a change of course

In Europe during the Middle Ages, the primary mode of transportation involved riding on the back of a horse. A traveler never knew who they might come across, so they would always want to have unfettered access to their sword.

Q1 23: download letter

Lessons from my wife’s best friend

I have always been a dog person. Many of my earliest memories include canines. Growing up, we always had a dog in our home, and I fondly recall the excited daily post-school greetings at our front door. My wife is also a dog person, so after our kids were old enough to help with pet chores, we decided to add a four-legged family member.

q4 22: download letter

Excitement at the beach

If it were an option, I would choose to return after this life is over as a fish. Or perhaps I was a fish in a previous life. I am fascinated by the ocean and its mysteries. There is an entire world under the waves, and its size dwarfs the one we know here on land.

Q3 22: Download letter

A Spanish Lesson

Being unable to speak Spanish was a serious problem when I was trying to navigate the Barcelona bus system in 1997. Google translate didn’t exist yet, so I used a borrowed English-Spanish dictionary to navigate the multiple transfer expedition through Spain’s second largest city.

Q2 22: Download Letter

a giant in the bullpen

In the late-1980’s you did not want to be facing Terminator Tom Henke at the plate. As the closing pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, he was a batters’ nightmare. Henke threw two varieties of pitches: a fastball and a forkball, both high velocity pitches.

q1 22: Download letter

many games, one field of play

Bulgaria’s society is believed to have begun more than 6,500 years ago, approximately 4,600 years before the creation of organized ice hockey. This small European nation has advanced considerably over the centuries, but their hockey program is still barely existent.

Q4 21: download Letter

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another

The Castor canadensis is the largest rodent in North America. Excellent swimmers and primarily nocturnal, this energetic yet shy mammal can be found living in colonies, near water.

q3 21: DOWNLOAD letter

OLYMPIC DREAMS

I am confident the only thing that kept me out of Major League Baseball was my height. While it is true I never had the strongest arm, wasn’t the fastest running bases and couldn’t hit a curveball, had I been a few inches taller, professional scouts would have given me a chance.

q2 21: DOWNLOAD letter

ashes are never the end

In the winter of 1835, Manhattan, New York suffered a double tragedy; a warehouse fire kickstarted a city-wide blaze so fierce it was visible 100 miles away. At the same time, a freak winter storm caused temperatures to plunge below -27C which froze all the water available to fight the fire.

q1 21: download letter

the past shapes the present

My Uncle David wasn’t really my uncle I don’t think, but he was at least someone my father wanted his children to meet. Real uncle or not, David was the only relative on my fathers’ side I ever met. As a small boy I remember Uncle David at a few holiday dinners and at the odd family function.

q4 20: download Letter

avoiding the limelight

In the mid-1990’s, while in university a professor assigned a paper due the following week from a reading by famed economist John Maynard Keynes. I knew a little about Keynes; he was an economic genius, he wrote a lot of books, and he died in 1946. There was only one place this reading was available: in a single book on reserve at the university library.

q3 20: download letter

putting the pieces together

My niece refuses to play Monopoly with me. So does the rest of my family, but my niece was the last family member to agree to wage battle. I am lukewarm about most boardgames, but Monopoly is in a class of its own.

q2 20: download letter

The all-important Objectives

I have lived in the Toronto area my entire life and have an affinity for animals; I have owned several dogs and have been a landlord to my son’s fishes over the years. Dogs, fish and almost all other Ontarian animals are docile creatures with extremely few exceptions.

q1 20: download letter

What Do we Do Now II

Every January, highly respected Wall Street analysts publish their predictions for how the US stock market will perform over the upcoming year.  Every year their predictions look about the same, generally they predict a positive return of somewhere between 2% and 8%.  These kinds of predictions are often referred to as “Goldilocks” predictions: not too hot and not too cold, instead a nice comfortable range.

March 20 2020: Download letter

What do we do now?

The start to 2020 has been a roller coaster. A month ago, few of us had ever heard the term coronavirus. Now it is impacting our daily lives. The purpose of this note is to provide some context regarding your portfolio and a brief commentary about the current situation.

march 13 2020: download

A Wonderful Ride

Without traffic my house is 30 minutes from downtown Toronto. During rush hour this balloons to at least 90 minutes. For this reason, I seldom make it into the downtown core anymore. When I absolutely have to be downtown, I typically leave my house early in the morning, and try to leave the city before rush hour.

Q2 2019: download letter

A + B = C (MAYBE)

Combining two-parts hydrogen with one-part oxygen creates water. If you apply enough heat to this water until it boils, you create steam. If you lower the temperature below the freezing point, your water becomes ice. Combining water and temperature in different combinations will result in a liquid, solid or gas

q1 2019: download letter

One inning is not a game

Standing 6’1”, but weighing only 180lbs, William was not an imposing figure. This was significant because as a pitcher in the Major Leagues, intimidating batters was expected by team ownership. He had not been pitching in the Big Leagues for long and was having a poor start to the season.

q4 2018: download letter

the price of tea…

English breakfast tea is made from a blend of cured evergreen leaves native to Asia. The most popular leaves come from India and Sri Lanka, though each tea manufacturer uses different blends. Because of global trade, the cost of these Asian leaves fall almost every year; currently around $20 wholesale per pound.

q3 2018: download letter

Nutritional knowledge

Beginning August 2017, the city of Chicago introduced a special tax on all sugary beverages sold within the city limits. The new tax raised beverage costs by as much as 20% and residents began protesting immediately.

q2 2018: download letter

Childs Play

In the autumn of 1983 I was 8 years old and in third grade. I remember on one particular day, getting ready to walk home after school (you were allowed to do that back then) when one of my classmates pulled me aside in the hall. He told me he wanted to show me something his parents bought him, but I had to promise not to tell anyone.

q4 2017: Download letter

WAter works

Established in the 1890’s, the small mining village of Orme sat on the border separating Tennessee and Alabama. Over the years the town expanded as coal grew in popularity across the United States.  The town’s population multiplied exponentially as new mines opened and ancillary business congregated nearby.

q3 2017: download letter

Timing is everything

I was surprised how much the Queens Park eating area reminded me of my old high school cafeteria. Everything looked familiar; the inexpensive table settings, the homey looking lunch specials and even the cliques congregated at tables; the jocks, the rockers and the nerds, each group seemingly holding court over some hot parliamentary gossip.

q2 2017: Download letter

BEWARE THE SIRENS

When I was grade school age I used to love cooking with my Mom. By the time I reached high school I could create an entire meal on my own, albeit a simple one. My cuisine repertoire was fairly limited until I left home for University where I had to fend for myself in the kitchen.

q4 2016: Download letter

TEMPER TANTRUM

“This is the worst day ever!” he yelled as he stormed away from me. Of course it wasn’t the worst day, or even a bad day. It was a Saturday and this was my 5 year old son’s response when I told him he couldn’t have a second cookie.

q2 2016: DOWNLOAD letter

Seeking Out the Verified

It was 7 o’clock and I was hungry. I was in Boston for a conference and was unfamiliar with the dining options in and around the hotel. The concierge offered a few restaurant suggestions, but said he had never eaten at any of them.

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Bumpy Riding

My transportation life has been pretty boring over the past decade. The last few cars I have owned have been quite similar. I felt it was time for a change but wasn't sure what kind of automobile I wanted.

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National Geographic does not feature your house

As a boy, Jimmy loved to look at the pictures in National Geographic magazines and imagine he was visiting the far off places featured inside.

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Confidently Humble

Long ago there lived a girl in ancient Greece who was an exceptional weaver and spinner of thread. She could weave all sorts of beautiful pictures and people came from all over to see her beautiful tapestries.

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Do Big Mac’s taste 22% better in Canada?

In 1998, IBM unveiled Blue Pacific, the world’s fastest computer. This computer could perform 3.9 trillion calculations per second; 15,000 times faster than the average desktop computer.

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An ‘element’ of surprise

The pessimist complains about the wind; The optimist expects it to change: The realist adjusts the sails.

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An Elementary Misunderstanding

Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend and student Watson were together on a camping trip. After a good meal, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend awake.

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Who’s buying…

The useful life of a Twitter tweet is now 24 minutes. Similarly, a Facebook post is now regarded as dead after 90 minutes. I know this because research into social media trends has exploded.

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The butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker

A long time ago, a young prince in search of adventure showed up in a small village looking to make some money. He had never been to this village before but knew the best way to make money was to invest in a business.

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now What??

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed over. The other hunter pulls out his cell phone and calls 911.

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When obvious isn’t obvious

If you were given a newspaper from the future could you make better decisions today? How much money could you make if you knew with certainty how the stock market would perform for the next 30 years?

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I’d like to buy the world a cola…

While walking to class one afternoon during my university studies in the mid 90’s I noticed a large crowd gathered in the main square on campus. There was a long line of students behind a large table covered with white paper cups.

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Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday

“Well, the baby has been successfully delivered, what should I worry about next?” I can remember having this exact thought moments after the birth of our first child. 

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Why I’m smiling

While cruising at 30,000 feet through a rainstorm on a flight to Chicago recently, a simple thought entered my mind; I wonder what the pilot is doing up there in the cockpit?

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