“If all the economists in the world were laid end to end, they still wouldn’t reach a conclusion.”– George Bernard Shaw (Irish dramatist, 1856-1950) Sadly, this playwright tells more truth about economic divination than most textbooks I’ve read. This quote is too good for commentary, so I’m gonna call it quits and watch some porn.
“With globalization, the big [countries] don’t eat the small, the fast eat the slow.”– Thomas L. Friedman (NY Times foreign affairs columnist, referring to the Arab nations) A cryptic quote without context, I can only assume Mr. Friedman was hungry when he wrote this commentary. Using words like fast, slow, big and small, confuses me…
“The big guys are the status quo, not the innovators.”– Kenneth L. Fisher (Forbes columnist) Good quote, asshat speaker. I’m flying tomorrow, so rather than bore you with a personal attack upon Mr. Fisher, I will ask you to pray. Pray that I don’t lose both engines to a flock of birds, that the fellow…
“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy, an amusement; then it is a mistress, and then a master, and then a tyrant.” – Winston Churchill (British statesman, 1874-1965) This quote appears to bear little relevance to trading, but if blogs are like books, then I’m still in the nascent…
“People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.” – George Bernard Shaw (Irish dramatist, 1856-1950) Revealing wisdom by reversing the order of words is a tried and true method, and the technique borders cliche due to its prevalence. Nevertheless, Shaw hits on an excellent point that relates to…
“A market is the combined behavior of thousands of people responding to information, misinformation and whim.” – Kenneth Chang (NY Times journalist) Misinformation and whim probably account for more market trading than I’d like to imagine.
“The public may boo me, but when I go home and think of my money, I clap.”– Horace (Roman poet-critic, Epistles, c. 20 BC) The boos of the public don’t concern me, but I plan on dying penniless, surrounded by the people I love. Money has incredible value, but only if you can give it…
“Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence – only in constant improvement and constant change.”– Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence) Constant improvement and change is an unfortunate but necessary condition of existence within the rat race. It requires a degree of self loathing to catalyze the desired transformation, for if one is at peace, no…
“History is a collection of agreed upon lies.” – Voltaire (French philosopher, 1694-1778) Cynicism from an imprisoned drunk drug abuser is generally unpleasant, but it is easy to like the words of this famed Freemason. The conspiratorial nutcase in me screams “Dead On!” but rationally, this quote is snarky wisdom that builds nothing. I believe…
“There have been three great inventions since the beginning of time: The fire, the wheel and central banking.” -Will Rogers (American humorist and showman, 1879-1935) Being a man of the times, I’m more partial to Bic lighters, bicycles and the Internet. Nevertheless, I can’t deny that central banking is good to those who run the…