I completely forgot that I ordered Nestlé 125 Years 1866-1991 by Jean Heer earlier this month when I mentioned I was looking at the firm for the first time in a while, and then later, buying a few shares for my family’s permanent holdings. When it showed up today, it was like Christmas in July!
Many decades ago, Oxford Philosophy of Language Professor J.L. Austin and Columbia philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser reportedly had this exchange: “In English,” Professor Austin said, “a double negative forms a positive. However, in some languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn’t a single language, not one, in which a double positive can…
I’m not sure how relevant this question is to the broader audience, but since I wrote a response, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get another mail bag published. Joshua, You read so much and tell us all that reading is the most important thing we should be doing. Seeing the books and your process…
Tonight we decided to try a new recipe for Saag Paneer with homemade Indian cheese. I realized I hadn’t posted any of the dishes we’ve been trying since one of the pineapple upside down cakes I baked earlier this month, so I made a point to stop and go get a camera. Unfortunately, we had…
I hesitate, strongly, about publishing this response. I’m not sure it is good for me to advocate what I would do in this situation as it might discourage people by making circumstances seem hopeless when hope is what is needed; it might even exacerbate the macroeconomic problem while solving the individual household challenge. Still, it’s the only honest answer I can give because this is what an analysis of the situation leads me to conclude.
Three years ago, I reviewed Amouage Jubilation XXV for Men, the scent released by the perfume house founded and owned by the Sultan of Oman in the Middle East. It’s a very heavy fragrance that, to this Westerner, seems far more appropriate for winter as it wraps around you like a blanket. It has top…
A short documentary has been released called Bankrupt by Beanie Babies that details the loss of $100,000 by one family during the 1990s craze. Aaron just sent me the story, with a short note that read something like, “It’s sad because they should have applied to become a wholesale dealer and owned a shop.”
I spent the past few days updating some of my own internal case studies, spreadsheets, and other documents, as well as wrapping up a few things that needed to be crossed off the agenda for the private businesses. I ended up putting together a collection of visual references covering some of the long-term holdings I keep for my household, among them Nestlé SA following my post on Monday.
Irony is one of those words you see misused all over the place. Most people think they know what it means, but they don’t. It’s irritating to those who care about the spirit of words, and has even prompted New York Times articles discussing the constant abuse the term endures at the hands of society. To spot, and utilize, irony, requires, as the paper puts it, “sophisticated writing” that the author “counts on the reader to recognize”. It takes skill. It is going to go over most people’s head a lot of the time.
I happened to check the contact form this morning (we’re up to 1,000+ messages, some of which are really great questions or comments, that I do try to get to but my problem is time) and happened to see one from a few hours ago from a reader named Mark E. This absolutely made my…