See you again with full wknd notes on Sept 2nd. Week-in-Review: Mon: Curiosity on Mars, S&P + 0.3%;  Tue: RBA unch’d (exp), Hungary IP, Italy IP and German Factory orders (-) surprise, Canada PMI and UK IP (+) surprise, S&P 0.5%;  Wed: German IP, India IP, China IP and Japan machine orders disappoint, Aussie jobs stronger (14k vs 10k exp), Greece outlook neg (S&P), NZ’s Key says scope to lower

Week-in-Review: Mon: Japan IP 6m low, Sweden GDP solid, Spain CPI 7m high (2Q GDP -0.4%), EU cons conf 35m low, Brazil infl pops, S&P -0.1%; Tue: S.Korea IP soft, Japan PMI 15m low, Taiwan 2Q GDP negative, Italy unemp 10.8%, Germ unemp stable,  EU unemp 11.2%, US savings rate bounces, US C/S home-price fall slowing, Chicago PMI 53.7, cons conf solid, S&P -0.4%; Wed: Aussie PMI 37m lows, China HSBC PMI 49.3, S

See you Sept 2nd with full wknd notes. Week-in-Review: Mon: Japan IP 6m low, Sweden GDP solid, Spain CPI 7m high (2Q GDP -0.4%), EU cons conf 35m low, Brazil infl pops, S&P -0.1%; Tue: S.Korea IP soft, Japan PMI 15m low, Taiwan 2Q GDP negative, Italy unemp 10.8%, Germ unemp stable,  EU unemp 11.2%, US savings rate bounces, US C/S home-price fall slowing, Chicago PMI 53.7, cons conf solid, S&P -0.4%; Wed: Auss

“No,” she answered. Which surprised me. You see, I’d asked if she’s having fun. It’s a question I ask people when they’re killing it. And she is. Sara’s billed 6th on a summer blockbuster. New roles are rolling in – yeah, performance-chasing premiered in Hollywood. She’s writing a book, coaching rising stars too. Who worship her like a Scientology high priest. Of

Syria’s joker is cornered, planning an escape, his thumb pressing a button. Yeah, Assad hid gas canisters all over the joint. If we pop him, well, he releases the button, simultaneously opening countless vaults. Thugs rush in, stealing weaponry, to sell in sandy black markets. Inciting fear, chaos, in distant Gotham. Of course, Assad’s no dummy. That strategy usually works. Just look how far it’s gotten Greece, Spain

Hope all goes well. Mara despises cowardly villains. So within hours of the massacre, she whisked me off, to The Dark Night Rises. Brilliant flick. Fusing the obscene, the real, into something surreal. Which perfectly captures our time. Just look at our tabloids, we now got our very own Joker, orange hair, a wild-eyed grimace. Politics/economics are equally surreal. So where’s Batman? Don’t be fooled, Bernanke simply

“I emptied my mind,” she explained, looking through me, returning to that mental place, in the moment before her race began. I bit my lip, to keep from smiling, even laughing. You see, she’s just 8yrs old, and tiny for her age, seriously, like the 1th percentile. Yet Olivia’s coach has her swim against 11yr olds. I don’t protest. Not my style. Plus, I’m pretty certain her coach qui

Hope all goes well. Dallas was hot. Conference was cool. Yeah, UBS puts on a good show. You know, figured I’d find a steer or two in Texas. You see, those boys been making serious frackin’ money. And if there’s one breed unafraid to take risk, leverage up gains, put it all on the line, well, it’s the Texan wildcat. But alas, their pastures are barren. Parched. And my take is it’ll take one helluva big bear, or the ar

Watch those borders boys, here come the refugees. Yeah, Syria’s civilians are on the move. They got no money. Just sorrow. And the odd trunk full of chemical weapons. Of course, they’re not alone. Displaced Palestinians, simmering for decades in refugee camp squalor, joined the rebellion. And if that ain’t chaotic enough, Iran stung 5 Israeli children on a Bulgarian bus. You see, we kicked the Persi

Hope all goes well. And that your Summer ain’t too relaxing. Mine certainly isn’t. You see, I’ve long since ceded control to two women. Who own me. Ida packed my week with curious adults, who flew in, from all over the world. Mara packed my weekend with curious kids, 8 in all, sleeping over, who insist no game is possible unless I’m playing. And of course, mkts remain relentless. So I worked late into the