Articles from 2024
411 articles · browse by month or scroll through the year.
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News & Views
The Blue State vs. Red State Population War Continues
New York isn’t the only state losing entrepreneurs and high-income earners to lower-tax and lower-cost-of-living states like Florida and Texas. California is having the same experience. And for similar reasons…
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Worth Reading
How Money Walks
By Alexander Ward 368 pages Published Feb. 20, 2024 The WSJ recommended The Internationalists last week. I have at least 60 books piled up in various corners of my house and office that I’ve promised myself I…
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Worth Watching
The Tourist
Directed by Chris Sweeney Starring Jamie Dornan and Danielle McDonald Series 1 (6 episodes) premiered Jan. 1, 2022 on BBC One; currently on Netflix Series 2 (6 episodes) launches Feb. 29 on Netflix Watch Time…
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The Economy & Investing
Government Unemployment Numbers Hide Economic Reality
Last week, Sean demonstrated something that everyone that wants to understand the true state of our economy needs to understand: Many of the numbers we get from government agencies, numbers that are repeated…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ten Life Hacks I Haven’t Tried Yet
I came across this in a magazine someone left in an airport. It’s from Bruce Wilson, who self-identifies as a social researcher and world traveler. I thought it was pretty good and worth passing on to you. 1…
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Worth Quoting
Just One Sip and No More!
From James Clear, a master of pithy advice: “It is not worth it to be greedy over a single transaction. Even if you’re not going to work with the person again. Even if you think word won’t get out. Even if you…
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Quiz of the Week
Birds of Prey
I got 13 out of 15 of these quiz questions right – a lot better than I expected.
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Readers Write
From JS
“Mark, did you see the Feb. 6 press conference the Republicans had defending Donald Trump against claims of ‘insurrection’ and then charging the major media with covering up news that damaged Biden and son? If…
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Postscript
Listen to this!
A vibrant, multi-layered Michael Jackson medley by the very talented musicians of 40 Fingers. Click here.
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Notes From My Journal
Five Contrarian Truths About Behavior Modification
Five Contrarian Truths About Behavior Modification I’ve been thinking about a thesis I cooked up about a year ago, which, if it continues to feel valid as I write about it, will become a book. The thought is…
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News & Views
Election Watch — February 12, 2024
1. Back to My Prediction re the 2024 Election Late last week, in response to special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s mishandling of classified information, the Dept. of Justice admitted that Biden did…
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The Economy & Investing
Chart of the Week: Misleading Job Growth Numbers
Chart of the Week: Misleading Job Growth Numbers This week, Sean investigates reports of US job growth in recent months – reports that the Biden administration is touting as evidence of the success of…
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Worth Reading
1. Night at the Fiestas: Stories
By Kristin Valdez Quade 304 pages Originally published March 16, 2015 I don’t remember how this got onto my to-read list. I half-liked the title – a collection of possibly good, possibly literary short stories…
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Worth Watching
1. Society of the Snow
Directed and co-written by J.A. Bayona Released Sept. 9, 2023 (Venice Int’l Film Festival) Streaming on Netflix Jan. 4, 2024 Watch Time: 144 min. In 1972, a Uruguayan plane, chartered to transport a rugby team…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Ten Quick Bites…
* Crazy: It costs about three cents to produce a single penny. And the US lost more than $93 million producing pennies in 2022 alone. Click here. * Scary: Last week, I reported that 2023 was the hottest year…
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Quiz of the Week
Famous Paintings
Easy one! I aced it! Click here.
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Worth Quoting
From Mark Twain
“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.”
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Readers Write
From JS: “How Does a BAD Thing Succeed?
“As we all know, the country of Argentina is in a very, very bad economic situation, with inflation and poverty skyrocketing – and it was one of the richest countries in the world. How does that happen? Just…
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Postscript
For Your Enjoyment: Winners of “The Human Element” Photo Contest
Last September, TIME Magazine and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) launched a global competition called “The Human Element,” seeking to showcase portrait photography in all its forms. The…
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Notes From My Journal
Five Contrary Truths I Learned Too Late in My Life
Five Contrary Truths I Learned Too Late in My Life. If You Are Younger Than 73, You Can Be Five Steps Ahead of Me! I’ve spent what probably amounts to an unhealthy amount of my spare time trying to figure out…
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The Economy & Investing
Yes, Restaurant Prices Are Higher – Considerably Higher!
Yes, Restaurant Prices Are Higher – Considerably Higher! K and I spent a long weekend in LA at the end of last month visiting Numbers One and Two Sons and their families. Dado (yours truly) was happy to grab…
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News & Views
Conspiracy Watch — February 6, 2024
1. Is Taylor Swift a Psyop? In the middle of digging into my neck muscles, G, my massage therapist, said something about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce being some sort of “psyop,” and that, somehow, they were…
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Worth Reading
1. The Triple Package
By Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld 352 pages Originally published Feb. 4, 2014 SL, founder of The Mules (my book club), gave me this book to read. He had recently interviewed Amy Chua on his podcast about…
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Worth Watching
Griselda
A six-part Netflix miniseries Directed by Andrés Baiz Starring (and co-produced by) Sofia Vergara Premiered Jan. 25, 2024 Watch Time: 1 hr. per episode Griselda is a biographical crime series dramatizing the…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Quick Bites: Ka-Ching!... Pant! Pant!... Splish-Splash!... OMIGOD!
* Intriguing: First Costco… then Walmart. Why have these major retailers suddenly begun selling gold? Click here. * Weird: It’s not your imagination. 2023 was the hottest year since scientists began tracking…
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Quiz of the Week
History Quiz: First Millennium CE
I had a perfect streak going on this quiz until I got to the last two questions. Damn!
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Worth Quoting
From James Clear
“You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something. Celebration can rescue your day – even if it…
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Readers Write
From DG: Suing the COVID Makers
“As you can see from this article, it looks like people are suing the drug companies over the COVID vaccines in the UK. I remember you saying they couldn’t do this in the US, but it does raise another question…
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Postscript
Is your car being eaten by a rodent?
This was sent to me to share with you by GM, a regular reader and contributor, who said this happened to his VW… “Until the mid-1980s, cars were made from metal, glass, and plastic, which was made from…
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The Economy & Investing
Newsom’s Magnificently Stupid Plan to Fill His State’s $68 Billion Budget Hole
Newsom’s Magnificently Stupid Plan to Fill His State’s $68 Billion Budget Hole Governor Newsom and California Democrats are once again “pioneering” an economic idea that is bound to fail. I don’t know what…
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Worth Reading
Einstein in Time and Space
A Life in 99 Particles By Samuel Graydon 368 pages Published Dec. 14, 2023 I’ve read a few books about Einstein before. No genuine biographies, but books that promised to help me understand a bit about his…
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Worth Watching
Forgotten Love
Directed by Michal Gazda Produced by Netflix Released Sept. 27, 2023 Watch Time: 2 hrs. 20 min. Forgotten Love is Neflix’s adaptation of a 1992 classic Polish melodrama – the third adaptation of the Polish…
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News & Views
Conspiracy Watch
Conspiracy Watch What Really Happened to George Floyd? Three years after George Floyd died lying on the ground, face down, under the knee of Officer Derek Chauvin, some surprising and, for some, inconvenient…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Three Unexpected Trends Taking Over The Internet
Quick Bites: A Rabbit Hole You Probably Don’t Want to Go Down… A Survival Tactic You Probably Don’t Need to Know… Tap, Tap, Tappety-Tap! * A new YouTube rabbit hole: People recording themselves getting fired!…
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Quiz of the Week
Classic Movie Soundtracks
This is clearly not my area of expertise. I got seven out of 15 correct on this quiz. And of the seven, four were guesses!
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Readers Write
From BK
“Mark…You are getting more political these days. I like it!” My Response: Western Civilization is definitely on the downslope. One can ignore some of it, and even laugh about some of it, but there’s never been…
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Postscript
News from Rancho Santana
This is an owner update I just received from the Rancho Santana team. It’s not meant for the public. But that makes it better in that it gives you a sense of the quality of the resort, the kindness of our…
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SPECIAL ISSUE
The Hamas-Israel Conflict
This is a supplement to my regular weekly blog. I am publishing it separately because I know that the interest level of readers varies – from mild to intense – depending on the topic. So when I am especially…
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Notes From My Journal
Things I’ve Been Thinking About Lately — January 15, 2024
White Privilege, Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, Identity Politics… How Academia’s Dumbest Ideas Became So Popular I had just finished a chapter of a book I’m writing in which, among other things, I…
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The Economy & Investing
2023 Was a Pretty Good Year for the Global Economy, but…
2023 Was a Pretty Good Year for the Global Economy, but… Despite widespread global inflation, geopolitical problems, and the economic after-effects of COVID and the lockdowns, the global economy in 2023 did a…
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News & Views
Election Watch
Election Watch Trump Must Be Reading This Blog Donald Trump must be reading my blog, because he’s just predicted that Biden won’t be running against him in the 2024 election. In a recent interview with…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Quick Bites: Hot Stuff… Dumb Stuff… and an “Impossible” Challenge Smashed
Quick Bites: Hot Stuff… Dumb Stuff… and an “Impossible” Challenge Smashed McDonald’s Under Attack! You may have seen video clips of McDonald’s customers being harassed by pro-Palestinian protestors. It’s…
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Quiz of the Week
How much do you know about the Vikings?
I scored only 12 out of 20 on this quiz, but I found the ones I didn’t know fascinating. The Vikings contributed more to British and American civilization that most people realize, including some of our best…
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Postscript
Another two thumbs up for Rancho Santana!
This rave review from Men’s Journal provides a good summary of all the adventures that can be enjoyed there.
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Notes From My Journal
I Am 17 and I Don’t Know Where to Go with My Life
“I Am 17 and I Don’t Know Where to Go with My Life” I frequently get requests from my readers asking for advice, and I do my best to answer their questions and get them pointed in the right direction…
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The Economy & Investing
Chart of the Week — January 8, 2024
Chart of the Week One of the numbskull ideas that have always been part of political discussions is that the ups and downs of the economy and/or the financial markets are responses to the legislative or…
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News & Views
Two Takes on Dems’ Efforts to Keep Trump Off the Ballots
Two Takes on Dems’ Efforts to Keep Trump Off the Ballots Republican Senator Eric Schmitt calls the Colorado Supreme Court ruling to remove Trump from the state primary ballot “one of the most dangerous court…
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Worth Reading
Can the US Fight Three Major Wars Simultaneously?
Can the US Fight Three Major Wars Simultaneously? Read Time: 8 minutes Michael Snyder believes that 2024 will be a “year of war.” In the Jan. 1 issue of his blog, he says, “In recent years our military has…
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Inside Paradise Palms Botanical & Sculpture Gardens
Painting in Paradise — January 8, 2024
Painting in Paradise They call themselves plein air (i.e., outdoor) painters, a term that came into prominence during the early decades of the 20th century. It referred to the Impressionist painters who worked…
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Fun and/or Interesting
Quick Bites: UFOs?… Airborne Criminal… Just When You Thought Sports Couldn’t Get Crazier… a Powerful Motown Cover
Quick Bites: UFOs?… Airborne Criminal… Just When You Thought Sports Couldn’t Get Crazier… a Powerful Motown Cover * I’m not up on my UFO history… although I do know that the topic has been getting more…
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