As many of you already know, I write nonfiction books (The Old Money Book et al,) screenplays, this blog, and songs (a new addition, The Brooklyn Side of Town, has just been uploaded. Enjoy!) And like most everyone else, I write emails and texts regularly. So I have a little experience and a lot of … More The Medium and The Message
As many of you know, I’ve been living in France for a few years. It’s offered a distance in which to view current events taking place in my home country, the United States. What’s more, I am exposed to the much older history and the much more nuanced perspective of Europeans in general, and the … More Our Country’s Biggest Decision Ever
Thank you, Melissa!
I am constantly considering strategies and techniques that will help me be more productive. These run the gamut from simple prioritizing (first things first) to more involved, philosophical approaches like defining and refining my purpose in life. Recently, a friend related an interesting approach which I’d heard previously expounded upon by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of … More Thought, Word, and Deed
As I’ve made some changes in my life recently, I’ve had the opportunity to consider the relationship between the predictability we all seek and the ambiguity that is inherent in change or progress. We can’t know everything that’s going to happen as a result of a decision we make to change our circumstances. We can … More Predictability vs. Ambiguity
Greetings. My apologies for the long delay in posting. Personal business took up all the oxygen in the room for a few weeks, but I’m now back in the digital saddle. Peter, one of our members and a resident of Stockholm, recently commented about the local upper class and their “less than Old Money” habits. … More Stockholm Syndrome
I’ve adapted to (and adopted much of) Parisian life over the past few years. My American ‘go go go’ mentality has been beaten, bent, reshaped, and refined. Instead of long hours of hit and miss effort, I now work intensely in focused and compartmentalized blocks of time, then walk away from the task at hand … More Getting Things Done
Life in Paris is not always bowl of cherries, but it rarely goes long without a surprise. Most of the surprises are pleasant. A few are enlightening. One of the more enlightening moments occurred recently. (I’ll be intentionally vague with details to protect the privacy of those involved.) A young person from the United States … More The Importance of Narrative
We recently received the comment below from one of our readers. I thought it was very interesting and very relevant. Here it is, and I’ve added some thoughts below. I happened on your site while doing some personal research on old money style and its contemporary applications, like the trendy of the concept of sprezzatura, … More The Application Process
In recent weeks, I’ve noticed what seems to be an increase in the vocal and sometimes violent disruption of school board meetings, political speeches, and other organized events. These protests are sometimes well-organized by groups of activists. More often, they seem unplanned and unhinged: personal issues and unrelated frustrations boil over into the public square, … More The Importance of Order