“They’re back.” Poltergeist After a long and dormant hiatus, it seems that ‘bond vigilantes’ are making a comeback.  The term, first coined in the early 80s by Ed Yardeni, refers to investors selling bonds to drive up yields and thus a government’s borrowing costs. It is a form of bond market activism to protest monetary […]

“The human brain is special. It starts working as soon as you get up and it doesn’t stop until you get to school.” Milton Berle For millions of students and teachers, it is that dreaded time of year again, back to school.  The long days of summer fun are relegated to the memory bank, as […]

“You can get with this, or you can get with that.” Black Sheep In philosophy, a false dichotomy is when a situation is framed as a choice between only two alternatives when, in reality, other options exist.  These either/or arguments are often used rhetorically to present one side as the obvious choice. You are either […]

“Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.” Warren Buffett Coupons, discounts, sales, clearances, markdowns, etc. represent an old and powerful set of weapons in the marketer’s arsenal. Their ubiquitous use and enduring effectiveness are indicative of how everyone loves a good bargain. Snagging a deal […]

“Flying a plane is no different than riding a bicycle, just a lot harder to put baseball cards in the spokes.” Captain Rex Kramer – Airplane When descending from high altitudes there are three ways we can land: soft, hard, or crash.  This applies in both aviation and economics. Now that central banks are attempting […]