Articles from 2020

strident (adjective)

Strident (STRY-duhnt) means harsh, insistent; excessively and unpleasantly forceful. As I used it today: “It does seem that an imbalance in the testosterone/estrogen ratio in favor of testosterone stirs up…

Tom Dyson on Detroit's Economic Future

A report on Motor City from my colleague Tom Dyson. To read it, click here.

Asymptomatic COVID Carriers Transmit Less Than Symptomatic

“A study on infectivity of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers” is one of several recently published studies which found that people that have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic are significantly less likely to…

Why Fathers Matter More Than Ever

Yes, fathers matter

Defining Privilege Beyond The Political Noise

“Tradition has it that whenever a group of people has tasted the lovely fruits of wealth, security, and prestige, it begins to find it more comfortable to believe in the obvious lie and accept that it alone is…

deference (noun)

Deference (DEF-er-uhns) is humble submission and respect. As I used it today: “The social privileges white Americans enjoyed, [W.E.B. Du Bois] contended, included courtesy and deference, unimpeded admittance…

The Hidden History Behind Juneteenth's June 19th Date

From History.com: Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers, led by Major…

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

Vladimir Nabokov is among my favorite writers. Russian born, he wrote in several languages, but his English work astounds me. It is so eloquent and so chock full of wonderful English words that only a Russian…

Befriending Her Shooter: A Moving Story

“Befriending Her Shooter” – a moving story.

Tribal Dynamics in Business

Note: The following essay is an excerpt from the upcoming new and revised edition of Ready, Fire, Aim. Tribal Dynamics in Business “The person who knows HOW will always have a job. The person who knows WHY…

Venn Diagrams Reveal Hidden Connections Between Ideas

A Venn diagram uses circles to visually represent the relationships between things or concepts. Here are two interesting videos about them: One on how they work… … and one on how to use a Venn diagram to…

How Morals Influence If You’re Liberal or Conservative

proxemics (noun)

Yes, there’s a word for all the social distancing we’ve been doing: proxemics (prahk-SEE-miks). Basically, it’s the study of how people use space when they’re communicating. The term was coined in 1963 by the…

Word of the Day: Balletx

BalletX – “100 Days” by Calii Quann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxQvb6BJLSo

Don't Bore Your Interviewer With Corporate Jargon

“Don’t expect others to listen to what you have to say unless what you have to say is interesting to others.” – Michael Masterson If You’re Trying to Impress Me, Don’t Do This He had been strongly recommended…

feign (verb)

To feign (FAYN) is to represent fictitiously or deceptively; to put on the appearance of . As I used it today: “I opened and shut my desk drawer loudly to feign some sort of activity in my office. ”

Tug Of War's Brief Olympic History

Tug of War was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920.

The latest issue of AWAI’s Barefoot Writer — June 14, 2020

In this issue: * 15 Ways to Reshape Your Brain and Propel Your Creativity Into the Stratosphere * Become a Google “Influencer” and Reap Near-Infinite Rewards * Are “Shiny, Flying Squirrels” Sabotaging Your…

Homeless Man Delivers Unexpected Wisdom

“Homeless guy spits some truth”

Fine Art As a Long-Term Investment

“There’s something to be said about the art-industrial complex, the collectors who recognize that your work has some sort of future economic value.” – Kehinde Wiley In 1989, a triptych by Francis Bacon sold…

acumen (noun)

Acumen (uh-KYOO-mun) is the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions. As I used it today: “Why is it that some art lovers – even those who have… no financial acumen at all – often make gobs of money…

Michael Jordan's Annual Nike Earnings Dwarf Malaysian Factory Workers

Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike each year than all the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

Favorite Essayist Delivers Quick Amusing Read

“Full Bore” – a quick, amusing read by one of my favorite essayists in Taki’s Magazine. Click here.

A hand-written note

I wanted to tell you what a crazy kick-ass year we had – and to thank you. If I hadn’t met with you in late 2016, I doubt very much I would have ended up [here]. And studying your career & your various…

Doctor Explains COVID-19 And Lockdown Most Clearly

I’ve watched 50+ interviews with doctors and scientists on COVID-19 and the lockdown. This doctor does the best job in explaining the facts in a way that anyone should be able to understand.

How Social Media Replaces Deep Reading With Shallow Bytes

The End of Real Knowledge “The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most…

Why Truth May Be Less Important Than We Like to Think

In Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear wrote about truth from an evolutionary perspective. He pointed out that for our primate ancestors, understanding the…

cursory (adjective)

Cursory (KER-suh-ree) describes something that is rapidly and often superficially performed or produced. As I used it today: “When you use search engines and social media to shape your thoughts on topical…

How to Change the World by Doing This One Thing Every Day” by James Altucher

A good thought piece. To read it, click here.

Schools of the Future: A Skeptical Look

This short WSJ video reports on what some believe schools will be like in the future. I don’t believe it…

The End of Intimacy, Trust, and Love

“When I got my first television set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships.” – Andy Warhol I’ve been thinking about how the world has been coming apart lately. Homo sapiens, as is often…

How A Police Station Encounter Changed My Perspective

On Friday, I wrote an essay trying to make sense of the senseless killing of George Floyd. As part of that essay, I told three stories about my personal experience with racism and police brutality. One of…

anagnorisis (noun)

Anagnorisis (a-nag-NOR-ih-sis) is the point in a play, novel, etc. in which a principal character recognizes or discovers another character’s true identity or the true nature of their own circumstances. As I…

Why Everything Eventually Falls Apart

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that in the universe (or any isolated system), there is a natural tendency to degenerate from order to chaos.

Supporting Police Reform Activists Beyond The Protests

If you don’t approve of the looting, but are horrified by the murder and want to do something actionable that is consistent with your moral and political views, you might want to contribute to this guy. (There…

George Floyd's Death And The Fight For Justice

“We can no longer ignore the fact that America is not the… land of the free and the home of the brave.” – Fannie Lou Hamer Black Lives Matter George Floyd was arrested, handcuffed, put facedown to the ground…

insouciant (adjective)

Insouciant (in-SOO-see-uhnt) describes a casual lack of concern; indifference. As I used it today: “There was something about the insouciant way in which [George Floyd] was killed… that made this killing…

Police Killings Of Unarmed Americans By Race

As to the perception that unarmed blacks are killed more often by police than unarmed whites… I assumed that was true. I looked it up. It’s not true. From 2016 to 2019, there were 208 killings of unarmed…

The Economics of Murder

(from Bill Bonner’s Diary) “Since the bottom of the Crisis of ’08-’09, the 20% of the population at the bottom of the heap – largely young and/or Black – has lost 25% of its wealth. “The next and biggest…

Must watch: “Woman gives powerful speech to looters on streets of NYC

Seven Personality Traits Of Entrepreneurial CEOs

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John C. Maxwell Hiring Someone to Grow Your Business: The 7 Personality Traits of a Superstar Entrepreneurial CEO So, you want to hire…

bromide (noun)

A bromide (BROH-mide) is a commonplace or hackneyed statement or notion. As I used it today: “That entrepreneurs (and the CEOs that run entrepreneurial companies) must be risk takers may be a bromide that is…

Pandemic Facts

* The shelter-in-place strategy was implemented to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. But hospitals didn’t collapse. We paid $660 million to set up mobile field hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients…

The latest issue of Independent Healing — June 3, 2020

In this issue: * Why most people will fail if they try to lose “pandemic pounds” with a traditional diet * The coronavirus risk factor every man needs to know about * 4 ways to stop COVID-somnia * How a…

Building The Ultimate Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder

How to build the perfect squirrel-proof bird feeder…

How to Be Happy With Your Money

“He that is of the opinion that money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.” – Benjamin Franklin How to Be Happy With Your Money It is often said that money doesn’t buy…

ephemeral (adjective)

Something that’s ephemeral (ih-FEH-mer-uhl) is fleeting or short-lived. As I used it today: “You may have heard the argument that people generally get more long-term pleasure out of spending money on…

CDC's Flawed Coronavirus Testing Data Reporting

The CDC has been remarkably unreliable in terms of reporting and interpreting data on the coronavirus pandemic. The latest example, reported in The Atlantic, is mind-blowing. In reporting the total tests for…

Why Your Snoring Might Signal A Serious Problem

Snoring is the sound of air trying to make it through the narrowed air passages in your throat. Having a large Adam’s apple and a thick tongue can contribute. Also being overweight, drinking, and smoking…

The Most Elaborate Basketball Trick Shot Ever

“70 Step Basketball Trick Shot” – I’ve watched a number of these ingenious games… devices? But this has to be the best.