Hope all goes well… The planet’s most powerful military threatened to reconsider NATO unless Europeans meet their spending commitments. Europe’s leaders repeated unfulfilled pledges to do just that, returning to their parliaments to find the funds. Earth’s biggest consumer threatened to impose 10% tariffs on another $200bln of imports from the planet’s largest producer. Beijing vowed to retaliate. Its deeply indebted

“I have no great gifts to offer other than a deep sense of the magic that’s possible for all of us…especially the kids,” wrote the guide, checking in from the Rockies. Teddy, our 13yr old, escaped Connecticut’s sea-level insanity to join him at altitude. In a blind race to Ivy League admission, America’s children now suffocate in summer sports. Two club leagues, sometimes three, speed clinics, strength training. “He’

His passion for it was fading. He knew that much. “But what to do?” whispered the Economist, mostly to himself. For decades he’d examined every word, placing it into context, comparing the endless stream of Fed statements to their predecessors. He took great pride in not missing a single interview by all twelve voting members. While he couldn’t recite Fed Chair press conferences verbatim, he got close. And that impre

Hope all goes well… “You know the one thing I want you all to take away from this experience?” I asked the kiddies. No one said a word, I was grateful, who knows what they were thinking. The shock of our latest family crisis had started to subside. And we were pretty sure Oliver would be okay in the end, his leg more shattered than the transatlantic Alliance. “Someday, when your husband or wife runs over the family d

Hope all goes well… “If the main priority is fighting this administration then we need to address the systemic problems that resulted in his rise in the first place — and that is perpetuation of the economic, social and racial injustice in the United States that has led to a rift that has created the room for a rise of a demagogue like Donald Trump,” said Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the authentic, charismatic 28y

“Look closely,” whispered Eagle soaring, Gotham far below. So many bridges, tunnels, ships, connecting the narrow rock to a vast world, stretching out forever. From such heights, the city appeared inanimate, cars motionless, ferries frozen, white brushstrokes in their wake. “Humans struggle to see things that move slowly,” said Eagle. Each day, 2.4mm people arrive, depart, Gotham’s population flowing to 4mm, ebbing t

Hope all goes well… The principal is a germophobe and instructed her 400 8th graders to “clean their sweaty, filthy hands” with disinfectant wipes before shaking hers on stage. The graduation ceremony’s low point was the 14yr old male soloist, hitting peak puberty, voice cracking, uncontrollable. Poor fella. Olivia teetered across the stage in her newly purchased platforms, narrowly avoiding a face plant — that

He would have me throw the bones, seated on skins in a quiet yurt. The cup’s contents tumbled across the floor. Tiny bones, hyena, lion, leopard, vulture, a small gold Krugerrand, colorful beads, ivory, crystal, ironwood. The South African had dedicated his journey to studying western medicine and Namibian shamanism; the former a miracle, the latter magical. He combined the two, shared the gift. Shamanism connects us

Hope all goes well… “How many do you think will hatch Daddy?” asked Charlie, buckled in the back seat. He’d discovered a prehistoric snapping turtle laying eggs in our yard. We collected all 27, placed them in an incubator. “Not sure little man, depends on how many were fertilized.” He nodded, processed. “So how exactly do turtles fertilize eggs?” he asked. And seeing an early opportunity to put one of life’s most aw

“I very strongly disagree with you,” he said. I smiled, happy to have smart friends eager to argue. Because being wrong sucks. I’d rather hear it than endure it. But it’s rarely so simple as being right or wrong, because assets are priced based on a consensus view of the future. So you can be right and make no money. Anyhow, since tomorrow often looks like today, which usually resembles yesterday, most people look be