“Economists have accurately predicted 9 of the last 4 US economic recessions” is the punchline to a joke based on something economist Paul Samuelson said about the stock market in 1966. My formal economics education consists of one college level microeconomics course so clearly, I’m no expert. But, what I am able to do is…
You Can’t Go Back
I recently was listening to a podcast with an author who was discussing US history, industry and society. He talked about early US settlers who arrived from Europe to escape poverty, famine and a monarchical regime. In arms of earning a living, he said that many of these settlers became America’s first farmers. It was…
You Can’t Cut Without Cutting
In order to lose weight, I always have to eat less. At various times in my life I had to give up fast food, big restaurant meals, ice cream and peanuts for dessert, chips, nachos, ranch dressing and other favorite foods. I like being lean and lightweight. The trade-off is that I cannot eat as…
Renting From The Next Owner
I was watching a home improvement video where the homeowner had painted her kitchen in an unconventional palette of colors. She also modified her cabinets and added custom woodworking. She said that some people asked, “Aren’t you worried that this will hurt your resale value?” Her reply was that she wanted to live in the…
The Tax Man Cometh
I was surprised to calculate that I owed money on my taxes for 2024 for the first time in several years. The good news is that my investments performed well in the past few years. The bad news is that when I sold some shares to pay for my new windows, I realized capital gains…
Risky Business
The lingering cold this winter accompanied by late February snow storms and frigid temperatures in early March followed by high winds, storms and a tornado warning had me yearning to return to a warmer climate like Florida. I spent two days searching all over the US for places with the best weather, the least winter…
When It Absolutely Positively Has To Get There…Eventually
When I was a kid, FedEx ran commercials with the tag line, “When It Absolutely Positively Has To Get There Overnight”. Given their dominance in the overnight shipping industry, I think the message (and their outstanding track record and customer service) worked. Today, I don’t receive much via FedEx. Most of my shipments come via…
Shhhh
I wrote a long draft post about immigration yesterday. In it, I included my thoughts on immigration, crime, deportation, my experience with immigrants, my disappointment at being unable to emigrate to certain countries, “fairness”, rules and other adjacent considerations. Today, after I reviewed my draft, I deleted it. Because what do I know about immigration?…
Time Warp
About a week ago I made a major change to my diet. So far, so good. I’ve dropped a few pounds. I am sleeping better. I have had no stomach or digestion issues. And surprisingly, I feel very energetic and enthusiastic. In addition to eating less, I’ve switched to eating just one meal a day….
Bernied Out
I have liked Bernie Sanders ever since he first came on my radar when he ran for the 2016 Democratic nomination for President. Of course, being anti-establishment, he lost the nomination to Hillary Clinton. He ran again in 2020 and was defeated by the democratic machine that backed cognitively impaired Biden. Bernie’s recommendations for universal…