Monthly Archives: February 2021

Mask Wearing Point System

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The purpose of a mask is to cover the airways to the lungs.  

Parts of the human body that part of the respiratory system and are airways to the lungs include:

  1. Nose  +5 Points
  2. Mouth +5 Points

A total of ten points is available.

For the avoidance of doubt, here is a list of things that are not airways to your lungs:

  1. Feet
  2. Ears
  3. Hands
  4. Elbows
  5. Knees
  6. Belly Buttons
  7. Arm Pits
  8. Chins
  9. Pets
  10. Other Inanimate Objects

There is no extra credit for covering any of these items. 

Additional points are deducted (-5 points) for covering these items in lieu of the either or both the nose or mouth.  Additional points (-100 points) are deducted for being a leader of this country and not knowing this.

Influential Reads – January 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

January 2021

Well, that month is over.  It went about as well as expected.

Updated stats through January:

Read ArticlesBooks
January654
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Total654

Here are my most influential reads – in no particular order:

  1. Stocks Are Allowed To Be Expensive Since Bonds Yields Are Low…Right? – “Many are just willing to clickautoinvest into stocks at any valuation level.”
  2. The office as we know it is over—and that’s a good thing – “According to a recent study by FlexJobs, 65% of newly remote workers don’t want to go back to the office.”
  3. Lessons From the Tech Bubble – “Unfortunately, the quip “it’s not a bubble if everyone says it is” just isn’t true. Investors were comparing the internet sector to tulip mania as early as mid-98. Bernstein held an entire conference on it in June 99!”
  4. Lunik: Inside the CIA’s audacious plot to steal a Soviet satellite – “The boastful Soviets had sent their Luna rockets on a world tour.”
  5. This Year I’m Not Setting Goals: I’m Creating Practices – “They are activities you choose to dedicate time to every single day or with a set frequency of your choice.”
  6. Bronte Capital Ganymede Fund Partner Letter December 2020 – “But “sold to naïve investors” is a basic tell.  This tell has not worked in 2020. Indeed, it is a way to lose considerable money as a shortseller.”
  7. You Should Be Recruiting Different Types of Leaders for Remote Teams – “Instead of valuing confidence and charisma, remote teams value leaders who are organised, productive and facilitate connections between colleagues.”
  8. A New Year is a Beautiful Fresh Start – “Start at One — this is one of my mantras this year.”
  9. Even the Best Investors Stink at Selling Stocks – “People who buy and sell stocks for a living aren’t just unskilled when it comes to selling—they’re the inverse of skilled.”
  10. A simple 2 x 2 for choices – “It’s useful to have a portfolio of projects, because not all of them are going to work.”

Note: This is based on when I read the article, not necessarily when it was first published.  Unfortunately, my backlog of things I would like to read always seems to dwarf the amount of time I can devote to reading.

Gaming It

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Looks like Q discovered the stock market.  Some recent comments on Reddit related to GameStop (GME):

“HOLD!”

“WE LIKE THE STOCK”

“DIAMOND HANDS!”

“IF HE’S NOT SELLING, IM NOT SELLING!”

In business school, we had this class that was called Management Game.  We formed management teams for simulated companies.  Each week we made a series of decisions, which were input into a computer simulation.  There were board meetings.  And best of all, there was even a stock market.

Every “player” was given some “game money” to trade.  So, we got to trade with make believe money.  Sort of like the real stock market today.

I remember, I cornered the market in my company’s stock and drove the price way up.  Which was great, as long as I kept buying.  And then I stopped buying….

Turns out I was the only buyer.

It was a good lesson in markets.  The current price is only a reflection of the current marginal buyer and seller.  That’s it.  Don’t read any more into it.