Articles from 2022
900 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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Fun and/or Interesting
Wealth Building Advice for Copywriters (or Anyone Else)
Here’s a short interview I did recently with Jade Trueblood, the Director of Training at American Writers & Artists Institute. In introducing it, she said that though my advice was geared towards copywriters…
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Worth Considering
Politics vs. Science
Question: Which country has reduced CO2 emissions by the greatest number of total tons in the last 15 years? Answer: The USA. Question: Do scientists universally agree that “gender-affirming care” does more…
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A Word to the Wise
Ipso facto
– Latin for “by that very fact or act” – means “as an inevitable result.” It’s usually used where a conclusion can be drawn from one fact, even where other facts could contribute to it. As I used it above…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Eating for Longevity
My friend BS came by the other night to see how I was doing. The conversation turned to our mutual health scares and what he has been doing since he had his own near-death event. One thing he’s doing is paying…
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Worth Watching
The Outfit
The Outfit Released in theaters (US) March 18, 2022 Written and directed by Graham Moore Starring Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, and Johnny Flynn Available on various streaming services, including Amazon Prime The…
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Readers Write
Readers Celebrate Your Successful Surgery And Recovery
“I’m thrilled your surgery went well! Awesome goals you have and excited to see you pursue them with your newfound health!” – HG “Happy to know you are doing well – and happier to note the power of your…
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Postscript
Remember this one?
From SC, a high-school friend, who says, “Not sure there has ever been a music video that got me ‘jumping’ more than this one.” It’s the Pointer Sisters singing Jump, their biggest hit, nominated for a Grammy…
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Notes From My Journal
Hurricane!
It’s been a long time since a strong hurricane passed through this part of Florida. The last one that hit us hard was Irma, a Category 4 storm, in 2017. Ian came and went Tuesday and Wednesday with only a…
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Business & Marketing
Checking In on Checking Out
The last time I was in an airport, I selected a coffee and a sandwich at a kiosk, only to discover that there was no one there to check me out. I stood there, puzzled. Then I noticed that the cash register was…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How the World Will Look to Your Kids and Grandkids
I’ve always thought that the answer to racism would be miscegenation on a universal scale. Likewise with religious intolerance: Make it a universal law that you can get married only to someone of a different…
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A Word to the Wise
Miscegenation
is a fancy word for “interracial marriage.” Now usually considered offensive or pejorative, it is derived from a combination of the Latin miscere (“mix”) and genus (“race”). As I used it above: “I’ve always…
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Worth Watching
Sir Subverts The Wealthy Man Poor Woman Romance
Sir Released (France) Dec. 26, 2018 Written, produced, and directed by Rohena Gera Starring Tillotama Shome and Vivek Gomber Available on Netflix During my time in the hospital, I was so distracted that…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Julien's Guide To Spain's Greatest Red Wines
From Bonner Private Wine Partnership: Julien talks about the best Spanish reds…
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Inside Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
Exploring The Everglades Palm At 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 Celebrate A Beloved Mentor's Return
“I just wanted to say how happy I am to see you get through your recent speed bump in life. I really love your blog and look forward to reading your observations. I’ve learned a lot over the years. Please stay…
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Postscript
Why Do Old-Man Jokes Still Make Us Laugh
I have a file marked “Old-Man Jokes.” It’s filled with jokes distributed among various groups of golfing buddies and high school friends. For most of the world, these jokes are groaners. And rightly so…
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The Economy & Investing
What We Can Learn from the Bond Rate
Anyone whose financial comfort is dependent to some degree on the US economy (i.e., everyone in the world) should be praying that the Federal Reserve is making the right moves to keep it from slipping off the…
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Notes From My Journal
Missing Out
I’m gradually getting back into my various projects, but there was one thing I had to cancel that I regret. I was supposed to be spending this week in El Salvador, presenting, with Suzanne Snider, our book…
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Worth Watching
À Bout de Souffle (Breathless)
À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) Release date (US): February 7, 1961 Directed by Jean-Luc Godard Starring Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo Available on various streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon…
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Fun and/or Interesting
How World War II Transformed French Cinema
Click here for a short explanation of how WWII changed everything, including the way movies were made in France.
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Fun and/or Interesting
What Black Americans Really Think About Voter ID Laws
I actually did this… I asked two of my progressively minded friends why they believed voter ID requirements discriminated against African Americans. They both gave me the same answer – the one you see in this…
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Readers Write
Breaking Into Direct-Response Copywriting Today
Emails about my surgery keep coming. (I’ll be answering as many as I possibly can personally.) As always, I’m happy to say, I’m also getting requests for my help/advice. Like this one… “Ever since I completed…
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Postscript
Who is Chad Powers, and where did he learn to throw like that?
I’ve seen lots of these. A high-level athlete disguises himself as old person and smokes mid-level athletes in a spontaneous competition. But this one is a bit different. Here, you have the high-level athlete…
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The Economy & Investing
Should I Build That Apartment Building?
(It’s All About Supply and Demand) I’m back in the office today. I am determined to work diligently. With purpose, but without attachment. I sit down, close my eyes, and think good thoughts. I’m happy to be…
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Arts & Letters
Fine Art and the Great Wealth Transfer
I can’t remember where I read it, but over the next two decades something like $70 trillion will be passed down from America’s Baby Boomers to their kids and grandkids. About $40 trillion of that will go to…
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Worth Reading
Men Without Women
Men Without Women By Ernest Hemingway 128 pages First published in 1927 Men Without Women is Hemingway’s second short story collection. There are 14 stories in all. Most are short and sparse, more journal…
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Fun and/or Interesting
This Week’s Must-Be-Fake News
New York is going to place convicted pot dealers at the front of the legal pot business line. According to the NYT, the state has set up a $200 million fund from which licensees will take out loans to start…
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A Word to the Wise
Ontological
relates to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being. As I used it today: “I read [Men Without Women] while I was in the hospital last week, nodding in and out of consciousness. It was a…
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Inside Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
World-Class Palm Collection Takes Root In Florida
The conservancy that I’m developing in West Delray Beach, FL, is destined to be (if I have anything to say about it) one of the largest and best-curated palm tree collections in the world. It also features a…
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Readers Write
Community Rallies Around Mark's Health Journey
“Really appreciated seeing your Friday post. A terrific message that I wish others would embrace. We each need to advocate for ourselves…. Keeping you in our hearts and prayers!” – MB “Talked to SM today… and…
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Postscript
Charles III's Vision For A Modern Monarchy
Ever since the NYT turned anti-England, I’ve been pro-monarchy. My stroke prevented me from keeping up with the funeral, and so I missed this short speech by Charles III, the new king. His language is a bit…
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Notes From My Journal
All Fixed Up and Ready to Go!
Friday, September 16: My surgery was scheduled for 12:30 pm. At 9:15 am, K came back from her exercise class to say that there had been a scheduling mix-up. I was supposed to report for my surgery in 15…
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Fun and/or Interesting
This week’s head scratcher
* This week’s head scratcher: Bank of America is testing a program to help Black and Latino buyers get mortgages. If you qualify (if you have Black or Brown skin), you can get a zero-down, low-interest-rate…
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Fun and/or Interesting
It’s Fun! It’s Challenging. But Is It Making You Smarter?
Everyone I know that’s over 50 plays some sort of brain game to keep their thinking strong and their memory clear. I do the NYT crossword, Spelling Bee, and Sudoku. I also play chess and other word and logic…
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Arts & Letters
The Art Business Is Still Booming
Both Fine Art and Forgeries! In this age of digital information, you’d think forgeries would be easier to detect. They should be. (And they will be when NFTs come into common use.) But when the art market is…
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Worth Considering
The Earth’s Population in Perspective
BJ sent me this. I love these sorts of statistical lists… that put life into perspective. The Earth’s Population in Perspective The population of the Earth is around 7.8 billion. However, if you condense 7.8…
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Worth Watching
Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., and Tommy Lee Jones
Natural Born Killers Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., and Tommy Lee Jones Directed by Oliver Stone Available on various streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime I…
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Worth Quoting
John Milton On Gratitude And Everyday Transcendence
“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” – John Milton
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A Word to the Wise
Palaver
– from the Late Latin parabola (“speech”) – is idle talk; an unimportant discussion that goes on too long. As I used it today: “From his palaver with the nurses and aides after the doctor left, I learned that…
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Readers Write
Readers Celebrate Author's Decision To Continue Writing
I’m happy to say that, in addition to many, many good wishes, I’ve been getting lots of positive feedback about my decision to keep going with this blog… “Thrilled to hear you found a better neurologist and…
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Postscript
How Modest Openings Create Powerful Artistic Impact
A good deal of the satisfaction we have with aesthetic experience is anticipation – i.e., whether the experience meets or exceeds our expectations. Those expectations are often set by critiques we’ve read or…
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Notes From My Journal
A Quick Update
I’m Back! I signed off on Tuesday saying that I might be ending the blog. “Check back with me on Friday,” I said. And here it is Friday… and I’m back! A Quick Update After I wrote that post, they did another…
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Postscript
On a lighter note…
For the last several years, much to K’s chagrin, my political and social views have become more conservative. Whenever I voice such an opinion, she dismisses it by insisting that I must have an undetected…
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Notes From My Journal
It’s Ironic. And Surprising. And Scary
I finished the edits to Friday’s issue on Thursday afternoon. If you read it, you will remember that the main bit was about aging – how my perspective on getting older has changed throughout my life. I said…
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Worth Quoting
Theodore Roosevelt On Taking Action Over Indecision
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
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Notes From My Journal
Feeling My Age… Finally!
I’ll be in Myrtle Beach for a week in October, a yearly get-together with some life-long friends, playing golf, watching football, talking shit, and reminiscing. We’ll rehash old stories about the halcyon days…
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Worth Quoting
Robert Frost On Life's Unexpected Revelations
“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” – Robert Frost
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Worth Reading
Raylan
Raylan By Elmore Leonard 288 pages Originally published Dec. 26, 2012 by William Morrow Raylan, the second of two books I read this month for the Mules, is, in some ways, better than Hombre, which I reviewed…
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Worth Watching
Justified
Justified A 6-part series developed for TV by Graham Yost Starring Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, and Joelle Carter Available on various streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime The TV series…
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Conspiracy Theory of the Week
Canada's Healthcare System Euthanasia Conspiracy Claim
I’m starting a new department: Conspiracy Theory of the Week. Once a week, I’ll give you one or several of the most outlandish conspiracy theories I come across from the right- and the left-leaning media. This…
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