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.

In retirement, live a rich life of purpose and longevity | Guest Columns | clarionherald.org

Lifestyle, Retirement

For many, retirement is imagined as a time of rest, travel and leisure. But what if this chapter of life held an even greater promise? Research consistently shows that meaningful community engagement in later years provides fulfillment and contributes to longer life expectancy.

The key? A sense of purpose.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that individuals with a strong sense of purpose were at significantly lower risk for cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.

Read the entire article: In retirement, live a rich life of purpose and longevity | Guest Columns | clarionherald.org

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Coatimundi attacks hiker in southern Arizona

Lifestyle, Travel

A hiker had an unusual run-in with a wild animal in southern Arizona this past weekend.

According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to investigate a wild animal attack in Ash Canyon, south of Sierra Vista, on Sunday. The man reported that he was hiking in the area and returned to his car, only to find a coatimundi on the hood of his vehicle.

A coatimundi is part of the raccoon family and has long snouts and facial features similar to a raccoon. According to Arizona State Parks, the white-nosed coatis in Arizona are about the size of a small dog.

Read the entire article: Coatimundi attacks hiker in southern Arizona

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Zion National Park Lodge Hotel Review

Travel

After spending four days in Las Vegas and a 2.5-hour drive in our rental car, I finally arrived at Zion National Park Lodge with my family. Located just a few hours (and a world away) from Sin City, it is the only hotel inside Zion National Park.

Feeling cooped up from the drive, I stepped out of the car to stretch my legs and went with my dad to check us in. Surrounded by towering peaks on all sides, the red rocks streaked with orange and white were a spectacle I wasn’t quite prepared for. The lodge looked like a miniature in the shadow of the jagged mountains. My dad and I were giggling like children as we took it all in and walked across the great expanse of the property’s front lawn en route to the lobby when he excitedly asked, “Are you getting this? Did you take a video?”

Read the entire article: Zion National Park Lodge Hotel Review

Zion National Park Lodge Hotel Review Read Post »

This Is the Best Sandwich in the World, According to the World Food Championships

Lifestyle, Travel

There’s no doubt that we’re in the golden age of sandwiches. Of course, there are hundreds of classic sandwiches across cultures, all of which are delicious and deserve recognition, but I’m talking about a time of extreme sandwich innovation.

Take content creator Owen Han, for example, who has built a devoted following (and career) entirely based on his gourmet takes on the humble sandwich, with hundreds of decadent renditions ranging from a surf and turf sandwich with tomahawk steak and snow crab legs to an Eggs Benedict croissant.

Meanwhile, sandwich shops have cemented their place among some of today’s most thrilling restaurants, like New Orleans’ Turkey and the Wolf, renowned for its collard green melt with pickled cherry pepper dressing and fried bologna sandwich replete with potato chips and American cheese.

Read the entire article: This Is the Best Sandwich in the World, According to the World Food Championships

This Is the Best Sandwich in the World, According to the World Food Championships Read Post »

Dolphins welcome SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronauts home after splashdown (video) | Space

Lifestyle, Travel

SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronauts had some company in the water after they splashed down on Tuesday afternoon (March 18).The Crew-9 mission returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT (2157 GMT) on Tuesday, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. A fleet of recovery vessels soon converged on Crew-9’s Dragon capsule, named Freedom — and so did some curious marine mammals, who wanted to check out this strange object that fell from the sky into their domain.

Read the entire article: Dolphins welcome SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronauts home after splashdown (video) | Space

Dolphins welcome SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronauts home after splashdown (video) | Space Read Post »

Technical Difficulties on a Reboot

Authored by Jeff

Apparently, I’m more technically challenged than I thought I was.

You might have received an errant “newsletter” this week on Wednesday. This is the reboot of the weekly digest that I’ve sent out for many years. But, when I reactivated it on Wednesday, it picked up some old test articles and sent them out immediately.

Sorry about that… please ignore!

You are supposed to get our weekly digest on Sunday mornings. It’s a lighter read than a hard-hitting investment dissection and analysis.

I intend to write articles, investment commentary, and analysis from time to time. When I’ve written an article, it will be presented here as the first article in the weekly digest email rather than delivered separately to you through other means.

I have also been working on an investing series over the last couple of weeks, which discusses the new administration’s economic and cost-cutting policies. I have completed the last article in that series about how tariffs, policy directives, onshoring, government cost-cutting, and reducing or eliminating bureaucratic red tape could help to completely reshape our economy if enacted.

Let me know if you’d like a copy of that last report, and I will forward it to you directly.

Thanks, and happy Sunday and have a great upcoming week!

Jeff

Technical Difficulties on a Reboot Read Post »

Now and Future – Behavior Gap

Behavioral Finance, Markets

Investing in the stock market is not a physical science like weather forecasting. Although the market is difficult to predict, there are proven strategies that can help you invest wisely. Learn why guessing is not a good way to make investment decisions in this article by Carl, and stop pretending to know something you don’t.

Read the entire article: Now and Future – Behavior Gap

Now and Future – Behavior Gap Read Post »

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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