Kuroda dropped his kimono. And stepped into the steaming shower. To wash away the anger, the humiliation, and the last remaining trace of economic orthodoxy. He’d cut a secret deal with Abe, sealed it with a Samurai swear. Kuroda held up his end, expanding QE to infinity. But Abe betrayed Bushido; dissolving parliament, delaying the consumption tax hike. April’s 3% increase sparked a 7.3% collapse in Q2 GDP. And desp

Hope all goes well… “I have nothing to say,” he said. “America is headed in one direction, Japan and Europe are headed in another; everything else is a sideshow,” continued the CIO, compounding his capital. “This is not rocket science, it takes no mental horsepower, no subtlety.” It requires an ability to embrace simplicity. “This is the story of Occam’s Razor – never multiply beyond necessity.” Overall: Kuroda dropp

“Spent the whole afternoon talking about hot blondes,” he admitted, sipping a diet coke, sounding lonely, frustrated. And having no idea where he was headed, but happy to ride shotgun, I let him roll. “Everyone blew out in October,” he continued. “They cut all their best ideas; S&P and Nikkei longs, Euro and Yen shorts.” He should know. He’s invested in them all. And watched his fund managers flush their biggest

“There’s no need to panic,” said Emefiele, wiping his brow, fueling that which he’d hoped to extinguish. “Our reserves can support nine-months of imports, we believe we’re very safe,” continued the central bank chief. Now, obviously no one cares about Nigeria. It’s just another crappy country, getting seriously fracked by the Bakken boys. And if that ain’t painful enough, it’s been Boko Haramed too. Anyhow, Nigeria h

Hope all goes well… “She asked why I run,” he said. “She wanted to know what I’m running from,” he continued. “I told her I’m not running from something, I’m running toward something.” And he paused, as we watched our oldest sons run around, drifting further away, growing up faster than we dare admit. Because we’re both flat out, building, and love the game, but regret the cost. “I think the truth is I’m afraid, I’m

“You are goddamn good looking man,” he grunted, nearly nicking his nipple. And wiping his shaven chest clean, the desperate little dictator winked at his greatest fan. “Is fitting, no?” he continued, speaking to the mirror, admiring his crooked smile, his unpredictable, icy eyes. “It is I who am #1, yes, it is I who turn weak hand strong; in end, it is always I.” Indeed, Forbes crowned him mankind’s most powerful man

“I want to puke,” he said, beginning our conversation as he begins everything in life; flat out. “I’m just as nervous that this thing turns on me as I am that it keeps running,” continued the CIO. “That’s my cultural curse; never happy, always miserable,” he admitted, laughing, in a tone that perfectly blended one part Woody Allen, one part Arnold Schwarzenegger. Which is the unique balance of self-doubt and supreme-

Hope all goes well… “We’re not particularly smart, but we’re smart enough to know,” started one of the most intelligent investors in my circle. “It’s been easy to make money for years,” he continued, out-performing stocks yet again. “As others who lag the S&P try to catch up, they take concentrated bets in the same names.” That dynamic’s unstable, look no further than the recent event-driven debacle. “There’s a n

Nothing changes. Everything changes. And that never changes. “October 26th was another historic day for Afghanistan in which the British invaders officially accepted the military defeat of their fourth invasion,” announced the Taliban. As British soldiers ended combat operations for the fourth time in 200yrs. And American warriors wound down the longest war in our 240yr history, returning to prosperity’s heaven

Hope all goes well… “I sat beneath a 100 foot pine,” said the grey-haired legend. “Looking up at peaks,” he continued, pressing his hands to a prayer. Then holding finger-tips together, widened his palms, to form the shape of a mountain. “They pointed to something higher, heaven, the stars.” He paused, holding the position, as we sat in silence, considering our own mountains. “I knew then, somehow, I knew that I woul