Articles from 2020
743 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Moth Presents: John Turturro
The Moth Presents: John Turturro
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Principles of Wealth #10
Every asset class and financial strategy has its own inherent characteristics, investment advantages and disadvantages, profit and growth potentialities, and risk profiles. The smart investor understands this…
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Worth Considering
Those Sunscreens Could Kill You
About 10 years ago, I published a book about skin cancer. Back then, all my smart friends knew that the sun caused skin cancer and that skin cancer can be fatal. So they were lathering themselves and their…
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Worth Quoting
George Orwell On Political Language And Deception
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” – George Orwell
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A Word to the Wise
pentheraphobia (noun)
Pentheraphobia (PEN-thur-uh-foh-bee-ah) is the fear or strong dislike of one’s mother-in-law, a real – and surprisingly common – psychological affliction. The word is derived from the Greek “penthera”…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Rancho Santana Earns Another TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Award
Rancho Santana has won another Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Award! Read about it here.
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Remarkable Capabilities Of Human Bodies
It's amazing what the human body can do...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
11 Ways the COVID Lockdown Will Change the World, Good and Bad
“I’d like to think that anxiety is a form of emotional intelligence – alerting one to future threats that others ignore. The problem is it doesn’t work that way because anxiety is always forward facing. By the…
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Notes From My Journal
LA's Wildfire Haze and Urban Decay Scenes
I’m in LA now, visiting the kids. I came up to the rooftop terrace to work, thinking I’d have a nice view of the hills and the valley. But there’s no view. Just a gray landscape beset by smog. “No, it’s not…
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A Word to the Wise
apocalyptic (adjective)
Something that’s apocalyptic (uh-pahk-uh-LIP-tik) shows or prophesies the total destruction of the world – a scenario that is most famously described in the Bible’s Book of Revelation. As I used it today: “So…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Dogs' Nose Prints Are Uniquely Individual
Dogs’ nose prints are as unique as human fingerprints.
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Unexpected Sensuality Of Blooming Flowers
This composition of beautiful music + time-lapse photos of flowers blooming was meant to be inspiring... and it was to me. But it also got me thinking about the ambi-sexuality of flowers. Do you see what I…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Survival of the Fastest
Note: The following essay is an excerpt from the upcoming new and revised edition of Ready, Fire, Aim. Survival of the Fastest The first challenge an entrepreneur faces in launching a new business is to figure…
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A Word to the Wise
paradigm (noun)
A paradigm (PARE-uh-dime) is a model; a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. As I used it today: “You are going to have to convince [your key people] that there is no other option. That unless everyone gets…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Kenyan Masai Tribe's Extraordinary Gift Of Solidarity
In the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster, to show solidarity with the US, the Masai tribesmen of Kenya gave 14 cows to the US. The cows were presented to William Brencick, deputy head of the US embassy in…
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Worth Quoting
Bernard Malamud On Heroes And Human Potential
“Without heroes, we’re all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.” – Bernard Malamud
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Worth Reading
The latest issue of AWAI’s Barefoot Writer — September 11, 2020
In this issue: * “The Whole Game Has Changed” * How to Propel Your Reader Forward With Sentences That “Look Back Early” * This Writing Skill Recently Skyrocketed to the Top Tier of All Income-Generating…
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Fun and/or Interesting
New York Nostalgia From A Bygone Era
If you grew up in New York, as I did, this will bring back memories. If you didn't, you may find it interesting.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
The Foundations of Economics, Part I: Hesiod’s Formula for Growing Wealth
Work hard. Spend wisely. Save assiduously. Respect the law. If I were to write the Ten Commandments of Wealth Building, those might be the first four. Cultures that embrace these values grow rich and prosper…
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A Word to the Wise
languish (verb)
To languish (LANG-wish) is to grow weak or feeble; to lose or lack vitality. As I used it today: “Cultures that embrace these values grow rich and prosper. Cultures that ignore them languish at the bottom of…
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Worth Quoting
From Hesiod
“If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much.” “It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.” “Work is no…
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Worth Reading
One Page a Day Might Save Your Life” by James Altucher
Click here to read this inspirational story about the inventor of Pringles.
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Readers Write
An email from BJ
Over and over, I’ve cited this quote by you: “What we need to do in life is available to us. We come across good advice all the time – through the media and in conversation. But most of the time we do not pay…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Art Of The Sports Promotion Video
A nicely edited review of an exciting sports promotion...
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Notes From My Journal
Eight Common English Words With Irish Origins
“Many nations use language simply to convey information, but it’s different in Ireland. With most conversational exchanges you get an ‘added extra’ like the free little biscuit you sometimes get with a…
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A Word to the Wise
Gaelic vs. Celtic
Irish. Gaelic. Celtic. What’s the difference? And do you pronounce Celtic with a hard or soft C? Celtic refers to the Celtic people, a group of Indo-Europeans that spoke some early version of the Celtic…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Murky Origins Of America's Labor Day
The idea for Labor Day – a national holiday celebrating workers – goes back to 1882. But it’s not clear who came up with it first. Peter J. McGuire, a carpenter and co-founder of the American Federation of…
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Worth Watching
Modern Times
First, a confession. I am nearing 70 and, until now, I’ve never watched Modern Times. I’ve seen one or two of Charlie Chaplin’s less-celebrated movies and bits and pieces of a dozen others, but not Modern…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Crayola Retires Peach Crayon For Inclusive Skin Tone
From ArtNews.com – Finally, something is being done about that racist “flesh-tone” thing. To read the article, click here.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Principles of Wealth #8
“The possessors of wealth can scarcely be indifferent to processes which, nearly or remotely, have been the fertile source of their possessions.” – Charles Babbage Principles of Wealth #8* When buying…
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A Word to the Wise
self-effacing (adjective)
People who are self-effacing (self uh-FAY-sing ) do not like to draw attention to themselves. As I used it today: “In most respects, Bernard is a modest, self-effacing guy. He’s humble. He never boasts. He has…
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Worth Reading
The latest issue of Independent Healing — September 4, 2020
In this issue: “Breakthrough Research Reveals the Single Most Important Factor for a Long, Healthy Life” Researchers with the Framingham Study had a simple but ambitious goal: They wanted to know what factor…
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Fun and/or Interesting
San Francisco Leads World In Billionaire Population Density
San Francisco has the highest percentage of billionaires per capita, followed by New York and Dubai.
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Surprisingly Fascinating World Of City Flag Design
Hard to believe, but this is an enjoyable presentation on – of all topics – city flag design. Take a look…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Is Automation Scarier Than COVID-19?
“If you don’t have a real stake in the new, then just surviving on the old… I don’t think is a long-term game.” – Satya Nadella Is Automation Scarier Than COVID-19? Does automation put people out of work?…
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Worth Reading
How Automation Can Reshape Work, Not Replace It
Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach for Applying Automation to Work by Ravin Jesuthasan and John W. Boudreau The Robots Are Coming!: The Future of Jobs in the Age of Automation by Andres Oppenheimer
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A Word to the Wise
obsolete (adjective)
Something that’s obsolete (ahb-suh-LEET) is no longer in general use; discarded or outmoded. As I used it today: “Two or 3 million bus drivers could lose their jobs. And that’s not to mention the millions of…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Word of the Day: Darpa
DARPA – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – is part of the US Dept. of Defense. In recent years, the agency has funded a series of challenges intended to encourage innovation in various…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Moral Choices of Autonomous Vehicles
In this TED Talk, Iyad Rahwan discusses the ethical dilemma of driverless cars…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Western Civilization's Greek And Roman Roots
“History is philosophy teaching by example.” – Thucydides Western Culture in One Lesson, Part I Today, let’s talk about this idea of Western Civilization. The idea that America and Western Europe share a…
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Worth Reading
The Ancient Greeks
This is the reading list that I assigned to myself several years ago – an introduction to the greatest thinkers of all time… The Ancient Greeks * Selections from The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer * One or two…
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A Word to the Wise
bedrock (noun)
Bedrock (BED-rahk) is the solid layer of rock underlying loose rocks and soil. The word is also used to refer to the fundamental principles upon which something is based. As I used it today: “Today, let’s talk…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Gandhi On Whether Western Civilization Was Worth It
When asked what he thought of Western civilization, Mahatma Gandhi reportedly said, “I think it would be a good idea.”
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Fun and/or Interesting
Beyond Burning: The Hidden Uses Of Fossil Fuels
Whatever view you have of fossil fuels, you should be aware of their many uses. This little video does a quick and fun job of demonstrating that...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Abolishing Public School: A Dictator's Education Plan
“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations… can never effect a reform.” – Susan B. Anthony What I Will Do as Dictator Pro Tem Part I: My Educational Reforms I don’t want to…
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A Word to the Wise
numeracy (noun)
Numeracy (NOO-mer-uh-see) is the ability to understand and work with numbers. As I used it today: “I’m sure you are 100% agreed that putting my reforms into practice will have an immediate and immensely…
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Worth Considering
Sweden's School Voucher System Unleashed Charter Growth
In the interest of giving parents more control over their children’s education and addressing quality concerns, Sweden implemented a voucher system in 1992. This meant that parents were able to choose any…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Literacy Crisis Fuels America's School And Prison Systems
* One in 4 children in America grows up functionally illiterate. * Students who don’t read proficiently by the 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of school before graduating high school. * 85% of…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Case Against Reparations Examined
A compelling argument against reparations...
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Principles of Wealth #7
To acquire wealth, it is helpful to know what it is… and what it is not. There are many sorts of wealth. This essay is about only one of them: financial wealth. Financial wealth can easily be defined as net…
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