Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Opinion & Prospective

Hear Dan’s viewpoints about how things work and the intended and unintended consequences, delivered with humor to keep you entertained and engaged.

They are delivered with humor, breaking down the barriers of reality, truths versus illusions, and manufactured narratives.

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Robot Armies Can be Approached from Several Angles—Technological, Ethical, Strategic, and even Speculative.

Defining Deviancy Up and Down:

Deviency occurs from sociological and cultural discussions about shifting standards of acceptable behavior. Daniel Patrick Moynihan popularized it in his 1993 essay, “Defining Deviancy Down,” and later others expanded on the idea of “defining deviancy up.”

Court Narrows Broker Fiduciary Duties in Malibu Home Dispute- Quick Read

In Larry Wade v. Windstar Investments, LLC, the Los Angeles County Superior Court clarified the limits of a real estate broker’s fiduciary and disclosure obligations. Wade purchased a $3.4 million Malibu property that later proved uninhabitable due to unpermitted construction. He sued the seller and Sotheby’s International Realty, alleging negligence and breach of fiduciary duty for failing to disclose the defects.

Defined Deviancy Down—meaning behaviors once considered unacceptable have become normalized or tolerated: Quick Read

Regular and Corporate Board Meetings: The Structure and Execution

Avoid turning a Board Meeting into a Bored Meeting. Some board meetings meander all over the place, frustrating everyone from the leader to the participants.

Unitrol: The Healing Magic of the Mind

Alfred J. Cantor’s 1965 Blueprint for Mental Mastery and Self Healing

Private Money | Hard Money | Loan Originations | Quick Read

Real property borrowers can access alternative sources of financing to banks and other institutional lenders. The subset, private money lending, is designed for non-bankable or non-traditional loan transactions.

Sports Betting Arrest: What’s Happening Around All the Professional Athlete Sports Betting Arrests?

This is a Very Big Deal in the World of Sports Betting: Investigations are underway, and many other participants will be arrested.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: A Modern Idiom Explored

The phrase “bite off more than you can chew” is a vivid idiom that has endured for over a century, maintaining its relevance across generations and contexts. It serves as a cautionary metaphor for overcommitment, unrealistic ambition, and the consequences of taking on more than one can reasonably handle.

Dealing with Sociopaths in the Business World

A sociopath is generally understood as someone with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), a condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for others and social norms.

Regulatory and Law Overreach Enslavement: When Rules Become Shackles-Technical Read

Regulatory and Law overreach enslavement occurs when legal frameworks and administrative rules expand beyond their intended scope, imposing excessive restrictions on individual or business autonomy. This form of captivity is systemically rooted in bureaucracy and compliance mandates rather than brute force.

SB-254: Its Impact on California Utilities- Financial Stability Meets Regulatory Oversight

California’s Senate Bill 254 (SB-254) is a significant piece of legislation that not only strengthens wildfire liability protections and accelerates the development of clean energy infrastructure but also has profound financial implications for utilities. For investor-owned utilities (IOUs) like PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric, this bill presents both a lifeline and a challenge.

Bobby McGee: Written by Kris Kristofferson- Part II

Freedom Is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose. A few lines in music capture the paradox of liberty like the refrain from Me and Bobby McGee:

Off the Hook: A Dive into This Versatile Phrase

“Off the hook” is a versatile phrase that can mean escaping responsibility or describing something amazing. It’s a phrase that sounds casual but packs a lot of meaning, making it fun and engaging in everyday conversations.

Bobby McGee: Freedom Is Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose- The Paradox

Few lines in American music have captured the tension between liberty and loss as vividly as Kris Kristofferson’s phrase, immortalized by Janis Joplin in Me and Bobby McGee:

Barrel of Monkeys: Meaning and Origins

The phrase “barrel of monkeys” is an idiom that has become part of popular culture, often used to vividly describe something fun, chaotic, or amusing. It’s a phrase that instantly suggests a lively, unpredictable scene, much like a barrel filled with monkeys. But where did it come from, and what does it really mean?

To Kill a Mockingbird: Cultural Significance Then and Now

Run for the Hills!

The phrase “run for the hills” is an idiomatic expression meaning: To flee quickly from danger or trouble, often in a panicked or urgent way. It suggests escaping to a safe, remote place—like hills or mountains—away from whatever threat is present.

Lessons for U.S. Polarization: Anarchism vs Democracy in Historical Perspective

The United States is currently grappling with a pressing issue of deep polarization—political gridlock, institutional distrust, and rising extremism. While anarchism is not a dominant force in American politics, its historical clashes with democratic systems offer critical lessons about what happens when legitimacy erodes and radical alternatives gain traction.

The History and Meaning of Moral Hazards

Uncover the profound influence of a 17th-century insurance term, which has shaped the trajectory of modern economics and financial regulation.