The Chicago Symphony Orchestra recently concluded the longest labor strike in its prestigious 128 year history. The issue at the heart of the dispute was the future of the pension plan offered to musicians. While pensions have become quite scarce in the private sector, they remain a cornerstone among the nation’s leading orchestras. Earlier this […]
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Let’s Look at This Straight in the Eye…
In conversations on Value Investing, references to the 1962 New York Mets have been coming up more often, and that’s not a good thing. The 1962 Mets are beloved for losing a staggering 120 games — a record for the history books that spurred then-manager Casey Stengel to despair, “Can’t anybody here play this game?” […]
5G, Not Just Another Phone Upgrade…
Industry experts expect great things from 5G, the latest generation of wireless technology. To understand why, it helps to know a bit about how cell phones function. Cell phones convert voice and data into electrical signals and then transmit those signals over radio waves to the nearest cell tower. The cell tower then passes the […]
The All China Edition…
I spent the month of March in China, travelling from the deep south to the mid section of Shanghai/Hangzhou/Zhoushan. My economic thoughts are detailed on pages 2 and 3, my reflections on culture and life on page 4. And here is my ‘Lonely Planet Guide’ to the not-miss sights. 1. Wherever you go use the […]
“China is a Great Country But the People Are Poor…America is a Very Disorganized Country But the People Are Rich”…
This line from a cab driver in Hangzhou, China. The implication is that China is organized and safe and even though the people are still poor, the country is on the march. America on the other hand is wealthy but unorganized and it will suffer because it cannot move as quickly or as efficiently as […]
Piecing it Together, Understanding the New China …
A month in China gave me plenty of time to see the sights but also time to see some of the unique and yes, quirky aspects of Chinese culture. Here are a few. 1. A great place to go both early morning and at dusk is a public square or park. Older Chinese congregate in […]
Technologies That Will Change the World in 2019…
By all accounts we are living in a period of robust technological improvement. Innovations from smart phones to artificial intelligence are fundamentally changing lives and altering the way business is done across a wide range of industries. Historically, technological innovation has been the “secret sauce” that has fueled economic growth and the rising living standards […]
The Times They Are A Changin’…
This past summer, Vermont became the ninth state to legalize marijuana and the first to do so via state legislature. Once a taboo topic, cannabis is going mainstream. A 2018 Pew Research Poll found that 62% of Americans believe that cannabis should be legalized; this is the highest number in the last 50 years. There […]
Why Selling Seems Harder Than Buying…
Why is it that selling a stock can seem so much harder than buying? We admit that we feel that way, and we suspect many other investors do too. Rationally, it doesn’t make any sense because the process behind buying and selling are the same – two sides of the same coin, so to speak. […]
Rising Debt Levels Here and Abroad…
While the economic recovery has been slower than many would have liked, it has been fairly broad based and persistent. Investors can thank the expansive fiscal and monetary polices of central banks around the globe for much of the rebound. But unfortunately, the last decade of ever lower interest rates also has fueled a buildup […]
The Passing of the Torch…
I will admit to being a Baby Boomer. It has been a good run. We have always thought of ourselves as very important. Our music is, of course, the best, and our opinions have mattered the most. So it comes as a shock to realize the baton is passing. Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers. It […]
“Every Picture Tells a Story”… (Rod Stewart & Ron Wood, 1971)
Albert Einstein once said “everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler.” Pictures often tell a very simple and very clear story. We are worried today about the stock market. The economy has been up for almost a decade and the market has marched right along in line. Shouldn’t we be […]
