New York Times editor Dana Jennings is coping with prostate cancer and wrote a blog post about his dog. I feel the same way about my dog, Frankie. Here is a snippet: In spending so much time with Bijou, I began to realize that our dogs, in their carefree dogginess, make us more human, force […]
READ MOREI feel sorry for Microsoft
I feel sorry for Microsoft. They sooooo want to be liked and be cool, it is painful to watch. Like the awkward, dorky kid who does all of the wrong things, they just want to fit in. The latest announcement that they will open stores like Apple is particularly telling. Instead of coming out with […]
READ MOREWhat happens when money and business define you?
The economic crisis descending upon us is having a profound impact on many people’s lives. One of the most troubling things to witness is the rise in suicides, especially high profile suicides. The past two days news of US property mogul, Sheldon Good, and the German business magnate, Adolph Merckle, have graced the front pages […]
READ MOREPondering Madoff
David Kotok is the chief investment adviser and writes a market commentary for Cumberland Advisors. I love anything that quotes the Mishnah: “For this reason, man [i.e. the first human being] was created alone to teach that whoever destroys a single life is as though he had destroyed an entire universe, and whoever saves a […]
READ MOREMauboussin on Strategy
This is a great writeup by a Michael Mauboussin who is a strategist for Legg Mason. I agree with his conclusions and the similarity between the flack Buffett received in 1999 is very similar to the flack he is getting today. Mauboussin on Strategy
READ MORESeparation
I am reading a wonderful new biography about William Wilberforce, the great British anti-slave trade campaigner. As part of the book, the author, William Hague, describes the slave trade, how slaves were kidnapped and transported in the most brutal conditions with no regard to health or humanity. One of the more disgusting stories describes how […]
READ MOREWho owns these stocks?
After months of internal debate at Goldman, the seven top executives at the firm, including Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, asked the board’s compensation committee to grant them no bonuses. The board approved the request on Sunday. The executives will only be eligible for their base salaries, $600,000 for each. A firm spokesman said the […]
READ MOREAdversity and Underprivilege
There is a fascinating article in the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell on how outsiders and the underprivileged sometimes have an an advantage. He profiles Sidney Weinberg, the guy who transformed Goldman Sachs into a powerhouse, and how he came from a very poor upbringing. Its a really good read. Malcolm Gladwell on adversity
READ MOREBuffett addresses the market
This is an absolute must read to everyone scurrying for cash right now: Buffett speaks
READ MOREJewish Perfection
Perfection is definitely not a Jewish thought or attribute. Consider the patriarchs of Judaism such as Noah who gets drunk, Jacob who steals his brother’s birthright by misleading his father Isaac, and even Moses, the greatest of all Jews, speaks with a lisp and disobeys God. And we could have a field day talking about […]
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