There it sat, for over a month. On the dock, in plain sight. Bureaucracy and political infighting froze its delivery. But as the devastation spread, and outrage at the ineptitude spilled over, back-room deals were done, red tape was cut, the cargo container magically opened. And desperately needed medical supplies were released; to Sierra Leone. Far too late. Anyhow, we’ve finally discovered the number – it tak

Hope all goes well… “What happens when everyone who wanted to buy a 10% correction is already long?” asked Yoda, high in the Rockies. “What happens when they start selling things that made money, to pay for things that lost it?” continued the mkt’s largest S&P trader. “What happens when that pushes stocks and bonds down together?” he asked, pausing. “Yes, what happens when the S&P trades 1,600 and 10yrs hit 3

Time to unleash my inner nerd. And admit I read the Geneva Report cover to cover. In one titillating go. Which got my propeller spinning faster than a preacher’s wife’s pulse, reading Fifty Shades. Not because of its content, which we all had beaten into us, with a stiff wooden ruler, back in Econ 101. But rather, because this story’s no fantasy. “Contrary to widely held beliefs, the world has not yet begun to deleve

Hope all goes well… “You could’ve bought as many puts as you wanted,” said Roadrunner – an elusive creature, who’s become the S&P’s biggest volatility trader by avoiding traps. “The Vol never lies.” And leaning on that lesson, he and his flock faded the move. “This is just the beginning, it’s still early, it started with the dollar, now it moves to other markets.” Ever since 2009, it was easy to buy calls when th

“Maybe write something about turning 48,” said Mara. “Write about that Berkeley Hills trail run with your brother, when you thought you had a fatal medical condition,” she continued. “But then realized you were just getting old, outta shape.” I considered it. The idea had some merit. After all, I did really feel like I was going to die. And glimpsing my mortality, swore to god that if only I lived to hear another ope

“When trouble comes up anywhere in the world, they don’t call Beijing,” said Obama. “They don’t call Moscow,” continued America’s commander in chief. “They call us.” Undoubtedly true. “America leads, that’s always the case,” said our President. At which point Europe’s 28 leaders slumped in union. Depressed. Deflated. You see, no one’s ever called. And never will. How could they? Who would they call? But worse yet, Ob

“But I want to be clear: we’re not moving fast enough,” said Obama, chastising world leaders. “We are not doing enough,” continued the President, shuffling papers, buying time, trying to remember what that damned fourth issue was. Certain that it too was emblematic of chronic failure in global policy coordination. You see, he’d already addressed climate change, ISIS, and tax inversions. But no matter, we all draw bla

“Tell you one thing that helps me take risk,” grunted Bulldog, wandering around Greenwich, his wild pack barking in the background. “We feed off each other,” continued one of the industry’s largest, most profitable risk-takers. They roam far and wide, scratching, sniffing. Until one picks up a scent. Then they race off, competing to be fastest, biggest. “Most people wait for prices to really move their way before get

Hope all goes well… I got a beef. You would too if you’d tried to navigate Manhattan all week. As paranoid little dictators from every corner of the planet joined hapless elected leaders at the UN, to discuss matters of existential importance. Like global warming. Which for instance, you contribute to, every time you and your posse of pistol-packing pachyderms take 15 black Escalades 3 blocks to buy a Frappuccino. Or

What the hell? Nothing happened? Seriously? Scotland’s British? Some crappy little concept-country called Catalonia collapsed? The sun rose? Then set? Yup. And that’s not the half of it. Yellen kept her “considerable period” language in the Fed statement. Which means nothing. Don’t believe me? Just ask her, she admitted it, she’s “data dependent.” But still, had she removed “considerable period,” like for real, well,