Who doesn’t love surprises? Particularly the predictable ones. Which is why Putin is so utterly boring. I mean, of course he was going to support Assad. Face it, with each escalation in Syria, the prospect for Middle-East stability falls in direct proportion to the rise in oil prices (Knightsbridge property too). And the only thing that makes Putin happier than semi-nude fly-fishing with his posse of paparazzi, is a

“They came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist,” whispered the bold black letters, engraved in granite. And recognizing the quote, I reached for Jackson’s shoulder, drew him near. You see we were in Boston, wandering. And had happened upon what appeared to be an artistic installation of unusual beauty. Grace. “Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak u

Hope all goes well… “Got two words for you mate – Burning Man,” he said hoarsely, returning from Nevada’s wild spectacle. “But dressed as a unicorn with a belly-full of mushrooms, I couldn’t quite coax a single bird back to my camper,” continued one of the most talented speculators I’ve known, with a unique knack for getting the long-term right. “And as mind-expanding as things were out in the desert, I still c

Oh Shiite. Assad crossed the line. And our British brothers blew us off. So now we got to support Syrian Sunni’s solo. Worse yet, the French want in on the action. And everyone knows Washington and Paris suck at siding in civil wars. “There is no doubt Iraq has raised the bar on skepticism,” announced Jack Straw, UK Foreign Secretary from 2001-06, lifting the lid on the West’s latest crisis: our crisis of credi

Saddled up Dreamer. And Mara mounted Q. At a dusty trailhead, hidden deep in West Marin’s redwoods. The two studs snorted, jumpy, excited. Ready to rip. So we did. You see, Mara grew up racing, but peeled off pre-Olympics. When we met, I shuddered at the sight of a saddle. Which was a deal killer. So naturally, before we got hitched, she broke me. Now 14yrs later we race through redwoods. Barely in control. Praying f

Hope all goes well. “I need a messy war in Syria, a $20 spike in oil, and new highs in stocks,” he said, punch drunk, knowing the near impossibility of that combo. But it’s been a long summer. And guys who stuck around to fight, got beaten badly in June, as stocks and bonds both fell; the risk-parity bubble punctured. Pop! Then again in July/Aug as gold rallied. While the Dollar surged vs the Real, Rupee, Rupiah, Ran

Hope all goes well. Summer’s over. Back to School Monday’s upon us, in sunny Santa Barbara. Dusted off an Anecdote from a dreary 2010 Autumn. See you next Sunday with full weekend notes. All the best, Eric Week-in-Review: Mon: Chinese new home prices +7.5%, China to expand broadband network, Japan Jul exports +12.2% (Jun +7.4%) imports +19.6% (prev 11.8%) trade deficit Y1trln, Brazil buys more dollars, S&P -0.6%;

Week-in-Review: Mon: Chinese new home prices +7.5%, China to expand broadband network, Japan Jul exports +12.2% (Jun +7.4%) imports +19.6% (prev 11.8%) trade deficit Y1trln, Brazil buys more dollars, S&P -0.6%; Tue: South-East Asian stocks tank ahead of Fed Minutes (Indonesia -5%), Nikkei -2.6% (near 2mth lows), EU & US quiet, S&P +0.3%; Wed: Kuroda backs sales-tax hike, new Fukushima leaks, India Central

Hope all goes well. Dug up an anecdote from a sunny Santa Barbara summer. Back in 2011. See you again in September, with full weekend notes. Best regards, Eric Week-in-Review: Mon: Japan Q2 GDP 2.6% (Q1 3.8%), Der Spiegel “Greece will need more aid after German election,” Mexico’s Nieto to open oil industry, S&P -0.1%; Tue: Japan machine orders -2.7%, Abe calls for lower corp taxes, India hikes

Week-in-Review: Mon: Japan Q2 GDP 2.6% (Q1 3.8%), Der Spiegel “Greece will need more aid after German election,” Mexico’s Nieto to open oil industry, S&P -0.1%; Tue: Japan machine orders -2.7%, Abe calls for lower corp taxes, India hikes gold/silver/platinum import duties, Aussie NAB biz survey -7, US retail sales +0.2%, S&P +0.3%; Wed: Egypt crackdown, Chinese July power output +8.1% (1yr h