you about…
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Notes From My Journal
Bits and Pieces — February 9, 2022
Thoughts on Re-reading Ready, Fire, Aim: The Inevitable Bloating of Corporate Payroll If your business grows long or large enough, you are going to encounter payroll bloat – some number of employees at all…
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Postscript
Jethro Tull's Unlikely Mastery Of Rock Flute
Was Jethro Tull a Great Flutist? I was never a big fan of Jethro Tull until I saw him 10 years ago at a concert in Mumbai. (Of all places!) The auditorium was standing room only. The energy was palpable. He…
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Notes From My Journal
Bits and Pieces — February 7, 2022
Suffocating in a Cloud of Digital Detritus! I received a letter from a family member recently. A typewritten letter – actually typewritten, not laser printed – on an 8 x 10 sheet of paper. I tried to remember…
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Postscript
Otis Redding's Timeless Classic Gets Stunning New Performance
An amazing performance of “(Sittin’on) The Dock of the Bay”…
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Notes From My Journal
George's True Passion Lies Beyond His Day Job
You Are What You Think About in Your Spare Time George works for a brand-name, multinational information publishing company. He’s good at what he does. He rose from entry-level to executive-manager level in…
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