The Philosophical Investor's Blog

It's Getting Real

Employment. Economy

In the wake of last Friday’s jobs report, Treasuries sold off, and yields rose, as this table shows.

 U.S. Treasurys December 8, 2023

Jason Furman Strong Jobs Report December 8, 2023

Once again, there was a material difference between the ADP report, which came in weaker than expected,

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Patience Is A Superpower: Charlie Munger and Sudoku

Charlie Munger

The world lost an intellectual and investing giant with the passing of Charlie Munger. He was due to turn 100 on January 1st. He passed away rather quietly and surprisingly for someone with such a large personality and admittedly big mouth.

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A Hackney Diamond at 80

Mick Jagger A Hackney Diamond

I remember reading the 20th-anniversary edition of Rolling Stone magazine in 1987. There were numerous interviews with some of the greats of rock and roll who had been performing for most, if not all, of those 20 years. The one common theme I picked up was that when they started playing music and getting paid for it,

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London Calling with a Little Amsterdam Thrown in

Amsterdam

Last week, I made my annual pilgrimage to London to meet with some of our insurance carriers and prospective ones as well. We have approximately 15 different companies providing us with different layers of coverage. We have a primary layer that covers first losses after deductibles and then secondary/excess layers.

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Neighborhood Bully

Neighborhood Bully

Last week was extremely busy, and this week, I’m in Europe for meetings in London related to our property insurance. Given that time is limited but the subject is important, I thought that the most expedient way to convey my points about the Middle East would be to use the words of someone far more prophetic and insightful than myself.

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Breaking Bad? (or Good?)

Breaking Bad? (or Good?) hawkish pause

Last week may have finally been the week when the Fed aligned with markets that the peak in rates may be in for this cycle. The Fed held rates in what was initially categorized as a “hawkish pause.” It was during the Jay Powell press conference that the market started to believe that maybe the Fed was done raising rates.

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Bill Walton - The Epitome of Perseverance

Bill Walton Zest for Life and Love of Grateful Dead

I recently finished Bill Walton’s autobiography and thoroughly enjoyed it. Talk about someone who has had a zest for life and embodies perseverance. That is one of the great benefits I get out of reading about other people’s lives.

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Our Tennis Paradise: A New Chapter

Gary and Heather Tennis Paradise

Five years ago this week, my late wife Roneet passed away. Since that time, I have written a lot about her and my journey since she left us. From death and despair can also come renewal if we make a concerted effort to grow and evolve and take those who we lost with us deep in our hearts on the next phase of our journey. 

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A Spherical Experience

The Sphere Gary Carmell October 2023

Last week, I waded into the dangerous waters of discussing the war between Israel and Hamas. It’s really between Israel and Iran, but the latter is using its proxies of Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria to do its dirty work.

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The Obstacles to Human Flourishing

The Obstacles to Human Flourishing

I am going to share my thoughts about what has been happening in Israel and Gaza, but before doing so, I am going to approach it from a very different angle initially, and then I will apply it to the situation at hand.

The Virtues of Fossil Fuel

I am reading a fascinating book called Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil,

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