PFAS-Free Cookware

It's past time to stop using non-stick cookware for health reasons and ditch it properly for environmental reasons. This Wirecutter article reviews the PFAS-free cookware recommended by its kitchen editor.

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Bubble Analysis

This piece by James Mackintosh gives an informative view of bubbles, and why they are not so terrifying in the past 25 years. Boom-bust cycles now happen in the blink of an eye. The memory-chip bubble inflated and popped, complete with wild volatility and an imploding hedge fund, in just four months. Trillions of dollars were created out of thin air and then eviscerated. Here’s the thing: For the rest of the market, it just didn’t matter. The S&P 500 is only 1.6% below its record, and the equal weighted version—a measure of the average of all stocks in the index—hit a new high last week. Students of bubbles may shrug. The post-financial crisis era of easy money has led to repeated booms and busts in small, and sometimes not-so-small, parts of the market in the past 15 years. None of them stopped its relentless rise. One day the bust will be the big one, and drag down the whole market. But for now, at least, the pullback in AI-related stocks has been almost completely offset by gains elsewhere. The piece then goes on to explain why these mini (and in the case of semiconductors, not so mini) bubbles keep happening, and why they aren’t more damaging.

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Why We Love Women's Professional Soccer

It's simple: If you watch starting at the1m30s mark, you'll see they know how to pass, they know to kick, and they know how to score a goal.

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Two Threats to Sports

Professional and supposedly non-professional sports are on a collision  course with two human forces: Greed and gambling. Greed permeates every level of sports from the owners, to the leagues, to the confederations, to the conferences, to the schools, to the athletes, to the commentators, to the broadcasters. At the same time, gambling has partnered with every sport to an extent (as someone would say) like no one has ever seen before. Pardon the dystopia and excuse the naiveite, but, if there were a Shakespeare living today, forsooth, we would see a play where these forces crush the audience that believed it was watching an unrigged match between worthy rivals playing for the thrill of victory and not just to avoid the agony of defeat or make money. 

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PS re The Bear

Some of The Bear seasons were better than others, and some of The Bear episodes were excellent while others no so much. But, when it comes to the last episode of the last season, unlike too many other series, The Bear nails it big time, even if, or perhaps because, it leaves you hungry and wanting more.

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Sensors That Can Be Replaced by an Android Phone

As this article explains, an Android phone can be used as a tape measure, ambient light and sound meter, metal detector, and spirit level. A Pixel phone can do all that and can be used as a thermometer.

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New Rules re Inherited IRAs

If your estate has significant funds in an IRA, this TheStreet article explains how IRA accounts are tripping up beneficiaries with costly new rules. The rules governing inherited IRAs changed more in the past five years than in the previous three decades combined. Many beneficiaries still assume they can stretch withdrawals over a lifetime, the way heirs could before 2020. Under SECURE 2.0, the excise tax on missed required distributions is 25%, dropping to 10% if the shortfall is corrected within a two-year window. 

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Not Your Grandparents' Prenup

As this NYT piece explains, prenups (unlike the Supreme Court's view of anything) have evolved with the times. Once seen as a taboo topic — or even bad luck — premarital contracts have been shedding their stigma in recent years. There’s a misconception that prenups only protect the richer spouse, but I think they protect both people, because it’s just financial clarity. For the spouse with fewer assets, a prenup can guarantee financial protections that would otherwise be uncertain. Prenups also reduce the likelihood of a lot of expensive litigation if the marriage ends. A successful business would define expectations before the problems arise. A successful couple would benefit from doing the same.

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The Sheep Detectives (2026 Movie on Prime) and a PS re Prime Movie Ads

Yeah, I admit that The Sheep Detectives is sappy and predictable. But I dare you to watch it and not enjoy it. It's a murder mystery with some comedic, poignant, and heart-felt moments, and the plot-line is unique: the sheep solve the murder. Oops, I didn't mean to give it away. Actually I didn't. Because it's not that the sheep solved the mystery, but how they did, and so what if they did because it's not like they can explain what they know to humans. 

PS re Prime Movie Ads: This might be the first Prime movie where I didn't pay a rental fee and hence the first Prime movie with ads I have watched (I refuse to pay the extra monthly Prime fee to have ad-free Prime movies). I don't know if this is true for all Prime movies, but the only ad was about a 30-second spot before the movie started. There were no ad interruptions.

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Pre-Medical/Dental Procedure Tip

Many times, a doctor or dentist will not tell you ahead of time as to what you might need to do after any given medical or dental procedure. Thus, it is not until the procedure is over, and you are about to leave for home, that you are given a set of instructions as to do's and don'ts and stuff you need or need to buy for the do's. So, here's the best practice from a patient point of view: When the procedure is scheduled, ask the scheduler or medical assistant to give you the "instruction sheet" as to what you will need to have on hand and what you are to do post-procedure.

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