Update by JL’s Team Fact check time: If you’re considering single stock dividend investing (against JL’s advice, of course) versus index investing, in 10 years which will provide a better return? JL first published this post in December of 2011, and we wanted to see if his advice passed the test of time. JL references… [Continue Reading]
Archives for 2011
The Mummy’s head, Particle Physics and “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
Picking up the 5000 odd-year-old Mummy’s Head I vaguely wondered if I had brought down an ancient Egyptian curse upon my own. Since this was some 20 years ago and things have mostly gone OK since, either the curse has a delayed reaction or it passed me by. In any event, it has given me… [Continue Reading]
“It’s Better in the Wind” or why I ride a motorcycle
As mentioned in my last post my travels to Ecuador served to shift my priorities to Susegar, that wonderful state of taking it easy. Of course, it also has meant that I’ve hardly posted here at all. To my considerable amazement this short fall has generated concern and irritation on the part of some of… [Continue Reading]
Lazy Days and School Days
After I retired last spring it seems the “work mode” was still switched on. A lot of stuff between then and going off to Ecuador got done. Including getting this blog up and running. But Ecuador shifted my gears to “susuguar.” This wonderful word I picked up years ago. That’s likely not the correct spelling… [Continue Reading]
The road to Zanzibar sometimes goes thru Ecuador…
Stone Town — Zanzibar — Sand & Water If you have been reading this blog closely you will have noticed that my wife and I have been planning for over a year to travel to Zanzibar this summer. It is where she was born and raised. She and our daughter went back last year but… [Continue Reading]
Johnny wins the lotto and heads to Paris
Back in the day my pal Johnny ran a high stakes poker game in Chicago. Of course, he wasn’t my pal then. I was just a punk on a waiting list for about six months to get into this game. Got called to substitute a couple of times before finally someone died and I… [Continue Reading]
Chainsaws, Elm Trees and paying for College
Sweep the Drive My daughter is looking for a summer job. It is nasty tough out there. She has two solid leads and we have our fingers crossed. One of the coolest would here: Mount Washington Hotel All thru high school I worked and saved my money. Going into college I had saved $2000. … [Continue Reading]
Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years
“If you reach for a star you might not get one, But you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.” Leo Burnett Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years Grammar School. I was a miserable kid. In every sense of the word. The fact that the nuns kept referring to all the bad… [Continue Reading]
Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat In 1999 I took a new job as a Group Publisher. They moved me to New Hampshire. The company had just acquired some new technology magazines located in Chicago. Upon sealing the deal they promptly fired a bunch of people and moved most of the operations to New Hampshire. … [Continue Reading]
The. Worst. Used. Car. Ever.
Spitfire Back in 1977 I was renting a little studio up in Rogers Park, a neighborhood on the far north side of Chicago. I was young, single, employed, carefree and making some bucks. I needed a toy. A sports car. That’s the ticket. I lived in the city. I didn’t own a car. Didn’t need… [Continue Reading]