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.

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 »

Famed Chef Mads Refslund Will Cook You an Unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner in Mexico | Travel + Leisure

Lifestyle, Travel

To get the tastiest Thanksgiving dinner this year, you’re going to have to go to Cabo.

Auberge Resorts Collection’s two properties in Los Cabos — Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection, and Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection — announced in November that chef Mads Refslund, one of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, will celebrate the season of gratitude in Cabo with a limited series of exclusive dining experiences over Thanksgiving weekend.

Read the entire article: Famed Chef Mads Refslund Will Cook You an Unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner in Mexico | Travel + Leisure

Famed Chef Mads Refslund Will Cook You an Unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner in Mexico | Travel + Leisure Read Post »

The maps that show life is getting better | World news | The Guardian

Industry, Lifestyle

Maps are not just informative, they are empowering. They can help provide a new perspective to age-old problems. But maps are not necessarily fixed – they often need renewing. As Albert Einstein said, “You can’t use old maps to explore a new world.”While there are reasons to be uneasy about the future, maps can also inspire optimism.

They not only reveal incredible progress, but also signal how a combination of political leadership, smart incentives and regulatory pressure can improve our human condition.

Read the entire article: The maps that show life is getting better | World news | The Guardian

The maps that show life is getting better | World news | The Guardian Read Post »

Singapore Airlines sells out meals on parked plane – BBC News

Travel

Despite a price tag of up to $496 (£380), the first two seating dates sold out within half an hour.

The airline has added two more dates, with diners signing onto a waitlist for lunch and dinner sittings. Singapore Airlines is one of many carriers looking for new business models to make up for lost revenues.

The airline currently plans to use two Airbus A380 aircraft for each three-hour session. Each one will be half full to help adhere to social distancing regulations.

Read the entire article: Singapore Airlines sells out meals on parked plane – BBC News

Singapore Airlines sells out meals on parked plane – BBC News Read Post »

British company produces kit to electrify vintage Minis

Lifestyle

A British powertrain specialist has announced a kit that converts vintage Minis to electric power. Swindon Powertrain said its Classic Mini Kit starts at £8,850 ($11,500) and is designed for installation by classic car enthusiasts, specialists, or EV-conversion shops.

Established in 1971, Swindon Powertrain produced high-performance engines and components for road and racing, including Formula 1, and continues to supply a majority of the starting fields for the British Touring Car championships.

Read the entire article: British company produces kit to electrify vintage Minis

British company produces kit to electrify vintage Minis Read Post »

New Evidence Suggests Better Treatment Is Contributing to Falling COVID-19 Fatality Rates – Reason.com

Health & Fitness, Lifestyle

The fatality rate among COVID-19 patients in the United States has fallen dramatically since last spring, from 6.1 percent in mid-May to 2.6 percent yesterday.

That downward trend partly reflects a younger, healthier mix of patients, whose median age fell from 46 in May to 38 in August. But two new studies suggest that improvements in treatment also have helped reduce the case fatality rate.

Read the entire article: New Evidence Suggests Better Treatment Is Contributing to Falling COVID-19 Fatality Rates – Reason.com

New Evidence Suggests Better Treatment Is Contributing to Falling COVID-19 Fatality Rates – Reason.com Read Post »

How I Worked From Home Abroad in Mexico for 35 Days During the Pandemic – The New York Times

Lifestyle, Travel

When I decided to travel to Mexico in the middle of the pandemic for more than a month, I didn’t have many supporters among my friends and family, with fair concern. The country is currently one of the hardest hit by the virus — and is now approaching nearly 900,000 cases.

Traveling now clearly isn’t an option for everyone, but my partner and I both felt we could get away and, with our employers having us work remotely, I probably had no better opportunity to work abroad than this one and only time.

Read the entire article: How I Worked From Home Abroad in Mexico for 35 Days During the Pandemic – The New York Times

How I Worked From Home Abroad in Mexico for 35 Days During the Pandemic – The New York Times Read Post »

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