A Message to Garcia

History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it. - Winston Churchill

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. - Talmudic Origin

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. - George S. Patton

What do you see as your passion in life?

Subject Title relates to an Essay given to arriving Midshipmen at USNA / Annapolis during Plebe Summer. Lead by Following Orders - Initiative within the System is Acceptable. [Expansion on this Thesis > Ending]

Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson believed in individual human potential: “Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self. There is something which you can do better than another.” [Self Reliance - 1841 Essay]

Suspect my nieces & nephews may know nothing much about Uncle C.A.S. Hopefully they only hear of a failed drunken stockbroker. This narrative is ideal.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Thomas Kuhn’s groundbreaking Structure of Scientific Revolutions coined the term ‘Paradigm Shift’ concluding 2 ways of new discovery: Experience or getting clubbed in the head. Looking back life becomes very clear thru action & research. There is no substitute for direct tacit knowledge in fields like manufacturing, farming or international wholesale industries.

One night on 09.11.2001 in a specific restaurant on the upper east side of N.Y. City near The Council of Foreign Relations became much more clear in retrospect… The events in Tower 2 witnessed at Morgan Stanley were not an issue. The incredible financial options, contracts & policy response was the wake up and now understand why all those families were laughing so heartless that evening.

Consciousness has been Critical to help move forward swiftly. Comprehending why one was potential cannon fodder and how to ensure the high ground for the next battle.

Emotions over a past events with past programming from institutions probably clouded judgment leading to a personal Guernica, frustration and even some depression. The very cool thing about going for it in life and punching thru is we may be better prepared for the coming battle ahead.

Many have restated a phrase from Voltaire > The caliber of questions you ask determine the ‘quality’ of your life. -

Great lessons learned from living overseas, working in Asia to starting a business far west from home was the humility to question any thesis presented and seek out consultation from real experts in a specific field. Skin in the Game is a primary consideration & often action displayed more than words.

Seek the wisdom of the most expert minds in your field. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quick Inquiry:

- What is your opinion of Boston based Jeremy Grantham’s recent writings?

- Why does a global monopoly centralize credit [Plank 5 - Communist Manifesto]?

- How has a Decade + of free money [zero interest rates] impacted markets?

- Have you read Charles Mackay or Kindleberger’s works on past manias?

- Every trade has two sides as does historical narratives - Capisci?

- Do you retain or currently use jobs to learn specific skills?

- What is your durable competitive advantage?

- Should the world of securitization change is there a Plan B?

- How does the 2nd law of Thermodynamics relate to large institutions?

- Why was real estate legend Sam Zell selling properties over the past 7 years?

- Do you have a passion for security analysis [Benjamin Graham]?

- How are you building your personal capital stack?

- Ideology vs Physical Limitations > Who can afford to buy upcoming U$T auctions?

- When mass psychology is on one side of the Titanic where are the opportunities?

- What does Supply Destruction mean in the extraction markets?

- What happened in the past when the yield curve inverted? Why?

For those in the financial services industry > Plans to use time invested in jobs to meet a new goal?

Focus on the immediate cash flow / occupation appears ubiquitous in the western securitized world.

“As a general rule, it is foolish to do just what other people are doing, because there are almost sure to be too many people doing the same thing.” - William Stanley Jevons (1835-82)

Lessons learned from Contrarian Advice is consider new market leadership based upon the needs of world markets [looking outside ourselves].

At age 28 leaving the U.S. Navy in San Francisco a personal research project was conducted based upon considerations of Architecture School. Interviews with leading Bay Area Architects, professors at University of California, Berkeley & students revealed a signifiant risk & probability: Upon graduation with $250K in debt I may find myself in a cubicle designing industrial staircases to code [People’s Republic Statutes vs Individual Creativity].

Advice from my father upon departing the U.S. Navy was to ‘stick it out’ working with Honeywell Commercial Aviation Systems [1998-2001] for a few years. Landed a job in Phoenix, Arizona in procurement & eventually contracts negation with suppliers to our manufacturing facility. 

- More than One Life [Renovation of a 1913 bungalow] > Architecture / Design

- Investing in Myself reading at Barnes & Noble during evenings [truck sleeping]

- Careful of doing what everyone else is doing -especially when leveraged.

Gift of direct experience with systems engineering aided in gathering real clients during the 2001 - 2003 Tech Market Crash [mini bear market - worst since 1930].

The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help you are freed. - Buddha

Amazed today how many advisors have never been near anything producing physical wealth.

Moving west to live in a 2002 VW Eurovan learning to surf and building a clinet base from scratch required recognition of the External Conditions are Paramount to going alone in the Ocean & Markets.

Same Philosophy for the Self Funded Entrepreneur.

Wealth & Capital are essential to the Entrepreneur. Negative real interest rates [not nominal] destroy savings in traditional financial instruments.

You are either a contrarian or you will become a victim. - Rick Rule

Inflection points / Opportunities in life can be potentially critical when clarity & consciousness are in peak form. No matter what our goals or dreams entail the successful continually learn from those who have excelled in any vocation while respecting the macro environment around us.

Don’t fight forces, Use Them. - R. Buckminster Fuller

Fighting waves in the ocean is a losing battle. Preparing for the next rogue wave to harness could be life changing.

Recency Bias Consideration:

- What are your plans should the Macro change much like 2001?

 Storm barometers show similar conditions with vastly more leveraged capital.

Don’t tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life

Personal Aspirations in youth were to escape New England & see the world, study real architecture & design with the possible dream of surfing somewhat achieved.

Lesson Learned - Contrary Action - Equitable Solutions -

To be continued…

Give me the control of the credit of a nation, and I care not who makes the laws. 

- Nathaniel Meyer Rothschild

Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly. - The Communist Manifesto