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America’s central bank gathered for the final time in 2023 this week.  As was widely expected, there was no change in the Fed Funds Rate.  This is the rate banks charge each other for overnight lending and is set by the Federal Reserve.  Votes in the halls of the Eccles Building were unanimous, something we can’t say about ballots in other halls within our nation&rsqu

Droughts can be devastating.  Avocado farmers in Southern Spain are dealing with a difficult one now.  The change is so dramatic that according to this Bloomberg article, one 86-year-old farmer has decided to take down 2,500 trees, now using th

Climbing a mountain implies a single direction: up.  Yes, from time to time you might reach a false summit that then dips lower for a bit, but the general direction of travel is up.  Inflation isn’t much different.  During your entire life, there have only been rare exceptions to the rising climb.

Welcome to Black Friday.  The day when otherwise normal people morph into bargain-hunting warriors.  Their safari starts at the crack of dawn if they didn’t begin after their Thanksgiving dinner.  Malls become jungles where competitiveness worthy of the Serengeti is unleashed.  For merchants, it can be an exercise in survival of the fittest, each competing for the next

As Thanksgiving rolls around, Americans can loosen their belts a notch, not just in anticipation of the feast, but also because of a slight dip in the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  According to the American Farm Bureau Federation's 38th annual survey, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 will set you back $61.17, averaging a mere $6.12 per guest.   This is a 4.5

A few days ago, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari, was interviewed by Bloomberg radio, and I happened to be listening.  In the interview, he referenced a dark matter metaphor used by John Williams, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  Atlas searched for the speech or interview in which Mr.

The line "been down so long it looks like up to me" is often associated with the world of traditional blues music.  Themes of hardship, suffering, and resilience are common, and the line offers a potential glimmer of hope.  Despite some effort, Atlas was unable to find an exact origin of this phrase.  The term did, however, become more widely known through Richard Fari&

Breakup songs that make their way into pop culture have a way of staying relevant by transcending time and touching the hearts of generations.  Who can listen to Etta James sing “I’d Rather Go Blind” and not feel the pain of losing the one you love?  Who can resist singing along with the Righteous Brothers whe

American cuisine is complicated.  The nation doesn’t exactly have a uniform palette.  Instead we have regional differences.  Take marinades for instance.  In the Northeast, a common marinade is made with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, and herbs.  In the South, a traditional marinade is made with buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic, and onion powder.