It is hard these days not feeling like the world is getting changed from underneath us. I’m sure every generation feels this to some degree, but I am equally sure that some eras involve more of this feeling than others. The more change we are confronted with, the more we look for ways to grapple with the change and understand what’s going on or what’s driving it. I have noticed lately that lots of people…
The other day, my colleague Damiano, who runs the expert witness business with which I have chosen to affiliate, called me from London. He had just attended some sort of gathering of litigation professionals and had come away with a distinct impression that there is a crisis blossoming in the arena of private credit that will be leading to a substantial wave of litigation. It’s Damiano’s job to stay tuned into the financial markets and…
Last week when I gathered with my old motorcycle buddies, one of them, a guy who makes his living managing money for others, brought a copy of Andrew Ross Sorkin’s newest book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation. Sorkin is an interesting writer. He is the NYC-raised son of a playwright and Wall Street lawyer. He has a BS in communication from Cornell University, my Alma…
The United States has always had a special advantage against its global competitors and that’s it’s isolation in the Western Hemisphere. This is a geopolitical and historical point of differentiation that cuts across geography, economics, military history, and political development. The advantage has been enormous, though with some important nuances. In terms of the geographic advantage, the U.S. sits in what strategists sometimes call a “geopolitical paradise.” It is bounded by two vast oceans, two…
When I was in college in Ithaca New York, I experienced my first energy crisis. The 1970s energy crisis was actually two overlapping crises, each triggered by geopolitical upheaval in the Middle East. The first oil shock (1973–1974) began in October 1973, when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel, starting the Yom Kippur War. The U.S. airlifted weapons to Israel to prevent its defeat. In retaliation, the Arab members of OPEC (the…
Yesterday we arrived in San Diego from our short trip to Florida and got in about 7pm. That was basically 12 hours from when we left Andy’s house in Vero Beach. We drove down to West Palm Beach Airport, returned the rental car and sat in the Delta Lounge to await our flight to Atlanta. Kim found us some nice fresh crudite and hummus to sustain us and then we joined the rest of the…
Key West has one of the most colorful and layered histories of any American city, shaped by geography, smugglers, wreckers, and artists alike. The island was originally inhabited by the Calusa people, who called it “Cayo Hueso” (Island of Bones) — likely a reference to skeletal remains they left there. Spanish explorers encountered the island in the early 16th century, and the name was eventually anglicized to “Key West.” Spain ceded Florida to the United…
Today we are heading home to sunny San Diego and our little Buddy. We wrapped up our visit with Frank & Barbara in Stuart by visiting the Elliot Museum, which is a well-appointed vintage car and motorcycle museum. We went to look at Frank’s old 1931 Model A replica, which is exactly like the car he purchased in blue when he was 11 years old and has fastidiously maintained ever since. Not many of us…
Today was the day of reunion. Back in 1996 I asked my friend Frank O’Connell, who sat on the Cornell business school advisory council with me if you would like to go with me on a motorcycle ride through southern Utah. Frank had been a long time motorcycle enthusiast, and at the time he was in between CEO gigs so he said he would like to do that. We tried the same thing the year…
It’s not unusual for me to get into a disagreement with somebody on the subject of affluence. I recall in college during freshman year having a debate with my friend Debbie about the definition of affluence. Debbie was one of 10 children in a family headed by an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, and as we sat there as freshman at an elite Ivy League school, I argued that she came from an affluent family.…