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On March 11, 2011, an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean caused a tsunami to strike Japan. You probably remember seeing this in the news, because, directly in the path of the tsunami sat the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As the waves crashed into the reactors, the plant’s cooling systems lost power and the
In late 1999, I was speeding along Interstate 88 in upstate New York, in a big hurry to go see my girlfriend at the time, when I saw flashing red-and-blue lights in my rearview mirror. My heart sank as I pulled over, knowing that the speeding ticket I was about to receive would
Paris. Such a romantic city. Sip cafe at a sidewalk bistro, while you take in the wafting smell of burning rubber from the street fires. Take a picture with the Eiffel Tower, as you dodge incoming tear-gas canisters. Enjoy the ambiance as you stroll the alleys between 5,600 metric tons of garbage currently
Practically on cue, politicians began their public hearings yesterday about the recent banking crisis. This was so predictable; every time there’s a major crisis, Congressmen book a committee meeting to express their shock and outrage. They pass new laws to prevent a future crisis. Then their new laws fail to work properly, so
If you’re old enough to remember— think back to the year 1999. Some of the year’s most popular movies included The Matrix, Fight Club, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The euro made its international debut. Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister of Russia. And over in the US, President Bill Clinton narrowly escaped
This isn’t over yet. Last week after Silicon Valley Bank went poof in a matter of hours, I wrote that this financial catastrophe is just getting started: “Like Lehman Brothers in 2008, SVB is just the tip of the iceberg. . .” Within days, several other banks were on the verge of collapse.
You know the old joke– “Predictions are hard… especially about the future.” And it’s true, nobody has a crystal ball. But it’s astonishing to see just how horribly wrong the people in charge can be in their predictions, especially about the very near future. You probably remember Joe Biden famously insisted in the
On Sunday afternoon, September 14, 2008, hundreds of employees of the financial giant Lehman Brothers walked into the bank’s headquarters at 745 Seventh Avenue in New York City to clear out their offices and desks. Lehman was hours away from declaring bankruptcy. And its collapse the next day triggered the worst economic and
In 2021, Malaysia’s My Second Home (MM2H) visa program became way more expensive. Fortunately, the country’s autonomous Sarawak Province had a far more accessible regional version of the program. And now, Sabah Province is following suit by launching its own affordable MM2H program… Malaysia’s MM2H Visa: A quick recap of recent program changes…
The past week has been a bloodbath for the investment migration industry. But demand won’t be disappearing, and more countries will launch residency and Citizenship By Investment programs in response. One such country is Armenia, which is reportedly launching a CBI program shortly… But first… Could Armenia make sense as a Plan B
On the evening of April 17, 1006 AD, a little more than 1,000 years ago, human beings from around the world looked up into the night sky and saw a brilliant light, the likes of which they had never before seen in their entire lives. Most people thought it was a new star–
[Editor’s note: This is Simon’s take on what POTUS should have said at last night’s State of the Union address.] My fellow Americans. It has become somewhat of a tradition for Presidents to stand in front of you during this annual address and claim that “the state of our union is strong”. And
“Irresponsible.” That’s the word that some politicians in the United States Congress have been using this week to describe their opponents’ demands to balance the federal budget. Just imagine what that says about the state of US public finances: that even the mere thought of having a balanced budget… of living within your
When the infamous British smuggler Robert Jenkins sailed past Jamaica in April of 1731, he probably thought he was home free. Jenkins had a ship full of contraband which he had picked up in the West Indies, and he was heading back to England to sell his goods in London’s premium markets. But
By the early 300s AD, ancient Rome’s population was in significant decline. Modern historians haven’t nailed down a precise number for Rome’s population— and estimates vary— but the clear consensus is that population peaked in the first or second century AD, and then began a rapid fall. We know the reasons why. Roman
