“Picketty took 400 pages to prove something that is glaringly obvious and he under-proved it,” said The Dealer, shuffling. “Ninety-five percent of the poker room loses money to five percent of the players,” he explained, relaxed, chatting. “Redistributing ten percent of the winner’s gains after every month of play wouldn’t change that outcome.” I picked up each card, deliberately, as if it was a blessing. “But would
Hope all goes well… I am two-hundred years old. I’ve never repaid my debts. In fact, I’ve defaulted eight times, most recently in 2002. No, I’m not Donald Trump. But I did just borrow $2.75bln for 100yrs from folks who manage other people’s retirement savings for a living. None of these investors will be alive at maturity, nor have the people who repay this debt been born yet. There’s no chance they’ll repay this. Bu
Overall: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity,” said Einstein, “and I’m not sure about the universe.” He would know. After all, he was a genius. But of course, anyone who fled the Nazis in 1933 would have recognized our capacity for insanity. Germany’s devastating loss was America’s gain; the universe conspired, as it does, to place Albert and his inquiries in the place they were most welc
Hope all goes well… “I got another one of those questions that you can’t answer Mommy,” said Charlie, buckled in the backseat. “Let’s call Sitaprana,” suggested Mara, dialing our spiritual go-to, Vedanta nun – a California connection. “Hi Charlie, what’s up?” asked Sita. “Well, I’m wondering what heaven looks like?” he asked, earnest. Without pause, she answered, “Close your eyes, look within, you’ll see it.” Charlie
Overall: “It’s important to not overreact,” said Yellen, experiencing the second out of body experience of her 70yrs. Floating above the podium, Janet heard herself below, “Balance sheet reduction could start relatively soon.” My heavens she thought, what’s happening, what am I saying? Why am I saying it? But below her the press conference proceeded normally, naturally, unaffected by her presence. Wall Street Journal
“They took everyone to the cleaners, they were everywhere,” said Lithium, handsfree on Highway One. “They were vertically integrating, they had economies of scale, the ability to pressure people politically, change local ordinances, extract tax breaks,” he continued, downshifting from ludicrous gear. “They abused workers, they had welfare recipients working in their stores, who turned around and spent their paychecks
Hope all goes well… “That’s right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won’t help us protect our people!,” tweeted Trump, following the London attack. “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!,” continued our Commander in Chief, the GCC unravelin
“Subservience to capital is embodied in the austerity of modern political parties,” said the CIO, leaning left. We were discussing the ebb and flow of history, politics, economics. Eyes squinted, history appears as an inexorable rise of humanity, productivity, prosperity – periodically interrupted by catastrophe. Woven into this rising thread is an eternal struggle between capital and labor for society’s economic spo
Overall: “We’ve had austerity rammed down our throats, it’s brought about inequality, it’s brought about the type of society that nobody wants – a low pay, race to the bottom society,” announced Mcluskey, leader of Unite, Britain’s largest trade union. “Jeremy Corbyn came along and offered an alternative.” And the Brits ate it up. Particularly youngsters, our future. 63% of 18-34 year-olds voted Labour, 27% Con
Hope all goes well… “Can we keep these tadpoles Daddy?” asked Charlie and Teddy. I shook my head, paternal reflex. “We already have two turtles and a bullfrog. So why not?” they pleaded, forgetting our countless other pets. And in their defense, once you expand a balance sheet past the point of absurd, why ever stop? But having lost virtually every such battle waged in recent years, I grasped for a straw. “Their momm