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.

This Guy Went to Get Groceries and Ended Up Getting the Covid Vaccine

Health & Fitness

Law student David MacMillan was just walking through a Giant grocery store in DC Friday night when the pharmacist flagged him and his friend down.

Apparently, several first responders who were scheduled to get their Moderna Covid vaccines at that location had missed their appointments.“She turned to us and was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got two doses of the vaccine and I’m going to have to throw them away if I don’t give them to somebody. We close in 10 minutes. Do you want the Moderna vaccine?” MacMillan told NBC.

Read the entire article: This Guy Went to Get Groceries and Ended Up Getting the Covid Vaccine

This Guy Went to Get Groceries and Ended Up Getting the Covid Vaccine Read Post »

In Graying Italy, the Old Defy Biases Laid Bare by Pandemic | Voice of America – English

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Retirement

ROME – From his newsstand at the bottom of two hilly streets in Rome, Armando Alviti has been dispensing newspapers, magazines and good cheer to locals from before dawn till after dusk nearly every day for more than a half-century.“Ciao, Armando,” his customers greet him as part of their daily routine. “Ciao, amore (love)” he calls back.

Alviti chuckled as he recalled how, when he was a young boy, newspaper deliverers would drop off the day’s stacks at his parents’ newsstand, sit him in the emptied baskets of their motorbikes and take him for a spin.

Read the entire article: In Graying Italy, the Old Defy Biases Laid Bare by Pandemic | Voice of America – English

In Graying Italy, the Old Defy Biases Laid Bare by Pandemic | Voice of America – English Read Post »

Personal Finance: Should I Leave My Kids an Inheritance? – Bloomberg

Financial Planning, Lifestyle, Retirement

Bold retirees sport the bumper sticker “I am spending my children’s inheritance.” The sentiment might seem selfish, but it’s good financial planning.

Trying to leave a bequest could put older people in a tight spot. Finance author Chris Farrell once told me about a panicked 83-year-old woman with four kids who was on track to run out of money in three years because she was trying to save for her kids’ inheritance. She is not atypical.

Read the entire article: Personal Finance: Should I Leave My Kids an Inheritance? – Bloomberg

Personal Finance: Should I Leave My Kids an Inheritance? – Bloomberg Read Post »

Massachusetts Regulators File Complaint Against Robinhood – WSJ

Behavioral Finance, Markets

Massachusetts securities regulators filed a complaint Wednesday against the wildly popular trading platform operated by Robinhood Financial LLC, alleging the company aggressively marketed to inexperienced investors and failed to implement controls to protect them.

Read the entire article: Massachusetts Regulators File Complaint Against Robinhood – WSJ

Massachusetts Regulators File Complaint Against Robinhood – WSJ Read Post »

This App Is Emerging As A Leader Among Covid-19 Digital Travel Passes

Health & Fitness, Travel

2021 is shaping up to be the year of the digital travel pass – most likely in the form of an app – for anyone looking to take to the skies. We can expect things in that sector to develop quickly from here on. And the latest indications are that one particular app is now gaining momentum, with several airlines making plans to begin rolling it out this month.

It’s called CommonPass. So what exactly does it do, and will you need to have it on your phone the next time you fly?

Read the entire article: This App Is Emerging As A Leader Among Covid-19 Digital Travel Passes

This App Is Emerging As A Leader Among Covid-19 Digital Travel Passes Read Post »

Make the Best Booze-infused Red Velvet Cupcakes Ever With Comedian Loni Love and Georgetown Cupcakes | Travel + Leisure

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

Is there anything better during the holiday season than the copious amounts of baked goods floating around? From tins filled with cheesecake brownies shipped across state lines (thanks, Nancy!) to pies of every shape, color, and flavor sending noses scrambling to the kitchen, baking is truly one of the joys of this time of year.

Read the entire article: Make the Best Booze-infused Red Velvet Cupcakes Ever With Comedian Loni Love and Georgetown Cupcakes | Travel + Leisure

Make the Best Booze-infused Red Velvet Cupcakes Ever With Comedian Loni Love and Georgetown Cupcakes | Travel + Leisure Read Post »

Gavin Newsom’s New Stay-at-Home Order a ‘Deathblow’ to California’s Small Businesses – Reason.com

Industry, Lifestyle

Most of California will be going back into March-style lockdowns following the issuance of a new public health order from Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that closes large swaths of the economy in regions hardest hit by COVID-19 and places tougher restrictions on businesses allowed to remain open.

Critics say Newsom’s order is full of arbitrary restrictions that will damage small business owners while doing little to stem the spread of the pandemic.

Read the entire article: Gavin Newsom’s New Stay-at-Home Order a ‘Deathblow’ to California’s Small Businesses – Reason.com

Gavin Newsom’s New Stay-at-Home Order a ‘Deathblow’ to California’s Small Businesses – Reason.com Read Post »

DeepMind AI cracks 50-year-old problem of protein folding | DeepMind | The Guardian

Health & Fitness, Industry, Lifestyle

Having risen to fame on its superhuman performance at playing games, the artificial intelligence group DeepMind has cracked a serious scientific problem that has stumped researchers for half a century.

With its latest AI program, AlphaFold, the company, and research laboratory showed it can predict how proteins fold into 3D shapes, a fiendishly complex process that is fundamental to understanding the biological machinery of life.

Read the entire article: DeepMind AI cracks 50-year-old problem of protein folding | DeepMind | The Guardian

DeepMind AI cracks 50-year-old problem of protein folding | DeepMind | The Guardian Read Post »

Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Reason.com

Industry, Lifestyle

In a year that will be remembered for a deadly pandemic that shut down parts of the economy and cost millions of people their jobs, here’s one silver lining.

Read the entire article: Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Reason.com

Americans Are Starting a Staggering Number of Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Reason.com Read Post »

Here’s What Skiing at Mammoth Mountain Looks Like Right Now | Travel + Leisure

Lifestyle, Travel

Everyone has their happy place. A place both real and imagined that brings them a sense of calm, joy, and pure happiness. For me, that’s the mountains in winter.

The fresh snow, crisp air, and joyful shrieks of skiers and snowboarders as they rip down the powder. But, being 2020, I thought my happy place was in peril. Until I visited Mammoth Mountain for opening week.

Read the entire article: Here’s What Skiing at Mammoth Mountain Looks Like Right Now | Travel + Leisure

Here’s What Skiing at Mammoth Mountain Looks Like Right Now | Travel + Leisure Read Post »

1 Big Reason You May Regret Claiming Social Security at 62 | Personal Finance | mooresvilletribune.com

Financial Planning, Retirement, Social Security

As you’re preparing for retirement, one important decision you’ll need to make is what age you’ll begin claiming Social Security benefits.

The earliest you can file for benefits is age 62. This is also the most popular age to claim, with 48% of women and 42% of men filing for Social Security at this age, according to a report from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

While there are advantages to claiming early, there’s also one significant risk you face that could potentially derail your retirement plans.

Read the entire article: 1 Big Reason You May Regret Claiming Social Security at 62 | Personal Finance | mooresvilletribune.com

1 Big Reason You May Regret Claiming Social Security at 62 | Personal Finance | mooresvilletribune.com Read Post »

Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry Outing Crystallizes the Arrogance of COVID-19 Dictators – Reason.com

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

After violating his own rules, California’s governor offers deceitful excuses and announces new restrictions for the little people.

Read the entire article: Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry Outing Crystallizes the Arrogance of COVID-19 Dictators – Reason.com

Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry Outing Crystallizes the Arrogance of COVID-19 Dictators – Reason.com Read Post »

New Kim: Racing pigeon from Belgium sold for record €1.6m – BBC News

Industry, Lifestyle, Markets

A racing pigeon from Belgium has set a new record after being sold for €1.6m ($1.9m, £1.4m).

New Kim, a two-year-old female, was initially put up for auction for just €200, but was bought by a bidder from China on Sunday for the record amount.

Kurt Van de Wouwer, whose family bred and owned the pigeon, said they were “in shock” at the news, according to Reuters news agency.

Read the entire article: New Kim: Racing pigeon from Belgium sold for record €1.6m – BBC News

New Kim: Racing pigeon from Belgium sold for record €1.6m – BBC News Read Post »

Virgin Hyperloop hits an important milestone: the first human passenger test – The Verge

Industry, Travel

Virgin Hyperloop announced that for the first time it has conducted a test of its ultra-fast transportation system with human passengers.

The test took place on Sunday afternoon at the company’s DevLoop test track in the desert outside Las Vegas, Nevada. The first two passengers were Virgin Hyperloop’s chief technology officer and co-founder, Josh Giegel, and head of passenger experience, Sara Luchian.

After strapping into their seats in the company’s gleaming white and red hyperloop pod, dubbed Pegasus, they were transferred into an airlock as the air inside the enclosed vacuum tube was removed.

Read the entire article: Virgin Hyperloop hits an important milestone: the first human passenger test – The Verge

Virgin Hyperloop hits an important milestone: the first human passenger test – The Verge Read Post »

LET’S KEEP IN TOUCH!

Get your weekly dose of calm as we celebrate that the journey is just as important as the destination!

This field is required.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Scroll to Top