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 petroleum. Then, in Europe, regulations were passed making car manufacturers responsible for the vehicles they made ‘from the cradle to the grave’ – i.e., from the time it is made to the time it is retired from service and disassembled so that the materials can be easily recycled. In response, European manufacturers began to replace whatever materials they could with recyclable materials.

“It sounded like a great idea. Nobody objected to it. But there was one thing they didn’t count on: Those eco-friendly materials can be pretty tasty.”

Click here.

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 employees, and their accomplishments in 2023. Click here.

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.

At a time like the one we are living through today… with so much division and discord and even antipathy… when almost every piece of news we encounter is laced with emotional tension… where every heartfelt thought one has feels like a landmine… something as pedestrian and almost cliché as this video can, for a few moments, serve as a sort of aloe for the hate-burned heart.

“To get what you want, deserve what you want. Trust, success, and admiration are earned.” – Charlie Munger

One last thought… 

“There is nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.” – Erma Bombeck

I don’t know about this… 

It’s an Apple holiday ad called “Fuzzy Feelings.” It combines stop-motion animation and live action to tell a modern-day version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but less nuanced and more predictable. Plus, it’s politically correct. And yet, it works. Mostly due, I think, to the soundtrack: George Harrison’s Isn’t It a Pity. Click here.

2023 was a big year for FunLimón! 

Click here to read about just a few of the many accomplishments of our students and athletes.

His Friends Agree: George Clooney’s a Class Act!

You may have heard this story about George Clooney’s special “thank you” dinner for his 14 “closest friends.” If you haven’t, you should read this account of it. It’s touching. And pretty funny… if you read to the very end! Click here.

“Thank you Mr. President” 

Last week, in Letters of Note, Sean Usher published a Thanksgiving issue on gratitude. Instead of the usual – a list of things he is thankful for – he published two letters by Jackie Kennedy. One to Lyndon Johnson and one to Nikita Krushchev. They are remarkable. Take a look here.