Speaking of Volatility…

a fairly moderate earthquake here in LA of 5.8. Since the Richter scale goes exponential (a 6 is 10 times worse than a 5), things get really scary when the numbers get up above 6 or 7.

The description for an 8:

“Total destruction. Ground surface waves seen. Objects thrown into the air. All construction destroyed.

—-

Looks like that I am going to scratch off the idea of a surf trip to El Salvador or fishing in Los Roques. . .

—-

There are two new books coming out focusing on how the super rich got that way. I can’t say I am too terribly excited about either.

Ken Fisher’s The Ten Roads to Riches: The Way the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!):

    • Learn what Mark Cuban, Rupert Murdoch, and rapper Jay-Z have in common, and how you can copy them.
    • Find out the right questions to ask when starting your own business—the richest road of all!
    • Discover how to avoid high profile flameouts like the Enron guys, Paris Hilton, and super-villain Kirk Wright—who stole from his own mom!

and Gladwell’s Outliers: Why Some People Succeed and Some Don’t

“In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers”–the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.”

—-

Look who is back! This presentation showcases the top 35 charts with commentary. Woth watching.

Here is one of the many great charts from Perotcharts.com: