The Deal Desk (blog)
March 20, 2025: Almost 40 years ago, (September 1986) I started out in this business as an independent mortgage broker. After many years, I switched to bank lending. Since then, my focus turn to helping homeowners finance their construction or renovation projects. It was good experience and I learned much along the way. Now it’s…
Read MoreMarch 8, 2025: Words from Anthony Bourdain’s 2014 travel series “Parts Unknown” are raw, honest, and still as relevant as ever: “Americans love Mexican food. We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. We love Mexican beverages, happily knocking back huge amounts of tequila, mezcal and Mexican beer every…
Read MoreMarch 4, 2025: The UK decided to withdraw from the European Union on June 23, 2016, with approximately 72.2% of voters participating. It was closely contested, with 51.9% voting to leave and 48.1% to remain. Influenced by issues such as immigration and sovereignty, the vote highlighted deep divisions within the country as the UK officially left…
Read MoreFebruary 20,2025: Asymmetrical B2C (business-to-customer) relationships occur when a business holds significantly more power, information, or resources than the customer. It’s not hard to come up with B2C examples: In some areas, telecommunications companies still enjoy a monopoly or limited competition and can impose long-term contracts and complex pricing structures that are difficult to understand.…
Read MoreFebruary 2, 2025: The recent advancements in open source Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be compared to a spectacular 15th-century invention. The Gutenberg press forever changed the way information was shared by the affordable mass production of books. The rapid spread of ideas and knowledge that followed led to the Renaissance, the Reformation and inevitably the scientific…
Read MoreJanuary 20, 2025: During World War II, approximately 1.2 million African Americans served in the U.S. military. This was about 10-11% of the total armed forces and was in line with the African American population at the time, which was 15 million individuals out of a total national population of 132 million. Despite their significant…
Read MoreJanuary 13, 2025: In Buddhist teachings, the term “monkey mind” is used to describe the restless and chaotic nature of our thoughts, particularly the incessant mental commentary that often leads to stress and anxiety. Our minds can become overwhelmed with distractions, like monkeys jumping from branch to branch. The erratic and playful nature of monkeys…
Read MoreJanuary 1, 2025: The Latin phrase “Otium cum dignitate,” which translates to “leisure with dignity,” is often attributed to Cicero. In his discussion of a balanced life, “otium” (leisure) is best pursued with a sense of dignity and purpose, rather than idleness or mere pleasure-seeking. Otium cum dignitate refers to leisure activities that are meaningful…
Read MoreDecember 25, 2024: “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Ebenezer Scrooge This is Water is a remarkable essay and a commencement speech given to a graduating college class by David Foster Wallace on the real value of education. It has almost nothing to do with knowledge…
Read MoreDecember 14, 2024: A New Jersey map reveals an interesting detail from the early colonial history of America. The state has three natural water boundaries: the Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Delaware Bay to the south, and the Delaware River to the west. Then there is the northern border with New…
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