Going to California: The stories don't stop because I take time off to smell the avocados

I was on the road last week — and got way too much sun on my nose — but stories get published and I still get quoted.

I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility. On The Road, Jack Kerouac

Last week I was in California!

At those prices even I can afford to buy a house in California! Photo by Andrea Riquier.

I took a road trip with friend and former MarketWatch colleague Andrea Riquier from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Our goal was to arrive to UCLA in time to be preliminary judges for the Loeb Awards. So great to be back after a one-year hiatus and to see so many old friends.

You’re welcome, Jonathan!

Let's kick off this pre-holiday week Friday with an interesting story from The Financial Times:

I can imagine that there are Chinese students at elite US and Canadian universities paying for tuition and other expenses with laundered cash. I can definitely picture it.

Great news from The Chicago Booth Review!

I had two new pieces for the Chicago Booth Review this month, writing about research on goodwill and on intangibles.