One of the less touted but possibly most significant outcomes of the Trump tax reform was forcing states into greater competition over taxation. States with already high taxes had the sheet pulled off their ugly policies. The tax reform bill stripped those high taxing states of the federal deductions that had masked their inefficient policies. […]
Get to Work: It’s a Dirty Job being We the People
You may know the name Mike Rowe from his apprentice work on his television show “Dirty Jobs” or his witty, on the money guest appearances, on The Tucker Carlson Show. Mike Rowe is a busy guy. His foundation, the Mike Rowe Works Foundation is “a public charity that rewards people with a passion to get […]
Natural Gas Explosions Last Week
Natural gas explosions turned Merrimack Valley, north of Boston, into a war zone last week. “It is still unclear what triggered the blasts and flames. The National Transportation Safety Board on Sunday said gas was flowing into pipes at much higher rates than normal, but why that happened is unclear. NTSB investigators did find on […]
My Personal View on Fidelity Investments for You
Ned Johnson was CEO back in the mid-90’s when I worked at Fidelity Investments. Today the CEO is his daughter Abby. What hasn’t changed at Fidelity is its commitment to invest in technology to help give it an edge. John Tlumacki writes for the Boston Globe: Johnson said that when her father, Ned Johnson, launched […]
Tucker Carlson: Unity is America’s Strength
Writing at Buchanan.org, Pat Buchanan suggests Tucker Carlson has happened on a question that hasn’t been answered satisfactorily. Tucker told his audience that diversity He writes: Our diversity is our greatest strength. After playing clips of Democratic politicians reciting that truth of modern liberalism, Tucker Carlson asked, “How, precisely, is diversity our strength? Since you’ve […]
Your Retirement Life: “The Cheapest Health Insurance There Is”
Tom, a friend of mine, recently sent me an email about what he called the four pillars of health: “Sleep, eating, movement and stress management.” The email was in response to my post on the importance of exercise, Your Retirement Life: Do Something. Tom attached to the email an article from The New York Times about […]
Are Today’s Bitcoin Investors Making the Same Mistake as Isaac Newton?
I wrote this back on August 7, but it’s worth posting again in light of recent crypto-volatility. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Andy Kessler explains the mistake Isaac Newton made with his investments in the South Sea Co. After investing well and earning 100%, Newton initially sold his shares profitably. But when the South […]
Major Storm Could Bring Dark and Cold to New England: Are You Ready?
Winter is right around the corner. Before it gets here I want you to review this piece I wrote posted on March 12 as a guide for your winter storm preparation efforts. A major storm is predicted to hit New England tonight, bringing snow totals of up to 24 inches in parts of the region. […]
Will Turkey’s Rate Hike Be Enough to Calm Lira Traders?
Once confidence in a currency is lost, it’s hard to get it back. Turkish central bankers are trying hard to hold the public’s confidence in the lira by hiking interest rates to 24%. At The Wall Street Journal, David Gauthier-Villars explains the central bankers’ efforts to maintain control. He writes: The monetary-policy decision could help ease investor […]
How Rand Paul Works with Donald Trump
Of all the 100 U.S. senators, Rand Paul has what appears to be the most complex relationship with President Trump. Despite having a record of voting against the president more than any other Republican, Paul and Trump are personal friends, and Paul is has been his biggest supporter in times when it counted the […]
Beyond Bitcoin, Has Crypto-Boredom Set in?
It has been a hard year for crypto-currencies, especially once you look beyond bitcoin. Since June 30, bitcoin is down 1.7%, but as Paul Vigna writes in The Wall Street Journal, “Ether, the second most-valuable cryptocurrency behind bitcoin, is down 53% since June 30, while XRP, also called ripple, is down 43%. Bitcoin Cash is […]
Kessler: The Fed Failed in 2008, It’s Failing Now
In a Wall Street Journal piece focused on an interview with Bryan Marsal, the CEO of Lehman during its bankruptcy, Andy Kessler lays out his view of the personal and political failures that led to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and explains that despite a decade of time in which to examine the failures of […]