Wednesday-Night

Of course the news this week for the inhabitants of this northern realm is all about the Speech from the Throne and the will-they-won’t-they reaction from the Opposition (Liberals above all). Incidentally, we are not overwhelmed by a great feeling of inclusiveness when the full text of said speech published on the Gazette website […]

10 October 2007
Gerald Ratzer OWN and Tony Deutsch OWN, being responsible members of the McGill Pension Fund Committee, have conducted due diligence on the Tar Sands and are back from Fort McMurray fully propagandized and ready to share their findings.
If this is our only topic (which is unlikely), it will be a fascinating Wednesday Night. […]

October 10, 2007
U.S.
The Dow Jones reached a record level yesterday at 14,165 a gain of 762 points since the Sept, 18 bold cut of ½% by the Fed on its administered rates, despite crude reaching a record $84.10 U.S. on September 28, a weak economic outlook for the second half and the drying up of […]

September 28, 2007
U.S.
At 13,913, the Dow Jones is 128 points away from the July 19 record, having gained over 500 points since the September 18 bold move by the Fed in cutting by ½%, its federal funds rate (4 ¾ %) and discount rate (5¼%). It was the first cut in four years […]

26 September 2007
This is National Biotechnology Week which we would have expected to produce great chest-thumping from our city, given that Montréal is [not only] a highly regarded biotechnology R&D centre, [but also] home to the Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) of the National Research Council (NRC) . Absent the expected municipal chest-thumping vaunting the region’s […]

12 September 2007
U.S.
Since its record of over 14,000 on July 19, the Dow Jones has lost 750 points with the collapse of the U.S. subprime housing market, followed by the credit crunch. Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures (up 93% y/y in July) reached a record high with 36% of mortgage loans in late payments. Over 100 […]

We are very happy to introduce this week two heretofore-unknown cousins of Diana’s from Louisville, Kentucky, Laura Thébaud Gibb and her husband Gary. Neither has ever been to Montreal and this unfortunately will be a 24-hour flying visit. Laura was the director of a Kentucky county public library near Louisville. Gary, a native Louisvillian, was […]

U.S.
The Dow Jones, after reaching over 14,000 on July 14, has lost 1,179 points since, in a highly volatile environment as difficulties in the U.S. mortgage market touched worldwide stock markets with over $3.3 trillion of losses caused by the collapse of the sub-prime housing market.
The Fed described the housing slump as […]

4 July 2007
The Invitation
We hope we have not exhausted all the verbal fireworks during last week’s “lively” discussion , which will surely be reviewed and reprised many times. Andrea was a great guest and participation from Right to Left was enthusiastic.
After that demanding exercise in public policy, we turn to a more eclectic collection […]

The Invitation
WHEW! We escaped the threat of a July election in Québec by a hair (actually two votes), but now PLQ will have to decide the fate of Jean Charest. Virtually everything to be said about the unfortunate budget has been said by commentators, so we will drop the topic — for now.
One of our […]