Year: 2011

South Beach and Cuban Black Bean Soup

Oh man, I am actually out of the winter. It was painful, but I suppose all good things are. The clock folly- springing ahead- occupied the last padding around, forgetting the last minute things that I would realize I really needed a thousand miles away. The time line to the flight changed markedly after losing […]

The Big Quake

The effects from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan are still being assessed, and I am traveling this morning. It is pushing five thirty, and the ride to the airport is going to be here in twenty minutes. I could tell you about the adventure of moving my son’s stuff to Virginia Beach, but […]

The Wow Moment

Editor’s note: Management at The Daily is departing the building NLT 0645 this morning to support a Military re-location from Arlington to Virginia Beach. Accordingly, there will be no in-depth coverage of the mega-quake in Tokyo this morning, of which there may be $100 billion in damages, undetermined loss of life, and the spreading of […]

Building at Belvoir

Jake and I were in the Hubrismobile yesterday, watching the gunmetal sky over the gunmetal hood framed by the slick swooping windshield over the business-like German dashboard. We were barreling down I-95 just south of Springfield and outside the Capital Beltway. Jake was eating his tuna sandwich out of the foil wrapper fresh from the […]

Now, for Something Completely Different

NY times: “Socotra House Launches 548th Million Irrelevant Web Site: Publishing World Sighs in Indifference.” Editor’s Note: For those who missed the Daily yesterday, the entire production staff at Socotra House Publishing expresses the deepest regret. It is not our fault. Really, we showed up for work and everything. Here is what hung us up: […]

Calle 8

Brazilian Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and her hubby, Mr Bundchen, are back in Brazil for Carnival. I saw the news while scrolling through potential destinations to park my butt for a week or two. I do not want to think about what is going to happen when the music stops and we have to pay the […]

The Hydraulic Press

“Return to Raven,” read the note at the top of the page. My Dad was addressing his brother Jim Socotra, 17 years his senior, and really more father than brother to my Dad. Jim went through the same portal that Raven is going through now, long ago, and the echoes of his passing illuminate Raven’s […]

8 Tips for Smart Investing and Grilling

You know what is coming as well as I do, so I won’t belabor the point. Maybe it is a recovery and maybe it ain’t. Remember, this is mostly a psychological drill, at least for Wall Street. If you feel good, you act good. I am as tired of the continuing crisis as I am […]

Happy Days

I am about ready for a dose of irrational exuberance, al la the quote from the evil gnome Alan Greenspan about the housing bubble years ago. I wish I could find a gig like that- utter a sphinxlike line in the morning, and then take off for a long lunch and a longer weekend. Alan […]

Burying George

It was one of those mornings; no reason for traffic to be horrific, but it was, anyway. Pulling out of the garage under Big Pink I spied the traffic backed up on Route 50 East in front of the building. Since it is almost a mile to the first of the two lights that slow […]