Articles from 2021
442 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Notes From My Journal
Glowing Mermaid Sculpture Arrives At Paradise Palms
The latest addition to Paradise Palms & Sculpture Gardens arrived last week. We commissioned it about a year ago, and we’ve been eagerly awaiting its arrival. It’s the second piece we’ve purchased from Austin…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Buying Investment-Grade Art: An Inside View
“People don’t buy art based on the personality of the artist. Or there wouldn’t be much art bought and sold.” – David L. Wolper Buying Investment-Grade Art: An Inside View There is so much bullshit in the art…
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Postscript
Political Parody Beyond Saturday Night Live
If you like political parody but aren’t inclined to the perspective of SNL, there are plenty of equally good (often better) pieces done on social media.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
What Are You Waiting For? Start Firing Already!
“Procrastination is the thief of time.” – Edward Young What Are You Waiting For? Start Firing Already! You are ready. Your start-up idea passed the various tests you gave it. You have a handle on the size of…
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Worth Reading
French Museum Directors Revolt Against COVID Closures
Good news for art lovers… but only if you live in France. French museum directors have banded together and are revolting against the country’s COVID guidelines. Read the story here.
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Postscript
Interesting Maps: #2
Tracking a Single Eagle Over a 20-Year Period
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Worth Watching
A Man Called Ove
A Man Called Ove (2015) Directed by Hannes Holm Starring Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars, Ida Engvoll, and Filip Berg A Man Called Ove. It sounded familiar. Had I seen it? Did I read the book? I thought it might be…
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Worth Reading
Self-Reliance
Self-Reliance By Ralph Waldo Emerson 52 pages First published in 1841 Something about the word bothered me. If a writer was described as a “transcendentalist,” I didn’t want to read him. (Talk about prejudice…
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Postscript
Buster Keaton's Dangerous Stunt Work Revealed
I knew that the great Buster Keaton did his own stunts, but I never realized what risks he took!
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Notes From My Journal
Nicaragua's Hidden Gems For English-Speaking Travelers
The tourist board of Nicaragua did a short promotion highlighting the many amenities the country has to offer English-speaking tourists. Rancho Santana contributed to it. This short video does a good job of…
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — February 11, 2021
THE FACTS * The NAACP’s founders were all white. On February 12, 1909, Mary White Ovington, William English Walling, and Henry Moskowitz established the NAACP as an advocacy organization for black civil rights…
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Postscript
Digital Stethoscopes Are Transforming Modern Medicine
From my friend JS: This is very cool. The stethoscope is passé. Here’s what’s replacing it.
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
My Take on the GameStop/Reddit Fiasco
“A scam is a scam. A fraud is a fraud.” – Emily Thornberry Last week, I predicted that, despite the hype and bravado of those behind this fiasco, the share price of GameStop would eventually come back down to…
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Worth Reading
Nick Cave Prevails
On December 7, I commented about this: a fight between an art museum that allowed some “artist” (Nick Cave) to paint the words TRUTH BE TOLD on one of their walls, and the local community that objected to it…
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Postscript
America's Overlooked Illness Finally Gains Recognition
One of the lesser-recognized illnesses in America is finally getting the attention it deserves…
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Notes From My Journal
Happy Talk Is Here Again!
Contrary to what The New York Times has been saying for 9 months, they are now maintaining that the number of infections is not so important after all. What’s important is… well, here are some excerpts from a…
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Worth Considering
Washington Post Reverses Course On Lockdown Policy
And here’s another flip-flop… The Washington Post, staunch supporter of a federally mandated lockdown, has lately changed its tune: “Vaccines plus masks minus lockdowns. That’s the approach public health…
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Postscript
White House ASL Interpreter Accused Of Signing Conspiracies
While we’re pricking at this juicy topic of loony media bias, here’s a breaking story from the Jeff Bezos Post: an alarming report that the White House ASL interpreter might be signing right-wing conspiracies…
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Notes From My Journal
Purposeful Reading
I’ve long made it a practice to read at least 50 books a year – half fiction, half non-fiction. I read fiction for the experience of the story and the pleasure of the writing. Consequently, I read every…
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Worth Watching
Goodfellas (1990) Remains Masterfully Crafted Despite Its Simplicity
Goodfellas (1990) Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, and Joe Pesci I watched Goodfellas last night. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. I saw it first when it came out in 1990…
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Worth Reading
The Price of Privilege: Raising Healthier Affluent Children
The Price of Privilege By Madeline Levine 224 pages Published in 2006 by Harper Collins The Price of Privilege is two books in one. It’s a critique of how some affluent parents in America today handicap their…
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Postscript
Larry Elder Exposes Capitol Riot Political Hypocrisy
In this video, Larry Elders does a good job of pointing out and poking fun at the hypocrisy of the political rhetoric over the Capitol riots…
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Notes From My Journal
Kim Basinger's Oscar Win Couldn't Survive Contract Law
I try to read a question/answer each day in the French and Spanish editions of Quora to keep my language skills alive. I like Quora because the content is basic (easy to understand), and the questions are…
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Worth Considering
Could This Happen in the US?
Argentina is broke. It’s been sinking into debt for some time. The 2020 shutdowns from the pandemic have only made things worse. Seizing on the latter, the government just initiated a wealth tax with the…
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Worth Watching
Are we in control of our own decisions?
This is a very good TED Talk about decision making by Dan Ariely, Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, that should be helpful to both consumers and marketers. (I’ve been…
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Postscript
Interesting Maps: #1
States (shown in dark gray – nothing to do with their politics) That Have Collectively a Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County
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Worth Considering
The Rise of Cryptocurrencies
Another Reason to Buy Gold Longtime readers know that I own gold. I bought it not as an investment per se, but as a hedge against some extreme financial catastrophe, such as hyperinflation or (its cousin) the…
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Notes From My Journal
A Record-Breaking Year for Art
“Art is primordially eternal.” – Egon Schiele A Record-Breaking Year for Art Once a year, I like to make a quick survey of the art market to get a feeling for its current health and future direction. 2020 was…
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Postscript
Elon Musk's SpaceX: Beyond Electric Vehicles
You may have heard that Elon Musk is now the richest man in the world, bypassing Jeff Bezos. But you may be thinking, “He’s the Tesla guy. What else has he done?” Here’s a good, brief video that covers one of…
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Worth Watching
Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Directed by Otto Preminger Starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, and Ben Gazzara Anatomy of a Murder was shot in black and white – mostly indoor scenes – and directed by Otto Preminger…
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Worth Reading
A Moveable Feast
A Moveable Feast By Ernest Hemingway 1st ed. published in 1964 by Charles Scribner’s Sons 2nd “Restored” ed. published in 2009 by Seán Hemingway 223 pages (1964); 256 pages (2009) This was the second time I…
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Postscript
Guggenheim's Hidden Performing Arts Program Emerges From Lockdown
The Guggenheim is a great museum. And their performing arts program, which has been going on for years, is a very cool part of it. But it’s almost invisible. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because the venue, a…
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — January 29, 2021
THE FACTS * Kamala Harris is not the first person of color to be named VP of the US. From 1929 to 1933, Herbert Hoover’s number two was Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation and descendant of two…
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Postscript
Billie Eilish's Genuine Reaction To Fan Covers
Billie Eilish is clearly a very clever, calculating, and self-conscious artist. But watching her react to fan covers of her songs makes me think she’s genuine, too. Do you agree?
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Notes From My Journal
relative
For the past week or so, the press has been covering what it calls a dangerous new strain of COVID-19 (B.1.1.7 ). You’ve probably heard and/or read about it. The increase in risk, the reports say, is 30%…
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Notes From My Journal
Acting Matters More Than Directors Do
“Bad actors try to cry, and good actors try not to. Bad actors try to laugh, and good actors try not to.” – Martin Landau It’s Not All About the Director The same is true with making movies. Contrary to what…
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Postscript
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Transcendent Rainbow Rendition
Every time I hear Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Somewhere, Over the Rainbow,” I wonder: Is this the best song ever sung? When I listen to Mozart, I believe in god. When I listen to “IZ,” I believe in…
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From My Work-in-Progress Basket
Early-Stage Investing: What You Need to Know About This Hot New Alternative to the Stock Market
“The best early-stage venture capital investments appear obvious in retrospect; however, very few of them are actually obvious when you make them.” – David Sze Early-Stage Investing: What You Need to Know…
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Postscript
Impeachment Returns to the Political Agenda
In case you thought that impeachment might have been a passing phase....
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Notes From My Journal
My First Real Boss
My first boss was my mother. She had me working at 6 or 7 years old. But I’m sure I’ll be talking about her in more depth another time. My first real boss? I’m not sure. I got a job at the Rockville Centre Car…
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Introducing...
South Korea's Viral Dance Choreographer Lia Kim
Lia Kim Lia Kim is a dancer, choreographer, and trainer hailing from South Korea. A YouTube sensation with more than two million subscribers and three hundred million views, she serves as the chief…
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Postscript
Righteous Brothers Mistaken For Chambers Brothers In Video
Here’s an entertaining and persuasive video on the efficacy of wearing masks... CORRECTION: The “Blue-eyed Soul Singers” in Friday’s video are the Righteous Brothers, not the Chambers Brothers. If you missed…
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Notes From My Journal
Modern News Headlines Blur Opinion And Fact
Some say that old-fashioned, objective journalism no longer exists – that major media have abandoned their longstanding commitment to restricting their social, political, and personal views to the editorial…
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Worth Watching
Enter the Dragon (
Enter the Dragon (1973) Directed by Michael Clouse Starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon, and Jim Kelly I watched Enter the Dragon last night. And as it opened, I realized that I’d never seen it before. It is such a…
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Postscript
Seventy-Two-Year-Old Abuelo Still Going Strong
This “abuelo” is 72 years old!
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Notes From My Journal
The Migrants Are Coming! The Migrants Are Coming!
While watching the inauguration, my brother-in-law said, “Biden wasn’t even in office yet and the Trumpsters were already starting their conspiracy theories about Latino caravans marching towards our southern…
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Worth Considering
3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts — January 22, 2021
THE FACTS * Built for Donald Trump in 2018, Cadillac One is known as “The World’s Safest Car” or “The Beast” – and deservedly so. The limo-shaped tank has bulletproof windows and a reinforced chassis capable…
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Postscript
Classical Musicians React To Blue-Eyed Soul
I don’t know if you’ve seen these videos. Most are classically trained musicians responding in real time to accomplished popular music they are unfamiliar with. This one is a bit different, but just as much…
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Notes From My Journal
Everything Isn’t Always About You, Betsy!
January 17, 1983 Dear Betsy; You are sensitive to your own feelings; you indulge yourself in feelings which are always and exhaustingly about your reactions to people and events. You haven’t the faintest idea…
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Worth Considering
Someone Who Did for Others…
After reading Gellhorn’s letter, I found it interesting to read this amazing story. From The Epoch Times… “How Much Can One Person Really Do” Ever wonder how much one person can do against – well, everything?…
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