In David Bowie’s song Changes, the protagonist tells himself to “turn and face the strange”. Change is inevitable and in order to drive change or adapt to it, one has to go outside of the comfortable and familiar and take risks.
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The Philosophical Investor's Blog
Sorry Jack: Strong Economic Headwinds – Now What?
by 
Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
Last week was one of those data weeks that corroborated the bond market’s view that the world is facing some strong economic headwinds. The news on the international front was particularly dismal with Chinese exports dropping by 20%, and German factory orders contracting as well.
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Strangers Stopping Strangers: 7 Benefits of CEO’s Having Hobbies
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell“Strangers stopping strangers
Just to shake their hands”
-Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter
I recently went to listen to a Grateful Dead cover band at a local bar/restaurant. I was immediately impressed by how good they were and the joyous atmosphere they helped create.
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In Sickness and Health
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
It was a year ago that Roneet and I, along with her parents went on a trip of a lifetime. We took a five-week cruise that stopped in 11 countries in Africa and Asia. I am so glad that we took that trip as we were able to spend such a glorious time together and I ended up with such beautiful memories and hundreds of pictures to remind me of our special time.
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Mastery Often Starts at Home – Proud Father
by Gary Carmell
Gary CarmellIn the melancholy song Black Peter, Jerry Garcia sings:
See here how everything
Lead up to this day
And it’s just like
Any other day
That’s ever been
This post is about a proud father acknowledging his daughter,
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Van Revisited with a Little Help(less) from Neil Young and Family
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
With the exception of writing about interest rates. I do make a concerted effort to have content on my blog be fresh and try to avoid repetition. With that being said, however, there is only so much one can write about that is novel and insightful.
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Federal Reserve Response to the Market’s Beseeching – Power of Structural Forces
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
It’s been a very busy three weeks of travel so I’m going to keep this one pretty short and sweet. And while I often write a thousand words or more, this post will hopefully support the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
The Federal Reserve finally responded to the market’s beseeching that it pauses its rate increases and not be on a “damn the torpedoes” path of raising interest rates and shrinking the balance sheet.
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One Mis-Step Away – Answers Come After the Question is Posed
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
Answers can only come after a question has been posed. Thus, formulating great questions is the first, and most important, step to growing one’s base of knowledge. As I have written in my book, the two most important questions I need the answers to in terms of our investments at CWS are:
What is going to happen to our Net Operating Income?…
The Growth of Passive Investing – It Will Bogle the Mind
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
This will be a relatively short post honoring a long life that was highly impactful.
The following chart shows a demand curve that, without much argument, we can point to one man for the explosive increase. It represents the percentage of assets dedicated to passive investing via index funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).
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What’s Your Crucible?
by Gary Carmell
Gary Carmell
A friend of mine and I went to a local bar that we very much enjoy frequenting because it is set up in a way to foster connection and conversation between the patrons. It has a living room type configuration with couches and very comfortable chairs in which there is the opportunity to sit across from people and be close to them in a very informal and fun social setting.
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