Articles from 2019
882 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Fun and/or Interesting
More About “Chernobyl”…
I started to watch this HBO series a few weeks ago. It’s a gripping replay of the actual event – one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history. Take a look at the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch…
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A Word to the Wise
gormless (adjective)
Gormless (GAWRM-lis), an informal British term, means stupid, dull, or clumsy; lacking in vitality or intelligence. As used in a column by the journalist Drew Middleton: “‘They’re a poor, gormless lot down…
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Worth Reading
The Hunt for the Great White Male” by Steve Saller
Are you white? Are you male? Then you are in! Or not. So says this NYT Book Review critic of Jared Diamond’s brilliant new book, Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis, in Taki’s Magazine.
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Fun and/or Interesting
The True Cost Of Cheap Choices
You get what you pay for.
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Notes From My Journal
Walking: Fast and Slow
K and I share many of the same interests. But moving, biped style, from one destination to another isn’t one of them. We can’t walk very well together because — despite her shorter gait — she outpaces me by…
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A Word to the Wise
mettlesome (adjective)
Mettlesome(MET-l-sum) means spirited, courageous, full of vigor. As used by Eugene P. Lyle in The Missourian: “And being a mettlesome young man into the bargain, he rose by unanimous consent to command a…
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Worth Watching
Eric Edmeades on “How to Become a Master in the Art of Public Speaking
A very good speech on public speaking that’s about much more than public speaking.
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Worth Quoting
Napoleon Hill On Self-Conquest Through Discipline
“Discipline comes from self-control. If you do not conquer self you will be conquered by self.” – Napoleon Hill
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Fun and/or Interesting
Three Kings Sport Mustaches In Standard Card Decks
In a deck of cards, three of the kings have mustaches. Only the king of hearts does not.
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Fun and/or Interesting
Where To Help Sea Turtles Hatch Safely
Another endorsement for Rancho Santana from a major publication (USA Today): “10 Places Where You Can Help Endangered Sea Turtles Hatch”
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
He wanted to know: Did he need to get an MBA?
At my niece’s college graduation last week, one of her friends asked me whether I thought getting an MBA was worth it. I have no problem articulating my opinions when I’m writing or speaking to the many. But…
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Worth Quoting
John Dewey On Self As Continuous Formation
“The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.” – John Dewey
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A Word to the Wise
the fantods (noun)
The fantods (FAN-tahds) – a.k.a. the fidgets or the willies – is a state of extreme agitation or restlessness. As used by Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn: “They was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn’t…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Brunei's Harsh New Sharia Law Punishments Explained
In Brunei, adultery and gay sex are punishable under Sharia (Islamic) law by death from stoning. Amputations are permitted for theft.
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Worth Reading
Bill Bonner on “How the Financialization Scam Works
If you sometimes wonder how so many public companies that make no profits are still worth billions of dollars, this recent essay by Bill Bonner will help you understand.
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Readers Write
CW’s “7 Years to 7 Figures” Story
I come from a small rural farm town in PA where nobody ever leaves and it’s hard to find people in that social circle that can help provide such valuable insight that allows someone like me to completely…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Six Years Of Golf In One Shot
This encapsulates my six-year experiment with golf...
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Notes From My Journal
The Last Quarter: a Delicate Conversation to and From a Sculpture Studio
The last quarter of one’s life is a time for – among other things – getting rid of non-productive assets. When Suzanne and I started Ford Fine Art, I was very much aware of the nature of the business, having…
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A Word to the Wise
Brutalism (noun)
Brutalism (BROODL-izm) is a style of architecture featuring massive, unadorned, block-like forms. The term was first used in the 1950s and 1960s to describe innovative buildings constructed primarily with raw…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Americans' Annual Hamburger Consumption Circles Earth 36 Times
If all the hamburgers that Americans eat each year were positioned in a straight line, they would circle the globe 36 times.
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Worth Quoting
Michael Masterson On Starting Fresh Daily
“Forget the calendar. Every day is the first day of a new year. Every day is the first of 365 coming days to start a new.” – Michael Masterson
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Worth Reading
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
Of the 10 or 15 books I’ve read on modern physics, this little gem left me feeling like I had understood most of it. Writing in the simplest of English and with accessible analogies and examples, Rovelli…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How To Impress A Woman
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Notes From My Journal
Saving Serious Money With Solar Power in Nicaragua
I asked Bismarck, the resident director of FunLimon, our family’s community center in Nicaragua, how that “whacky solar power experiment” was going. He said the panels and related equipment were installed and…
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Worth Quoting
Michael Masterson On Taking Responsibility For Solutions
“We may not be responsible for all our problems, but they will almost certainly stay problems unless we take the responsibility to solve them.” – Michael Masterson
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Fun and/or Interesting
Solar power is the most abundant energy source on Earth
* Solar power is the most abundant energy source on Earth. There’s enough solar energy hitting the Earth every hour to meet all of humanity’s power needs for an entire year. Every ounce of oil, every lump of…
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A Word to the Wise
Plasticity (noun)
Plasticity (plas-TIH-sih-tee) is the quality of being molded or shaped. As used by Jacob Bronowski: “Man is unique not because he does science, and is unique not because he does art, but because science and…
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Worth Watching
Tony Robbins on Why We Do What We Do
People that haven’t experienced Tony Robbins – who have heard or read about him but never actually listened to him for any length of time – have the wrong view of him. They see him as a motivational speaker…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Depth of Animal Companionship and Connection
It's hard to observe this and believe that this relationship isn't as meaningful as any human one.
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Notes From My Journal
Competing for Eyeballs: An Alternative to Shock Tactics
The cover story of last week’s The New York Times Magazine featured this headline: “My Cousin Was My Hero. Until the Day He Tried to Kill Me.” Catchy, for sure. But it’s a headline you’d expect to see in a…
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A Word to the Wise
Lurid (adjective)
Lurid (adjective).- Lurid (LOOR-id) means shocking, causing horror or revulsion; glaringly vivid or sensational. As used by Edgar Allan Poe in The Pit and the Pendulum: “Demon eyes, of a wild and ghastly…
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Fun and/or Interesting
More Than Half Of All Movies Are Rated R
About 55% of all movies are rated R.
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Worth Quoting
H. Jackson Browne Jr. On Parental Integrity And Legacy
“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity they think of you.” – H. Jackson Browne, Jr.
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Worth Watching
Flight of the Conchords” (Netflix)
On Wednesday, I posted my mini-review of the HBO docudrama series “Chernobyl.” After watching an hour of the deeply distressing first episode, I needed a half-hour of fun – and I got it with an old episode of…
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Readers Write
This Is Why I Can’t Stop Teaching and Writing
An email from JW: I am a 24-year-old entrepreneur… Thanks for all of your writing! I am a huge fan of Ready Fire Aim, several of your books, your essays from Palm Beach Research, and your blog. [They] have…
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Fun and/or Interesting
PragerU Videos Mix Partisan Politics With Genuine Intellectual Provocation
About half of the PragerU material is standard Republican fare... not particularly novel and very debatable. But some of what they do is thought-provoking, regardless of your political orientation.
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Notes From My Journal
How NOT to Do an Interview
If you have any ambitions of doing a podcast, you will eventually need to learn how to do a good interview. Of the many skills involved in podcasting, you’d think interviewing was the least difficult: Pick a…
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A Word to the Wise
Nocuous (adjective)
Nocuous (adjective) .- Something that’s nocuous (NAHK-yoo-us) is harmful, likely to cause damage or injury. As used by the Indian spiritual leader Guru Nanak (1469-1539): “[The king] shall use his utmost…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Pokémon's Literal Translation Reveals Its Simple Origin
Pokémon stands for “pocket monster.”
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Worth Quoting
Mark Twain On Prioritizing Your Own Worth
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.” – Mark Twain
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Worth Reading
James Altucher’s “Ultimate Guide to Going Broke
James Altucher is not only a good interviewer (see today’s Journal), he’s a great writer. I’m trying to learn from him. You can tell that he writes his blog posts in less than half an hour. He uses a free form…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Shawn Achor On Happiness And Workplace Success
An amusing introduction to positive psychology... https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
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Notes From My Journal
Are You Ready for the Next Stock Market Meltdown?
How comfortable do you feel about your stock portfolio? A few weeks ago, Bill Bonner posted a warning on his blog – an essay titled “We’re Raising the Crash Flag.” Bill has always understood economics better…
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Worth Quoting
Warren Buffett On Market Risk And Hidden Weakness
Warren Buffett on investing: “You never know who’s swimming naked till the tide goes out.”
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A Word to the Wise
Alacrity (noun)
Alacrity (uh-LAK-rih-tee) is cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness. As used by Jordan Salcito in The Daily Beast: “Down under, people endearingly call boxes of wine ‘goons,’ and they drink them with…
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Worth Watching
HBO's Chernobyl Docudrama Examines Nuclear Disaster Legacy
”Chernobyl” (HBO NOW) I’d read good things about this – a docudrama series about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident – and it didn’t disappoint. The first episode was riveting. It will make you…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Chernobyl And Fukushima: History's Nuclear Disasters
The Chernobyl accident is generally regarded as the most catastrophic nuclear power plant event in history – one of only two classified as a level 7 (the maximum). The other one was the Fukushima disaster in…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Screaming Strawberries And Other Delightful Moments
Lots of good moments here…I think my favorite is the screaming strawberries!
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Notes From My Journal
18 Things You Absolutely Should Know About Investing in Art
Ah, Gabriela! My middle school crush. Her father, Eric Albreicht, an eminent art critic, had lined every wall of their home with beautiful paintings. The walls of our house were lined with books. (Books were…
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A Word to the Wise
Frisson (noun)
Frisson (noun) – A frisson (free-SOHN) is a shudder of emotion; a sudden strong feeling of excitement. As used by Martin Amis: “A novel comes not from a decision but a frisson, a sort of shiver that goes…
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