Most people consider interest rates to be boring, but they are wrong! They tell you a great deal about the economy. Here are some “fast facts” about interest rates:
What do mothers do when two kids are fighting? In Virginia Beach, where I live, there is a north-south orientation. The urbanized and developed northern part is separated by a “green line” from the rural, undeveloped southern part. The point is that there is a relatively clear separation. Many pundits argue that the only solution for peace in the Middle East is the two-state solution,…
I attended a birthday party for a relative reaching the age of 100. He was born when postage was only 2 cents and unemployment was only 2.4%, both lower than today. I asked him what was the secret to living so long, and he answered “apples & onions”. Later, I asked a very close friend “how would you like to live to be 100 years…
https://www.wsaz.com/2023/10/17/looking-next-hundred-wwii-veteran-celebrates-100th-birthday-with-friends-family/
When I was born, Arabs and Jews were killing each other in the Mideast.When I graduated from high school, they were still killing each other.When I graduated from college, they were still killing each other.When I was discharged from the Army, they were still killing each other.When I married the first time, they were still killing each other.When I became a father, they were still…
According to the old Buddhist tradition of the “Three Wise Monkeys”, each was named “see no evil, hear no evil, or speak no evil.” According to my late mother, bad things don’t happen if you don’t talk about it. According to the Veterans Administration, every returning veteran needs counseling. According to many existentialists, there is so little difference between life and death that the difference…
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the budget for the American Special Forces was being cut. For example, the budget for the Army’s Green Berets was being cut 5-10%. Some years ago, the U.S. and other nations decided that future wars would be drastically different, with more high-visibility open spaces and fewer low-visibility spaces like jungles and door-to-door fighting. High visibility open spaces…
For years, I have cautioned investors not to over-react to recessions, which are a normal, routine part of capitalism. They come and go. A recession is not the same thing as a bear market in stocks, but they often occur together. If you enjoy being afraid, be fearful of a financial crisis instead. They are harder to predict, come on more quickly than recessions, and…
Until July 18th, 2015, I thought former President Donald Trump was just another skirt-chasing New York braggart. That day, I became a “never-Trumper,” because that was the day he trashed American hero John McCain. He didn’t merely disagree with McCain, he trashed him. It was ugly! Later, after McCain died in 2018, Trump ridiculed McCain’s family for having “the world’s longest funeral.” That day, I…
