Month: January 2003

  • Market Commentary – January 2003

    Despite fair strength in recent months, and what appears to be a January effect in the most beaten down stocks, I think the evidence is that the bear market remains in force. If so, in another month the length of the decline will match the 1929-1932 bear market, though it is much milder in severity. That mildness may not be good, for despite the long decline stocks remain high priced. In the spring the bear market would enter its fourth year, which would raise the question, are we in a Japanese style decline, now in its thirteenth year?

  • Russia

    The 9th-century founding of Novgorod by the Viking Rurik initiated a more than thousand-year history of wealth and war, trial and loss, conquest, Communism, and tyranny. The monarchic splendor and seething peasant ideology of old Russia, coupled with the complex social, economic, and political changes brought about during the Soviet era, survive today in one form or another in what is possibly the most enigmatic yet of this country’s many incarnations.

  • Egypt

    Eygpt  MapEgypt might be considered the world’s oldest tourist destination. With a plethora of cultural artifacts dating back thousands of years, and a long history of artistic, political, intellectual, and commercial milestones, the country and region have been attracting travelers since ancient times. The pyramids and tombs are not the only reason to visit Egypt. There is an extraordinary amount of art and architecture including relics from centuries of Greek, Roman, and Arabic occupation. All along the River Nile you can see different parts of Egyptian history that have survived thousands of years of cultural change and the rapid growth.

  • Australia

    Australia MapAustralia is one of the world’s most unique natural habitats. Because it is isolated from most of the world, it has a wide variety of animals unique to its continent, and landscape that seems as impossible to live in as it is stunningly beautiful. It’s hard to justify trying to see all of Australia in just one trip. You will see some of the best beaches, experience some of the most inspiring wildlife, and meet among the finest people the world has to offer.

  • London Calling

    By their very nature, cities will always be more diverse than rural communities, but London seems to stand out above the rest.

  • Pipe Dreams

    The Brits may take pride in their long history, progressive metropolises, and quaint country towns, but there is something to be said for modern convenience where you need it most: in the bathroom.

  • Montserrat

    Montserrat was once called the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,” a phrase coined by Columbus. It is graced with lush mountains and landscape crowned by three towering volcanoes. Unfortunately, one of those volcanoes–the Soufrière Hills volcano–erupted in 1995, making most of the island uninhabitable.

  • Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Virgin Islands

    Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Virgin Islands

    Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Virgin IslandsThe capital of the US Virgin Islands and the biggest cruise port in the Caribbean. It’s named for a Danish Queen, and the streets wind their ways though colonial architecture.