Author: ynot

Jack & Diane –

Two American Kids doing the best they can…. WIP

WIP – Work in Progress- Like most of us… They met between peaches and promises at the Saturday market. Diane laughed with her whole face. Jack mistook the flash for sunrise and bought her a jar of honey to make it last. For a while, everything tasted like that honey—toast, coffee, even the air. They’d park by the old football field where August still smells like grass and brass. The soft-serve stand’s flickering neon spoon buzzed along with the radio’s three stubborn chords. They ate on the hood of Jack’s fading red car and talked the way kids do—big, … Continue readingJack & Diane –

Two American Kids doing the best they can…. WIP

The Recession Nobody Wants to Admit

If you want to know when a downturn is coming, don’t check the Fed’s spreadsheets—ask the trucker sitting at a rest stop with an empty trailer. Right now, everyday business owners already know: orders are slowing, inventories are piling up, and credit lines are being maxed out before the banks change the rules. Wall Street is still selling the “soft landing” dream, but the bond market is screaming something very different. The last time we saw warning signs this sharp was 2007, right before the crash. And just like then, the Fed is the last to figure it out. … Continue readingThe Recession Nobody Wants to Admit

The Economy of 2025 Through Three Lenses and the Austrian Business Cycle Theory

“An economist can explain yesterday, predict tomorrow, and still be surprised by today’s tide. If I want to understand the economy, I don’t bother staring at the clouds of statistics—watch the sailboats outside my window. When the tide is high, everyone thinks they’re a captain; when it runs low, you discover who can steer without hitting the rocks. In 2025, we find ourselves on a swollen tide of debt, interest, and worry, with three captains shouting different directions. The Austrians tell us the tide rose too fast and must fall back to its own level. The Keynesians insist we … Continue readingThe Economy of 2025 Through Three Lenses and the Austrian Business Cycle Theory

After the Dollar —

How China Wants to Replace the Dollar Internationally

(and Why It Matters to You)

If you want to know what a country really believes, don’t read the press release—check the backend. China’s spinning up a new money stack, where the uptime is guaranteed by metal, not messaging. Picture vaults as data centers, the Shanghai Gold Exchange as the load balancer, and every bar stamped like a verified block. They’re basically saying: “Don’t trust us—verify the collateral.” That’s not philosophy; that’s infrastructure. And when someone rewires the payments layer of the world, the rest of us should probably keep our multi-factor on and our go-bag packed. China is building a gold-anchored alternative to the … Continue readingAfter the Dollar —

How China Wants to Replace the Dollar Internationally

(and Why It Matters to You)

Real Life Oceans 11

meet the French Crown Jewels at the Louvre Museum

If Hollywood invent this story, folks would gripe the plot was far-fetched: four fellows in hard hats roll up on a sleepy Sunday, hoist themselves to a window, and—without so much as mussing the Mona Lisa’s smile—make off with France’s finest in the time it takes a Parisian to butter a croissant. “Impossible,” the critics would crow. And yet, here we are. Real life went and did what the movies only pretend to do. Reports say the crew hit around 9:30 a.m., daylight bright as a confession. They came dressed as workmen, brought their own lift, kissed the glass … Continue readingReal Life Oceans 11

meet the French Crown Jewels at the Louvre Museum

The RE Market That

Wouldn’t Bounce and Why That’s Fine By Me

If you listen close, you can hear the housing market wheezing and puffing  like an old sailboat fighting the current. The Fed tugged the whistle cord last month, cut rates, and waited for the crowd to come rushing back to the docks. Instead, the buyers folded their arms, checked their wallets, and said, “Prices first,” New listings are up ~4.1% year-over-year—biggest jump in four months. Pending sales are down ~1.2%—biggest drop in five. Thirty-year mortgages hover near ~6.2%—down from the peak, still double the glory days. Meanwhile, active inventory keeps climbing, days-on-market stretch longer, and price-cut signs spring up … Continue readingThe RE Market That

Wouldn’t Bounce and Why That’s Fine By Me

The Curious Case of

“Fixable Dementia”

Here’s a tale fit for our times: Up to 13 percent of dementia cases may not be dementia at all, but something doctors could actually fix if they looked past the obvious. A new study dug through U.S. medical records and found that many folks labeled with dementia had high scores on the FIB-4 index — a simple blood test that estimates liver fibrosis. Now, what’s the liver got to do with memory? More than you’d think. When that big chemical factory in your gut goes bad, toxins like ammonia and other nasties build up in the blood. They … Continue readingThe Curious Case of

“Fixable Dementia”

Could Have, Would Have, Should Have — In Relationships

Alright class, today’s lesson is not about equations or history dates. It’s about relationships — the people you meet, the connections you make, and how they shape your life in ways you’ll never predict. You’ve all heard those words: could have, would have, should have. They sneak in whenever we look back. “I could have been friends with him if I’d spoken up.” “I should have apologized before it was too late.” “I would have asked her out if I wasn’t so nervous.” They’re the language of missed chances. But here’s the catch: you can’t always know in the … Continue readingCould Have, Would Have, Should Have — In Relationships

Could Have, Would Have, Should Have — and Money

After talking to the student after class I went home and wonder if I would have said something different to someone twice his age. And the answer was yes.  So I prepared a lectured for the next day and it went as follows. Class, let’s talk about money. Not the numbers in your wallet right now, but the bigger picture — the way money moves through your life like a river. Now, you’ve already heard those three little phrases: could have, would have, should have. They’re not just about regrets in love or life; they’re everywhere in money. “I … Continue readingCould Have, Would Have, Should Have — and Money

Could Have, Would Have, Should Have — LIFE

I had a young fellow catch me one day after class  and ask for advice. You know the kind of question — “What should I do with my life?” That’s a dangerous question to hand to an old man, because we’ve got more answers than anyone wants, and none of them are certain. I told him this: “Son, life’s a tricky thing. Folks like to say could have, would have, should have. Those three little phrases are the grammar of regret. They sound like harmless words, but they carry whole lives inside them. You think you can predict what might’ve … Continue readingCould Have, Would Have, Should Have — LIFE

The Real American Dream

To truly own your future, build a life no one else has the power to take away. – YNOT Once upon a time, they told us the American Dream was a house. A little patch of grass, a white fence to paint on Saturdays, and a mortgage that stretched longer than most marriages. If you worked hard, saved your pennies, and signed your name on the dotted line, you were told you’d “made it.” But here’s the cruel joke: a house is not a dream—it’s a debt. It doesn’t guarantee freedom, it doesn’t keep you safe in a storm, … Continue readingThe Real American Dream

Credit Is Everything

but not what you think!

Credit is everything, and everything is credit  – YNOT Let me tell you a secret, though it’s hardly a secret at all: the whole world runs on belief. Not on gold, not on dollars, not even on bitcoin—it runs on credit. And credit, if you trace it back to the old Latin root, comes from credere, meaning to believe. Once upon a time, a man would lend his neighbor a sack of grain because he believed he’d get it back after the harvest. Today, a bank lends you a house you can’t afford, because it believes you’ll spend thirty … Continue readingCredit Is Everything

but not what you think!

The Machine That Learned Our Names

Where technology is today vs. 60 years ago Let me spin you a yarn about a net you can’t see. Once upon a time—back when computer techs wore neckties and people smoked in restaurants—there was a contraption called ECHELON. It was a listening machine, built by five English-speaking nations who decided the world was too loud to leave un-shushed. They strung antennas across quiet hills, hid cables under louder oceans, and taught a new kind of clerk—the mainframe—to eavesdrop politely at industrial scale. It could scan for keywords and record your conversations unto tape. People said it didn’t exist. … Continue readingThe Machine That Learned Our Names

The Mall, the Card, and

the Government

A fellow sailor I know had to close his Black American Express card. Not because he couldn’t pay the bill, but because his wife had a peculiar habit of blaming everyone but herself. Every time she went to the mall and came back with a bill that looked like the national debt, she said it was the mall’s fault. When he showed her the card statement, she said it was the card’s fault. So he called American Express and canceled the Black card. Now she’ll have to make do with a Gold one. And as he told her, “Who … Continue readingThe Mall, the Card, and

the Government

Don’t Click the Damn Thing

If the button simply said “Click here,” most people would still press it. Tactics Used: Urgency: “Do it now — time is running out.” Scarcity: “Only one left — don’t miss your chance.” FOMO: Fear of missing out remains one of the strongest triggers. Intrigue & Excitement: Curiosity isn’t satisfied, it’s exploited. Emotional Reaction: When you click, you’re rarely thinking — you’re reacting to the bait. We live in the Age of the Click. Every screen, every app, every ad is whispering the same thing: “C’mon, tap me… just once.” It’s not technology, it’s psychology. It is called social … Continue readingDon’t Click the Damn Thing

Only in America –

Spice, Speed, and Overreach:

The Al Copeland Story

If you’ve ever bitten into a piece of fried chicken that kicked back, you’ve shaken hands with Al Copeland’s America. He started where the sidewalks heat up and the rent comes due—projects, odd jobs, and a stubborn belief that a man with an empty pocket can still carry a full idea. He named his shop after a movie cop, seasoned the bird like it had somewhere to be, and sold spice the way riverboat gamblers sell confidence. Before long, the logo was on the door, the line was out to the curb, and the man himself was racing powerboats … Continue readingOnly in America –

Spice, Speed, and Overreach:

The Al Copeland Story

Quitting Your Day Job: A Guide for Bold Escape Artists

“A steady paycheck is a fine thing—like a warm blanket on a cold night. But it can also be a snug cocoon that forgets you were born with wings.” If you still punch another person’s clock, you’ve likely day‑dreamed of quitting to work for yourself. If you already made the leap—congratulations. Hand this to a friend who’s pacing the diving board. For everyone else standing with toes curled over the edge, here’s a clear, boots‑on‑the‑ground plan to cross the river without drowning your hat. The Honest Ledger: Job vs. Your Own Shop The job (not all bad): Predictable check … Continue readingQuitting Your Day Job: A Guide for Bold Escape Artists

💡 Why You Are the Ultimate Inflation Hedge

In a world where money gets printed, assets inflate, and politicians argue over who caused it, there’s one thing nobody can devalue: you. Your skills, your expertise, your reputation, your knowledge — these are the ultimate inflation-proof assets. 1. Your ability to perform can’t be “inflated away.” Cash melts like ice in the sun, but competence endures. If you’re so good at something that people pay a premium, you’ll maintain your real purchasing power — no matter what prices do. 2. Learning AI & using AI to learn The new frontier of human capital is AI fluency. Learning AI … Continue reading💡 Why You Are the Ultimate Inflation Hedge

Florida Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry:

What You Can (and Can’t) Do

People talk about guns in Florida the way fishermen talk about marlin—big, shiny, and always just out of regulation. One fellow swears the law lets him wear a six-shooter like a gun slinger; another insists you’d best tuck it under your shirt like a secret. Truth is, the Sunshine State now treats sidearms a bit like sunburn: you can get one out in the open or keep it under wraps, but either way you’d better know which beaches are closed. Courthouses, polling places, school games—those are the “no-swim” flags of Chapter 790. Mind the signs, respect the house rules, … Continue readingFlorida Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry:

What You Can (and Can’t) Do

Time for Fortune Cookies – Xi’s Health Rumors, Power Jockeying, and Why the Timing Matters

I keep a fortune cookie for wisdom, popcorn for spectacle, and gold for insurance —while the VIX flaps its wild wings. Many of you think Trump has had it tough. Sure—two assassination attempts is no joke. But strongmen everywhere live with knives at their backs. Putin and Xi reportedly use body doubles, food tasters, and layers of security. Trump likely lives under similar pressure. Today, though, the soap opera is about Xi. Persistent reports claim Xi has suffered multiple cardiac or cerebrovascular events and keeps a German physician close at hand. Whether those “heart attacks” were real, misdirection, or … Continue readingTime for Fortune Cookies – Xi’s Health Rumors, Power Jockeying, and Why the Timing Matters

🤝 The Art of Small Talk: How the Quiet Ones Win the Conversation

Most people who know me would never guess I’m an introvert at heart. They see me talking, joking, carrying on — and assume I came into this world with a silver tongue. Truth is, when I was young, I was the kid in the corner, hugging the wall like it might save me. Quiet as a church mouse, saying nothing to nobody. But life, in its usual rude way, taught me a lesson: silence may be golden, but it won’t buy you friends, fun, or even a decent paycheck. So I set out to fake it. Some bright soul … Continue reading🤝 The Art of Small Talk: How the Quiet Ones Win the Conversation

🏛️ What is a Family Office? – Opportunity for many!

A family office is what happens when wealth decides it no longer wants a bank telling it what to do. Instead of parking money at a financial firm, the family builds its own firm—to manage everything from investments and taxes to yachts and family feuds. There are roughly 3000 to 5000 family offices in the United States alone. Think of it as a cross between a hedge fund, a law firm, and a therapist’s couch—because when billions are involved, the biggest asset to manage is often ego. There are two main flavors: Single-Family Office (SFO): One clan, one castle. … Continue reading🏛️ What is a Family Office? – Opportunity for many!

Never Stand Between Giants and Walls

Never stand between something ten times bigger than you and something that won’t move—because you will get crushed.It doesn’t matter whether it’s a truck, a ship, Bitcoin, the stock market, or the bond market.They all have one thing in common: mass—and with mass comes momentum. There are always forces and players bigger than you, and there are immovable objects like governments, markets, and time itself.When those two collide, the little guy in between—if he isn’t careful—becomes part of the pavement. The lesson?Step aside, observe, and wait for the moment when giants stop fighting and the dust settles. That’s when it’s safe to … Continue readingNever Stand Between Giants and Walls

🕰️ The What and the When of Progress

“Man has always been able to see tomorrow — he just keeps mistaking next month for tomorrow.” When a scientist says something is possible, it usually means it’ll take a lot longer than they think. When they say it’s impossible, it usually means someone else will prove them wrong before they finish their coffee. That’s the curse of human foresight — we often get the what right, but the when wrong. History is littered with accurate predictions delivered decades too early or a generation too late. We are good at reading the direction of the wind but terrible at … Continue reading🕰️ The What and the When of Progress

The Art of Talking Yourself Out of Trouble

Wisdom is the ability to shut up when your instincts are yelling. – YNOT When life gets complicated, most folks don’t need a therapist — they need a mirror and five quiet minutes before they make it worse. The truth is, we all like to think we’re rational, calm, and strategic — right up until the moment we aren’t. Then, instead of solving the problem, we start wrestling it like a crocodile in a swamp of emotions and half-truths. That’s where self-coaching comes in — the fine art of slowing your own stampede. The difference between thinking and just … Continue readingThe Art of Talking Yourself Out of Trouble

🚗 We Were Promised Flying Cars instead we got…

  Peter Thiel once said, “We were promised flying cars, and instead we got 140 characters.” If progress were a straight road, mankind would’ve paved it, tolled it, and declared war over who gets to drive first. We measure genius not by what we create, but by how fast we can turn it into a weapon. And then we act surprised when the world doesn’t look like The Jetsons. When I was a kid, Popular Mechanics swore that by the year 2000, we’d all be soaring to work like futuristic birds. Well, it’s 2025 now, and though we’re inching … Continue reading🚗 We Were Promised Flying Cars instead we got…

🦠 Humans: The Virus That Calls Itself Civilized

Man calls himself the crown of creation, but he acts more like the disease of it. If you look at the record of man, you’d think he was put on this earth to see how fast he could kill it. Every animal that offers him something — ivory, fur, meat, oil, skin, horn, or bone — has been chased, speared, shot, trapped, or netted until extinction became more familiar than survival. The elephant loses its tusks, the rhino its horn, the tiger its hide. If it glitters, bleeds, or fetches a price, man will kill it. And when he … Continue reading🦠 Humans: The Virus That Calls Itself Civilized

The Thin Line Between Genius and Madness

We like to believe the world is divided into two neat camps: the successful and the forgotten. The billionaire in his penthouse, and the man beneath the overpass. Yet if you scratch the surface, the line that separates the two is thinner than we care to admit. Take Howard Hughes. A man who built planes that defied gravity, movies that dazzled Hollywood, and casinos that reshaped Las Vegas. He had money, fame, women, power — the American dream stuffed in one fragile body. And yet, he ended up alone in a dark hotel room, storing urine in jars, his … Continue readingThe Thin Line Between Genius and Madness

What are you Chasing?

Some folks spend their days chasing coins they’ll never count, and applause that dies out as fast as it’s given. They measure life by paychecks and titles, running in circles like dogs after their own tails. But I’ll tell you plain—give me a boat steady under my feet, a drink cool in my hand, and a sunset burning the horizon—and I’ll feel richer than any banker in his counting house. There’s a kind of wisdom the water whispers if you sit still long enough to hear it. Out here, the air carries salt and memory, the waves keep time … Continue readingWhat are you Chasing?

Pirates of Tow: How Modern Buccaneers Hunt Your Car in Private Lots (Legally?)

There was a time when a pirate had to climb a rope ladder and shout “Ahoy!” to steal a prize. Today’s pirates wear steel-toed boots, drive diesel, and have turned the parking lot into their quiet ocean. They do not swing from rigging — they slide their prize into the back of a truck after a polite beep from a small black box that reads license plates like magic. Just today, as I was pulling into a private parking lot, a fully black tow truck slipped in right behind me through the open gate. It circled the lot methodically, … Continue readingPirates of Tow: How Modern Buccaneers Hunt Your Car in Private Lots (Legally?)

Reality or Illusion?

How Your Brain Shapes What You See

Your  Brain is an Artist: Painting Reality from the Illusion that is around us. – YNOT Folks like to think the world marches into their eyes as clear as a photograph. But the truth is, your brain is less a camera and more a pushy salesman—selling you a story of the world, trimmed and polished to keep you alive, not necessarily to keep you correct. 🌀 The Trickster Brain Your brain doesn’t simply deliver what your eyes catch. It constructs reality. Just as a painter leaves out the brushstrokes no one notices, your mind fills in gaps and edits … Continue readingReality or Illusion?

How Your Brain Shapes What You See

The Hidden Cost of Wearing Too Many Hats –

Multi-Role Personnel

Progress these days looks a lot like juggling knives while riding a unicycle. Companies cut staff, slap an “AI-powered” sticker on the door, and declare victory. But what actually happens is the accounts payable clerk suddenly chasing overdue invoices, the IT guy moonlighting as a cybersecurity officer, and the accountant pounding phones like a debt collector. It’s not efficiency, it’s desperation dressed up as strategy. And while the boardroom applauds the payroll savings, the cracks are already forming under the surface. The Business Point Why It Happens Cost pressures: Companies see payroll as the biggest expense to trim. AI … Continue readingThe Hidden Cost of Wearing Too Many Hats –

Multi-Role Personnel

Stupid Ways to destroy our Futures – the Kessler Effect

If mankind had a manual, it would be a book of instructions on how to light our own hair on fire and then ask why it smells like smoke. We’re the only species that can invent a miracle and then weaponize it before lunch. Fire, the wheel, the atom, the algorithm — give us a tool to build paradise and we’ll test how fast it can dig a grave. I don’t write this as a cynic but as a witness. We’ve been rehearsing our own extinction with the enthusiasm of a theater troupe that can’t wait for opening night. … Continue readingStupid Ways to destroy our Futures – the Kessler Effect

From Defense to War:

The Rebirth of the

War Department

It seems to me that when a government grows tired of calling itself “defensive,” it puts on a new hat and declares itself “at war.” The Department of Defense was a fine name for half a century, but it carried a troublesome burden—it implied you were supposed to wait until someone hit you first. Now, our leaders have dusted off the old signboard, slapped “War Department” back over the door, and called the generals to Quantico like a preacher summoning sinners to the altar. The spectacle had all the makings of a revival meeting: a polished sermon about standards and strength, … Continue readingFrom Defense to War:

The Rebirth of the

War Department

Let’s talk P/E in Stocks and Real Estate

⚠️ DANGER: Some Math Ahead If you don’t understand it, don’t invest in it. Whether it’s stocks, real estate, or anything else — if you can’t analyze it properly, you’re gambling, not investing. Learn the math first, then put your money to work. I have three sets of friends: those who invest in real estate, those who invest in stocks, and those who throw their chips on the table with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is another story entirely, so let’s leave that dragon sleeping for now. Between stocks and real estate, one of the most useful ways to compare them is … Continue readingLet’s talk P/E in Stocks and Real Estate

The World is Changing – People, Prosperity, and Learning

“A crowd makes noise, but an educated crowd makes history.” -YNOT It is said a nation is nothing more than its people. That’s true enough, but it leaves out a mighty important detail: it’s not just how many people you’ve got, it’s what they can do. A million farmers with no plows are poorer than a hundred carpenters with saws, and a billion citizens without schooling or opportunity will be outpaced by a smaller crowd that knows how to think, build, and create. Take a look at the ledger of the world today. India and China sit at the … Continue readingThe World is Changing – People, Prosperity, and Learning

We want it back! – BAGRAM

When America packed up its bags and stumbled out of Afghanistan in August of 2021, it wasn’t just the end of a war, it was the closing of a very long and very expensive tab. Twenty years, trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and in the final hours—someone forgot to lock the front gate at Bagram Air Base. Bagram wasn’t just a patch of dirt with a fence around it. It was the nerve center of two decades of sweat, steel, and shouting orders. A place where you could land anything from a bomber to a battleship if you … Continue readingWe want it back! – BAGRAM

My Cat as a Sensei (先生)

The first steps in the morning are always the hardest. That moment when you have to roll out of bed and actually start the day. But I don’t get to debate it much—because I have a little white cat who has already decided it’s time. At 5:30 sharp, she meows and meows. If I try to ignore her, she climbs close and meows right in my ear until I give in. I get up, feed her, and let her out to the back patio room. She knows what has to be done. She has a plan. And if I … Continue readingMy Cat as a Sensei (先生)

The BIG 4 Retirement Traps

The greatest risk in retirement isn’t running out of money, it’s running out of purpose.” Folks, let me start with a question: how many of you have spent the better part of sixty or seventy years working, saving, and planning for retirement? That’s what I thought. We’ve all been trained to chase this big prize at the finish line — retirement — the golden years. But I’ve been around long enough to tell you: sometimes those years are golden, and sometimes they’re just gold-plated brass that turns your fingers green. For some, retirement really is freedom — fishing on … Continue readingThe BIG 4 Retirement Traps

The Market’s Nervous Tick

Humans are mighty peculiar creatures. We invented fire to keep us warm, then spent the next ten thousand years trying not to burn the house down with it. We invented money to make life simpler, and then built the most complicated carnival of fear and greed ever seen—called the stock market. The whole affair is nothing more than a grand theater where the actors are our nerves, our greed, and our panic, playing the same tired comedy on endless repeat. So if you want to see the collective mind of mankind in all its ridiculous glory, don’t bother reading … Continue readingThe Market’s Nervous Tick

The Human Advantage in the Age of AI

If you listen close these days, you’ll hear the sound of worry humming through every office and workshop like a hive of bees. Folks are nervous—AI writes better, codes faster, and never takes a lunch break. It can argue a case like a lawyer, stitch together a tune like a songwriter, and crunch numbers like an engineer hopped up on coffee. But here’s the thing: it still can’t herd cats. Managing people—living, breathing, unpredictable people—has always been the hardest trick in the book. Anyone who’s run a department knows the truth: the highest-paid person isn’t always the best at … Continue readingThe Human Advantage in the Age of AI

TikTok lives on—

painted red, white, and blue

America has a curious habit: when it can’t figure out whether to ban a thing or bless it, it sells it to a friend and calls the problem solved. TikTok was supposed to be a menace, a spyglass for Beijing, a digital opium pipe corrupting the youth. But instead of pulling the plug, Washington stitched up a deal that turned a “national security threat” into a business opportunity for billionaires. The kids keep their dances, the moguls keep their profits, and the politicians keep their talking points. That’s what passes for compromise these days. Painted red, white, and blue, … Continue readingTikTok lives on—

painted red, white, and blue

The Tools That Multiply

the Mind

  Your Mind is the Builder of your Futures! -YNOT Read it again… Every mind has virtually unlimited capacity to understand the universe — it’s just a matter of learning how to connect ideas. Think of your brain like the internet: once you learn the right links and pathways, you can reach higher levels of thought. Don’t let small, distracting worries clog your bandwidth; clear them out and focus on how to build the connections that let insight flow   Back in my day, if a man wanted to take down his thoughts, he needed a pen, a scrap … Continue readingThe Tools That Multiply

the Mind

Tylenol, Sunlight, and the Shadows of Autism

Mankind has a curious habit of reaching for quick fixes, and more often than not, those fixes come in a bottle no bigger than a pocket flask. Tylenol—our trusted companion for every headache, fever, and ache—sits on the nightstand like a silent priest, ready to absolve us of our discomforts. But, as is so often the case, the cure can have a sting in its tail. The White House now whispers that what we thought was a harmless helper might, in certain cases, be nudging unborn children down a path toward struggles like autism. That, my friends, is a … Continue readingTylenol, Sunlight, and the Shadows of Autism

The SIM City of Spies

Now I always figured if the world ever came undone, it would be over gold, oil, or women. Turns out, it might just be over little plastic chips the size of a fingernail. The Secret Service announced they’d uncovered an “imminent telecommunications threat” in New York City right before the United Nations gathered. That’s a mighty fine phrase for what was, in plain English, 300 SIM servers stuffed with over 100,000 SIM cards—sitting in abandoned apartments like squirrels hoarding acorns. Officials say the setup could have texted every man, woman, and child in the United States in twelve minutes … Continue readingThe SIM City of Spies

The Long Clock of Earth: What Ancient Minds Knew and What We Forget

I once asked a college man how old he thought the Earth was. He scratched his head, squinted, and said, “A few millions years, maybe?” I asked another fellow, fresh out of the university, what makes ice ages come and go. He shrugged and blamed it on the car exhaust of cavemen. Now, don’t laugh too hard. The sad truth is, you could stop a hundred people on the street today, scholars included, and not one in twenty could tell you that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old and that its climate has been swinging like a pendulum … Continue readingThe Long Clock of Earth: What Ancient Minds Knew and What We Forget

The Fed – Neither Federal, Nor Reserve, Nor a Bank –

When I was a boy, I thought the “Federal Reserve Bank” was a mighty vault buried under Washington, full of gold coins guarded by men in uniforms. Later I learned it was neither federal, nor much of a reserve, nor a bank in the way you or I know a bank. It was more like a magician’s hat: call it whatever you like, and the trick still works. The name was chosen the way a snake oil salesman chooses a label — not to tell the truth, but to sell the bottle. So what would be a better name? … Continue readingThe Fed – Neither Federal, Nor Reserve, Nor a Bank –

Why Your Ears Burn When You Do Taxes

A friend of mine is studying to be an accountant. I found her yesterday pulling her hair out, tangled up in the United States tax system. She asked me for help, so I said, “It’s easy, I’ve been doing taxes for decades.” But the moment I began explaining, I realized this wasn’t going to be a quick lesson—it was going to be a whole sermon. Ten minutes later, I could practically see smoke curling out of her ears. She finally asked the question every sane person asks: “Why is all this necessary?” And I gave her the truth: It … Continue readingWhy Your Ears Burn When You Do Taxes

🎩 The Gambler’s Curve: Lessons in Luck, Loss, and the Long Tail

If you’ve ever sat at a poker table, watched a stock ticker, or listened to a man brag about his crypto gains, you’ve already met the Gambler’s Curve. It doesn’t need a fancy math degree to understand it—just a pair of eyes and a little common sense. At the start, everyone looks the same. Each gambler, each trader, each hopeful soul with their pockets jingling walks in with a stake. For a while, most of them stay close to where they began. Some are up a little, some are down a little. It all looks fair, and it feels … Continue reading🎩 The Gambler’s Curve: Lessons in Luck, Loss, and the Long Tail

The Autodidact

If you went to college in America, odds are you don’t know what an autodidact is. And if you don’t, well, you probably paid good money to have somebody else teach you words you’ll never use. Autodidact simply means a self-taught soul—someone who learns not because a professor drew it on a chalkboard, but because they had the gumption to hunt it down themselves. The word comes from the Greeks, who seemed to have a word for everything—autodidaktos, “self-taught.” History is littered with their kind: Leonardo da Vinci sketching flying machines, Benjamin Franklin toying with lightning, Abraham Lincoln reading … Continue readingThe Autodidact