Everybody Trades

In AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, Thanos thinks he can "save" the universe by killing half the living and/or intelligent beings in it. First of all, he's wrong. But even if his premise were correct, doesn't "half" seem pretty arbitrary? "You don't know that!" is the quote of the film. If overpopulation is going to doom humanity, then why are we better off today with far more people than ever?

Pattern-recognition is helpful in investing and all aspects of life, so why has it become verboten? George H.W. Bush thought THE SIMPSONS were problematic in 1992, and now it’s the political left. Freedom is great, but it also gives us a lot of time to overthink. Plus, regional-to-national stocks, and why humanity misses the home telephone.

The most complex problems in life are solved by individuals acting in their own self-interests, not one person or group shoving their interests down our throats. Is it too much to ask that the interest shovers practice what they preach? (Ed Bagley: You're cool.)

In any speculative endeavor, you should always first ask yourself, "What is my edge?" Think about your speculative opinions in terms of "coin flips" versus perceived value. Plus, what can the video-game business teach us about "winners" and "losers" in the stock market?

The Green New Deal, zoning laws, and gas taxes all have at least one thing in common: The Crowding Out Effect. Prices rising artificially has contributed to "gentrification" of neighborhoods, so why wouldn't we expect the same dynamic at airports? Plus, my thoughts on this rising stock market.

Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have more in common than you might imagine. Can the government print its way to prosperity? If so, why collect taxes? Is AOC "speaking truth to power"? Without natural supply and demand (the market), how do we know what people need, and in what quantity? How many Democratic voters are on board with "no flying in 10 years"? What did the "old" New Deal actually do to raise prices? (This is the James Corden tweet/video I refer to in this episode: twitter.com/JKCorden/status/1093634176845139968)

Trivia: Do you know who Alice Parker is? If not, you should. We ALL should. Why do North Dakota dairy farmers get out of bed when it's -40?

The rush to judgment re: Nathan Phillips/Covington High is unbecoming of a free people. "The news" got this story wrong on purpose. Social-media culture is poisonous. What's better: The Golden Rule or The Social Contract?

What is the difference between foreign and domestic sanctions? The geographic location of the victims. Without government interference, national parks retain enormous economic value; why would anyone destroy that? Should we rely on an entity thousands of miles away to arrange restroom upkeep?

I give a much needed market update. A useful Keynes quote! Isolationism or neutrality? Trump’s Syria “withdrawal” and surprise visit to Iraq. Low-cost vs. high-cost virtue signaling. We need more literal and figurative “Boy Scouts”.