Sheldon | Unexpected Leisure

January 8, 2011January 8, 2011

Banks Are Finding New Ways to Take Your Money

I don't supposed any of us should be surprised by this, but a recent article in the Wall Street Journal ("At Banks, New Fees Replacing Old Levies") reports that in the wake of regulations forcing Banks Read more [...]

January 7, 2011

If We’re In a Recovery, Where are the Jobs?

The past several recessions have taken much longer to recover lost jobs than those prior to 1991. There are various reasons for this, which I won't go into, but in this case it is particularly troubling because Corporate America is getting better and better at realizing large profits without hiring more workers here at home. Read more [...]

January 7, 2011January 8, 2011

Benjamin Franklin’s Rules for Living

Earlier this evening I was reading from Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and ran across this set of rules he made for himself when he was twenty. Living a good life, and living well demand a certain degree of thoughtful discipline and this list has some good ideas in it, and so I thought it a good idea to post them here. Read more [...]

January 6, 2011January 8, 2011

What Makes People Happy?

At the end of the day, this is what it's all about.Â This TED talk by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi about what makes us happy, and how to get into the state of "flow" where a feeling of ecstasy Read more [...]

January 6, 2011January 8, 2011

A Report on Foreclosure Fraud

While I prefer to keep things light and upbeat here, there are some stories that just can't be made pretty no matter how much fairy dust you want to throw at them. This is one of them and it sort of falls into the "How We Got Into This Mess" category. Read more [...]

January 5, 2011January 5, 2011

Restoring Cast Iron Cookware

Not long ago some friends gave us a set of three cast iron skillets as they were lightening their load during a move. The skillets were used, and encrusted with... something. I know people who use cast iron and they tend to praise it highly, so it seemed like a worthy exercise to see if this stuff could be restored. Read more [...]

January 5, 2011

Welcome to “Unexpected Leisure”

Two general options suggest themselves. One is to learn to live outside the embrace of corporate consumerism... To seek a way of living that is sustainable, that emphasizes experience and personal development over external substance, and redefining what it means to be fulfilled and happy. Read more [...]