February 2024
42 articles published this month.
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Notes From My Journal
A Good Example of Bad Science
A Good Example of Bad Science Early in the COVID-19 breakout, I caught the bug from a young’un I was rassling, and then passed it on to PB, one of my trainers. PB is in his fifties. He’s scrupulous about…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Solving Drainage Woes At Fun Limón's Fields
For the past I-don’t-know-how-many years, I’ve been working on about a dozen unfinished books. Two of them are based on my experience in Nicaragua – Rancho Santana: Then and Now, a history of the resort in…
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Worth Quoting
Let it go!
“YOU fix what you can fix and you let the rest go. If there ain’t nothin’ to be done about it, it aint even a problem. It’s just a aggravation.” – Cormac McCarthy in No Country for Old Men
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News & Views
Election Watch — February 27, 2024
Election Watch Jon Stewart on “Electile Dysfunction” Jon Stewart is an interesting person. He’s indisputably an accomplished comic performer who has been remarkably successful at lampooning public issues and…
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The Economy & Investing
Chart of the Week: The Cluster of Woe
Chart of the Week: The Cluster of Woe I’ve been in the economic and investment prediction business for more than 40 years, and many of my favorite colleagues have been occasional or perma-bears. I was once…
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Worth Reading
Something Rich and Strange
By Ron Rash 448 pages Published Nov. 4, 2014 This is one of two short story collections The Mules read for our February meeting. It was the second book of short stories we read by Ron Rash, who is indisputably…
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Worth Watching
How the Michelin Tire Company Became Synonymous with Fine Dining
I never associated the Michelin restaurant rating system with the Michelin tire company, but they are connected. Watch the fascinating story of how the “star” system originated here.
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ten Quick Bites
1. Talk about curious! Woodworker Justin Davies, after learning that, in the 19th century, some bakers would put sawdust in their bread to cut costs, gave it a try. Click here for the results. 2. Boys will be…
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Quiz of the Week
How much do you know about historical queens?
I was disappointed with my performance on this one: only 12 out of 20. Surely you can do better! Test yourself here.
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Readers Write
From GM re what I said about the failure of “The War on Poverty” in the Feb. 12 issue
“I don’t see how any progress can be made when you have a country hell-bent on importing poverty at a furious rate. The US has been doing this for decades and, most alarmingly, for the last three years. Under…
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Postscript
My Next Life
SF sent in this bit by Woody Allen that helped lighten my mood: “My Next Life” “In my next life, I want to live my life backwards. You start out dead and get that out of the way. Then you wake up in an old…
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Notes From My Journal
Another Reason to Support the War in Ukraine
Another Reason to Support the War in Ukraine I just found out. The military-industrial complex has come up with a new reason Americans should support Ukraine in its war with Russia: It’s good for the US…
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Worth Considering
Trump’s New York Civil Fraud Case
What, Exactly, Was the “Crime” He Committed? Last week, a Manhattan judge fined Donald Trump and The Trump Organization $355 million and barred him from serving in a top role of any New York company for three…
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News & Views
The Blue State vs. Red State Population War Continues
New York isn’t the only state losing entrepreneurs and high-income earners to lower-tax and lower-cost-of-living states like Florida and Texas. California is having the same experience. And for similar reasons…
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Worth Reading
How Money Walks
By Alexander Ward 368 pages Published Feb. 20, 2024 The WSJ recommended The Internationalists last week. I have at least 60 books piled up in various corners of my house and office that I’ve promised myself I…
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Worth Watching
The Tourist
Directed by Chris Sweeney Starring Jamie Dornan and Danielle McDonald Series 1 (6 episodes) premiered Jan. 1, 2022 on BBC One; currently on Netflix Series 2 (6 episodes) launches Feb. 29 on Netflix Watch Time…
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The Economy & Investing
Government Unemployment Numbers Hide Economic Reality
Last week, Sean demonstrated something that everyone that wants to understand the true state of our economy needs to understand: Many of the numbers we get from government agencies, numbers that are repeated…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ten Life Hacks I Haven’t Tried Yet
I came across this in a magazine someone left in an airport. It’s from Bruce Wilson, who self-identifies as a social researcher and world traveler. I thought it was pretty good and worth passing on to you. 1…
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Worth Quoting
Just One Sip and No More!
From James Clear, a master of pithy advice: “It is not worth it to be greedy over a single transaction. Even if you’re not going to work with the person again. Even if you think word won’t get out. Even if you…
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Quiz of the Week
Birds of Prey
I got 13 out of 15 of these quiz questions right – a lot better than I expected.
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Readers Write
From JS
“Mark, did you see the Feb. 6 press conference the Republicans had defending Donald Trump against claims of ‘insurrection’ and then charging the major media with covering up news that damaged Biden and son? If…
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Postscript
Listen to this!
A vibrant, multi-layered Michael Jackson medley by the very talented musicians of 40 Fingers. Click here.
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Notes From My Journal
Five Contrarian Truths About Behavior Modification
Five Contrarian Truths About Behavior Modification I’ve been thinking about a thesis I cooked up about a year ago, which, if it continues to feel valid as I write about it, will become a book. The thought is…
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News & Views
Election Watch — February 12, 2024
1. Back to My Prediction re the 2024 Election Late last week, in response to special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s mishandling of classified information, the Dept. of Justice admitted that Biden did…
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The Economy & Investing
Chart of the Week: Misleading Job Growth Numbers
Chart of the Week: Misleading Job Growth Numbers This week, Sean investigates reports of US job growth in recent months – reports that the Biden administration is touting as evidence of the success of…
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Worth Reading
1. Night at the Fiestas: Stories
By Kristin Valdez Quade 304 pages Originally published March 16, 2015 I don’t remember how this got onto my to-read list. I half-liked the title – a collection of possibly good, possibly literary short stories…
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Worth Watching
1. Society of the Snow
Directed and co-written by J.A. Bayona Released Sept. 9, 2023 (Venice Int’l Film Festival) Streaming on Netflix Jan. 4, 2024 Watch Time: 144 min. In 1972, a Uruguayan plane, chartered to transport a rugby team…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ten Quick Bites…
* Crazy: It costs about three cents to produce a single penny. And the US lost more than $93 million producing pennies in 2022 alone. Click here. * Scary: Last week, I reported that 2023 was the hottest year…
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Quiz of the Week
Famous Paintings
Easy one! I aced it! Click here.
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Worth Quoting
From Mark Twain
“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.”
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Readers Write
From JS: “How Does a BAD Thing Succeed?
“As we all know, the country of Argentina is in a very, very bad economic situation, with inflation and poverty skyrocketing – and it was one of the richest countries in the world. How does that happen? Just…
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Postscript
For Your Enjoyment: Winners of “The Human Element” Photo Contest
Last September, TIME Magazine and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) launched a global competition called “The Human Element,” seeking to showcase portrait photography in all its forms. The…
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Notes From My Journal
Five Contrary Truths I Learned Too Late in My Life
Five Contrary Truths I Learned Too Late in My Life. If You Are Younger Than 73, You Can Be Five Steps Ahead of Me! I’ve spent what probably amounts to an unhealthy amount of my spare time trying to figure out…
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The Economy & Investing
Yes, Restaurant Prices Are Higher – Considerably Higher!
Yes, Restaurant Prices Are Higher – Considerably Higher! K and I spent a long weekend in LA at the end of last month visiting Numbers One and Two Sons and their families. Dado (yours truly) was happy to grab…
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News & Views
Conspiracy Watch — February 6, 2024
1. Is Taylor Swift a Psyop? In the middle of digging into my neck muscles, G, my massage therapist, said something about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce being some sort of “psyop,” and that, somehow, they were…
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Worth Reading
1. The Triple Package
By Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld 352 pages Originally published Feb. 4, 2014 SL, founder of The Mules (my book club), gave me this book to read. He had recently interviewed Amy Chua on his podcast about…
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Worth Watching
Griselda
A six-part Netflix miniseries Directed by Andrés Baiz Starring (and co-produced by) Sofia Vergara Premiered Jan. 25, 2024 Watch Time: 1 hr. per episode Griselda is a biographical crime series dramatizing the…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Quick Bites: Ka-Ching!... Pant! Pant!... Splish-Splash!... OMIGOD!
* Intriguing: First Costco… then Walmart. Why have these major retailers suddenly begun selling gold? Click here. * Weird: It’s not your imagination. 2023 was the hottest year since scientists began tracking…
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Quiz of the Week
History Quiz: First Millennium CE
I had a perfect streak going on this quiz until I got to the last two questions. Damn!
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Worth Quoting
From James Clear
“You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something. Celebration can rescue your day – even if it…
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Readers Write
From DG: Suing the COVID Makers
“As you can see from this article, it looks like people are suing the drug companies over the COVID vaccines in the UK. I remember you saying they couldn’t do this in the US, but it does raise another question…
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Postscript
Is your car being eaten by a rodent?
This was sent to me to share with you by GM, a regular reader and contributor, who said this happened to his VW… “Until the mid-1980s, cars were made from metal, glass, and plastic, which was made from…
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