November 2022
72 articles published this month.
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Fun and/or Interesting
Wildlife Photo of the Year
Karine Aigner won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for this photo of a buzzing ball of cactus bees spinning over the hot sand in Texas. According to the awards committee, this “beautifully composed…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Have you heard about the million-dollar public toilet?
Last month, San Francisco unveiled plans to build a 150-square-foot public toilet for $1.7m! Here’s a breakdown of the cost: * Base construction contract: $750k * Planning and design: $450k * Architecture and…
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Postscript
Super Volcanoes?!
Apparently, they exist. Or existed at one time. They rarely erupt. Only once in 100 years, they say. But when they erupt, they change everything. Check it out:
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Notes From My Journal
It’s Not a Passion, but It’s Close
I’m in Costa Rica for a few days, working on one of what I call my “legacy” projects – non-profit entities that will continue to exist long after I’m gone. In this case, it’s a foundation that aims to raise…
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Notes From My Journal
My Favorite Weddings
Getting married is a seriously happy and happily serious social ritual. The serious stuff is expressed in the observations and advice of the officiant, as well as the promises made by the bride and groom. The…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Contemporary African Weddings Blend Tradition With Modern Celebration
Here are a few examples of contemporary African weddings that include traditional African music and dancing: And here is a clip of traditional African weddings:
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A Word to the Wise
Languid
– borrowed from the French languide (“fatigued, weak, indifferent”) – describes something that is heavy and slow, lacking in energy or strength. It can have a sensual/sexual connotation. As I used it today…
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Worth Quoting
Franz Schubert On Finding Your Best Friend In Marriage
“Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.” – Franz Schubert
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News & Views
The Truth About Kale
For the first 60 years of my life, I knew nothing about kale. I had never even encountered the word. Then… there it was. On every restaurant menu and on every foodie’s lips. Not only were all my posh friends…
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Arts & Letters
Big Artwork, Bigger ROI!
The last time it was sold at auction, in 1987, it sold for $660,000. Andy Warhol’s 1963 White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times), from his “Death and Disasters” series, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on Nov…
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Recommended Places
From the Fifty Grande website: “The Most Iconic Hotels in Every US State
Click here for the entire list, along with a little blurb about each one.
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Readers Write
Readers Share How Your Advice Changed Their Habits
“Thank you! Inspired by [your ideas about time management and productivity], I created a daily task list template that I’ve been using…. It keeps me on track (something I have challenges with) while focusing…
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Postscript
A Short Story To Brighten Your Day
Click here for a short story to brighten your day.
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Notes From My Journal
Three Social-Justice Trends Boosting Crime in Major Cities
In big cities across the USA, crime is soaring. Robberies are up. Assaults are up. Carjackings are up. And murders are up. There are, no doubt, several reasons for this. Here are three: * Cashless Bail: A…
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The Economy & Investing
Speaking of Major Cities… Can You Afford to Live in One?
K and I are in LA this week, visiting four of our five grandkids. LA is a sprawling collection of little cities and towns, some of which are very nice, and most of which are ordinary and even depressing. But…
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Worth Considering
Groucho Marx On Money And Personal Unhappiness
“While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you buy your own form of misery.” – Groucho Marx
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Worth Watching
The Shadow of Violence
The Shadow of Violence Released Jul. 31, 2020 Available on various streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime I found this one by flicking. I must have been in a dark mood, for it was the title…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Philadelphia Sports Success And Economic Collapse
From BJ: “I have appreciated your incisive analysis of our current economic situation. I wanted to add a timely tidbit of historical fact: Over the past 100 years, the surest sign of an oncoming financial…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Costs of the COVID Shutdowns Are Coming In
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the COVID shutdowns were a bad idea. They did not curb the spread of the virus. If anything, they accelerated it. And there were negative consequences. Substantial ones…
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Worth Considering
Why This Young Black Woman Stopped Hating the Police
After the Freddie Gray killing in 2015, there was a great deal of anti-police sentiment in communities all over America. One of the accusations heard repeatedly was that the police were “systemically racist.”…
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Readers Write
Re what I said in the Oct. 18 issue about the friends/relatives of writers
“I wonder if Shakespeare’s friends had comments like: This part about ‘Be not afraid of greatness.’ It’s too grandiose. Don’t flatter yourself.” – MS
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Postscript
Even if You Hate Fossil Fuels, This Will Make You Smile
From Bonner Private Research: A hilarious account of how climate change protesters in Germany forgot what happens when the lights go out. Click here.
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