Notes on the Week Ahead

I have flown enough over the years to have experienced most normal things that happen on planes. From time to time, I’ve been on smaller, regional jets and when, by chance, they are only half full, I know the routine.

It is some years now since I have been a regular patron of our local arcade, but I have always been fascinated by the financial transactions by which it is maintained.

A few years ago, I read a tragic story in a local newspaper about a young man who was walking along the train tracks with his earphones blasting loud music. Far ahead, he could see a train hurtling towards him and people on the side of the tracks were yelling and waving to get his attention. He ignored them, he had plenty of time to move … and then he was instantly killed by a train coming the oth...

I was in a meeting recently discussing asset allocation when a much-esteemed British colleague suggested that a certain strategy was like "fixing the roof while the sun shines." Growing up in agricultural Ireland, I had always heard something slightly different, namely that you should "make hay while the sun shines." Truth be told, the sun so rarely makes an appearance in the British Isles, that w...

Like most people, I have my minor obsessions, and one of them is a never-ending quest to run faster. A few weeks ago, I saw a story about some running shoes that would let you run 4% faster (or rather use 4% less energy when running which amounts to roughly the same thing). I had to get a pair.

I get to fly far more than I would like for my job and air travel today in the United States is no picnic. Everyone talks about the hassle of the security lines. But the real problem is the boredom – sitting for hours in a seat with little contact with the outside world or useful distractions. However, the one advantage of a long flight is that it does give you time to think.

When I was in school, one of the most agonizing periods was the time between taking an exam and getting it back. This strange, uncomfortable time would end in one of two ways. If I did well, it would generate a sort of positive momentum for my studies. On the other hand, if I did poorly, there would be an element of discouragement that weighed on my desire to engage. The U.S. economy submitted its...

I am, I suppose, somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes desk organization. Somewhere, that is, between a "compulsive." whose desk is clean except for a small symmetrical pile of papers beside a cup of well-sharpened pencils, and a "chaotic." whose workspace looks like the emptied-out contents of a half dozen waste-paper baskets. The problem, of course, is how to impose some organization...

My father was, for want of a better description, an Irish Victorian Dad. As such, although he cared deeply about all his children, he usually shied away from direct conversation about personal subjects and tried to get his point across in other ways.

The key to a successful career in economics, as in weather-forecasting, is never to be too precise. In the middle of winter, you won’t hear a meteorologist forecast five inches of snow for Central Park. However, she may well tell you we will get between four and six inches – her forecast thus indicating both what she expects and her personal doubts regarding that expectation.

"Ahem….I'll just leave the bill here, then. No rush at all – please take your time." The obsequious waiter leaves the check on the table but the Sopranos, loudly enjoying an excellent dinner, ignore it entirely and demand more lobsters. Paulie orders some champagne for some women at a table in the corner. There is some question as to who will, in the end, pay the bill. But for now, no one pays att...

We live in an age obsessed with healthy food choices and I am at an age when I should be making them. However, on Saturday, I threw caution to the wind and walked down to our local pizza shop to pick up dinner. 

The week ahead should provide plenty of evidence of a continued heating up of the U.S. economy. The ISM and Markit surveys on Services activity should remain at strong levels while International Trade data, due out on Friday, could add to evidence of roughly 5% real GDP growth in the second quarter. Payroll Employment, also due out on Friday, should show a healthy, roughly 200,000 job gain with th...

With most of the planet glued to the World Cup, I’ve been trying in the last few days to revive an interest in the beautiful game that has lain fallow since my childhood. Like baseball, the more you watch it, the more you realize is going on and I sometimes pity the job of the coach who has to drink in and analyze all the action in the first half and then find some way to explain it to the team in...

Every year, my wife and I buy increasing amounts of stuff from their shelves but they never seem to want to buy what I have to sell, which is primarily investment ideas and speeches. I should perhaps mention that we also run deficits with Whole Foods, CVS, the cable company, the electricity company, the auto service guys and a myriad of other business.

Marathon running is not, generally, much of a spectator sport. Not a lot happens for over two hours until someone finally crosses the finish line in jubilation. However, well before that point, the race is usually decided by a contest between a hare and the pack.

A number of years ago, I worked for a Swedish asset management firm and this occasionally required me to journey to Stockholm. On these visits, I was generally impressed by the good humor and intelligence of my Swedish colleagues. I was surprised, however, by two things: The quantity of alcohol they could drink at night and the amount of strong coffee they could subsequently consume the next day.

It's 4:30 p.m. and my plane has just landed at Logan. In 15 minutes, I'll be in my car but it could be two hours before I'm home. I live 20 miles from the airport but at this time of day there is just no fast way to my house. In short, my car is fueled for speed but there are roadblocks in every direction. Something similar could be said about the U.S. economy today.

One of the most annoying habits of American retailers is that they never let you enjoy the season you’re in. As the kids go back to school, they’re selling snow shovels.