weekend notes

“Mastering others is strength,” wrote Lao Tzu in 500 BC, “Mastering yourself is true power.” So much has changed in the centuries since, while we have not, which is why such insights are eternal. Much is now written of modern China’s mastery over its citizens. No doubt this is true. And Beijing’s dominance is often seen as a source of strength. Combined with the nation’s ambition, hard work, and s

Hope all goes well… “We took some kind of weird personality test at school,” said Teddy, riding shotgun, not quite 16. “Let me guess, it confirmed you’re seriously boring,” I said – that’s how we roll. “Nope. Much worse. It asked all these questions, then gave a summary of who you are. And I was like, holy crap, that is exactly who I am,” he said, amazed. “Well, you wear your emotions on you

Hope all goes well… Dusted off an anecdote from 2016 that explores the meaning of money. It is worth considering after a quarter in which the US dollar declined by more than 50% versus the dominant digital assets and the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high (see below). See you next Sunday with full weekend notes. All the best, E Week-in-Review (expressed in YoY terms): Mon: Ever Given refloated

Hope all goes well… “Walgreens is such a rundown kind of place,” said Mara. “It was pretty much empty, so I followed signs to the back.” There was this little room, a couple chairs, a little table, nothing on the walls. “I sat down alone. In walked a nurse, and out of nowhere I just started crying. Then she did too. Both of us, behind our masks,” continued my wife, freshly Pfizered up. “The nurse

“I’m f’ing nervous!!!” screamed Charlie at the top of his lungs. Mara clapped, cheering him on. I had just walked into the kitchen. “I’m f’ing stressed!!!” continued my 11year old, veins bulging, beaming. Mara went wild. We don’t tolerate casual cursing in our house. We reserve that right for special occasions. Anyhow, I coach Charlie’s lacrosse team. During lockdown he has been quietly developing

The sky was filled, darkened by so many creatures. Each year they pass, the autumn and now spring. Flying north, south, north again. A rhythm, like the tides, tulips. Each cycle a spectacle, a little miracle. And high in the air, moving as one, they turn, sometimes sharply, instantaneously, or split into two flocks, or three, only to later merge again. Or not. We will never know why they move so.

Hope all goes well… “Effective as of March 15, 2021, the titles of Elon Musk and Zach Kirkhorn have changed to TechnoKing of Tesla and Master of Coin, respectively,” wrote Tesla in a brief SEC filing. “Elon and Zach will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,” stated the company, as reality and fantasy continue to merge before our eyes. Our

Art is alone amongst all creations. Out of nothing emerges something – an inconsequential amount of material with no intrinsic value can become priceless. It is also true that knowledge is power. And thus valuable. But knowledge is disseminated through time, socialized, becoming a common good. High art, by contrast, holds its value over vast stretches of time. No doubt, part of the reason is

Hope all goes well… “Okay, so now please explain how these things are going to change the world,” asked the CIO. He was not referring to the global transition to monetary/fiscal policy coordination which will interact with political, social and geopolitical forces to create a future quite unlike our recent past. We had already discussed that. He was asking about digital assets, blockchain, tokeniz