I once had a long conversation with a man on a plane and then maybe six months later one of my colleagues stumbled across a transcript of it in the man’s blog. So wild. I do some of my best thinking about storytelling when I’m on an airplane and traveling.
This is superb. So many gems and observations. Two thoughts/takeaways:
1. Wall Street is bullshit, full stop. The stock market has been on a forty-year bull run, so anybody with any exposure should have made money. The fact that so many hedge funds crash and almost all underperform the S&P 500 index is unequivocal proof "active management" doesn't work and the people behind it are frauds. There's only one way to beat the market: insider trading. Anything else is luck.
2. I absolutely love the interaction with the Customs Official at the end. I'm sure it was intentional on your behalf, but depicting the scene brings the jingoistic indoctrination into stark relief. This man's own country doesn't care about him, and he doesn't see it, and even if he did, he wouldn't accept it.
I don't know whether that's actually verbatim or fictionalised but either way it's hilarious (and somewhat frightening). Nice work that gets to the essence of situations, as always!
Why is that every single flight to LA. And why do I always come out of it a raging socialist lol. And why does your writing bring it to life in a way that’s so much better than the real thing 🤩😍
Great transcript of most airplane conversations. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing! HA! Welcome to LaLa Land!
I once had a long conversation with a man on a plane and then maybe six months later one of my colleagues stumbled across a transcript of it in the man’s blog. So wild. I do some of my best thinking about storytelling when I’m on an airplane and traveling.
This is superb. So many gems and observations. Two thoughts/takeaways:
1. Wall Street is bullshit, full stop. The stock market has been on a forty-year bull run, so anybody with any exposure should have made money. The fact that so many hedge funds crash and almost all underperform the S&P 500 index is unequivocal proof "active management" doesn't work and the people behind it are frauds. There's only one way to beat the market: insider trading. Anything else is luck.
2. I absolutely love the interaction with the Customs Official at the end. I'm sure it was intentional on your behalf, but depicting the scene brings the jingoistic indoctrination into stark relief. This man's own country doesn't care about him, and he doesn't see it, and even if he did, he wouldn't accept it.
Bravo.
I don't know whether that's actually verbatim or fictionalised but either way it's hilarious (and somewhat frightening). Nice work that gets to the essence of situations, as always!
Why is that every single flight to LA. And why do I always come out of it a raging socialist lol. And why does your writing bring it to life in a way that’s so much better than the real thing 🤩😍
First piece of yours I’ve read and I’m hooked. Was great meeting you at Izzy’s party. See you in Paris someday!