When I was a kid I thought it was just the candy and hijinks. Maybe it was then, but now it’s much more… We’re a culture that avoids the reality of aging and death. From the collective perception of youthfulness as beauty to the ascendance of plastic surgery and Botox to the massive healthcare spending on maximal therapies for those who have lived long and full lives, we want to...
that time duke ellington was more wu-tang than wu-tang
You probably know the story of Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Wu-Tang recorded an entire album, printed one copy and auctioned it for millions to the highest bidder with a stipulation that the music would not be commercialized. So they made a few million bucks and handed the music over to a biotech used car salesman who might still be in prison(?). Few, though, know this story...
don’t get sucked in
There are two worlds. The one out there and the one right here inside and around you. The one out there can go totally nuts sometimes. Lewis Carroll shit. Now is one of those times. It’s magnified too given the way access to news and the opinions of others has accelerated along with Moore’s Law. It’s easy to understand why the average news consumer is an emotional wreck these...
Cognitive Theory of noise: introduction
I brought Eight Fat Swine Blog back, in part, to flesh out a comprehensive model of investor experience over the course of a bunch of posts and podcasts. In the coming weeks, I’ll lay out the model in detail and categorize related posts under the CTN Archive Here. All feedback is welcome on Twitter @ppearlman or via email at [email protected]. Introduction The Cognitive Theory of Noise (CTN)...
Gamifying longevity
I want to stay healthy and live as long as possible. I could high score above 100 years but I could also die tomorrow or maybe even later today – thwack by a bus or some other incidental calamity. Death and Decision Making Under Uncertainty Some critical factors related to lifespan are completely out of my hands and left to chance while other factors are within my control. You can think of...
Understanding and Helping PermaBear syndrome
I do an occasional podcast with my pal JC hosting called Money Game. Yesterday, he asked me about the case of experienced market participants who have an ingrained bearish bias that affects performance negatively. In last week’s post, I quoted Mowrer’s description of the neurotic paradox – how people sometimes repeat behaviors that are harmful. It is good context for the current...
CTN1: Let’s Begin Here …
O.H. Mowrer was a behavioral psychologist of some distinction during the middle part of the 20th century. He is not a central character of the CTN model I am going to lay out on this blog over the course of the next weeks and months but he does have a money quote that gets us thinking about similarities between irrational market participant behaviors and self-defeating experiences related to...
I’m the New Stocktwits Chief Community Officer!
Last month, I sat with Justin and Ian at StockTwits HQ and they walked me through Trade App, member FINRA/SIPC, which is scheduled to launch on September 25. I was impressed with the development of the technology, as I mentioned that day in the tweet below. Trade App is a commission-free mobile first trading platform with a social feature set that I can’t write about just yet. In addition...
The Return of Eight Fat Swine
Back in 2006, I had this blog called Eight Fat Swine where I wrote about investor experience, the psychology of social media and other stuff. I let the URL lapse and someone squatted on it for 10 freakin’ years. A few months back, I noticed the URL was available again so I scooped it back up and here I am writing a second intro post. Here is the original intro post from November 2006...
Warriors: Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns
Back in the day when they still fought 15 rounds, Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns were warriors. They still inspire a strong work ethic, strength, smarts, quickness, discipline, and the willingness to endure.
You can watch their brilliant 1981 Showdown here: