Articles from 2022
900 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Postscript
Why Some People Really Hate Tesla Owners
This is odd… Apparently, some people really don’t like Teslas. Or Tesla owners.
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Notes From My Journal
Feeling Low…
I’ve been feeling low. My numbers (on my mood scale) have dropped from the 7.5 to 8.5 range to 6.5 to 7.5. That’s the difference between “Ready-to-go!” and “Why-should-I-bother?” Because I track my moods so…
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The Economy & Investing
Feeling a Bit Better…
That’s odd. Writing about the recent death of two friends somehow improved my mood. I have the mental energy now to get back to the gloomy subject of my last two blog posts. Last week, I told you what I think…
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Worth Watching
Kleo: A Stylish Spy Thriller With Wit And Bite
Kleo Netflix series – 8 episodes Premiered Aug. 19, 2022 Starring Jella Haase Someone whose opinion I value recommended Kleo to me. Was it one of my sons? He described it as “great but quirky.” As in: “You may…
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A Word to the Wise
Sui Generis: The Latin Term For Unique
Sui generis (soo-wee-JEN-uh-ris) – from the Latin for “of its own kind” – is a fancy way of saying “unique.” As I used it in my review of Kleo, above: “Yes, Killing Eve was an inspiration. So was Kill Bill…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Looking for a different way to spend the holidays?
Consider Rancho Santana, ranked one of the 100 best resorts in the world! This year, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. Lots of fun things planned. Check it out here!
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Readers Write
Reader Responses On Economic Crisis And National Defense
Re this series of essays I’ve been writing about the current state of the economy (see #3 in the series, above): “You really nailed it! Our economy is in deep trouble. What I honestly fear is war. We are as…
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Postscript
Caravaggio's Dramatic Light and Shadow Explained
If you love Caravaggio (and who doesn’t), you’ll love this! Watch it here.
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The Economy & Investing
More on the Long, Hard Road Ahead
We received a lot of responses to Tuesday’s essay about the seriously bad state of the US economy. Most were versions of “I think you’re right! What can I do about it?” But a few were along the lines of “What…
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Worth Reading
The Haunting of Hill House
If the book we choose to read is thin – say, less than 350 pages – the Mules will often read a second book. I don’t get it. It seems to me that one book is more than sufficient to fuel a good discussion. But I…
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A Word to the Wise
Feisty
describes someone who is lively, determined, and courageous. The word was originally applied to scrappy little hunting dogs. It also, oddly, seems to have something to do with farting. As I used it in my…
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Recommended Places
Zacatecas, Mexico
This article on Zacatecas, a relatively remote Mexican city, has piqued my interest in visiting it one day. In addition to the usual for old Spanish Colonial cities – majestic buildings, handsome squares, and…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Why Do Accents Vary So Dramatically Across Regions
Did you ever wonder how accents come about? It happens in every culture with every language. In some places, the variations are relatively minor, but, nevertheless, significant. In the city of London, for…
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Postscript
Portland State Students Struggle With Basic Logic Test
There is no better way to ruin a perfectly capable mind than to subject it to a liberal arts education at a US university. Here’s a disturbingly hilarious example… a throng of woke Portland State University…
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The Economy & Investing
Buckle Up – It’s Going to Be a Long, Hard Ride
The Republicans are grousing about inflation. It’s higher than it’s been in 40 years, they point out. It’s hurting working-class and even middle-class Americans. And it’s all Biden’s fault. The Biden…
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Worth Considering
The Dumbbell Prize for Economics: Were They Serious?
I thought it was a joke. I thought my colleague was kidding me. I opened the morning newspaper. It was true! Ben Bernanke had won the Nobel Prize for Economics! This was the same guy that almost…
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A Word to the Wise
shibboleth
A shibboleth (SHIH-buh-leth) – from the Hebrew – is a custom, principle, or belief associated with a particular group of people, especially a longstanding one regarded as outmoded or no longer important. As I…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Take a Cleansing Breath. Now Take Another
Click here to read a short essay from Scott Young on dealing with anxieties. These techniques won’t work for severe bouts of anxiety, but I’ve found that they do work for the moderate levels that most people…
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Arts & Letters
Ernest Hemingway's Mother Rejects The Sun Also Rises
Something I’ve learned about writing: You can’t assume that friends and family members will want to read your books and essays. Some won’t read them at all. (K doesn’t read my non-fiction writing because she…
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Worth Watching
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story A 10-episode docudrama on Netflix First episode: Sept. 21, 2022 Directed by Ryan Murphy Starring Evan Peters, Niecy Nash, Molly Ringwald, and Richard Jenkins I’ve always been…
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Postscript
The Evolution of Dance in Less Than 10 Minutes
Not Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but pretty damn impressive… Watch it here.
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News & Views
Do the Rich Pay Their “Fair” Share of Taxes?
AOC doesn’t think so. Neither does Bernie Sanders. Neither does Elizabeth Warren. And it’s not just left-leaning politicians. Ask ten Americans if the top 1% pay their “fair share” and nine of them will say…
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Arts & Letters
Bach, Rachel Carlson, and MC Escher
I’m a fan of MC Escher’s art. And Rachel Carlson’s writing. And Johann Sebastian Bach’s music. (Who isn’t?) But did you know that they are connected? Escher and Carlson were inspired by Bach. And each was also…
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Worth Reading
One of the Boys
One of the Boys By Daniel Magariel 176 pages Released March 14, 2017 by Scribner It was in one of several to-read stacks in my office. I selected it to take with me on the trip to Myrtle Beach because (1) it…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Are Ladies Lightweights?
The average woman weighs about 15% less than the average man. So why is it that all the rules on safe drinking suggest that the average man can safely drink twice as much alcohol as the average woman? Is this…
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Fun and/or Interesting
For Your Edification: The Best and Worst Airlines
I’ve done a fair amount of plane travel in my life. Not millions of miles. But probably close to a million. I’ve traveled domestically at least 1,000 times and internationally at least 100. There are many…
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Worth Quoting
Jean Kerr On Airplanes And Diets
“I feel about airplanes the way I feel about diets. It seems to me that they are wonderful things for other people to go on.” – Jean Kerr (who was my godmother!)
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Readers Write
Re my “Father-Son Talk” essay in the Oct. 11 issue
"I loved your piece on father-son talks. It was funny because it was so painfully true!” – SA “Once men were direct and straightforward. Sadly, slowly, they turned into pushovers.” – VB
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Postscript
Katy Perry's "One Of The Boys" And Changing Girlhood
Here’s Katy Perry singing “One of the Boys,” a song that was not inspired by the book I reviewed above (and, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with any of the book’s themes). It’s about something that…
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Notes From My Journal
The Father-Son Talk
I was twelve years old. My father and I were on the train, traveling from our home on Long Island to the city, where he was teaching a course in speed reading that I was taking. It was about eight a.m. Which…
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A Word to the Wise
Pansophic
– from the Greek pan (“all”) plus sophy “knowledge”) – means “wise, all-knowing.” As I used it, above: “I only heard the first sentence. It was articulated clearly in his pansophic voice. ‘Mark. Are you aware…
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Fun and/or Interesting
This may surprise you…
In Delray Beach, bike lanes are ubiquitous. The new ones are painted green and have a slightly different surface coating than does the road on which they are painted. They say it’s for safety. And that seems…
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Arts & Letters
Peak Stupid!
I’ve said in previous blog posts that I’m sure NFTs will be widely used in the art world over the next ten years. Not as art pieces themselves, but as digital ID tags that can be attached to each individual…
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Worth Watching
Two Recommended Netflix Series: The Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Atypical
Extraordinary Attorney Woo 16 episodes Original release: June 29 to Aug. 18, 2022 Developed by Kim Chul-yeon Available only on Netflix Have you seen Extraordinary Attorney Woo? Several people have recommended…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Are You Making This Mistake?
At the end of the day, I often watch a movie or episode of a series on my iPad as a sort of reward for my day’s work. I’m not alone in this. About 90% of Americans spend time on their phones or iPads just…
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Worth Watching
Paul Graham On The Value Of Contrarian Thinking
On the importance of being at least a little bit contrarian: “Let’s start with a test: Do you have any opinions that you would be reluctant to express in front of a group of your peers? If the answer is no…
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Inside Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
inside Paradise Palms…
The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, has one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world, as well as a growing collection of outdoor sculptures, a traditionally…
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Readers Write
Readers Share How Your Words Changed Their Lives
“I don’t expect you to remember me, but I met you over a decade ago at an event in Florida where you spoke. We chatted briefly at the bar. And that inspired me. I have read and followed you for years and I…
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Postscript
Brian Wilson And Robert Downey Jr's Favorite Songs
Far Out published two lists of “favorite songs” – one from Brian Wilson and the other from Robert Downey Jr. I’d have thought that I would much prefer to be friends with Robert Downey Jr., but maybe I was…
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Notes From My Journal
Old Friends
I’ve been in Myrtle Beach since Tuesday evening, a few days late to a yearly get together with some old friends. Golfing is the game that gives the week its official purpose. And when this annual reunion…
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Business & Marketing
War and Peace in Business
What Kind of Leader Are You? A colleague recently sent me an article titled “Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO.” It was written by Ben Horowitz, cofounder and partner of Andreesen Horowitz, a venture capital firm. The…
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A Word to the Wise
foment
To foment – from the Old French fomenter, “to apply a hot compress (to a wound)” – is to encourage or instigate. As I used it, above: “Peacetime CEOs and Tenders allow for, and even encourage, deviations and…
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Worth Watching
Uncle Tom: An Oral History of the American Black Conservative
Uncle Tom: An Oral History of the American Black Conservative Release Date: June 19, 2020 Directed by Justin Malone Written by Ryder Ansell, Larry Elder, and Justin Malone Available on various streaming…
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Worth Reading
The Everyday Patriot: How to Be a Great American Now
The Everyday Patriot: How to Be a Great American Now By Tom Morris 138 pages Published June 29, 2022 This was one of two books the Mules read in September. It’s short. A quick read. And it’s well intentioned…
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Fun and/or Interesting
The Surprising Ways Brands Protect Their Intellectual Property
Do you know the difference between a trademark, copyright, and patent? Did you know that it is possible to get a trademark for a color? Check out this fascinating article from The Hustle here.
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Readers Write
Re my essay about owning a piano in the Oct. 4 issue
“We have pianos in both our homes, too, for about the same reason as you do…. Two other items come to mind when I think about what used to make a house a home. The Encyclopedia Britannica and a globe. Later…
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Postscript
The Surprising Breadth Of Two-Beat Groove Music
An edifying example of the range of music that derives from what one musician calls “the two-beat groove”… Watch it here.
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Notes From My Journal
Why You Should Have a Piano
When I was growing up, a big house with a Cadillac in the driveway was the ultimate status symbol. Inside the house, it was a living room that no one ever sat in, with a grand piano in the corner. We Fords…
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Worth Quoting
Tom Lehrer On Life's Musical Metaphor
“Life is like a piano. What you get out of it depends on how you play it.” – Tom Lehrer
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News & Views
Are You in Favor of Reparations?
Then Prove It. Start Reparating Now. As for Me… No, I Don’t Think So. I’m Irish! Libby, my affluent, NYT-reading neighbor, is a huge fan of Ibram X. Kendi, whose bestseller, How to Be Anti-Racist, opened her…
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