Bernard Arnault 

1. No. I don’t believe it! Bernard Arnault, who might be the richest man on earth, is being investigated for money laundering in France. Specifically, he’s suspected of trying to conceal an investment in a $13 million asset. What’s going on here? Who could believe that he would do such a thing? Click here.
2. Who gives a shit? Freddie deBoer on white men talking about why other white men should “check their privilege.” Click here.
3. Where are all the millionaires going? When the super-rich relocate, they tend to go where they think they’ll have the best lives as rich guys. Their top concerns are safety, lifestyle, taxation, and economic freedom and opportunity. That said, here are the countries projected to get the most millionaires in 2023.
4. Golf and automatic weapons? What’s going on? For three weeks in a row, Chicago police have found loaded weapons in cars parked out of Topgolf – a fancy, family friendly sports center in the quiet, suburban town of Naperville. Click here.
5. From Condé Nast Traveler: Top 20 Resorts in Central America. Rancho Santana came in 4th. Click here.

George Bernard Shaw 

1. Shaw on Shakespeare: “Dig Him Up and Throw Stones at Him.” I have always had the rather conventional view that William Shakespeare was the greatest playwright in the English language. And not by a little. So, I was shocked to come across the following critique of a performance of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline from an 1896 issue of the Saturday Review. The reviewer is none other than the great George Bernard Shaw. As someone who prides himself on being the harshest, most bombastic, most bloviating critic among The Mules, (my book club), I take my hat off to Shaw here. I think he’s wrong on every charge. But the rant itself – one must admit – is sublime. Click here.

2. America’s Share of the World’s Equity Markets. I knew the US stock market was the world’s biggest, but I didn’t realize it was that big. I was also intrigued to see that emerging market countries account for nearly 10% of the breakdown. That sounds like opportunity. Click here. (Source: the Visual Capitalist website, via JS)

3. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about… You can ignore the first two minutes of this clip. Around minute three, this molecular scientist gets into his concern. His team’s discovery that the Pfizer mRNA vaccine is contaminated with plasmid DNA. I don’t know what that means – but he seems to think it’s concerning because the DNA contamination doesn’t go away over time. Click here.

4. Six movie adaptations that drastically changed their novels’ endings.Which changes do you agree with? Which made the original story worse? Click here.

5. Click here to take a basic test on legal terms. I thought I might ace it, but I got only 24 out of 29 correct, for a total of only 83%. Oh, well…

1. Another inflation storm is coming! Sean MacIntyre, my partner, the most entertaining polymath I know, talks about why the many dire predictions on inflation didn’t pan out and what his current data is telling him about the stock market later this year. He also gives a BA on inflation in just a single short video! Click here.
2. How corrupt is the medical/health industry? Click here to listen to Dr. Jason Fung on “Financial Conflicts of Interest and the End of Evidence-Based Medicine.”
3. Advice on how to become a successful writer from Octavia E Butler. She apparently failed to become one, but her advice is spot on. Click here.
4. Amazon is investing billions in AI. Specifically, in Anthropic, the company that published chatbot Claude 2, which is meant to be a rival for OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Click here.
5. And now CNN is going after Biden. As I said in the Sept. 19 issue, it’s already been decided that Biden won’t run next year. Here’s more evidence.

1. The crazy and growing cost of Hollywood’s strikes. Analysts say the writers’ and actors’ strikes have cost California’s economy $5 billion so far, affecting not just the entertainment industry, but caterers, dry cleaners, transport companies, and more. Click here.
2. Remote work is here to stay. That is the opinion of many. And that has been my opinion since the beginning of the COVID shutdown. I’m not so sure anymore, because of the current, very aggressive, push on the part of some large companies to re-establish the old in-office standard. While that is working itself out, the HubSpot blog has published a report on the remote work trends to watch in 2023 and beyond. Click here.
3. 3. Do you read short stories? If so, you may enjoy these ideas about what makes it so worthwhile. Click here.
4. Gun violence in America. I’m not entirely sure if the logic employed here is solid. I want to think about whether the conclusion derives from the facts. But the facts are interesting. Click here.
5. Test your knowledge of orchestras. (I got 18 out of 21 on this one.) Click here.

1. “Look at them freakin’ teeth!” Pensacola beachgoers rescue a shark that washed ashore. Click here.
2. Okay, you are a fun guy. And inclusive. But… you are also a grown-up. Is getting spanked by a drag queen at a campaign event really such a good idea? Click here.
3. 10 Mexican Cities you can comfortably retire to on $2,500 a month. I’m not familiar with these cities, so I’m not recommending them. But if you are the sort that favors charm over comfort, and you speak Spanish or are willing to learn, they might be worth a look. Click here.
4. Middle school teacher goes full woke. Click here.
5. Joe? He’s just fine, folks. Click here.

Ben Kawaller 

1. Ben Kawaller of The Free Press meets the Democratic Socialists of America. Click here.
2. A diversity trainer speaks out against DEI. Click here.
3. Economics Lesson: “You can’t have free immigration and a welfare state.” Does she get it? Click here.
4. I hope this is real. This young woman has good technique, but in real fighting situations good technique rarely succeeds so neatly. Still, it’s nice to believe… Click here.
5. Test your knowledge of currency nomenclature. I’ve done a lot of traveling, so that helped. I was nevertheless surprised that I aced this one. Click here.

1. Were prehistoric mass extinctions caused by climate change or human activity? A new study changes the debate. Click here.

2. A 10-point primer on the mRNA COVID shots. Why they’re different from and riskier than other vaccines. Click here.

3. Is teaching proper English racist? Good question! Click here.

4. Who’s your favorite Karen? I’m sorry. I can’t stop posting these Karen meltdown clips. Click here.

5. Check this out! Dozens of fascinating live camera feeds, 24/7. Click here.

1. Images from an annual gathering of redheads. Click here.
2. Boogie Nights. American Graffiti. Dirty. Ranking the 50 best soundtrack albums. Click here.
3. Inside Thailand’s homemade rocket festival. Click here.
4. Mapped! The seven wonders of the ancient world. Click here.
5. I would have graduated 8th grade with honors. I aced this very basic quiz on American history. Click here.