Thoughts on the Coronavirus Pandemic – Part 3 (Finances)

Amongst the many news stories about the Coronavirus and how it has changed and affected everyone’s lives, there is no shortage of financial news.  The economy is effectively shut down. Most white collar workers have comfortably shifted to working from home. Blue collar workers and gig workers, however, are feeling the financial strain.  They’re waiting for their government checks while…

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Piecing Together Pottery at the Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam

In March of last year, I visited the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam.  I had purchased a MuseumCard which gave me access to a slew of museums in Amsterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands, and I had been methodically going down the list and visiting each one. The Allard Pierson is an archaeological museum with a permanent collection that contains…

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"10% happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" by Dan Harris and Jeffrey Warren

Quick Book Review: “10% happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics” by Dan Harris and Jeffrey Warren

This was a really good, practical book.  I go through phases where I meditate regularly, and when I do, my life is much better.  But I sometimes let my travel schedule distract me from the practice, and I forget to do it on the weekends, and before I realize it, I’ve let the practice of meditation fall by the wayside. …

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Kenya and Ethiopia – Part 5: Rough Trip to Mombasa

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya after Nairobi, and it’s on the coast.  There’s city stuff to do, and beach stuff to do. In all of the guidebooks that I had read, they recommended staying at a beach hotel and NOT in the city proper, as there are potential safety issues for tourists.  Diani Beach was the recommended…

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Kenya and Ethiopia – Part 4: Buying a Tourist Souvenir at the Right Price (How to Haggle Abroad)

I mentioned in a previous post about how Mark overpaid for a bowl in one of the souvenir shops.  Mark doesn’t like to haggle, and neither do I. It’s demeaning to negotiate prices with someone, especially when you know this is how they make a living and you want to pay them a fair rate for their goods. And yet,…

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Nostalgia-Vu and Soupy Sales

Nostalgia-Vu – A “reliving reminiscence;” A feeling you get when you return to a personal memory from your childhood triggered by taking part in it present-day. A great example is going to your high school reunion. It’s a remembrance from years past, while also taking part in the present-day version. I live in New York City, fairly close to Macy’s. …

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