Contrarian trading strategies are widely covered by finance literature. Theoretically, when the market is rife with good news about a company, investors should consider selling the stock. Rapid price appreciation driven by investor demand tends to attract media attention and further praise from stock analysts. A contrarian investor would argue that this is the optimal time to sell because the price is likely bobbing near the top. Conversely, a firm that disappoints market participants and...
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Looking at a museum painting on a Sunday afternoon, I was amused hearing onlookers extrapolate meaning from an abstract canvas. If you are like me, you look at the randomly colored triangles wondering whether the artist had those ideas in mind. Similarly, listening to a discussion on the political implications of the Alice in Wonderland tea party left me wondering whether Lewis Carroll was at the same depth as his readers.
As I work to finish my second novel, I am now the one behind the brush....
If life is a gift, then you've basically received an ongoing membership to your local gym. Looking back, my tribulations seem more vivid than the seemingly brief periods of true happiness. Perhaps it’s just human psychology. As a species, we tend to experience heavier doses of pain during difficult times than cheer while riding a wave of joy.
Exercise is a great metaphor for life because our time is mostly spent in training. As our bodies develop and then regress with age, we exercise our...
I have never been confused for a handyman. My most advanced project involved hanging a television on a wall without injuring myself. For a long time, I looked in that room with trepidation, scared the TV would greet me from its final resting place on my basement floor.
Though lacking significant exposure to tool sheds, when asked what editing a novel was like, I immediately thought about working with wood. Even with brief exposure to the process years ago, it appeared to be a perfect example....
As a quasi-joke, I often say that people who don’t love me tend to like me, while those few who claim to love me don’t seem to like me very much. Applying my own theory, I wonder whether some of my loved ones are simply obeying a habit. It is possible that watching a person grow up can create a habitual bond that could be mistaken for love.
How do we know that we truly love something or someone? How do we know that the comfort and joy we draw from company or activity is not a result of...
According to mainstream business principles, the execution of a plan is exponentially more valuable than the idea behind the project. This concept can be explained by asking, “Would you bet on a jockey or a horse?” When evaluating investment alternatives, one should put greater weight on the team running the organization than on its actual product.
Indeed, in my experience, investment decisions based on the perceived value of the merchandise instead of the executive team lead to results that...
My family immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union. At the age of twelve, I started eighth grade in a new country, with new kids and a new language. While my peers discussed Back to the Future II and their summer vacations, I was scared out of my mind, working hard to disguise my feelings.
Thankfully, with time, things got easier. I made friends. I learned the language. I fell in love with the country. As far back as that first year, I remember getting upset when kids...
I was born almost 50 years ago in the former Soviet Union. As far back as I can remember, I was scared to discuss my Jewish heritage. In fact, my mother’s family changed their last name to conceal their Jewish roots. It was done primarily so my grandpa would face less prejudice from his own brethren fighting in World War II for the Soviet Union (talk about irony). The hate was everywhere. I remember my family having to be secretive about visiting a synagogue on the High Holidays. The...