The latest data on consumer prices in Australia was released today by the ABS. It was for the December 2022 quarter.
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Day D
In June 1944, the allied forces of UK, US, Canada, NZ and Australia launched what what was then, and remains, the largest most grave and probably most risky seaborne invasion of a foreign continent. D day.
Continue readingGratitude
I was terrified of my year 11 maths (2) teacher. Maths (2) was ‘applied’ in the sense of practical trigonometry. Maths 1 was pure, in the sense of abstraction. You know, early aspects of Newton’s calculus. That teacher was amiable. Newton, he scoffed, ‘very vague; let’s not fret overly.’
Continue readingThe deafening silence
Excess mortality. An actuarial phrase, if ever you wanted one. It means the number of people dying in excess of what would have happened if prior mortality trends had continued.
Continue readingThe doddering, the unhinged, the Messiahs and the frantically busy hotel manager at the WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland has just wound up its 2023 meeting. What a joy it is to behold the WEF meetings.
Continue readingBasement software coder tries to extrapolate knowledge of computer code to saving humanity. Not entirely successful.
A co-founder of a behemoth software business, Mike Cannon-Brookes, is in the media now after a spectacular collapse of his dream extension cord business.
Continue readingInvestment advice for 2023
I don’t normally give equity investment advice without being paid. But here’s a freebie. In 2023, strong cashflow, low debt, low inventory, high dividend is your target. Good luck.
The model is not reality
Just look at the state of mainstream media reporting, this from today’s Australian newspaper. Journalist Remy Varga should hang her head in shame.
Continue reading‘Scientists say’ losing effectiveness, scientists say
For decades, newspaper editors have loved to append ‘, scientists say’ to the headline of any story that they felt could do with a credibility boost. It was code to their readers: you must not argue with this story’s conclusions. The same applied to documentaries on pay TV.
Continue readingOil price caps
Carlo Cipolla was an Italian economic historian. He wrote a book about the theory of human stupidity. His theory was based on five fundamental laws, one of which is that stupid people are defined as taking actions that hurt both themselves and others. I was reminded of his work when I heard about the latest announcement from the EU, G7 and Australia to impose a cap on the price of Russian sourced oil of US$60 per barrel.
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Australian Actuary 