One of my friends suggested that I write a post explaining what happened at JP Morgan Chase, in plain English. The bottom line is that they bought a lousy insurance policy. The company has a big debt portfolio, which is no surprise given that it is a major corporate lender. If some horrible economic event… [Read More]
Blog
On Learning Chinese, or Any Language
Because I’m going to China this summer, I’m trying to learn Chinese. I expect to fail miserably, of course; there’s just no way I can master a language like that in years, let alone weeks. Still, I like the idea of trying, and I think it would be wonderful to be fluent in many languages…. [Read More]
Paying for College: On Athletic Scholarships
For a long time, I believed that college athletes were entitled brats who were not capable of getting a degree on their own, and that it was really stupid of them to go pro before graduation. Hey, I was wrong, okay? And, as I realized this, I’ve come to a few observations that may be… [Read More]
Middle East North Africa Update
Several months ago, I had the bright idea of writing a series of blog posts about all of the changes resulting from the Arab Spring and how they affected investors. I didn’t get very far. There’s simply too much going on to make for me to write any sort of useful blog post. And so,… [Read More]
Paying for College: Waste, Fraud, and General Cost Savings on Campuses
The New York Times continued its college debt series with a story on how college presidents are starting to think about cost containment. Although waste, fraud, and mismanagement are low on the list for why college costs are so high, they do exist, at public and private campuses alike. There are odd fiefdoms on every… [Read More]
