Archive for July 2009
Is it me?
Plunges
One has become accustomed to some newspapers publishing lurid headlines. The Sun (a British newspaper) has had a long history of ‘interesting’ headlines with, perhaps, one of the all-time favourites being this:
13th March 1986
Those from other countries may wonder just who Freddie Starr is. (Those of us from England frequently wonder just who he is!!)
Where were the drama pundits? (by Janet Tavakoli)
I am indebted to Janet Tavakoli for giving me permission to re-publish her article.
Where Were Drama Pundits [Whitney, Taleb and Gasparino] When It Mattered?
TSF (Opinion) Roundup Commentary – July 29, 2009
Hundreds of people from clergymen to lawyers have claimed decorations for bravery that they never earned. Why should finance be any different?
Read more of this Post
It’s hot, damn hot!
Being based at the moment in Sonora State in Mexico and this being my first summer, those immortal words in Robin William’s film Good Morning, Vietnam keep coming to mind. Here’s an excerpt from the script that covers that exchange between Adrian Cronauer (RW) and Roosevelt, somewhere out in the jungle.
Innovation and Invention
Mankind has a huge potential.
Just recently we recognised the 100th anniversary of the flight across the English Channel by Louis Bleriot. His aircraft looked like this:
Betelgeuse
Sharpest views of Betelgeuse reveal how supergiant stars lose mass
Most of this Post is from a recent press release by ESO.
A close up of Betelgeuse
The strangeness of outer space is almost beyond comprehension. Read more of this Post
Making sense of (financial) markets
Financial news and reporting
If there was an award for the most intriguing corporate name Gluskin Sheff ought to be in with a chance! What an interesting and unusual name – perhaps someone will explain the origins.
Anyway, in my quest for balance in financial reporting and predictions (a hopeless quest as many of you will be quick to point out) the name of David A. Rosenburg came to light. He is the Chief Economist and Strategist of aforementioned firm, Gluskin Sheff. Rosenburg caught my eye because his opinion was that inflation is years away simply because consumer demand is likely to remain depressed for a long time and without growth in consumer demand there can’t be inflationary pressures – something that is in accord with my own thoughts and financial planning strategy (not that I am even daring to compare my own very inadequate knowledge with D.A.R.’s).
Anyway, a quick trawl around Gluskin Sheff’s website (that is such a lovely name!) found that one may subscribe to a number of free reports.
Seems like a good thing. Thank you Gluskin Sheff! (Did I mention what a great name that is!!)
By Paul Handover
Well said Robert G. Wilmers!
Robert Wilmers, chairman and chief executive of M&T Bank, (i.e. an insider) writes about the causes of the banking crisis in the The Washington Post.
No excuse is made for the preponderance of posts on financial matters. If ever there was an issue that goes right to the heart of integrity and honest behaviour, it is the economic crisis that we are all in.
So it was particularly gratifying to read from someone within the industry that reforms are sorely needed.
The article is well worth reading. Thanks to Baseline Scenario for referring to the article.
By Paul Handover
The love of a dog.
A love song
Pharaoh
I am your dog and have something I would love to whisper in your ear. I know that you humans lead very busy lives. Some have to work, some have children to raise, some have to do this alone. It always seems like you are running here and there, often too fast, never noticing the truly grand things in life.
The End of a Wall Street era.
Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker, writes about what went wrong for Wall Street.
As with all great events, and what is going on in the world just now is certainly a Great Event, artists, poets and writers always capture the essence of change.
In December of 2008, Lewis wrote a wonderful essay for Conde Naste Portfolio. Read and be impressed.
By Paul Handover
Can’t see the wood for the trees.
Debt, Inflation, Recession, Depression? Finding some truth!
How blessed we are with almost instant access, via the Web, to mind-numbing amounts of information. So, for example, it was easy to check the origins of the quote that forms the subject line.
Yes, the saying is at least five hundred years old, and probably a century or two could be added to that, for it must have been long been in use to have been recorded in 1546 in John Heywood’s ‘A dialogue Conteynyng the Nomber in Effect of all the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue.’ He wrote ‘Plentie is no deinte, ye see not your owne ease. I see, ye can not see the wood for trees.’
Anyway, to the substance of this Post.
Paul Handover
