The Means AND the Ends

The Means AND The Ends is the recognition that "getting there" is at least as important as where you're going. These posts are a curated collection of articles I've written as well as interesting finds that can be serious, humorous, and sometimes skeptical about investing and saving for retirement while being mindful that we must enjoy the ride all along the way.

What’s behind the ‘pop and slosh’ when opening a swing-top bottle of beer?

Lifestyle

In a fun experiment, Max Koch, a researcher at the University of Göttingen in Germany—who also happens to be passionate about homebrewing—decided to use a high-speed camera to capture what occurs while opening a swing-top bottle of homebrew.

Read the entire article: What’s behind the ‘pop and slosh’ when opening a swing-top bottle of beer?

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Fed rate decision March 2025: Fed holds interest rates steady

Markets

The Federal Reserve in a closely watched decision Wednesday held the line on benchmark interest rates though still indicated that reductions are likely later in the year.Faced with pressing concerns over the impact tariffs will have on a slowing economy, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee kept its key borrowing rate targeted in a range between 4.25%-4.5%

Read the entire article: Fed rate decision March 2025: Fed holds interest rates steady

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Trump’s tariff threats are proving a surprise tool against inflation

Markets

With consumer confidence taking a notable dive in recent months and inflation still hovering above the Federal Reserve’s target rate, economic anxiety has become a defining feature of the early days of Trump’s second administration. While the president has begun implementing his promised tariffs against several countries, what’s more remarkable

Read the entire article: Trump’s tariff threats are proving a surprise tool against inflation

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Revolution in the air: how laughing gas changed the world | Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) | The Guardian

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

The long read: Since its discovery in the 18th century, nitrous oxide has gone from vaudeville gimmick to pioneering anaesthetic to modern party drug

Read the entire article: Revolution in the air: how laughing gas changed the world | Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) | The Guardian

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Julian Simon Was Right: Ingenuity Leads to Abundance

Lifestyle, Markets

If you’re looking for further evidence that the world is recovering from the disruptions of pandemic policy, the Simon Abundance Index provides just that. After a brief retreat, the index once again portrays a world of cheaper commodities that contribute to human prosperity.

Born from a famous 1980 bet between economist Julian Simon and doomsayer Paul Ehrlich, the index stands as testimony for Simon’s belief that the greatest resource is human ingenuity—although government intervention is perfectly capable of screwing up a good thing.

Read the entire article: Julian Simon Was Right: Ingenuity Leads to Abundance

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Waiting for the Market to Drop Before Investing? Read This First. | Zacks Investment Management Blog

Markets

The U.S. stock market remains strong. Mega-cap technology companies have propelled index returns higher since last October, but the rally has also gained breadth recently. The S&P 500 equal-weighted index, for example, has also risen to a record high, and approximately 20% of S&P 500 stocks are trading at or near 52-week highs. That’s the highest percentage we’ve seen since May 2021.1In late February, I wrote a column about strong market returns making investors worried.

Read the entire article: Waiting for the Market to Drop Before Investing? Read This First. | Zacks Investment Management Blog

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a train traveling through a lush green countryside

You Can Buy a Train From the U.S. Government Right Now

Lifestyle, Travel

Do you love traveling by train? Like, a lot? As in, way more than the average train traveler? If the answer is yes, yes, yes, then we’ve got a really big surprise for you. The U.S. government is selling an entire train, and you can purchase it for a rather affordable price.

As first reported by The Autopian, GovDeals, a “liquidity service marketplace” selling surplus government inventory, currently has an EMD F59 PH Locomotive listed for sale, with a starting bid of $50,000 — or about the same cost as a Tesla Model 3.

Read the entire article: You Can Buy a Train From the U.S. Government Right Now

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white and red plane on the sky

British Airways Just Launched a Sale on Flights From the U.S. to Europe

Travel

British Airways is putting flight and vacation packages to Europe on sale for fall and winter travel with flights starting as low as $586 round-trip.

The sale, which must be booked by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 31, is available for travel through April 2024, British Airways shared with Travel + Leisure. The promotion has deals on everything from last-minute flights to vacation packages with flights, hotels, and car rentals.

Read the entire article: British Airways Just Launched a Sale on Flights From the U.S. to Europe

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brown leather baseball mitt with baseball beside gray container and brown textile at daytime

Shares in Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home soon on sale for $7 – ESPN

Lifestyle, Markets

COMMERCE, Okla. — Fans who could never afford a $12.6 million 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card will soon be able to buy a share of the Commerce Comet’s boyhood home for $7.Rally, a collectibles company that sells shares in wine, vintage watches, sports cars and other memorabilia, will offer up to 47,000 shares in the house for $7 each while valuing the property in Commerce, Oklahoma, at $329,000, according to a statement from the company Thursday.

Read the entire article: Shares in Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home soon on sale for $7 – ESPN

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Every Burger Topping Imaginable, Ranked

Lifestyle

As what could fairly be called America’s favorite food, hamburgers have evolved across the decades to incorporate an impossibly wide array of toppings and styles over the years. What other entree could be capably paired with condiments as diverse as chili, kimchi, and doughnuts?

In fact, the amount of choices we have when selecting our burgers can be pretty overwhelming.

Read the entire article: Every Burger Topping Imaginable, Ranked

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person in blue red and white plaid dress shirt holding bread

How Much More You Spend to Work From an Office

Industry, Lifestyle

If your work situation has shifted, and you now have to put in regular in-person appearances in an office, then you might’ve noticed that you’re spending a bit more than you did when you were working from home. If that’s the case — and those grab-and-go lunches and afternoon caffeine fixes have started to add up — you’re definitely not alone.

Owl Labs, a company that builds video-conferencing systems for hybrid workspaces, has released its annual “State of Hybrid Work” report,

Read the entire article: How Much More You Spend to Work From an Office

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Florida Keys lighthouse shines again after decade of darkness | WLRN

Travel

Islamorada, Florida Keys – A 150-year-old lighthouse that has been extinguished for a decade is shining again at night in the Florida Keys.  Organizers of an Islamorada community group that took title to the lighthouse in late 2021 installed solar-powered lights in the lantern room to remind the public of a nearly six-million-dollar project that is underway to restore and preserve the aging structure.

Read the entire article: Florida Keys lighthouse shines again after decade of darkness | WLRN

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man in white dress shirt wearing black framed eyeglasses

Treasury-market selloff has become the worst bond bear market of all time, according to BofA — TradingView News

Markets

(Prescript: Please note that this is BEHIND us, not in front of us. ~jrs)

Treasury bonds’ losses over the past three years have amounted to the worst bear market in the nearly 250-year history of the U.S., according to Bank of America’s Michael Hartnett, who included some charts on Treasury performance in his latest “flow show” note shared with MarketWatch late last week.

Read the entire article: Treasury-market selloff has become the worst bond bear market of all time, according to BofA — TradingView News

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