Hope all goes well. “Notice something?” whispered Mara, as the sun slowly rose, lighting our room. “Yeah,” I replied, my first word of the day, in a tone at once happy, sad and nostalgic. “He’s not here.” You see for years now, like clock work, Osama bin Charlie, our youngest little terrorist, infiltrated our bed in a ritual pre-dawn raid. We’d hear his little feet patter down the hall. But he’s growing up. Nearly 4

“Boiled pumpkin,” hollered the chubby Korean kid. All alone. From a far corner of the sandbox. “My nuclear strikes will annihilate America’s vast territories,” continued the brat, as his doting Chinese parents bowed their heads in shame. “South Korea’s a rat,” he screamed, ignorantly. You see, everyone knows Seoul’s no small rodent. Nope, that Asian Tiger’s become a slow sloth (GDP

“Poker’s a metaphor for life,” explained the gambler. Over drinks/dinner at Bouchon Bistro, Beverly Hills. “A game of math, people-skills, luck.” And this fella played his hand well. Amassing a fortune. Betting on people. Stacking the deck. Filling his hand with Queens. Kings. Aces. “Ok, this guy walking over here photographs more of the world’s most beautiful naked women than anyone in the industry.” And the photogr

Rolled past Santa Barbara’s ancient Mission. Headed north. On the historic Camino Real. Built by Franciscan Monks. To connect their 21 western Missions, spaced one day’s journey apart by horse. Of course today’s drive up the Camino Real takes 21hrs, not 21 days. ’Cause the Real is now Highway 101. Running from LA to Oregon. And standing alongside the 101 are historic bells. Reminding travelers of a distant time. But

Hope all goes well. “Know what I’m naming my new yacht?” he asked, not bothering to even give me a ‘Hi, how are you?’ So I gave it my best guess: The Schmuck. “Nope, I’m naming it The Kuroda,” he said, giddy. Then carried on incessantly about how much he made in the wake of Kuroda’s first act as Bank of Japan governor. “Before the meeting I was literally throwing up in the toilet,” admitted one of Greenwich’s biggest

“We will do whatever it takes,” announced Bank of Japan’s new governor on Tuesday. Which was a line Draghi first sang last July in English, with a heavy Italian accent and a hint of Weimar German. Naturally, markets didn’t take Kuroda seriously, ’cause everyone knows the Japanese sing some mean karaoke but haven’t a clue what the lyrics mean. So the Nikkei swooned, the Yen soared. And Abe called a secret emergency me

“Cyprus changed the game, it was Europe’s Northern Rock moment, it was pivotal, we now really know how committed they are to one another,” explained the CIO of the best performing macro fund in recent years. Then that Dutch guy with the unpronounceable name said Cyprus was a template. “It’s like telling your mother-in-law she’s fat — no matter how hard you try, you can never take those words back,” he continued

Hope all goes well. “Cyprus changed the game, it was Europe’s Northern Rock moment, it was pivotal, we now really know how committed they are to one another,” explained the CIO of the best performing macro fund in recent years. Then that Dutch guy with the unpronounceable name said Cyprus was a template. “It’s like telling your mother-in-law she’s fat — no matter how hard you try, you can never take those words

Hope all goes well. Spring Break in Santa Barbara. Loaded our kiddies into the Prius; Jackson packed Lacrosse sticks, Olivia her violin, Teddy his hamster Harriott. Osama bin Charlie smuggled his coveted collection of Darth Vader Lego guys. And Mara and I flashed a glance at one another, suppressing a joy beyond expression. As the jam-packed circus car pulled out the driveway. With Grandma at the steering wheel. Taki

Ok, let’s keep it simple. Transitive. Politicians love power; and power requires money; therefore politicians love money. Which makes Cyprus so fascinating. Because their politicians ran out. Of money that is. Which is silly when you think about it. ’Cause it’s just paper. Unless of course, you don’t have a printing press. And no European politician does. Because Germans are haunted by their past; Germany’s past is d