A Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Breakdown

I said, breakdowns come and breakdowns go
So what are you going to do about it
That’s what I’d like to know…

–Paul Simon, “Gumboots”

“Jim, can you breakdown something for me?”

That’s how a good friend of mine often initiates conversations, and I like it when he does, because I know I’m in for a thoughtful, rational, stimulating and philosophic discussion that’s often accompanied by a great soundtrack and even greater wine. Hey, if you have a friend like this, consider yourself extremely fortunate.

The first “breakdown” my friend asked me to deliver was, not surprisingly as he is a Kansas City Chiefs fan, my take on the whole Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce “thing” and all of the attention it’s capturing by the media.

My first thought was that it is no surprise whatsoever that the media loves human interest stories, and especially stories that involve celebrity romances. I mean, entertainment journalism is one of the most popular subspecialties of that industry, as people love reading about the lives of rich, beautiful and famous people. We always have, and we always will. So, is it really that much of a surprise that the biggest pop star in the world is getting outsized media attention when she attends her superstar athlete boyfriend’s games?

The real head-scratcher would be if Taylor Swift didn’t get outsized media attention, and that the media (both sports media, entertainment media and mainstream media) willfully ignored her high-profile romance with Travis Kelce.

Then there’s what I call the “cray-cray” element at work here.

For those who aren’t up on the latest youth lingo, “cray cray” is another way of saying “crazy,” and here, the real cray cray is what some conspiracy theorists are saying about Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, President Biden and the Super Bowl.

In case you haven’t heard, there’s been multiple media commentators out there saying that Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are a “psyop” designed to re-elect Joe Biden.

A “psyop” is intelligence community lingo for a “psychological operation,” one that’s designed to persuade a populace of a specific set of ideas. Here’s the essence of the Kelce-Swift psyop thesis according to the cray cray:

The Super Bowl will be “rigged” so that the Kansas City Chiefs will win. Travis Kelce will bring Taylor Swift onto the field, drop to one knee, and propose. Their engagement will then somehow make the pop superstar, already one of the most famous and influential people on the planet, even more popular and more influential. So much so that when she endorses President Biden, that will be what gets him re-elected.

Oh, and this psyop also is one designed by a Trump-hating cabal of Pentagon elites who will do anything to prevent the former president from once again occupying the White House.

Now, I could just stop here, as rational readers will no doubt sense the ludicrous nature of this psyop thesis, as it is one that really needs no further elucidation.

However, this is The Deep Woods, and it is my job here to further expound on good ideas, bad ideas and even cray-cray ideas, so let’s do that now.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

First, let’s give the Devil his due here and acknowledge up front that the idea that the intelligence community can, and has, used psyops before cannot be denied. In fact, the idea of a psyop goes all the way back to the greatest military strategist of all time, Sun Tzu, in his seminal, “The Art of War.” A psyop can be very effective in winning “hearts and minds,” which is where every victory ultimately should be won, if you want that victory to last.

Indeed, there is ample history of the U.S. government enlisting popular actors, musicians, journalists, etc., to help promote our interests. It happened during World War II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and, particularly, in the Cold War fight against communism. The United States had its psyop warriors, and the Soviet Union and communism had its psyops soldiers.

Yet, in the case of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, here one has to apply the principle known as “Occam’s razor,” to the psyop “thesis” (I use the term thesis loosely). I mean, what is more likely, that the Pentagon is going to engineer the outcome of a football game to help thwart a Trump victory, or that a liberal-minded musician with an established penchant for voter activism might be inclined to endorse the current Democratic president for re-election?

If I were a political activist and I was seeking endorsement for my cause from one of the most popular and influential cultural icons in the world, I would just go to her and ask her for the endorsement. I wouldn’t need a team of clandestine psyop warriors to help engineer my cause.

Now, aside from the psyop cray cray, another, and in my view more pernicious, strain of thought out there when people think about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift is one that I call, “hatred of the good for being the good.”

This isn’t my original concept, although I would love to claim credit for it. This is a concept I first read about from novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand.

In an essay titled, “The Age of Envy,” Rand explains that “Envy is regarded by most people as a petty, superficial emotion and, therefore, it serves as a semi-human cover for so inhuman an emotion that those who feel it seldom dare admit it even to themselves… That emotion is: hatred of the good for being the good.”

Rand continues, “This hatred is not resentment against some prescribed view of the good with which one does not agree… Hatred of the good for being the good means hatred of that which one regards as good by one’s own (conscious or subconscious) judgment. It means hatred of a person for possessing a value or virtue one regards as desirable.”

A more popular “meme” version of this idea can be expressed as: “Haters gonna hate.” Ironically, the lyric “haters gonna hate” can be found in the Taylor Swift mega-hit, “Shake It Off.”

There’s a much abused and I think misplaced cliché designed to denigrate educators that goes: “Those who can’t do, teach.”

Well, in the case of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, I think this adage can be modified to: “Those who can’t do, hate.”

You see, Kelce and Swift are arguably the two best humans at their respective chosen professions. And while fans of NFL teams other than the Chiefs aren’t rooting for Travis Kelce to keep catching touchdowns, there is no denying his greatness.

As for Taylor Swift, you don’t have to like her music (I am not really a fan, although as someone who has written many songs and performed live many times, I have no problem acknowledging her genius as a songwriter and as a performer). Of course, there also is no denying her brilliant commercial success, as that success is one of the greatest achievements in entertainment history.

Herein lies the real ugliness present when it comes to Kelce and Swift. People are simply jealous of their respective greatness, although people wish they were as great as these two. And to put another layer on it, people also appear to be jealous of two beautiful people publicly displaying their love and affection for one another. I think everyone wants this kind of exciting romance, but sadly, few fail to achieve it.

So, to put a final bow on this Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift breakdown, I think people need to A) Not be surprised or bemoan the fact that these outlier achievers are getting so much attention, B) Reject the silly, cray-cray conspiratorial notion that this whole things is a psyop and C) Not fall in line with the haters who feel compelled to hate these two people because of their virtues, their remarkable achievements in life and the way they choose to celebrate their lives together.

Life is short, and the world is full of wonder. Concentrate more on achieving your own happiness and maximizing your own well-being, and reject harboring the hatred of the good for being the good. Much more happiness, beauty and truth will come to you that way.

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ETF Talk: Spend Some Quality Time with This Fund

Quality is a metric that applies to many things: The making of a piece of furniture or a new car, the beauty and technique of a piece of artwork and, of course, the soundness of one’s investments.

But one of the most important areas of life quality applies to is time. The time we have in this life is finite, and it stands to reason that we’d therefore want to use it on worthwhile pursuits. Whether through giving our full attention to loved ones, pursuing our passions or assisting worthy causes, quality time is something we should all seek to fill our lives.

In the case of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), their quality time is best spent filling their portfolios with the best investments. And few ETF managers know this better than those who lead the Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ).

Formed in 2005 by Invesco, SPHQ’s mission is to provide exposure to S&P 500 firms with sound fundamentals. To accomplish this goal, SPHQ focuses on three quality metrics. The first metric is return on equity (ROE), which measures overall profitability. The second is lower accruals, which is the change in net operating assets scaled by the average net operating assets over the past two years. This metric is used to potentially signal higher earnings quality. Finally, there’s financial leverage, which measures risk and earnings stability. These metrics are then equally weighted to produce a quality score.

SPHQ takes only the top quintile and scales them based on this quality score. Its exposure to any one specific market sector is capped at 40%, making it a particularly diverse ETF. The index it bases its investments on is rebalanced semi-annually. Currently, SPHQ has $7.32 billion in assets under management, and the fund’s expense ratio is 0.15%.

Almost all SPHQ’s holdings are U.S. based. Its primary market sector is technology, which makes up over 54% of its portfolio after combining its various submarkets, such as health technology. SPHQ is diversified, however, with additional allocation in sectors such as commercial services and energy minerals. Its current top holdings include NVIDIA (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), Apple (AAPL), Visa (V) and Exxon Mobil (XOM).

Courtesy of https://stockcharts.com/

As of the close of trading on Feb. 6, the fund is up 6.63% in the last month, 13.10% in the past three months, 4.92% year to date and 23.84% in the last 12 months.

Quality isn’t just about picking the best products at the best price. It’s also about knowing what’s best for you. And making wise investment decisions is no different. So, keep an eye towards quality by considering your investment goals and doing your due diligence before adding any stock or exchange-traded fund (ETF) to your portfolio.

As always, I am happy to answer any of your questions about ETFs, so do not hesitate to email me. You may see your question answered in a future ETF Talk.

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In case you missed it…

Remembering My Sweet Prince

“Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

–Shakespeare, “Hamlet”

It’s been exactly one year since I spoke the final words, “Good night, sweet prince” to my majestic chow chow, Hemingway.

Although it seems like just a moment ago, it’s been one full trip around the sun since I was forced to let my noble companion of a dozen years enter his final rest, as his body had shut down due to illness.

In the weeks thereafter, my friends who knew him and knew of our affection and bond repeatedly told me that his loss would get easier over time. Well, I must say that my friends, as well-intentioned as they were, got it wrong.

A year has passed, and the loss isn’t any easier. In fact, I think it’s even greater now. Yes, I’ve attempted to summon the courage to put on my bravest face, as I know that sadness, loss and pain are just part of the human condition. And if we want to be fully developed humans, we must be able to embrace the pain of that condition.

Yet despite this awareness, the loss lives large in my psyche, growing as time passes and making its presence known nearly every day. That’s especially true today, as the anniversary of his departure is digging a deep hole in my otherwise benevolent sense of life.

Now, if you have experienced the loss of a devoted pet, you know how I feel. You were also likely just reminded of that loss as a result of my admission, and for that, I apologize. Of course, if you were also reminded of the love and joy they brought to your life, then I shall also proudly claim credit.

So it is with life. The dueling forces of pain and joy seem locked in an epic battle for our souls. And while I want more joy than pain in my final ledger, I am not afraid of experiencing the pain. I just wish it wasn’t as forcefully present as it is today.

Then again, maybe I actually do want this painful presence to continue.

You see, it is through the embrace of the contents of consciousness — be those contents happy or sad, ebullient or heartbreaking, exalted or disparaged, joyful or heart-breaking — that we discover who we are, what we are, and what it means to be human.

Moreover, the more aggressively we embrace the contents of consciousness, the fuller, more integrated, and more complete we can be.

Finally, today I have decided to do what I did nearly one year ago in this column, and that is to honor my sweet prince by presenting you with a recollection of one of my fondest memories of him, a memory I wrote about in May 2021 in an article titled, “Get Yourself A Chow Chow.”

I think you’ll find it an enjoyable read, and I think you’ll see that the lesson here is that everyone needs to build a good team around them that “has their back.”

So, good night, sweet prince. May you continue to always be by my side, and in my painfully blissful heart.

Get Yourself A Chow Chow

We all know the cliché that a dog is “man’s best friend.”

Well, let me tell you something, man needs best friends. In fact, as social animals, building a network of close friends and trusted associates is imperative to a life well-lived. Of course, finding those you can trust and that “have your back” isn’t always the easiest of propositions.

Yet when it comes to canines, generally speaking, if you treat a dog well, he/she will treat you even better. Like humans, dogs are social “pack” animals, and they are hardwired by nature to help protect their pack. That means they are hardwired by nature to be your friend and ally, and to have your back.

I saw this trait play out firsthand this past week, as my canine, a chow chow named “Hemingway,” put the smackdown on a most unwanted intruder.

You see, I live on a small horse ranch in Southern California. In addition to horses, there is a barn, and around the barn, there are many feral cats and kittens. Yes, I feed them all, and so I am not surprised they keep coming around. But I like cats, so I choose to make sure they have plenty of food. Yet while I choose to feed and welcome the cats, I definitely do not welcome the coyotes that come around to try and make a meal of the felines.

A few days ago, Hemingway was barking rather aggressively, wanting me to let him outside. It was about 3 a.m., which is an unusual time for him to want to go outside. Still, I obliged his request, and as soon as I opened the back door, Hemingway sprinted outside and ran full speed toward the barn.

I had a flashlight handy, and as I shined the beam in the direction he ran off, I saw that Hemingway had cornered a full-grown coyote. Both sets of fangs were out, and I was about to witness some canine combat.

The next moment Hemingway bolted toward the coyote and knocked him against the side of the barn with a body blow reminiscent of a tackle from the great Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. After bouncing hard off the side of the barn, the coyote sprinted away from my property and into the cover of the early morning darkness.

I have seen no signs of its return since.

Your editor with Hemingway and my good friend/veterinarian extraordinaire Dr. Aiden Ables. 

This incident reminded me of the importance of putting people, or in this case a chow chow, on your “team” that can help you get through difficult, even combative situations. And while my chow was just being a chow, i.e., an aggressive and strong breed known for its powerful build and protective nature, he nevertheless lived up to his nature by kicking that coyote’s butt.

Because you see, in life, sometimes we need to kick a coyote’s butt.

Sometimes we have problems that require tough, no-B.S. action that must be taken to achieve a result. Many times, these are business problems, and at other times legal problems. Sometimes those problems are medical, relationship-oriented or family-oriented. And sometimes those problems are about investing.

That’s why it’s imperative that you build your own personal network of tough chow chows who have your back when the coyotes come calling.

So, make sure you have good friends, real friends, that can help pull you through the tough times. And in turn, be a good friend to them when they require some assistance. Because guess what: we all require some assistance at some point in our lives.

You also should make sure you have a cadre of professionals on your team who you trust to get you through the tough times.

For example, have a great lawyer on your team. I can tell you that I have never regretted spending money on a good lawyer, and you won’t either. Also have a good certified public accountant (CPA) or tax person on your team. Pay extra for them, because I guarantee you it will save you money in the long run.

Next, cultivate a personal relationship with your physician. A physician who knows you personally is likely to give you a little extra attention, attention that is required as we get older and as our medical needs accelerate.

And, of course, if you are having trouble with your finances, and especially if you are having issues getting the results you want from your investments, well, that’s what my newsletter advisory services are all about.

Finally, if you are in need of a protective dog that will fight off intruders, but will sleep lovingly at your side each night, while also looking like a real-life teddy bear, then do yourself a favor and get yourself a chow chow.

It might be the best investment you’ll ever make.

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Heart’s Too Heavy

Well these angels in my eardrums, they can’t tell bad from good
I lived inside these melodies just to make sure I still could
Then I cried all night even though I’m grown
Said, honey hold me close, make it feel like home
Cause your love’s bright enough to burn all night
Sometimes love is a losing fight

–John Moreland, “Hearts Too Heavy”

A losing fight. It’s something we are born into as sentient creatures who reside on earth. And while we all know that life is finite, to me, that’s what makes it meaningful. I mean, if we lived forever, what would impel us to do good for ourselves and our world? So, as the great John Moreland writes, “Sometimes love is a losing fight.” And while love, and life, may be a losing fight — both are fights we are born into, and I intend to fight like an enraged wolverine in defense of both.

Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote that you’d like me to share with your fellow readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my newsletters, seminars or anything else. Click here to ask Jim.

In the name of the best within us,

Jim Woods