An unconventional route to happiness (or at least less stress) occurred to me back in 2000. I elaborate on it here for the first time… Back in 2000, I was stopped at a Chevron (CVX) fuel station and was filling my car up with gasoline which, at the time, was selling for a record price. … Continue reading »
Filed under Money …
Troy
Troy was an international trading emporia. The city’s markets would have been filled with gold and ivory from Egypt, copper from Cyprus, silver from Anatolia and amber from the Baltic area.
Monte dei Paschi di Siena: The World’s Oldest Bank
Rocca Salimbeni and Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena We are in front of the impressive former stronghold of the Salimbeni family, wealthy Ghibelline merchants and bankers. In the 15th century, their fortress home was confiscated by the Commune of Siena which placed the toll post and the “Monte Pio” later incorporated into Monte dei … Continue reading »
The Ostia Mafia – Piazza Gasparri And Beyond
Crippling bureaucracy has, unfortunately, become embedded in Italy’s soul. And crippling layers of bureaucracy invite corruption from people desperate to navigate the system or to get something done. And corruption opens the door to organized crime… I know what I’m talking about because my chick is Italian (Like a real Italian from Italy – not … Continue reading »
Is Mexico A Failed State?
Over the past several months, I have heard the question as to whether or not Mexico is a failed state raised a number of times. As part of the “Mexico Series” I have been posting over the last year or so, it is time for me as an International Relations academic to address that question… … Continue reading »
The Mexico Series: Mexican Drug Routes
Click on the graphic below to view it in a larger size: The Mexico Series: Weapons Of The Mexican Drug Cartels & The Mexican Police The Mexico Series… Savvy Young Heirs Give Mexico Drug Cartels New Face The Mexico Series… Latest Member of Forbes Magazine’s Exclusive List Of Billionaires The Mexico Series… Is Mexico A … Continue reading »
How Much Gold And Platinum Is In The World?
How Rare Is Gold And Platinum? The Velvet Rocket has noted before just how precious the precious metals actually are… Gold might seem ubiquitous, as it is found on the hands of millions of brides, but approximately 161,000 tons of the yellow metal have been mined over the entire history of mankind. That’s sounds like … Continue reading »
