Articles from 2019
882 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Worth Reading
Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space
The inside story of the detection of gravitational waves using the most sensitive scientific instrument ever made – the “LIGO.” The machine was designed to detect infinitesimally small sounds (vibrations)…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Is The Twist Better Than Pulp Fiction's Dance?
Twisting the Night Away video with this intro: Twisting... better than Travolta and Thurman?
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
The “Extreme Poverty Problem”: Hans Rosling Explodes Yet Another Myth
Answer this: In the last 20 years, the percentage of the world population living in extreme poverty has: Almost doubled? Remained about the same? Dropped by two-thirds? The correct answer is C. The number of…
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A Word to the Wise
Sequester (verb)
Sequester (verb) – To sequester (sih-KWES-ter) is to segregate; set apart. As used by Paul Dini: “To overcome any form of adversity, to not give up, to not give up on yourself, your dreams, to not sequester…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Los Angeles' Surprisingly Long Original Spanish Name
The original name of Los Angeles was El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River).
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Worth Quoting
Charles Peguy on Imagining Poverty
“Short of genius, a rich man cannot imagine poverty.” Charles Peguy
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Worth Watching
The Spy Who Fell to Earth Explores Murky Cold War Espionage
The Spy Who Fell to Earth (Netflix) I’ve made it a point to stay relatively uneducated about global politics. (So much of what you read is bullshit or propaganda, and the rest will rile you up about problems…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Greatest Boogie-Woogie Performance Ever
I've never heard boogie-woogie played better than this...
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Notes From My Journal
Ruminations of a Traveling Man
K and I have lived in or traveled to a shitload of countries. (I should buy a map and put pins in it.) In terms of cost and benefit, there are only three ways to travel: Budget Immersion Style, Group Discount…
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A Word to the Wise
Ubiquitous (adjective)
Ubiquitous (adjective) – Ubiquitous (yoo-BIK-wih-tus) means existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time. As I used it today: “Note to people worried about the end of American culture. It won’t…
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Fun and/or Interesting
10 Interesting Facts About Chile
Chile’s Atacama Desert, at 7,500 feet above sea level, is the world’s driest place. It is also the world’s oldest desert. A few truly “groundbreaking” statistics: Chile has 2,300 volcanoes (many of them…
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Worth Quoting
Pablo Neruda on Rain and Urban Suffering
“In what language does rain fall over tormented cities?” – Pablo Neruda
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Worth Reading
Reading Neruda In Spanish Reveals Poetry's True Beauty
I’ve been reading two books while in Chile: A Short History of Chile by Sergio Villalobos and Los Versos del Capitan (The Captain’s Verses)by Pablo Neruda. The first one, at 204 pages, is the perfect length…
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Fun and/or Interesting
A Few Photos From Our Trip
Photo #1: Valparaiso Photo #2: The Atacama Desert Photo #3: The Atacama Desert Photo #4: The Central Market in Santiago
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Worth Reading
The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in “Healthy” Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain by Dr. Steven R Gundry M.D
Human beings are, and always have been, omnivorous. They thrive on natural products – meats and plants. Some meats – from animals that have been kept in pens and shot up with hormones and other chemicals – are…
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A Word to the Wise
Impedimenta (noun)
Impedimenta (noun) – Impedimenta (im-ped-uh-MEN-tuh) is baggage of any kind that impedes progress. As used by David Roberts: “When you sling a saddle atop a llama’s back, just after he’s rolled in the dirt to…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Crash Dieting And Hair Loss Connection
Your hair falls out faster if you are on a crash diet.
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Worth Quoting
Word of the Day: Character
“Character – the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life – is the source from which self-respect springs.” – Joan Didion
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Career Advantages of Taking a Dump on Joan Didion
“The Career Advantages of Taking a Dump on Joan Didion” LINK
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Notes From My Journal
Binge Out!
The language police have struck again. According to Dictionary.com, I’m not allowed to describe my bouts of overeating chocolate kisses or over-watching Netflix as “binging.” The dictionary opines: “When most…
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A Word to the Wise
Word of the Day: Linguaphile
Linguaphile (noun) – A linguaphile (LING-wuh-file) is a language and word lover. As used by Judith Strauss: “I never met a linguaphile I didn’t like.”
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Fun and/or Interesting
Justice Surges As Merriam-Webster's Most Searched Word
Justice was voted “Word of the Year” by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary in 2018. The publisher said the word was looked up on its website 74% more in 2018 than in 2017.
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Worth Quoting
John Steinbeck On The Proliferation Of Ideas
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them and pretty soon you have a dozen.” – John Steinbeck
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Worth Reading
The Barefoot Writer
The latest issue of The Barefoot Writer Including: * Retainers, Jelly-Bean-Sized Projects, and Combo-Writing Payouts Await * The Hot Debate Among Writers Who Want It All * 7 Tips to Make Readers Love You
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Fun and/or Interesting
Do Students Really Prefer Socialism?
Do Students Really Prefer Socialism?.- I’ve read polls that suggest as many as 50% of US college students favor Socialism over Capitalism. That is not entirely surprising. When I was in college (1969 to 1973)…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
A Brief Answer to a Surprise Question: The 3 Cornerstones of Career Success
After my speech, I found myself surrounded by a cluster of people wanting to say hello or ask a question. This surprised me because these were employees, not readers. Like matriculated students attending…
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A Word to the Wise
Alexander Graham Bell's Vision For Vocal Telegraph Communication
Viva voce (adverb) –(vye-vuh VOH-see) means by word of mouth; orally rather than in writing. As used by Alexander Graham Bell: “Grand telegraphic discover today… Transmitted vocal sounds for the first time……
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Fun and/or Interesting
McDonald's Serves 68 Million Customers Daily Worldwide
In 2018, McDonald’s generated almost $6 billion of net income serving around 68 million customers per day.
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Worth Quoting
Joshua Waitzkin On Success And Resilience
“The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.” – Joshua Waitzkin
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Worth Reading
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
Twenty-five years after the biggest art heist in history, Claire Roth, an artist who makes a living painting reproductions, is given a chance to make a lot of money by reproducing a painting by Degas that was…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Woman At Eighty Defies All Expectations
I’ve watched this twice and I cannot believe that this woman is 80 years old…You won’t believe it either.
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Notes From My Journal
Thoughts on Jefe’s Death
I wrote about the death of our dog Jefe (left) last week. I said that he gave us so many gifts – so many moments of laughter and love – during his lifetime. Thinking about it since then, it occurred to me that…
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A Word to the Wise
Evenfall (noun)
Evenfall (noun) – Evenfall (EE-vuhn fawl) is twilight; dusk. As used by George Allan England in Darkness and Dawn: “Haze drew its veils across the world, and the air grew brown with evenfall.”
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Fun and/or Interesting
Dogs As Human Companions Since Prehistoric Times
Homo sapiens have had dogs as pets since prehistoric times.
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Worth Quoting
Samuel Butler On Dogs And Uninhibited Companionship
“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.” – Samuel Butler
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Worth Watching
Yes, You Can You Eliminate Bureaucracy in Your Business
When I was a child, I was an idealist. In my early adulthood, I became an economic ideologue – first as a Socialist and then as a free market advocate. But as I grew older and more focused on achievement, I…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Everything We Need Is Already Here
Everything is already with us - including heaven and hell. Here's a bit of heaven...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Two Vitally Important – and Completely Opposite – Business Management Strategies
Managing a growing company requires competence in two business strategies: centralization and decentralization. Decentralization, as the name implies, is the process of spreading out the business from the…
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A Word to the Wise
Minion (noun)
Minion (noun) – A minion (MIN-yun) is a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power. As used by Ivanka Trump: “I am not a clone, and I am not a minion.”
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Longest Single-Syllable Word in English
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is “screeched.”
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Worth Quoting
Mark Ford On Hearts, Brains, And Political Divides
“Liberals think conservatives don’t use their hearts. Conservatives think liberals don’t use their brains. I think they are both right.” – Mark Ford
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Worth Reading
Bill Bonner’s Diary
Bill Bonner’s Diary - Some things definitely evolve… but has the US economy or its culture improved in the last 70 years? In this essay, Bill Bonner converses with a ghost… LINK
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Fun and/or Interesting
Some good tricks here
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A Word to the Wise
Nemesis vs. enemy (nouns)
Nemesis vs. enemy (nouns) – An enemy (EN-uh-mee) is a foe that you can defeat or who can defeat you. A nemesis (NEM-us-sis) is unconquerable, a lifelong opponent or rival. Example for enemy: “The supreme art…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Americans Spent $40 Billion While Drunk Last Year
According to a recent survey by Finder.com, Americans spent almost $40 billion in 2018 while drunk. As Jimmy Kimmel observed, it “could explain the popularity of Uggs.”
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Worth Quoting
Albert Einstein On The Power Of Persistence
“It’s not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions longer.” – Albert Einstein
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Worth Reading
The New York Times Magazine's Double Standard On Discrimination
The New York Times Magazine - I mentioned recently that I am having difficulty reading The New York Times LINK. IMHO, this once-great newspaper has become a garbage dump of bad ideology and dumb ideas. Case in…
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Fun and/or Interesting
NYC Subway Chaos Captured in One Perfect Video
If you have ever been on a NYC subway, you'll love this...
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A Word to the Wise
Sundoku (noun)
I got this from Tim Ferriss’s blog. It’s a great word. (I posted an essay about this recently: “Are You an Information Addict?”) Ferriss says: Japanese has wonderfully short words that can replace paragraphs…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The World's Staggering Linguistic Diversity
There are 41,806 different spoken languages in the world today.
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