Published inBetterism·PinnedMember-onlyAnother School Shooting? Protect Yourself — From the Media!This article was organically published in 2018. Some things never change. Have you noticed that the media uses a standard formula when covering school shootings? Only in the beginning do they report the Who, What Where and When of the tragedy. Immediately after reporting the news, they focus on the…Media Criticism8 min readMedia Criticism8 min read
Feb 16Member-onlyThe Jobs Number No One Wants To Talk AboutNew entrants to the labor market need jobs too. Gallup released an interesting poll a few days ago. Most people in the United States are not very happy about the state of the economy. …Job Search4 min readJob Search4 min read
Published inBetterism·Nov 13, 2022Member-onlyI’m Going To Die In TucsonThe Social Security Administration has been reminding me that I’ve come to the time of life when I have to make some decisions about retirement. Making those kinds of decisions leads to thinking about how I’m going to live in old age and where I’m going to die. That last one surprised me… It’s astonishing…Death6 min readDeath6 min read
Published inDataDrivenInvestor·Nov 7, 2022Member-onlyHow Economic Arrogance Destroyed The Working Class, The Middle Class And The American DreamThe path we are on is delivering us to a Trump dystopia. I find myself at a loss when someone casually shares a conspiracy theory. Nonsense suddenly coming out of someone’s mouth when I think I’m having a casual conversation throws me for a loop. Last week I mentioned to…Economics11 min readEconomics11 min read
Published inDataDrivenInvestor·Oct 20, 2022Member-onlyWhy The Emerging Recession Will Be Deeper And More Painful Than You Know | DataDrivenInvestorEconomists are in agreement that the coming recession will be deep, lengthy and painful. Make no mistake, a recession has already begun. The general definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. We’re past that. And we all know it. Recent consumer surveys show that average people expect inflation to get…Economics8 min readEconomics8 min read
Published inEd-Tech Talks·Sep 14, 2022Member-onlyThinking About More School When The Recession Comes?Better think again. It looks like we are entering into a recession. All the signs are there… We watch as traffic directors at food banks organize long lines of cars. Every day we read fresh news articles about another company laying off workers. …Higher Education5 min readHigher Education5 min read
Published inEd-Tech Talks·Sep 5, 2022Member-onlyAmerica Turns Its Back On The Value of EducationThe student loan crisis illustrates how little value we value education. I don’t understand why there is so little understanding of this fact, or of the general loss of respect as a nation we have for educated people. If cars were taking the toll on the nation’s finances that the…Education4 min readEducation4 min read
Published inBetterism·Aug 29, 2022Member-onlyOnline Shopping: What Will Be Left To Drive To?Last week I realized I needed to think about getting a new pair of trousers. The ones I’ve been wearing aren’t worn out yet, but they’re getting a little thin and faded. They’re still good for casual wear, though. The thing is, I really like these trousers. They’re made of…Economics4 min readEconomics4 min read
Published inDataDrivenInvestor·Aug 24, 2022Member-onlyEndless Economic Catastrophes Doom Millennials ProspectsAnd it’s happening again. The under-40 generation deserves our sympathy and compassion. Random chance and bad fortune have repeatedly decimated their careers, standard of living, and futures. …Economics10 min readEconomics10 min read
Published inBetterism·Aug 13, 2022Member-onlyOur Natural Cynicism Blinds Us To A Beautiful World And Wondrous FutureTry seeing the world through new eyes When I was in high school in the 1970’s I spent a lot of time in the swamps and forests of Western Oregon. My dad had land in Tillamook County, near Sand Lake about 75 miles south of the Columbia River. …Global Warming10 min readGlobal Warming10 min read