What was life like for gladiators in ancient Rome? Thanks to Hollywood, the general opinion of today’s society could be that at least one of the combatants faced certain death depending on the outcome of the engagement and the whims of either the emperor or the crowd in attendance. In reality, their lives were substantially […]
WERE ROMAN GLADIATORS EARMARKED FOR DEATH? Read More »
The signs we are seeing about the current economic recovery are mixed—in some instances it appears that the recovery is moving along as planned, but other signs point to potential problems. By drilling down closer we may be able to see if the economy is on the right track or recession is just around the
IS THE CURRENT ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN TROUBLE? Read More »
Do you subscribe to the greater fool theory of investing? That would be buying a stock at a certain price without knowing about the fundamental or technical attributes, then realizing that it’s going to tank. You promptly sell the stock to someone else believing this person to be the greater fool. It’s all about strategies,
WHO’S THE GREATER FOOL? Read More »
The carry trade is all about borrowing short-term in a weak currency and investing long term in a stronger one. The stronger currency will generally be noted by rising interest rates. The funding is short-term where the rates are apt to be lower, and the investing is long term where the rates are out near
WHAT IS THE CARRY TRADE? Read More »
It should come as no surprise that railroads played a crucial part of the economic growth of the western United States, especially in the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Railroads carried passengers, cargo, and mail, back and forth from midwestern departure points to the west coast. The
THE SANTA FE RAILROAD’S IMPACT ON GROWTH IN AMERICA Read More »
Although about 70% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, most of it is unusable in its current state. The Earth’s inhabitants must rely upon about 0.75% of all earth’s water for sustenance. Usable water is eternally recyclable is it goes from seawater to freshwater to irrigation usage to cleansing solvent to sewage removal
THE FUTURE OF WATER Read More »
There was a time when millions of office workers throughout the U.S. would commute each workday morning from home to an office building for work. Along came the Covid pandemic which changed everything. To maintain social distancing offices were closed, and office workers worked remotely from workstations at home. As the pandemic winds down, will
THE FUTURE OF THE DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING Read More »
Should investing in the second largest economy in the world seem like a daunting experience to the private investor? A big, growing economy has plenty of good investment opportunities, but there are some pitfalls to watch out for. In March, 2021, equities in mainland China endured a selloff of 15% in two weeks. The state
CAN FOREIGNERS WIN IN CHINESE STOCK MARKETS? Read More »
Thomas Edison was the first inventor to patent an incandescent lightbulb that was feasible and durable enough to be manufactured and deployed in an electric system. This was at a time in history when many inventors were looking for an inexpensive way to replace gas lighting. In January, 1880, Edison was granted a patent for
WAS EDISON THE FIRST TO INVENT THE LIGHTBULB? Read More »
Sanctions have become the central tool of foreign policy for many governments. The goal of sanctions is to promote changes in a foreign government’s economic behavior when diplomacy has not worked, and military action is unwarranted. Sanctions can range from trade embargoes to specific actions against individuals, companies, countries, or entire economic sectors. In the
ARE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS USEFUL? Read More »