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July 29, 2011 Belgrade, Serbia It’s a rainy morning here in Belgrade, one of those days where the gray skies and drizzle sap the spirit and motivation to do much at all. But I have quite a few things to be excited about today. Most importantly, we’re making great progress in our property
July 28, 2011 Belgrade, Serbia When I was a kid, it was a big deal when the postman came around. He was an important man carrying important documents from far away lands that we could only dream about… and each time he pulled up there was a brief glimmer of anxiety, wondering what
July 27, 2011 Zagreb, Croatia There’s one question that I’ve been seeing over and over for the last several weeks as the price of gold has taken out its all-time highs and continued a nearly uninterrupted ascent: Should I buy gold now? It’s understandable, especially for people who don’t own precious metals yet.
July 25, 2011 Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines I first started coming regularly to Daet, in the Bicol region of the Philippines, more than 13-years ago. It’s a sleepy, quiet, relaxed place without the bustle of Quezon or Manila… perfect for people looking to live an easy, simple life. Despite the bucolic setting, though,
July 25, 2011 Split, Croatia Friday’s dual massacre in Norway was an utter perversion of humanity, the worst that the world has seen for quite some time. The confessed perpetrator, Anders Breivik, was a committed detractor of Europe’s lax multiculturalism and tolerance for immigrants. However you feel about his views, I know we
July 22, 2011 Split, Croatia Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten away from our usual tradition of having a weekly Q&A session, so I’m going to get right to it today. First, Constanza asks, “Simon, you were writing recently about ‘international diversification.‘ Can you explain a bit more about this?” Sure. It’s
July 21, 2011 Split, Croatia Print. Lie. Borrow. Deceive. Deny. These are a the principal tenets of the Greek restructuring plan that were released today from Brussels… it’s as if EU policymakers put it together after shaking a Magic 8-ball. The whole world knows that Greece is bankrupt and has been living bailout
July 20, 2011 Split, Croatia Bruce Lee, a long-time hero of mine, died 38-years ago today, and in tribute to his intellect and philosophy, I wanted to blow the dust off an old quote of his that seems quite prescient: “Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the
Reporting from Becici, Montenegro In March 2010, President Obama signed into law one of the most arrogant, unfeasible bills ever to hit the books. Known as FATCA [Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act], it was enacted as part of the inappropriately titled HIRE Act; the law requires that foreign banks must disclose personal account
July 14, 2011 Thessaloniki, Greece Last night I had quite an unexpected surprise. You see, at my hotel here in Thessaloniki, there’s a delegation from some group of the European Parliament called the Committee on Regional Development. They’re here to help… Hey, isn’t that what they always say? The Committee wants to supervise
July 13, 2011 Thessaloniki, Greece I went to dinner last night in an upmarket area of Thessaloniki. It wasn’t a touristy part of town at all, nearly everyone there was local. As we walked down a narrow cobblestone path flanked by traditional Greek restaurants, all the various hostesses and proprietors ran out to
July 12, 2011 Chongqing, China [Editor’s note: Tim Staermose is filling in for Simon today with another boots on the ground report from China.] By some accounts, Chongqing is the largest metro area in the world with a population of some 32 million. They ought to call it the largest construction site in
July 11, 2011 Pristina, Kosovo Can you imagine being trapped inside your home country, unable to leave? It may be closer to a reality than you realize. I’ll tell you a quick story to explain. This weekend I rented a car in Bulgaria with the aim of driving through Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and
Folks… you just can’t make this stuff up. On July 6th, just two days ago, at least a dozen busybody Congressmen sponsored the introduction of HR 2411, the “Reduce America’s Debt Now Act of 2011.” They always come up with fantastic names for these pieces of legislation… and rest assured, the better/more patriotic
July 7, 2011 Wuhan, China When I left my hotel bound for the new Guangzhou South Station the other day , I didn’t know much about the station– where it was, how far from the hotel, etc. After about 25 or 30 minutes in the cab, I still hadn’t seen any signs for
