Published inThe Point of View·PinnedMember-onlyI Don’t Feel Safe In Los AngelesIt’s less about crime, more about a concerning air of mistrust and hostility — I’m convinced and confident that if I fell and hit my head on the ground, knocking myself unconscious or worse, on most streets in Los Angeles, there’s a 30% chance nobody would stop to help me. If I remained on the ground but alert, up the percentage to around 60%. …Society5 min readSociety5 min read
Published inRooted·PinnedMember-onlyThe Allegedly Unethical Tactic I Wish Bars And Restaurants Would Use More OftenI didn’t realize ‘loss leaders’ were such a big deal — As I (maybe we?) lament the increasingly high cost of eating and drinking out in the United States, I got to thinking about loss leaders. A loss leader is “a marketing approach where a product is intentionally sold at a loss or minimal profit to attract customers.” Basically — use…Money5 min readMoney5 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·PinnedMember-onlyI’m Almost 50 And Will Work Forever: Am I Afraid of Developing Dementia?I’m fully embracing act two — the second half — of my life — I’m 48 years old. And — long story short — I have come to several conclusions about the second act of my life: I don’t want to work full-time. I want to work less now so I can work less longer. I have no choice other than to move to…Life5 min readLife5 min read
Published inRooted·PinnedMember-only$43 For 3 Burritos And Pretty Much Everything About The Experience StunkHow to pick and choose where you go to eat and drink — The cost of dining and drinking out in Los Angeles has gotten so expensive my girlfriend and I rarely do it anymore. You might be in the same or a similar boat? I have had a lot to say about this recently. And, judging by the response I received on…Life7 min readLife7 min read
Published inMaking of a Millionaire·PinnedMember-onlyIt’s Absolutely Ridiculous To Say Generation X Can Ever Really RetireThis is the actually, pretty great reality we must embrace — You can face reality or resist it. Do the latter and you run the risk of fooling yourself, leading to a less-than-perfect relative old age and maybe even a bitter life. Particularly when you assess the prospects of your retirement situation. …Money5 min readMoney5 min read
Published inCity Life·3 days agoMember-onlyLeaving America Is The Biggest, Yet Easiest Decision Of My LifeI’ll never be a cultural resident of Spain, and I don’t care — Several Medium authors write and write well about moving to a different country. Charlie Brown and Livia Dabs RN,MSc come to mind immediately. …Life6 min readLife6 min read
Published inRooted·Nov 29Member-onlyThis Is Where Bars Go Wrong When They Gouge Their Customers$16 for Fernet? Definitely not the ‘bartender’s handshake’ — I love the stuff so much I have the logo tattooed on my freaking arm. So when a Los Angeles bar recently charged me $16 each for two neat pours of Fernet Branca, I walked away more shell shocked than I look in the image that anchors this article. There’s…Society6 min readSociety6 min read
Nov 19Member-onlyJoin The Interesting And Complicated Conversation On HousingWhere you live might be the #1 money factor that dictates your future — Over the last week in the Living The Semi-Retired Life newsletter, we did what we do best. We started and continued to build on a conversation about one of the biggest issues facing many people as they consider their presents and futures. …Money5 min readMoney5 min read
Published inCrow’s Feet·Nov 18Member-onlyHow I’m Viewing The Second Act Of My LifeWe’ve been organizing life all wrong, all these years — I truly think settling down can kill you. Not settling down with a partner. That might help keep you alive. I mean settling down — as in, slowing down — in life. Maybe the way we organize life is all wrong. You work hard all your life so you can…Aging4 min readAging4 min read
Nov 12Member-onlyAlternative Personal Finance, A Month Traveling, Then Planning To Move Abroad 🇪🇸It’s going to be one heck of a 2024 — If you subscribe to receive notifications each time I publish a Medium article, you might have realized you’re not getting as many lately. I’m still writing here sporadically. Just not about money or my plans to move to Spain. That’s all happening in my newsletter. I hope today’s post prompts…Personal Finance4 min readPersonal Finance4 min read
