Mutiny in the Global Economy
In The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, David Grann masterfully recounts the harrowing true story of HMS Wager’s 1741 shipwreck off Patagonia’s desolate coast. Tasked with raiding Spanish colonies in the Pacific, the British naval ship braved Cape Horn’s ferocious storms—infamously dubbed “Cape Stiff” and “The Sailors’ Graveyard” for their deadly toll—only […]
Whiffs of Stagflation in the air…
Waking up and seeing the market futures down big brought back memories of the movie Apocalypse Now where Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore says “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”. Yesterday’s tariff announcement from the Rose Garden has set the stage for a seismic shift in the U.S. and global economy and brought […]
Trump’s Economic Goals
The past month and a half have been a whirlwind for the Trump administration, marked by a flurry of executive orders, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spending cuts, lawsuits, tariff announcements, and geopolitical developments—leaving investors scrambling to keep pace. Cutting through the noise and focusing on the economy, it’s clear to me that the administration […]
Navigating the Future: The Rise of Autonomous Driving
There is never a shortage of topics to write about monthly, especially with the constant geopolitical developments. This month, too, we have an abundance of subjects to discuss, ranging from new administrations issuing a flurry of executive orders, to a robust dollar, persistent inflation, and a tight labor market, among others. However, this month I’ve […]
Trump 2.0
About a two weeks ago, a message popped up on my iPhone about an available software update from Apple. I quickly went into my settings and spent about 10 minutes updating my phone. Then, I texted my wife and kids, “Hey everyone, there’s a software update for your phones. It’s probably important. Update immediately!” As […]
Cleanest Dirty Shirt
In 1969, Kris Kristofferson wrote “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and was famously covered by Johnny Cash in 1970. The song conveys a vivid picture of the protagonist’s Sunday morning experience, where even the act of choosing a shirt to wear is framed within the context of his life’s struggles and decisions. The line “the cleanest dirty shirt” […]
Balancing the Scales
I am currently reading Erik Larson’s “The Splendid and the Vile,” an immersive book on Winston Churchill’s leadership during the London Blitz. This work expertly crafts a narrative where figures like Churchill stand as models of virtue against figures such as Hitler. As readers, we find ourselves naturally rooting for those who champion justice, while […]
Gold, then and now
Illustration of Athena Parthenos that stood in the middle of the Parthenon. Reflecting on history, certain pivotal moments have shaped the trajectory of civilization. Innovations such as the mastery of fire, the invention of the wheel, the harnessing of electricity, and the development of agriculture stand as foundational advancements. Beyond these essential survival innovations, the […]
The Yen & US Equities
I had a different post that I was going to send out for the month, but I opted to rewrite it this weekend considering the most recent actions that we’ve seen in the market. This felt more relevant to the situation at hand. We haven’t had volatility in a really long time and on some […]
General MacArthur
On September 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur orchestrated a daring amphibious assault at Inchon, South Korea. This bold move resulted in a stunning victory for the United Nations forces, enabling them to recapture Seoul and push the North Koreans back above the 38th parallel. Following the assault on September 29th, General MacArthur confidently declared, “The […]