Boulis

JFK read Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August in the summer of 1962. He was awed by its thesis that rigid and hyper-detailed military plans slow marched the world into the cataclysm of 1914. He sent copies to his Cabinet Secretaries and senior military personnel. A few months later, its lessons may have have saved the world during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Guns of August is also remarkable for its prologue. Tuchman’s account of the King’s funeral is one of the finest pieces of narrative history ever written. The book is worth reading (or hearing) for the prologue alone.

“We’re facing the largest supply shortage of lubricating fluids in the modern history of America. Realistic, middle-of-the-road estimates are for our average available supply in this product category to drop by 40%.” Internal AutoZone Memo

INFLATION NOW OUTPACING PAYCHECKS Inflation is once again rising faster than wages, putting Americans under growing financial pressure for the first time in about three years. Consumer prices climbed 3.8% over the past year, while wages rose just 3.6%, meaning many workers are losing purchasing power.