Larry’s Blog
Masks, Phones, Freedom and Public Safety
July 21, 2020
The politicization of protective masks that cover one’s mouth and nose has been a strange and unexpected impediment against successfully managing the coronavirus pandemic. All but the best-made masks do not provide full protection against catching Covid, but wearing one has been shown to greatly prevent symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of the pathogen from infecting […] More
American Dream Slip-Sliding Away
June 1, 2020
The dollar has been the lynchpin of the international monetary system since the Second World War. This special role in itself generates enormous economic advantages that other countries do not enjoy. This is not an essay about the perks of dollar hegemony but rather an examination of the basis for enduring confidence in the dollar […] More
Just an Interesting Covid-19 Coincidence… or Perhaps Not?
March 25, 2020
As one scans through the list of particularly hard-hit countries from the coronavirus pandemic, a correlation can be observed with targets of President Trump’s scorn. China, the principal object of America’s tariff war, was the location of patient zero, and President Trump has insinuated that China is to blame for the pandemic. China itself has […] More
An Inconvenient Milestone for U.S. Equities
March 18, 2020
In today’s chapter of the bear market, the Dow Jones Industrials index fell briefly below the 19,827 level prevailing when President Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017. It touched an intra-day low of 18,917 before closing with a net daily loss of 6.3% at 19,899. Closing levels today in the DJIA, S&P 500, and […] More
COVID-19 Shakes Investor Confidence in Financial Market and Economic Forecasts
February 24, 2020
The coronavirus outbreak that surfaced initially in China some two months ago presents the greatest known unknown to hit financial markets in some time. The disease is spreading geographically in patterns that have health professionals quite perplexed, and that isn’t surprising since asymptomatic victims can be infectious days before feeling sick. Not enough time has […] More
Was Sign Stealing the Pivotal Factor in the Astros’ 2017 ALCS Victory?
January 16, 2020
In the 2017 American League Championship Series between the Astros and Yankees, the home team won all seven games. In light of the revelation that the Houston Astros that year used electronic devices to steal opposing pitcher signs and relay such helpful information to their batters just before the pitch, partisan claims have been made […] More
Postseason Versus Regular Season Baseball
October 3, 2019
No professional sports league in America plays as many games in the regular season as major league baseball to decide which teams get entered into post-season play to decide the year’s championship. This is done for the simple reason that the margin between victory and defeat in any game of baseball is comparatively small. It […] More
Just a Hypothetical Musing
August 26, 2019
Whether one adores President Trump or is disgusted by him, attitudes toward the man tend to be held extremely. Whether one believes him or thinks he lies most of the time, there is little middle ground. Whether or not he embraces the same visions as you, and whether you perceive him as a victim or […] More
Baseball Notes
August 12, 2019
The 2019 regular season is roughly three-quarters done, which makes this a good time to elicit a few observations about what differentiates this season from others. Among the major sports, baseball teams by far play the most games (162) in a regular season. Long before I found a calling in economics and currency market watching, […] More
One Reason for Slumping Confidence in Representative Democracy
March 13, 2019
The impact of laws on people vary, and some have such sweeping consequences that they ought to meet a higher standard of acceptance before getting adopted. It’s ill-advised for simple majority votes to result in controversial changes in sovereignty or that so affect everyday life in a way that will handcuff the future ability of […] More
