Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Humor

Expect Stories, One-liners, and Satire that Make the Point and Make You Laugh

Welcome to Humor—where I translate real life into laughs without losing the truth.

These posts deliver witty commentary, satire, and observational stories drawn from real estate, mortgage lending, private money, government policy, bureaucracy, and the economy.

Expect sharp takes on incentives, second-order effects, and the unintended consequences that show up after the press conference—usually with a bill attached. If you like humor that exposes the script while keeping you entertained, start here.

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“Life in the Fast Lane” (Eagles)

“Life in the Fast Lane” sounds like freedom with the pedal floored—until you realize it’s written like a warning label. Built on a snarling Joe Walsh riff and framed by Don Henley and Glenn Frey’s sharp-eyed storytelling, it captures the seductive velocity of 1970s Los Angeles and the inevitable crash that prompts listeners to reflect on the risks and illusions of modern life.

Dragging His (Her, It’s) Feet: Quick Read- Part I of II

A Phrase That Speaks Volumes

Family Estate Clean Outs:

What was essential to Grandma may not be important to the kids and grandkids!

Our Stuff and The 80/20 Rule:

Most households live like museums—curating, storing, and maintaining far more than they actually use. The 80/20 rule offers a practical way to identify what’s essential and what’s just taking up space, helping you focus on what truly matters in your home and life. Clutter isn’t just what’s on your floors—it’s what’s occupying your bandwidth, adding unnecessary stress and mental load.

When Household Clutter Creates a Locked Cage Without an Exit:

The Psychology Behind “Cleaning Paralysis”—and How to Break It

Why Do Shiny Cars Sit Outside, While Accumulated Junk Dwells In the Garage

Park It Inside: Why Reclaiming Your Garage in 2026 Pays Off (and How to Do It)

“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”:

The Duet That Became a Cultural Shortcut for Joy

Dirty Dancing (1987):

The Movie Everyone Remembers for the Lift—And Should Remember for the Stakes

“Spinning Truths and Narratives by The Institution of Government” Part II

Affects Government Public Policy (and Why It Matters) Crises Supercharge Spinning, and Spinning Supercharges Crises

The NGOs’ Paradox: A Well-Organized Path to Engage in Fraud

Why Mission-Driven Organizations Attract Fraud—and Who Actually Polices Them, And How Do They Get Away with It?

Loaded for Bear:

The Power of Over-Preparedness in Life and Business

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”:

The Two-Minute Masterclass That Changed Pop Culture, by the “Queen of Soul.”

From Sock Hops to Spring Break to Summer Vacation

How 1960s Teen Romances Rewrote the 1950s Playbook

America’s Favorite Memory: Teen Romance

How the 1970s Built Nostalgia into Myth

Teenage Movies: From Mythic Past to Messy Present:

How 1980s Teen Romance Replaced 1970s Nostalgia

Footloose (1984):

When a Small Town Tried to Outlaw Joy—and a Teen Refused to Sit Still In Herbert Ross’s pop-cultural lightning bolt, dancing isn’t just fun. It’s freedom with a beat.

“Slick”

The Linguistics of a Loaded Word (and Why It Becomes a Label)

Spin Doctors: When They Spin the Narrative (Instead of the Facts)

Legacy Media, Social Media, Agencies, Institutions, and Corporate Actions about the Spin. If facts are the skeleton of reality, spin is the costume that can make anything look heroic—or hide the monster underneath. And when a spin doctor chooses narrative over truth, the public doesn’t just get misinformed. They get managed. “Spin doesn’t persuade you with evidence—it seduces you with certainty.”

“Hit the Road”

Origin, Meaning, and Why This Three-Word Idiom Still Travels

Bait-and-Switch in Dating

12 Common Tactics (and How to Handle Them)