Video games are a big deal. In fact, I’ll bet they’re a bigger deal than you realize. It’s always tricky comparing the size of different industries, but at this point it feels pretty safe saying that the video game industry is bigger than the movie and music industries combined, and the gap is projected to only increase in the coming years. Major esports events already draw more viewers than the Super Bowl. Read Dead Redemption 2 had a bigger opening weekend of sales than Avengers: Infinity War (although that record was later smashed by Avengers: Endgame). Netflix (NFLX) considers Fortnite to be a bigger competitor than HBO and Activision Blizzard (ATVI) spent more money to acquire the maker of Candy Crush than Disney (DIS) spent to acquire the Star Wars franchise.
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 28 – The Fifth Democratic Presidential Debate of 2019
The fifth televised democratic presidential debate of 2019 happened on November 20th. Once again, Andrew and Paul watched the debates so you wouldn’t have to. This time, we tried to limit ourselves to a discussion shorter than the debate itself. What were the big moments? Who do we think are on track to pick up some delegates once the primaries start? Listen in to find out what we think.
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 27 – OK Boomer
OK Boomer is a catchphrase and internet meme which has recently gained popularity as a way to reference the tension between the baby boomer and millennial generations. Join the Rampant Discourse crew on a meandering discussion over lunch about generations: Which do we associate with? What are the first major events we remember? And does it even make sense to divide people up based on the year they were born?
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 26 – The Escalation of the Video Streaming Wars
With the recent launch of Apple TV+ and the upcoming launch of Disney+ on November 12th, the video streaming wars are about to enter a new phase. Which services have what it takes to survive and which might fall by the wayside? Are there upcoming shows that look intriguing enough to convince us to sign up for a new service? How many streaming services are too many and should we…
Penny Invests
I wrote a book! Okay, so it’s a children’s book, but still… I wrote a book! It’s called Penny Invests, and it’s a picture book aimed at children to try to teach a little bit about the basics of investing in a humorous and lighthearted way.
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 25 – The Fourth Democratic Presidential Debate of 2019
The fourth televised democratic presidential debate of 2019 happened on October 15th, and with 12 candidates it was the largest field to take the stage on a single night during this primary. With such a super-sized field of candidates, it only made sense that we recorded a super-sized podcast that was worthy of covering such an event. Once again, Andrew and Paul watched the debates so you wouldn’t have to,…
The Freedom Portfolio – October 2019
It’s the one year anniversary of Paul vs the Market and the Freedom Portfolio! I just wish it could’ve coincided with a better performing quarter. The third quarter of 2019 was brutal, and saw the Freedom Portfolio essentially give back all of the gains from the 2nd quarter. The Freedom Portfolio was down 10.5% for the quarter, compared to the S&P being up around 1.7%. I’m still up versus the market year-to-date 22.9% to 20.5%, but am now back to losing to the market since inception (October of 2018) -4.1% to 3.9%.
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 24 – Cancel Culture
Cancel culture has been a growing part of American public life over the years, but a backlash seems to be growing. Perhaps the most recent evidence of this is the incredible split between the critical consensus and audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for Dave Chappelle’s new Netflix special. Join the Rampant Discourse crew as they discuss their thoughts on Cancel Culture. Is it a force for good? Has it gone…
The Rampant Discourse Podcast: Episode 23 – The Third Democratic Presidential Debate of 2019
Last night was the third televised democratic presidential debate of 2019, the first debate with the stricter qualification criteria that led to 10 candidates on stage in one night versus 20 spread out over two nights. Once again we listened to the candidates answer questions regarding why they are best suited to unseat Donald Trump and become the next President of the United States. Once again, Andrew and Paul watched…
Reflections on a Week Spent at Disney World
My family recently returned from a week spent at Disney World, so I figured I would combine my thoughts on our experience with some opining on why Disney is one of the larger positions in the Freedom Portfolio.