Articles from 2020
743 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Worth Reading
Metropolitan Life
A collection of smart and witty essays about life in the Big Apple as a young writer. Part Patti Smith. Part Sex and the City. She has this thing she does with lists…
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Fun and/or Interesting
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One of my favorite songs when I was a teenager...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Principles of Wealth #36
“Compound interest is the 8thwonder of the world.”– attributed to Albert Einstein Principles of Wealth #36* Most wealth seekers believe they understand “the miracle of compound interest” – how saved money…
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A Word to the Wise
ancillary (adjective)
Something that’s ancillary (AN-suh-lare-ee) provides necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization institution, industry, or system. As I used it today: “Understanding the…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Surprising Power Of Daily Doubling
If you took a single penny and doubled it every day for a month, you would end up with more than $5 million.
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Worth Reading
The February issue of Independent Healing LINK
In this issue, you’ll discover the real reason more of us than ever are suffering from chronic stomach troubles. You’ll learn: * Why foods that are bright white in color wreck your digestion * The real cause…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Hard To Believe This Guy Is 70
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Notes From My Journal
Why I’m Giving Away My Money
“If you're going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can't be erased.”– Maya Angelou Financial planning is a serious business. What you do and how you do it very much depends on your…
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A Word to the Wise
tranche (noun)
A tranche (TRANTSH) is a portion of something, especially money. As I used it today: “Since I want [the investments I’m making in my family, friends, and various charities] to continue after K and I die, I’m…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ancient DNA Reveals Neanderthals Interbred With Humans
For a long time, the consensus of scientific opinion was that modern man descended from a single species, Homo sapiens. Neanderthals were thought to be a distant cousin that died out. But in the past decade or…
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Worth Reading
Seven Cultural Treasures Lost To War
The thing about war… even when it is justified, it is grievously destructive – and not only in terms of loss of life. Here, for example, from History.com, are 7 important cultural sites that have been damaged…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How To Get Hired For Your Dream Job
Good advice on how to be chosen for the job you want...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
How to Stop Your Boss From Turning You Into a Human Suggestion Box
“Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all.”– Dwight D. Eisenhower How to Stop Your Boss From Turning You Into a Human Suggestion Box I have a reputation for…
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A Word to the Wise
circumvent (vert)
To circumvent (sur-kum-VENT) is to manage to get around an obstacle or difficulty; to avoid defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc. by ingenuity or deception. As I used it today: “Recently, though, one of my…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Why Nobody Can Count English Words Accurately
How many words are in the English language? Last week, citing the Oxford English Dictionary, I said that there are 171,476 English words in current use. But after thinking about it, that number seemed awfully…
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Worth Reading
Moonshots
If you’re looking for something good to read, you might like one of these books from my January reading journal: Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance by Naveen Jain– Ignore the first three chapters, which…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Why Solitude Produces Better Ideas Than Meetings
In this recent video posted on BusinessMadeSimple.com, Donald Miller explained that he likes to eat lunch alone because that’s when he gets his best ideas. LINK I buy that. I rarely have business lunches…
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Notes From My Journal
Voluntary Sharing Versus Forced Redistribution Of Wealth
“The demonization of wealth in this country is mind-blowing. A country built on both freedoms and commerce.”– Alec Baldwin I believe in redistributing my wealth. I feel a moral obligation to share what I have…
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A Word to the Wise
demonization (noun)
Demonization (dee-muh-nuh-ZAY-shun) is the portrayal of something as wicked and threatening. As used by Alec Baldwin in today’s quote, above: “The demonization of wealth in this country is mind-blowing.”
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Worth Reading
20/20 Vision” in Taki’s Magazine LINK
One day I want to meet this guy…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Hidden Colors Beneath Animal Fur And Skin
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur. A polar bear’s skin is black. Its fur is actually clear, but, like snow, it appears to be white.
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Readers Write
An email from JG
Really enjoy your reads and info… thanks!
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Fun and/or Interesting
Orangutans Take On Unexpected Babysitting Duties
Orangutans...the baby sitter
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Merriam-Webster’s
“I believe we developed language because of our deep, inner need to complain.”– Lily Tomlin Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Decade What Do They Tell Us About These Last 10 Years… and What Does It Tell Us About…
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A Word to the Wise
prescriptive vs. descriptive (adjective)
In general, prescriptive (pruh-SKRIP-tiv) refers to an action or behavior based on the imposition or enforcement of a rule or method, and descriptive (duh-SKRIP-tiv) refers to an action or behavior based on a…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How Many Words Does English Actually Contain
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 171,476 English words in current use.
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Worth Reading
8 Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business” from Entrepreneur.com
I’ve never been good at naming businesses. In fact, I’d say that of the dozens of businesses I’ve named, 90% of them broke one of the rules articulated in this essay. (I should have learned these rules long…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How To Finally Pronounce French Words Correctly
If you've ever struggled to pronounce a French word, you'll enjoy this.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Masterson’s Law: Why You Should “Fire” 10% of Your Customer Base
“A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.”– Henry Ford Masterson’s Law: Why You Should “Fire” 10% of Your Customer Base You own a…
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A Word to the Wise
pseudonymous (adjective)
Pseudonymous (soo-DON-ih-mus) means having or using a fictitious name. As I used it today: “I have observed that there is another percentage that is equally reliable and yet rarely discussed: Ten percent of…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Gambling's Surprising Economic Dominance Over Entertainment Industries
The revenue from gambling is greater than the revenue from movies, cruise ships, recorded music, theme parks, and spectator sports combined.
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Worth Reading
What Color Is Zorro? A Taki's Magazine Essay
What Color is Zorro? in Taki's Magazine LINK
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Fun and/or Interesting
Computing And Internet Predictions From 1974
The future of computers and the internet... back in 1974.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Honesty, Honestly
“It’s hard to know the truth about people by how they look or even what they say, but you can discover a good deal by rummaging through their belongings.”– Michael Masterson Honesty, Honestly Ralph, a protégé…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Incredible Sensory Power Of Your Hands
In one square inch of your hand, there are nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors, and 75 pressure sensors.
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Worth Reading
Energy Paradoxes Put Europe in a Precarious Position” from Townhall.com
An interesting perspective on European attitudes towards global politics and global warming. LINK
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Readers Write
An email from KM
Thank you Mark. For what? For being an example…. I just found out today that Michael Masterson was you. Imagine that. All this time and I didn’t know…. Anyway. Just thank you and I’m happy I found your blog.
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Fun and/or Interesting
What We Really Mean By Unfair
A good perspective on what we mean when we say, "It isn't fair!"
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Notes From My Journal
Spotting The Warning Signs Of A Terrible Idea
“An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.” – Charles Dickens I began writing an essay this morning tentatively titled “Early Warning Signs You’re Writing a Bad Essay.”…
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A Word to the Wise
animadversion (noun)
Animadversion (an-uh-mad-VER-zhun) is an unfavorable or critical remark. Example from Pencil Sketches by Eliza Leslie: “Albina soon perceived herself to be an object of remark and animadversion, and she was…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Harvard's Asian Enrollment Gap Raises Admissions Questions
Asians represent about 5% of public high school students, but constitute 22.9% of Harvard’s freshman class. If admission to Harvard were based solely on academic performance, it would be 43%.
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Worth Reading
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by
The story of the now well-known Silicon Valley scam. Written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who broke the story and pursued it till the end, the book is a page-turner and an inside look at the sort…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Antique Curiosities Worth Discovering Today
Beautiful antique curiosities...
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Notes From My Journal
Remembering Harriet Zinnes (1919-2019)
“In the end, there is no end.”– Robert Lowell Remembering Harriet Zinnes (1919-2019) The person one becomes is the result of innumerable factors, including hundreds if not thousands of personal relationships…
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Worth Reading
The Equality Conundrum” in The New Yorker
Believing inequality, as this essay makes clear, is a challenge. A challenge that leaves the believer with a perpetual conundrum – what is equal here is not equal there… and what is equal now is not equal…
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A Word to the Wise
conundrum (noun)
A conundrum (Kuh-NUN-drum) is a confusing and difficult problem or question. As I used it today (see “Worth Reading,” above): “Believing inequality… is a challenge. A challenge that leaves the believer with a…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Why Babies Have More Bones Than Adults
There are 206 to 208 bones in the adult human body (depending on how the sternum is counted). Babies are born with 270 bones, but the number decreases with age as some of those bones fuse.
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Fun and/or Interesting
Islamic Peace Conference Convenes in Oslo
The Islamic Peace conference in Oslo...
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Notes From My Journal
The Age of Descent: A Short History of the 21st Century (So Far)” by Bill Bonner
In response to Donald Trump’s latest demonstration of his version of foreign policy – i.e, coming out into the center of the ring very aggressively and then backing away before his opponent figures out what…
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Worth Quoting
By Dr. Martin Luther King
* We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. (Western Michigan University, December 1963) * Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community…
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