I’ve watched very few movies and very little TV in the past several months. I’ve been very busy with the outputs and taking in too little, except for my YouTube habit (which I talked about in the Sept. 16 issue). But today, in this “Worth Watching” issue, I have many recommendations for you, starting with two movies (one from the past to watch now and one to watch when it’s released), as well as a new Netflix series and a bunch of videos.

And I’m kicking it off with a little story about my brush with movie stardom.

But first, let me say thanks to the readers who picked up on the typo in the last post. I am NOT in my 80s, as readers who do not know me might have thought when they read that I had given up golf sometime around my 79th birthday.

I’m back from a week in Myrtle Beach, golfing with nine of my high school friends. Well… that’s not true. I hardly golfed at all. Just nine holes on Wednesday morning. That left me plenty of time to catch up on the news.

And boy, there was a lot of big and/or interesting news last week – beginning, of course, with what could very well be an end to the decades-long (centuries-long?) Arab-Israeli conflict.

Apologies in advance to readers who tell me that they wish I wouldn’t write about political and social issues. I’ll be back with lighter and brighter fare later this week.

Two quick things – weird and disturbing things. Plus, the embarrassing reason why I don’t cook. Ever.

It’s amazing that, at nearly 75, I am still discovering what feel like very basic facts about my personality. As I explain in today’s Journal excerpt, one of those discoveries has led to a change in the way I approach problem-solving.

I’m also sharing a piece by Ian King, a financial analyst that I follow. (If you’re intrigued by the potential of alternative energy sources, you might be interested in a scientific breakthrough he is excited about.)

And I’ll tell you what I think about the relationship between “privilege” and “success.”

Today’s issue is mainly about health and wellness, two subjects I’ve been researching and writing about for 30 years. You’ll notice that I’m changing the format a bit by publishing my Journal notes just as I first wrote them… warts and all. My thinking is that this will allow me to share more of what I’ve been doing and thinking – but briefly.

BW, a BJJ friend and colleague who tells me he looks forward to reading what I have to say about this or that, told me last weekend that he dreads opening my blog posts because he fears they will be 40 pages long. He’s not the first to lodge this complaint. I not only recognize its fairness, I sympathize with it 100%. As I said to him, “You dread reading them? How do you think I feel about writing them?!

I have been trying various strategies to reduce the load on my readers (and myself) – and I have reduced the average length from about 20,000 words at peak garrulousness to about 4,000.

Today, I’m taking an even more drastic step. I’m going to slash the word count to under 1,000 by limiting the content to just three things: (1) an excerpt from my Journal, (2) a celebrity interview that I loved and wanted to share with you, and (3), as a PS, a short, comic video about Apple vs. Android users that I think is very clever.

Shorter issues may mean more issues, so let me know if you like/hate this short format.

Today’s Main Course is a piece I probably should not have written in an issue you probably will not read. It will not in any way improve your day. And it will certainly not improve your impression of me.

Apart from that, I’ve got three updates for you: one on AI, another on vaccine mandates, and another on the dismal state of education in this country. Plus, a report on another 9/11 disbeliever, a short piece on the source of some interesting English language idioms, and a spoof commercial starring Steve Buscemi called “Scamageddon.”

K and I are back in the warmth, comfort, and safety of Delray Beach on the eastern shore of South Florida. Loved our 10 days in New York City. And very happy to be home.

A good part of this issue was inspired by a thought-provoking book I just read and liked so much that I’m including a good-sized excerpt for you. It’s about, among other things, the author’s view of US and European culture – a topic I’ve been thinking about for a number of years. In fact, I’ve been preparing a longish essay on it, which I will publish in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you should see what he has to say.

I’ve also included a funny and scary mini-history of 9/11, nine facts about lions and scavengers that may surprise you, a super-simple five-step solution to our broken government (that I could not argue with), and several letters I recently received that reminded me of why I write the books I write.

And finally, I’ve ended the issue with a slice of the life of a genuine “lion whisperer.”

Let’s get started with this quick history lesson about 9/11…

As you probably know, art has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Today, I let my inner art lover take over most of the issue with my reviews of three exhibitions that were highlights of our time in New York, plus a chapter from my book The Art of Investing in Art.