#FRANCE: ROBINS AND ELECTRICITY SPIKE. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW OCCITANIE

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here. 

French R.R. Cherbourg 1910: 

Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FOX Business: Expert says President Trump 'is absolutely right' that world needs more energy resources

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Just one month into the job and President Donald Trump is making big changes in government. That includes energy policy, which is vital for the economy.

Trump has to do a couple of things, Bjorn Lomborg, political scientist and president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, told FOX Business on the sidelines at the three-day Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London last week.

"We need to get much more energy because we know energy is the lifeblood of making sure you have very prosperous societies… He will be doing that." Read more here.

Photo by Emil Jupin, Copyrighted free use, via Wikimedia Commons

Kiplinger's; Investing in Art: 10 Things You Should Know

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Savvy collectors know that investing in art blends an eye for aesthetics with a head for business. Read more here.

Daniel Capilla, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#MOVIES: THE HARDEST QUIZ. @RealCONSTABLE @WSJ @BatchelorShow

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Celette, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Take the quiz here.

#FRANCE: DAFFODILS FULL @RealCONSTABLE, @WSJ @BatchelorShow

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

WSJ: Office Technology Comes to the Movies: Test Your Knowledge With Our Quiz

By SIMON  CONSTABLE

Workplace technology has been featured in movies for longer than you might imagine—think silent films. From the familiar to the futuristic, it often serves to advance a film’s plot and help deliver its message.

So, how much do you know about workplace technology in movies? Find out by taking our quiz.

1 OF 10

What office technology now commonly used was envisioned in “Metropolis,” a 1927 silent movie directed by Fritz Lang?

Read more here.

Fritz Lang. Joost Evers / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#POLAND: Prospering and arming. @RealConstable @BatchelorShow Occitanie

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Fox Business Digital: Europe’s best kept secret: Poland, the region’s economic tiger

By SIMON CONSTABLE,

Nothing seems to get in the way of Poland going from strength to strength despite being part of the sluggish European Union. There are multiple reasons why and many facets, including the country’s outstanding defense spending and its conservative Donald Trump-like approach to illicit immigration.

Late last month, Poland’s economy was estimated to have grown by 2.9% last year, according to the country’s StatOffice. That performance trounces Europe’s single currency area, also known as the eurozone, by more than threefold; it eked out a mere 0.7% over the same period. 

Poland’s growth also overtook the U.S., which grew a robust 2.5% in the 12 months through December. 

“The last year or two has seen a boom, and it’s getting publicity,” says Mateusz Urban, a senior economist at Oxford Economics in Warsaw, Poland, told FOX Business. “There really is a European tiger right at Germany’s door.” Read more here.

The flag of Poland at the cemetery of the Polish refugees in Koja, Uganda.

RomanDeckert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#FRANCE: Natural gas price surging at the EU and Cordes sur Ciel. @RealConstable @BatchelorShow Occitanie.

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fox Biz: France, Europe attempt to flex tech muscles at Paris AI summit in clash of civilizations

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

FRANCE – Without a doubt, this week’s artificial intelligence summit in Paris was to showcase how Europe intends to catch up with the U.S. and China, the leaders in the field. But that’s not all.

The summit was also aimed at bringing together the major players in this new technology. But in reality, it looks more like a clash of civilizations, cultures and national priorities. In simple terms, the main players are at substantial odds with each other.

Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday presented the keynote address at the plenary session. The Trump administration "will ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide," he said. American AI tech is "the partner of choice for others, foreign countries, and certainly businesses, as they expand their own use of AI." The administration also wants AI to create jobs. Read more here.

Jernej Furman from Slovenia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WSJ Financial Flashback: 40 YEARS AGO: The Dollar’s ‘Volcker Rally’

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

After World War II, the U.S. dollar became the world’s top reserve currency, and the global economy flourished. But fast-forward to 1985, and things got a bit out of control.

 

The dollar index—a measure of the greenback’s value against a basket of major currencies such as the British pound and the German mark—hit an all-time high of 160. There seemed to be “no end in sight to the dollar’s strength,” as The Wall Street Journal quoted one banker in late February of 1985.It was called the Volcker Rally, recalls Win Thin, chief strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman. Paul Volcker headed the Federal Reserve and successfully crushed U.S. inflation by raising short-term interest rates to 20%.

 

Deregulation from the Reagan administration and corporate tax cuts helped boost stocks. And higher U.S. rates meant the dollar became a magnet for foreign capital, sending the dollar sky-high, Thin says. “It was sort of exceptional.” Read more here.

Fox Business Digital: Europe’s best kept secret: Poland, the region’s economic tiger

 By SIMON CONSTABLE,

Nothing seems to get in the way of Poland going from strength to strength despite being part of the sluggish European Union. There are multiple reasons why and many facets, including the country’s outstanding defense spending and its conservative Donald Trump-like approach to illicit immigration.

Late last month, Poland’s economy was estimated to have grown by 2.9% last year, according to the country’s StatOffice. That performance trounces Europe’s single currency area, also known as the eurozone, by more than threefold; it eked out a mere 0.7% over the same period.

Poland's growth also overtook the U.S., which grew a robust 2.5% in the 12 months through December.

"The last year or two has seen a boom, and it's getting publicity," says Mateusz Urban, a senior economist at Oxford Economics in Warsaw, Poland, told FOX Business. "There really is a European tiger right at Germany’s door." Read more here.

The flag of Poland at the cemetery of the Polish refugees in Koja, Uganda.

RomanDeckert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mr Market: Investment quiz to fail. @RealConstable @WSJ @BatchelorShow

By Simon Constable 

Listen here.

Take the quiz here.

J.L. McLean & Co., No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

J.L. McLean & Co., No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

#South Of France: Day in the clouds of Cordes-sur-Ciel @RealConstable @WSJ @BatchelorShow

 By Simon Constable

Listen here.

Calips, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WSJ: How Much Do You Know About Alternative Investments? Take Our Quiz and See

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

There’s more to investing than stocks, bonds and cash. There are a host of alternative investments—alts for short—ranging from hedge funds and venture capital to precious metals and commodity futures.

In general, these investments aren’t as liquid or easily traded as mainstream assets, but proponents say they help diversify portfolios and some alts, like private equity, have historically high risk-adjusted returns. 

Find out how much you know about alts by taking our quiz.

1 OF 8

Over the period 2000 to 2024, the SPDR S&P 500 exchange-traded fund gained 525.24% including dividends. How much did the price of gold change over the same period?

Read more here.

Nikolay Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#UK: PM Starmer in comparison to POTUS Trump. @RealConstable, Occitanie. @BatchelorShow

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Chris McAndrew , CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

#France: Daffodils and Clement Skies. @RealConstable, Occitanie. @BatchelorShow

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Uberprutser, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Korn Ferry: Britain’s Gen Z: ‘No, Thanks’ on Job-Hopping

By SIMON CONSTABLE

If you’d asked a Gen Zer a few years ago about how long they wanted to stay at one company, you’d likely have heard comments like “as short a time as possible.” Most saw job-hopping as a path to pay raises; most regarded corporate loyalty as a joke.

But guess who’s had a change of heart? In a remarkable finding, almost nine out of 10 Gen Zers rank stability as a priority, alongside financial security and a sense of community and belonging. That’s according to a recent study by UK-based insurance company Admiral. On average, Gen Z wants to stay with one company for seven years, the report says. That’s more than double the average of 3.5 years reported by workers overall. Read more here.

#France: Starmer's failure to lead. @RealConstable @BatchelorShow Occitanie

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Undated engraving depicting the executioner after the beheading of Charles I of England, 1649. Portrait File,  Harvard University. Houghton Library , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Kiplinger: 2025 Stocks Forecast: What Stock Pros Expect This Year

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

Landing on a 2025 stocks forecast is a tricky business. Both 2023 and 2024 were some of the best times for investors. Each of those years produced total returns in double digits. But will 2025 also be a booming year for equities? History says it’s unlikely, while analysts hold differing positions.

Since 1942, three-year annual gains of 10% have occurred just three times. Only twice have there been four consecutive years of double-digit gains and only once has there been a five-year run.

“There is certainly a possibility that we have another gain that’s double-digit,” says Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “The problem is how do we know if we will have a gain or a loss.” Read more here.

HitomiAkane, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or other work here.

#NATO: Defense sector due for a boom. @BatchelorShow @RealConstable, Occitanie

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

1915 French Artillery tractor See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or other work here.

#FRANCE: New England temperature, no snow. @RealConstable @BatchelorShow Occitanie

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Listen here.

Paris Cafe 1924. Agence Rol , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or other work here.