anecdotes

We were seated next to one another with little in common but mutual respect for calculated risk-taking; a big Hollywood director and a token hedge fund manager (every good dinner party needs one). Directors are like dictators – play by their rules or get cut. He loves to shoot in black & white — it’s how lots of folks see the world. Good traders discover how much that medium costs ya, and learn to app

Got a call the night before midterm elections. A sensual voice urged me to vote for Prop 19. I got no other calls that night so it musta been a real high political priority, right? The temptress informed me approval will, “Legalize Marijuana, help our police regulate it like alcohol, protect our children from uncontrolled substances (hilarious!), and raise billions in new taxes.” Hmmm… It’s fascinating to watch peopl

My Ford Bronco was built in 1971, 2yrs after Armstrong stepped on the moon, lifted by basic computing and raw ambition. It’s got no power brakes, no power steering, and 8 cylinders that guzzle gas and shake the neighborhood. So when I fire her up, I’m reminded how technology has advanced, and how that advance has accelerated. Moore’s Law (the number of transistors we can put on a computer chip doubles every 2yrs) has

I rode my bike downhill, top speed, through a series of banked turns high in the mountains. It’s my favorite stretch ‘cause fast turns raise my pulse – transport me to an earlier life. As I exit the last curve, a large coyote stands motionless, directly in my path. Our eyes lock. I hold my line. He stares intently. I bark. He leaps right. And we avert a horrible crash. Oh, it happened real fast – instinct

Timing is everything. It’s kinda true, but let’s face it, you gotta be pretty smart and work real hard for good timing to arrive at your doorstep. I know lots of guys with good timing; some had to be more patient than others. One’s a blood brother, we grew up at Lehman buying and selling currencies; had impeccable timing from the day a doctor slapped his English arse. Has a magical gift: he knows when other people ar

I swung through Silicon Valley, one of my favorite spots on the planet; it’s where miracles get invented. And make no mistake, it’s miracles that we need if we’re gonna keep proving Thomas Malthus and his doomsday disciples wrong. The Valley boys forgive failure ‘cause they know that without a healthy dose, you’ll never achieve greatness. But they don’t suffer fools gladly. So they forgave baby Bush for his early fai

Switzerland’s the most magnificent country on Earth; it’s a fact. You know, I spent my 30th yr in the mountains high above Geneva, lived alone in a hut — quite literally. I did nothing but climb, and bagged a good many peaks. Left my childhood behind and discovered myself that yr. That’s why we climb mountains, to discover ourselves. Somewhere within the responsibility and vulnerability of being tied to another

I like all kinds of people, rich and poor. But poor people sadly don’t have much money. And of course plenty of rich people are poor in other ways and vice versa, but I’m talking about paper here. So I spend most of my time with rich ones — call it an occupational hazard. They tend to be more interesting but don’t laugh as hard, still though, we have lots of fun. So a buddy invited me to a conference. He was ke

Bumped into one of the big boys at a top 3 US bank. He’s a buddy so I came clean. Told him my story: You see, when your bank got the big bailout my capitalist conscience cried, “Eric, move your accounts from this wounded lamb and give it to a wolf.” But that’s a real hassle and I’m kinda busy, and of course you had that gov’t guarantee; I did nothing. Then without warning you cut my home-equity line of credit from $5