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Good morning:.

My writing will probably be more off-center than normal this morning as I ran into a major problem last night.

The time was 10:45 PM and I was wiped out … but then I realized I still needed 4 episodes to finish watching the second season of “Your Friends and Family” … and just had to watch 2 more so I could finish tonight.  I can hardly wait … it’s that good.

Meanwhile, markets are relatively flat as we start the week and excitement builds over SpaceX returning close to the price first offered to retail investors.

AI stories continue to dominate financial news … continuing to gain interest (and protests) … and even with the complaints of what it might be doing to the environment, I just read that 99% of internet users interact with AI daily, even without realizing it.  Heck, even as I type, some of my sentences are completed automatically leaving me with the option to either accept or reject the AI-created recommendation.

Iran is still on everyone’s mind, as the Vice President said we are “in the middle of the game” and what is meant by this is not exactly clear … as another 5 months of limited oil supply will indeed be a problem … so it is hoped he is not referring to time.  Regardless, he also made the claim … as reported in the New York Post … that “the same amount of oil will be coming out of the strait as before the war,” something investors certainly want to see … and see soon.

Probably the most interesting story I came across this morning (and the last one below) has to the with the Canadian flight on which some toddler refused to sit and buckle his seat belt.

The plane was scheduled to depart late at night and the commotion and ensuing battle (which I can barely imagine) lasted so long that the flight had to be cancelled, and every passenger forced to stay overnight.  You can be sure there were not a lot of happy travelers in the group.

I will get hate mail for saying it … and I will be considered beyond abusive for asking …

… but don’t they have tasers on those flights?

Have a great day,

Joseph G. Witthohn, CFA

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New and want to subscribe to Wit & Wisdom? Subscribe here   A Look At The News | August 10, 2026 As of 11:49 AM today … One of the most interesting things about teaching kids is realizing that financial topics of 50 years ago still hold true today: start early; don’t time the market; and you should be fine (ArtofManliness) https://www.artofmanliness.com/finance/money/personal-finance-goals-for-your-20s/ You might feel like a complainer if you say, “things don’t last like they used to” … but there could be a lot of truth in that.  Manufacturers occasionally do cut corners (TheGuardian) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/consumed-consumer-goods-quality While you might not (yet) be comfortable having a surgeon use a headset when working on your inners, it does speed up the process … and could be actually be safer (Inc) https://www.inc.com/lucia-auerbach/apple-vision-pro-replaced-a-standard-monitor-in-operating-room-surgeries-finished-faster/91386788 Do you depend heavily on ratings before buying a product?  Well … just be careful … as the moral of this story certainly tells you not to believe everything you read (Inc) https://www.inc.com/jelinda-montes/a-marketer-built-a-fake-deodorant-brand-weeks-later-it-was-being-recommended-over-real-products/91385991 With prices becoming closer … and increasing hassle at airports … taking a private jet is gaining in popularity (Forbes) https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2026/08/08/private-jets-are-more-popular-than-ever-heres-what-to-know-before-you-book-one/ What a great story. Child won’t behave on a flight … according to rules, flight could not take off. Returns to gate … stranding passengers overnight.  What? (APNews) https://apnews.com/article/child-standing-seat-flight-canceled-porter-canada-870b2b0d5c6fe04adf8e4ebe984fb2c1 The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us. Emerald Asset Management PA, LLC | 717-556-8900 | 3175 Oregon Pike, Leola, PA 17540 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list. ———————————————————————————- The statements above are supplied for educational purposes only. The statements depict the viewpoints and opinion of the author and are not necessarily the views of Emerald Asset Management or its affiliates. The information described herein is taken from sources which are believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed by us.