31 Jan The Weekend Starts Here....
Photo credit: rockcohen on VisualHunt / CC BY
“It is sad to see a country leaving that twice liberated us, [that has] twice given its blood to liberate Europe.”
So here we are. At 23:00 GMT today Britain will leave the EU. For me, personally, it’s a very sad day. Having lived in France for nearly 13 years now and having never been made to feel more welcome anywhere else in my life, this week has hit me harder than I thought it would. So, apologies in advance if this week’s post seems a little more downhearted than usual.
On Wednesday the EU Parliament ratified the withdrawal agreement, the final step before the hard work really starts. [2 min read]
And while on the one hand, we witnessed the majority of MEPs joining hands in a rendition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (the words thoughtfully circulated in advance to everyone by a German MEP) and using words like ‘love’ in their speeches, on the other we had Farage using the word ‘hate’ to describe his view of the EU in his final speech. This is what I still don’t get about a certain portion of Brexit supporters. You won. Why are you still so angry?
This week we also commemorated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I wanted to include something about this today but after reading a lot of the press coverage was struggling to find something which ‘spoke’ to me.
Then, while reading about something completely different, I came across this poem by the Polish writer Wisława Szymborska. It sums up perfectly what happens after every war has ended, made me reflect on how easy it is for us to forget and therefore why it is so important we keep being reminded. [2 min read]
It wasn’t until I read Susan Cain’s book ‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ a couple of years ago that I finally understood why, in spite of the fact that I think I’m a reasonably social sort of person, being around other people for too long completely drains me. I read this article and thought ‘This would be an extrovert’s worse nightmare’. For me, it sounds like paradise. [7 min read]
Sustained periods of currency volatility are pretty unusual in developed nations. Sadly, I fear we have much more of this to look forward to. Globally diversified investment portfolios help, but if you trade with the EU (or earn in GBP and spend predominately in EUR – well, hello) it’s a little more challenging. Do You Know Where the British Pound Is Heading? Brexit, Currency Risk, and the Pound [Infographic]
“No matter how much we learn about human psychology, we must never, for a second, pretend that we are studying the mentality and behaviour of others. We are, in fact, studying ourselves because we are just as subject to all of the pitfalls as anyone else.” It was brave of this next guy to go through this exercise. Even braver to publish it for the world to see. My $2 Million Apple Mistake [ The Rational Walk (H/T Abnormal Returns) 5 min read]
One of my golden rules in life is never to read a post by Epsilon Theory whilst listening to Leonard Cohen. A combination I fear might just tip me over the edge 
. Pleased to Meet You, Hope You Guess My Name [Ben Hunt 3 min read]
The Race to be First. So, so true. Reminds me of this fiasco in the UK’s election last year. Not. Good. Enough. We deserve better. [Ramp Capital 2 min read]
If you think you or your active fund manager have an edge, just look at how the odds are stacked against you. [Robin Powell 3 min read]
And finally. Because heaven knows I’ve needed something to put a smile on my face this week, I bring you The Shetland dog models whose photoshoots can stop traffic (seriously though, the Peaky Blinders one? 😍 😍 😍) [Photos]
Whatever you’re up to this weekend, I hope it’s a good one. Don’t forget to take down your EU flags if you live in the UK, because hey – it could soon become a crime 😂 😂 😂 . I’ll be working on my application for French citizenship 😉
Carolyn