I wish I knew then what I know now — the eternal dilemma and consequence of ignorance, in my case without intention. Always inquisitive and circumspect, I just didn’t see things for what they were. As I grow older, things I viewed as complicated or mysterious as a younger man are very obvious to me — and this has nothing to do with lunar landings and paintings of outerspace.
Over the past month I’ve been binge reading biographies. Thus far, I’ve gotten thru (extra Carnegie) Vanderbilt by Anderson Cooper, Rockefeller, Phil Knight (cunt), Carnegie, Elon Musk, and now House of Morgan. I’ll likely read Mellon and then move back into novels — perhaps another Raymond Chandler, which I rather enjoy during the holidays.
Unlike a good Chandler or Hemingway book, these biographies offer next to zero good prose and are completely bereft of mystery. So why are they so popular? Obviously, we’re all obsessed with death and the purpose of life. My grandparents came and went without leaving a mark — spent the final 20 years of their lives stuck inside a 2br apartment in Brooklyn, living off social security and drifting away via a mostly listless existence highlighted only by their memories of greater days.
We are told when young that we could do anything — become President, Supreme Court Justice, Baseball player — all lies, but benevolent lies told to offer hope. Without aspiration, what’s the point? I suppose with older age we care less because we know more. This knowledge could be a black-pill — but it doesn’t have to be.
As Americans hate each other more and more every day, with issues stemming from immigration to race relations to fucking vaccine status, I can’t help but to think how the absence of God/religion has caused people to attach to these otherwise moronic fanatical positions. I’ve been agnostic for decades so I am the last person to profess religion, but holy shit what has happened to people — beholden to government and now corporations as if those entities ever gave a fuck about the ordinary gentry. None of the divisiveness makes me mad, just disappointed. As is the case with my youngest son who wantonly offers ad hoc statements on the evils of white people, I can only be introspect and feel it is my fault for not instilling a greater pride or fervor in him. This is the result of a culture that is largely American infecting the minds of its youth with poison — a tactic used to demoralize and break people in order to rule them. Growing up in the 80s was a utopia in comparison to today — but I do not feel lucky, only sad because of my children who have to contend with a hatred so toxic it makes them question the very definition of gender.
Most of my blogs these days are redundant missives about my trading, rarely dealing with important topics because what’s the fucking point? I don’t hate democrats or republicans or even people who color their hair purple and blue. I cast no aspersions on people who prejudge others — because that’s part of the human instinct. I am only against cruelty and hurting others out of spite.
When I started this site 14 years ago November 12th, I had grandiose visions of creating a large finance site. We even had hundreds of bloggers in our ranks at the peak. With partners and competing egos, it mostly fell to shit and for the better part of the past 6 years I’ve been a one man band, with the occasional blog from long term confidants RC and Raul. I’ve created three iterations of a market data platform and have attempted to offer cogent ideas and display professional grade trading skills inside The PPT, Exodus and now Stocklabs since 2009. I left the industry as a manager of other people’s money in 2017, after 18 years, because I didn’t want to do it anymore. I often regret that decision, mostly due to the amount of money I left on the table considering the bull market run we’ve been on since then. But here I am still blogging like the wind with over 21,000 blogs in the books, a dedication unrivaled by anyone else in finance, as far as I know.
I am grateful for the people who’ve continued to come here on a daily basis, become members of my service, and permitted me to be a complete asshole for all these years mostly unchecked. The fact I am not banned on Twitter is a testament to the people who follow me not reporting me and I thank you for that. I am genuine when I say I like 90% of you and only hate 5%, with the other 5% mostly undecided.
If I am still blogging 14 years from now — you have my permission to kill me.
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Congrats Senor Fly. I’ve been here for most of it. You’ve helped keep me on this side of the sanity blade…wait…
Anyway, you are a joy, even to a soul who has financially strayed.
Indeud
Thanks
Thank you Fly. I hope I am in the 90%….lol 3 years of following and a couple in the PR and I have really enjoyed it. Learned a lot.
If you are obsessed with death and the purpose of life, then this book may be for you https://www.figu.org/ch/files/downloads/buecher/figu-kelch_der_wahrheit_goblet-of-the-truth_v_20150307.pdf
Happy Anniversary Fly. No matter how you slice it, you’ve been and continue to be a success. What you’ve created and continue to build upon requires special talent, actually many talents.
Not sure how old your son is, I’m guessing a young teen, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to set him straight.
This is a great passage and true for so many including my own grandparents…
“My grandparents came and went without leaving a mark — spent the final 20 years of their lives stuck inside a 2br apartment in Brooklyn, living off social security and drifting away via a mostly listless existence highlighted only by their memories of greater days.”
I am probably one of the disliked 5%, but you just wrote
a hell of a great and introspective post about post-Bush-
Obama-Trump life in Corporatist America.
You are a writer par excellence.
Many have come and gone over the years but you still steer the ship through calm and troubled waters. Thanks. Shoutout to all the old timers still here.
Was a pleasure to read this.
You’re no Faulkner. Closer to Hunter Thompson, but enjoyable nevertheless.
Hunter Thompson? Nah .. reminds me more of the Irish great, James Joyce
James Joyce? Not even close. “Riverrun, past Eve and Adams, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth…”as opaque as The Fly is and can be, he could never come up with that.
they have similar flows to their writing
I’ve been a faithful reader since before the days of DevilDog. I usually take a long-term view of things as a macro-tourist, but I always come back here to get the immediate temperature of the markets and to get a brutally sarcastic view of things. Congratulations on another year of sticking your thumb in the eyes of the Market Gods!
Been reading your blog day in and day out for the whole 14 years. Thanks for your work Les Fly. Urge you to check out The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The story and prose are unsurpassable
You are rock star par excellance. Been reading you under a different logon. LOVED when you call your wife “Pal”. Keep up the great work!
Why is the WSJ site not on your read list, btw?
Hear hear
Congratuations, once part of the PPT now a continual follower.
“As Americans hate each other more and more every day, with issues stemming from immigration to race relations to fucking vaccine status, I can’t help but to think how the absence of God/religion has caused people to attach to these otherwise moronic fanatical positions. I’ve been agnostic for decades so I am the last person to profess religion, but holy shit what has happened to people”
People, such as yourself, profiting from inflicting divisiveness. Look at you for example, your twitter feed is loaded with crappy/untrue statements about the mask/vaccine situation. It’s not because you’re dumb and don’t know better. It is because your readership/income base gobbles it up. So you dish it out. Everyone pays a price for living a life not true to the self. In fact you might be paying for it as we speak, you just may not be aware of it. Some day you will, GUARANTEED!
‘absence of God” What claptrap!
The answer to your rhetorical question is: Greed and lack of Gratitude!
Helen is a whore
CUNT
probably not the absence of God, likely the presence of social media internet that has done damage to young people.
thanks for all the great reading Fly. a bunch of us arseholes joined way back thanks to Howard, when he did you know what! Cheers.
I have been along for the whole ride. You are truly a funny dude.
Thank you for staying consistent and doing this every day.
During my divorce my ex was all over me for conspiracy shit and she even tried to link iBankcoin coin into that paradigm. It is hilarious now.
Be well – late night drives, 2 1/2″ ribeyes, it has been a ride.
Just hiked the South Kaibab to Bright Angel this Saturday in your honor.
Cheers. FIG
Age has a weird way of putting things into a different perspective. Your grandparents wouldn’t have been any happier with more money. Their existence, like ours, wasn’t meant to amass more 000’s on their bank statement. I hope you don’t grow really old before you accept that reality.
As you get older and realize you too have an expiration date, priorities tend to change. I hope that will happen for you. Hopefully you have come to realize that your contentment doesn’t rest on your wealth which is fleeting and only relative to begin with.
Don’t give up on God. Seek Him and you will find true peace and rest, no matter the size of your bank account.
I was hurt when you called me a cunt, I bought your books and enjoyed them, but I’ve gotten over it. It’s your charm you devil. Happy 14th Anniversarium! Thanks for sticking it out.