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Yearly Archives: 2017
Christmas Wish List
I WOULD BE REALLY HAPPY IF: All DACA young people received ten-year green cards An increased number of professors liked teaching more than doing research or writing Aaron Judge led the Yankees to a World Series championship All the families and WKBJ alumni who have welcomed me into their homes and hearts knew how much […]
A Few Thoughts
But first, a brief “you gotta be kidding” observation. In Washington, D.C., on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from a famous government structure, there are two great buildings inscribed with the words of their rich occupants: the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Across the street, there is a small park. At dinner time, a […]
Demographics
At a given point in time, demographic projections have a greater degree of usability than the data derived from most other crystal ball gazing. For example, calculating historical returns in the stock market is heavily influenced by the starting point; it is possible to go for twenty years with a subpar compound return, even when […]
A World without Strangers
It’s simple. Get yourself to JFK Airport in New York City. Board a Qatar Airlines A-350 and fly 11 hours to Doha, the capital of Qatar and site of one of the world’s finest airports. After a couple of hours attempting to avoid the high-priced shops and restaurants in the terminal, take your seat on […]
AOFL
AMERICA AMERICA AMERICA OFF-LINE!!! OFF-LINE!!! OFF-LINE!!! Back Story and Introduction: The original version of this essay incredibly stretches back more than fifteen years, with a refresh halfway between then and 2017. At inception, historians will recall that AOL was top dog in the unfolding world […]
Curiosity Project
Phase One: I sent the open-ended questions below to a half-dozen students. *How does Google affect your level of curiosity? *Describe what it is in life that you are most curious about; how do you satisfy that curiosity? *Is curiosity purely an individual endeavor or can it be stimulated through group discussions? *Which geographical area […]
What If?
he American economy has been improving for about eight years, reported unemployment — ignoring the different ways to interpret this data point — is at an acceptable level, and inflation is surprisingly low: historically, sharp growth in the money supply has led to higher inflation. Yet, more than half of all people were reportedly unhappy […]
Perception and Reality
When you look at a Russian nesting doll, you can describe it perfectly. Then the outer doll is removed, and with it, your prior accuracy. When you hold the kaleidoscope to your eye, you can easily describe what you see. Then you twist the cylinder and the picture is totally different even as the material […]
The Great (?!) Diversion
Whether playing three card monte with a sidewalk shark or watching the magician levitate an elephant in front of your eyes or attempting to outwit the stock market, the key is what you do not see. The perpetrators of the misconception rely on you to be focused elsewhere, either directly or indirectly. What is happening […]
Who Am I?
This is not a guessing game, or a made for social media streaming event. This is really … real! I am crying inside, and sometimes outside, trying to figure out who this Latina is, who I am! OK, my given name is Patricia, which can throw people off guard. After all, it does not immediately […]