Black and White

This Martin/Zimmerman case has longed bothered me. Not because I think Zimmerman was wrong. Not because I think Zimmerman was right. What has bothered me most is that the facts in this case seem irrelevant. Cherry picking facts and distorting information has been about the name of the game in the reporting of this case. There are people in this world that think just because an action involves one white person (or in this case Hispanic) and one black person that IT MUST BE RACIAL - and go about building a storyline to promote their case. And when I say PROMOTE, I mean promote. In early days, everyone from Barack Obama to Al Sharpten to Kayne West had spun a web of racial prosecution. Defending the "hoodie" became a call to arms. I honestly feel enormous sympathy for the family for the loss of a child, but even they made public relation maneuvers. The picture released of Trayvon Martin and shown on every available media outlet was FIVE YEARS OLD! The boy in that picture was truly a BOY of 12 years old.

If I can stress anything to everyone I discuss issues with it's: nothing is ever cut and dry, or forgive the pun, black and white. People can do what's right, and people can do what's wrong. There are cases where bad people do bad things. However, in major news stories there are often many sides to every case. One should not jump to conclusions without at least reviewing each side. The following Reuters story on George Zimmerman is quite interesting. It's a little hoaky, but it certainly doesn't paint a picture of a premeditated, racially-drived killer.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/us-usa-florida-shooting-zimmerman-idUSBRE83O18H20120425

Marks on the mark

Howard Marks is the legendary investor and founder of Oaktree Capital in California. He is a former convertible bond guy, and I know a few people at Oaktree. I have always admired his work. He gave a speech called "The Human Side of Investing: Theory and Practice" at the New York Society of Securities Analysts (NYSSA) last week. I wish I had been able to see the actual speech, but did not. However, there is an excellent summation of it CLICK HERE.

I particularly liked the parts about value/price relationship, contrarian investing and the "us versus them" schools of thought. Those points encapsulate how I try and live my professional life.

Double Digits

Emily turns 10. Hard to believe that 10 years ago tonight we were speeding to the White Plains hospital. Luckily I didn't park the car, because I would have missed it. We arrived at the hospital at 9:50pm and Emily was born at 10:02. Katie was 12 hours of labor. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, that doesn't surprise me anymore.

Although disappointed she had school on her birthday (in NY it was usually vacation week, and here her first two were Saturday and Sunday respectively), she is making the best of it. French Toast for breakfast. Baked Ziti for dinner. Getting presents certainly helped too.






Not bad for a first timer: