Ideas for Evolving ID's
Game Changer:
From Landing New Goals to Inspiring New Lives
The Investor
Invest Smarter to Create Wealth
The Traveler
The World Is Yours
The Entrepreneur
Best Start-up's Gotta Be Yours
The Gourmet
Feasts, Fun & Follies
The Hobbyist
Do your Dream
The Creator
Foster the Artist in You
The Ethicist
Share & Honor our Planet, Cultivate Love
How to Be Happy, Starting... Now
What It Takes to Be Happy
Now is the time. Now is forever, the time to be happy. No matter what. How? Here is the secret. The great minds of the world tell you. Health. Ethics. Passion. Soulmates. Family. Work. Even how to deal with... the Impossible. The power of imagination. Humor. Money. Charity and generosity. Altruism. Enjoy and beware. FUNanc!al. Be happy.
Investors, Insiders, Hunters
Veblen, Inflation, Hedges
In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Thorstein Veblen develops the theory of wasteful or conspicuous consumption. He defines it as spending more money on goods than they are worth. Essentially, it's about spending to impress. Turns out, luxury goods can do well in inflationary times (along with land and real estate, commodities, oil and gas, metals and mining, agriculture stocks, the type of assets that rocketed during the 70's). It is a bit of a paradox, of course, but vanity can go a long way. Spoiler #1, Veblen was not exactly a bona fide capitalist... Spoiler #2, the stock of Ferrari has been a standout since it went public toward the end of 2015, but RACE remains expensive at current price. Spoiler...
Revisiting Insider Purchases Made the Second Week of May 2021: Scary!
Insiders purchased a lot shares of biotech and small medical device companies the Second Week of May 2021 (often shortly after IPO), only to lose their shirt! If you followed the smart crowd, and invested at around the same time, you are probably sitting on severe losses. Most stocks have seen an at least 50% haircut, and that's after accounting for some of the recovery of late. Neurospace (NPCE), Design Therapeutics (DSGN), Werewolf Therapeutics (WOLF), Reneo Pharmaceuticals (RPHM), Cyclerion Therapeutics (CYCN), and Nuvation Bio (NUVB), to name a few, have all collapsed or near-collapsed. A couple of stocks are indeed trying to recover. Unsurprisingly, all of the above are unprofitable ventures. The lesson is clear. Best to stay away from unprofitable biotech and...
Elliott's Investment in SalesForce is a Mere Sign that the Stock's Finally Reached Fair Value
Activist investor Elliott has made a multibillion-dollar investment in Salesforce (CRM). Elliott will probably push for CRM to make operational improvements (and possibly seek board representation). The company's already laid off 10% of its workforce. The fears of an economic slowdown may prompt potential customers to postpone the acquisition of new CRM functionality. Revenue has recently decelerated.The stock's lost about 50% of its value in a little over a year. A co-CEO's leaving the company, and so is the co-founder of Slack Tech, which CRM acquired last year (after buying Tableau and MuleSoft earlier). Starboard Value, another top investor, has also acquired a key stake in CRM. But, unsurprisingly, it's not advocated for major changes. Indeed, there is nothing too...
Howard Hughes & Pershing Square
Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. has a 31.7% stake in Howard Hughes (HHC). If you believe Bill Ackman is a smart investor - and he is - 's got to make you... think.
The firm has strong management, a compelling portfolio of strategically-located real estate assets, and is rather cheap, making it a possible value investment.
Ackman serves as director and chairman, has waived all compensation.
Travelers, Explorers, Adventurers
São Jorge Castle, Belém Tower, Pastéis de Belém, Belcanto, The Four Seasons Ritz, Lisbon, Portugal
The people, weather, water, arts and architecture and other sights, shopping, and cuisines, make it well worth visiting Lisbon, Portugal, and we can't wait to be back already. Enjoy São Jorge Castle, Belém Tower, Pastéis de Belém, Belcanto, The Four Seasons Ritz, Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the second-oldest European after Athens, predating other modern European capitals, not to mention New York City or Los Angeles, by centuries. But it's also beautiful, fun, and rejuvenating.
The Merrion, the Scones, Guinness, the Arts, Dublin, Ireland
First time in Dublin and hopefully won't be the last. It all started at the Merrion, one of the top hotels in town along with the Shelbourne and the Westbury. Located in the heart of Dublin city center (unlike the Intercontinental, another solid alternative), it is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Service was magnificent. Truly one of a kind. They made Covid testing a breeze (right in our room, how much easier can it be?). Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Rooms was quite pleasant, the scone original, although the pastries in general weren't quite as good as we would have liked. Of course, I was born in France, feel free to disregard... Only hiatus, a last-minute...
Entrepreneurs & Game Changers
Start Your Own Business and Rock the Universe!
Did you found Google? Facebook? Twitter? A hundred percent of the people who started a firm that later rocked the world, well, STARTED IT. Sure, it’s honorable to work at a company, any company. But how about sailing on your own and flying to new heights? Taking a chance? Scary? Yes it is, but not much more than the prospect of getting fired or, worse(?), doing a possibly suboptimal job for the rest of your life somewhere in corporate America, I don’t care if it’s at Coca-Cola, General Electric, or some small outfit in Kansas, Texas, or California. You don’t have a job? Then it’s a no-brainer. Why wait to be hired when you can hire yourself? Right away, right now…...
Gourmands & Epicureans
Duryea in Montauk, NY: The Lobster Roll and The Views Rock!
The lobster roll is excellent - and expensive, at $45, but this is the Hamptons after all, beware! Not sure what they put in this, it's a one-of-a-kind experience. Maybe it does not have quite the refinement of the roll you'll get at The Bernardin in New York City or the pure freshness slash taste bud capital delight the roll you'll get at Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End, but it's truly an enjoyable ride. No need to order French fries with it by the way, the roll comes with chips that are good enough (but nothing to write home about) and not too salty. This said, the French fries make for another feast. The portions are massive and potatoes light and...
Modern Apizza Still Rocks!
Tried some serious pies in Naples and Rome and various US cities (New York, both Brooklyn and Manhattan, Providence, Boston, LA's Mozza, etc.) and, if they tell me there's pizza on Mars, I'll fly there. Been coming here at Modern Apizza for years. Many consider the clams casino a classic. The white clam (and varieties) in/around New Haven, CT, is a must; Pepe's, Sally's, and Zuppardi's have their own version, all quite compelling. (Please, do not discount Zuppardi's, with lemon it's amazing.) At Modern, the Italian Bomb used to be my favorite, but these days I try to consume less meat, both for health reasons and, you know, animal lives matter. I'm no vegetarian, but if they tell me, you can...
Zuppardi's White Clam Pizza Puts Pepe's to Shame
Alright, there you have it. Don't get me wrong, the white clam at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is a terrific pizza. But so is Zupp's. Just add a little lemon - or lots, as I do. Gotta love the lemon/white clam combo. The homepage of Zupp's states, "Anthony Zuppardi’s legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren who continue to operate Zuppardi’s Apizza today. Working with the same integrity as that of Dominic and Anthony, the Zuppardi family strives to provide their customers with quality New Haven-style apizza." It's true all the way. Zuppardi’s White Clam classic is a white pizza prepared with shucked-to-order littleneck clams baked on fresh dough with a mixture of garlic and spices. It is a delight....
Better than Ecstasy, Jacques Genin's Ganaches, Pralinés, Caramels, and Pâtes de Fruit
Better than Ecstasy, Jacques Genin's Ganaches, Pralinés, Caramels, and Pâtes de Fruit enchant and tantalize. Try any of the fondeur en cholocat's friandises, and you'll most likely become a regular.
Hobbyists & PassionBeasts
Gardening for the Clueless
OK, I have never gardened. Not once in my life. Just read "Grow your Own Green Market," an article in the Wall Street Journal published on May 7, 2022. I live in a house and the house does have a garden. Brainstorming. Maybe I should give it a shot.
The News Made Personal
Twelve Things to Do in Retirement
Car pioneer Henry Ford once said, "Think you can, think you can’t; either way, you’ll be right." True in life, true in retirement. To which Louis Armstrong smartly added, "Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them." Keep the music on then... Retirement can be a wonderful time. Here are twelve things to do when you reach your golden years... 1. Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle. You know, the usuals. Exercise. Eat healthy. Avoid excess salt or sugar, smoking, drugs. Drink lots of water, alcohol responsibly. Get enough sleep. 2. Fight Solitude. Socialize, nurture relationships with spouse, significant others, kids, grandkids, family, and friends. Create new bonds, break barriers and boundaries. Consider adopting a pet, if you are so inclined. It's...
Old Is the New Young. Even in Hollywood!
"Top Gun: Maverick," the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 hit, opened to a blockbuster $156 million in the U.S. and Canada over the long Memorial Day weekend (2022), a box-office record for the holiday and a career-best debut for its lead, Tom Cruise. The movie creates a no-less-than-36-year-old franchise and reaffirms the 59-year-old (that's 60-1, if we're not mistaken) Cruise as a highly bankable movie star. Not exactly an elderly or a senior, the man, but he sure is, huh, mature. The movie stars Mr. Cruise as a veteran fighter pilot working with a group of younger recruits on a top-secret mission to destroy a uranium plant in an unidentified country. It has received rave reviews and ridden an aggressive marketing blitz by Paramount....
Numbers to Numb Us
72% of Shoppers Are Trading Down
The penny-pinching is extending to more discretionary purchases. Seventy-two percent of consumers plan to look for less expensive alternatives this holiday season as a result of inflation, according to a survey of 2,200 U.S. adults by Morning Consult, a research company. That's a lot of people. But not me. It's because I know better. I'm buying zero. That's right, zero, as in 0. The US Inflation Rate has hit a delightful four decade and a half high at 8.20%, compared to 8.26% last month and 5.39% last year. This is rather comfortably higher than the long term average of 3.27%. Meanwhile, a rocky stock market is eroding the wealth of many. Count me in. Not just rocky. Innovators, the long-duration stocks of...
President's Jets, Z'That Count as Inflation?
Maybe that's why. Boeing Co. is trying to replace Air Force One, and it seems to be a challenging task. Costly, too, for both the plane maker’s shareholders and U.S. taxpayers (yup, that's us) who must foot the bill to keep the president’s aging float flying longer. The American multinational corporation, the same that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, satellites, telecommunications equipment, missiles, and rockets worldwide (It sure is rocket science, isn't it?) has a hard time getting its act together. It expects to lose $766 million more on the high-profile, years-late project to transform two 747-8 jumbo jets (2 is 1+1 so not that many, right?) into flying White Houses. This brings Boeing's total losses related to the endeavor to nearly $2 billion, according to securities filings (as...
Fun on Stars to Learn & Shine
Elon Musk, Much Elan = Must Emulate
In a tweet sent on July 25, 2022, Elon Musk writes that he "will try (his) best to be heads down focused on doing useful things for civilization." The founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer at SpaceX; angel investor, CEO, and Product Architect at Tesla, Inc., founder of The Boring Company; and co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI (a sample of his achievements to date) has an estimated net worth of around US$242 billion as of July 25, 2022. As such, he qualifies as the wealthiest person in the world according to both the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes' real-time billionaires list. His bio is worth checking out, offers lots of food for thought. Here is a small sample. 1. Move, Move, and Move Again Elon was born in June 1971 in Pretoria, South...