One of the most important books I’ve ever read was the iconic “On Death and Dying” by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1997.  She demonstrated that there are normal emotional stages after hearing a terminal diagnosis.  It is a useful exercise. Naturally, Dr. Kubler-Ross’s perspective on predictable emotions related to death is useful for other life events.  … Continue reading On Death and Investing

A recession and a bear-market are not the same thing, although they are friends and have often been seen together.  A recession is to economics what a bear-market is to investing – bad news.  A recession is loosely regarded as two consecutive quarters of decreasing GDP, and bear-market is loosely regarded as a 20% decrease … Continue reading Q & A . . . Bear Market Edition

Last month, I was hoping the Fed would increase interest rates by 75 basis points or three-quarters of one percent.  Unfortunately, they only raised it by 50 bps or one-half of one percent. This week, the Fed is likely to raise interest costs another 50 bps, which will disappoint me again.  I hope they increase … Continue reading Yanking the Band-Aid Off

I SALUTE the ten Republican senators who had the courage to stand up to the NRA and reject the stupid “slippery-slope” argument that ANY, trivial restriction on guns would certainly lead to the confiscation of all 400 million guns in America.

The most powerful industry in America has long been the advertising business.  Who else can “influence” you buy a particular deodorant or automobile or how to vote? It took many years for me get interested in sports.  For me, sports is just another subsidiary of the advertising business. Take the PGA or Professional Golf Association … Continue reading The Importance of Rebranding ?

Life is nothing more than a series of binary choices . . . you know . . . “either-or” There’s “good or bad” —  there’s “eat or exercise” ? Mothers . . . and other expert psychologists . . . warn us that “all work & no play” makes us dull, boring and unhealthy. Most … Continue reading Read it . . . or not

I just finished reading “Religion’s Sudden Decline:  What is Causing It and What Comes Next” by Ronald Inglehart in 2021.  He is a professor at the University of Michigan.  The book is a scholarly work and, as such, is not easy reading.  The first half of the book is full of references to the work … Continue reading That Old-Time Religion ?

Republicans and Democrats make lousy financial advisors.  However, MODERATE Republicans and MODERATE Democrats make excellent financial advisors, but they are tough to find.  That’s why it is necessary to say something NEGATIVE about a politician before saying anything POSITIVE. NEGATIVE:  Neither President Biden nor the Democratic Party have any clue, much less any understanding, of … Continue reading Fair and Balanced

There is a lot of noise out there!  Inflation is running wild.  Shortages are everywhere, from cars to baby formula.  The sky is falling??  Why aren’t you more worried?? Of course, curbing inflation is critical, but I’m optimistic it will be largely controlled by year-end for several reasons. First, the Fed may have been late … Continue reading Noise & More Noise

This is NOT an “I told you so” blog entry! Last week’s crash of crypto values was terrifying, with some losses as much as 90%.  There was a real human-dimension to this, with multiple bankruptcies.  Let us not be insensitive to their losses. When Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies became newsworthy some years ago, I was … Continue reading Crypto Crash

Another fuzzy-faced delusional punk shot up a bunch a innocent people in Buffalo this weekend.  As is normal, his parents were shocked and heartbroken.  You can blame the parents, the kid, his guns, even the spineless, soul-less politicians who accept money from the National Rifle Association (NRA).  As a former member of the NRA, I … Continue reading Yada, Yada . . . Thoughts & Prayers . . .