weekend notes

Hope all goes well… “For the first time in 10yrs, CNN ratings have blown through the roof,” said the TV personality. Naturally, given my passion for news, I no longer watch. “You know why?” he asked. I had a couple guesses, but kept quiet. “Every story since they wrote the Bible has a beginning, middle and end.” So now, if a story has no ending, people get trapped, stuck, and don’t know how to mov

Hope all goes well… “This is my favorite quote daddy,” announced Teddy, my 8yr old, completing a collage for his school, Roosevelt Elementary. “You do know I named you after Teddy Roosevelt,” I said, “He’s one of my favorite people in all of history, probably America’s greatest president.” And my little guy, full of chutzpah, an extraordinary zest for life, smiled broadly, proudly. Then Teddy read

Hope all goes well… Eric’s been removed from power. The People’s Republic of Peters is now under our absolute control. His hollow “Be home soon” promise grew wearisome. His “Let them eat cake” refrain was pathetic, outdated, doomed. The “Unless we kill it at work, there will be no allowance, no food on the table” claim was shameless propaganda, a barefaced lie, perpetuated to serve no one other th

Hope all goes well… Where’d we be without communists? Or online newspapers? Particularly ones controlled by xenophobic saber-rattling politicians. And how boring would life be without war criminals? Or video games? Especially free ones. So Beijing’s People’s Daily developed a free online video game; “Kill the Devils.” Target any one of Japan’s 14 Class-A WWII war criminals, who scurry around the s

Hope all goes well… “Nothing’s cheap, nothing’s distressed, real estate is way too expensive throughout Asia ex-Japan,” said the CIO of one of America’s great family offices. He would know; been investing there for yrs. “They don’t want us making money over there anyway,” he continued, speaking of China’s elite. “So I pay the brightest Asian mgrs 2/20 to fight for returns and get to see those mkts

Hope all goes well… “My daddy’s home, my daddy’s home, my daddy’s home,” whispered Osama bin Charlie to himself, wiggling between us, beneath the covers – a pre-dawn incursion. So I whispered back that I love him, and never worry, daddy’s always come home. “I love you so much my heart bursts,” replied the cuddly little terrorist, lost in an uncharacteristic tender moment, snuggling in closer. So I

Hope all goes well… “The Broncos of course,” answered the waitress, with a strong Chinese accent, delivering a bucket of pre-Bowl Buds, unaware I was kidding. She was wearing an oversized Manning jersey, an equine cap; brand spanking new, bright orange and blue. So with minutes to go before kick-off, I asked the college exchange-student who would win the Super Bowl? “Broncos,” she replied, with ut

Hope all goes well… The great bull elephant charged into new-year, leading the herd. Beneath his feet the earth trembled. The dust lifted, swirling high, concealing the multitude in his wake. America’s GDP had hit new all-time highs of $16.2trln. The mkt capitalization of its publicly traded companies rose to new heights, touching a January 22nd record of $19.8trln. “Squeak!” shrieked an Argentini

Hope all goes well… “Sorry mate, but I got a good excuse,” texted the CIO, having just abruptly hung up on me. “That was an unfortunate case of (1) delivery man ringing the bell, (2) wife in the shower, (3) maid bathing my 2yr old, (4) my 5yr old, 7yr old, and his 7yr old mate being trained to not answer the door alone, and consequently (5) wife, maid, 2yr old, 5yr old, 7yr old, and 7yr old’s mate