More than half of the companies that comprise the Standard & Poor's 500 Index have reported earnings for the quarter, and two-thirds of them have exceeded expected earnings per share by an average of 7%, according to Thomson Financial, compared with 4.2% over the past eight quarters. Two explanations spring to mind: Either companies aren't very good at forecasting, which means they shouldn't give profit targets at all, or they are purposely low-balling to spur post-earnings enthusiasm in the stock market.
Interestingly -- or troubling, depending on your perspective -- is that revenue growth of 6.2% has been outpaced by per-share earnings growth of 9.9%. One implication of this is that companies are squeezing more profit out of every sale.
Many of them very well may have, helped in large part by the weak dollar's influence on international revenue. But maneuvers like stock buybacks, which can boost per-share earnings by reducing the number of shares outstanding, also appear to have played a role, as companies manipulate the legal levers to game the system so that their earnings will look more robust.
CEO, Parisian Family Office. Began Wall Street in '82. Founded investment firm, Native American Advisors, '95. White Earth Chippewa. Raised on reservations. Conservative. NYSE/FINRA arbitrator. Drexel Burnham alum. Pureblood, clot-shot free. In a world elevated on a tech-driven dopamine binge, he trades from GHOST RANCH on the Yellowstone River in MT, TN farm, PAMELOT or CASA TULE', the family winter camp in Los Cabos, Mexico. Always been, will always be, an optimist.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sand Creek..........never forget.................
EADS - Members and friends of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Native American Tribes, whose ancestors were slaughtered by a militia in 1864, gathered at the site of the Sand Creek Massacre to celebrate national recognition of the land that holds deep meaning for the tribes.
More than 142 years have passed since Colorado militia soldiers, in a deadly onslaught of bullets and blows, attacked this peaceful encampment - killing some 160 people, mostly women, children and the elderly - about 30 miles northeast of Eads. The attack came while most of the men of the village were away hunting.
On Saturday morning, the land was dedicated a national historic site on a field about 1 mile south of where the massacre took place.
For the first time since the massacre, an American flag flew over the site as hundreds of people gathered for the dedication under a blue sky and a gentle breeze. Before the ceremony, members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes wearing headdresses chanted and played drums.
The Sand Creek Massacre is considered one of the bloodiest days in U.S. history.
It was here on on Nov. 29, 1864, where more than 700 U.S. Army troops, led by Col. John M. Chivington, attacked a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho who were sleeping under a U.S. flag on the sandy banks of the stream.
Survivors witnessed atrocities that forever will be remembered as dark moments in human history, committed by a Colorado militia in a rage of killing, raping, looting and burning.
Descendants of some of those massacred were among several hundred people at the dedication ceremony.
As descendents sat on folding chairs listening to speakers, the gnawing reality of the senseless slaughter that occurred remained in their souls.
For 81-year-old Mary Bear of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, the date is forever etched in pain, blood and tears.
Mary Bear sat among tribesmen Saturday recalling the stories told by her elder ancestors of the massacre.
"I have been here about four times now and I always feel the same. It's never going to be forgotten," Mary Bear said.
Mary Bear said on one of her visits she placed a staff in the land near the site of the massacre as a symbol.
"I had a dream that the souls of our ancestors were still suffering here. I placed the staff and told them to please go home - go where you belong. Go where ever you are supposed to go," she said holding a ceremonial feather.
Bear, who traveled from Wyoming on Saturday, said that four of her family members were killed in the massacre.
"They were killed in this battle - I am getting older and I am glad that I could be here today. This is a great event for all of us," Bear said.
Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, also wearing a ceremonial headdress, retold the painful story pointing toward the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site which on Saturday, was home to about 20 tepees and a sweat lodge set up on the grassy prairie where the killings took place. Tribesmen had been camping there since Wednesday.
"I camped out here last night and I wanted to kind of get a picture of how the people felt on Nov. 28, 1864, the day before the massacre. . . It's nice to see so many descendants here today," Campbell said.
"The night before the tragedy must have been so placid that I think the people were emotionally disarmed," he added.
Campbell said the militia formed by Evans had one goal.
"They wanted to get rid of the Indians so that Colorado could reach statehood sooner," Campbell said.
Campbell said the militia was called the "Bloodless Third" Regiment because most of them had never been in a battle and never wanted to be in a battle.
"The militia was raised - a good number of them - from the thugs and the alcoholics of skid row in Denver, Colorado. When they arrived here, they were already spoiling for a fight," he said.
Campbell said that after the massacre, the militia took some remains of those they slaughtered from the killing field to Denver where they paraded the body parts through the streets.
"They called Indians savages back then. If there were any savages that day, it was not the Indian people," Campbell said.
Campbell, who began working to memorialize the massacre site when he was elected to the Colorado House in 1983, said that Saturday's event was the completion of a spiritual circle.
"There was a terrible tragedy here. Part of this is a healing process and I know a lot of people are happy to be here. For me, it's like completing one of my great goals in life," he said.
Eugene Little Coyote, president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, compared the massacre to the Virginia Tech school shootings that occurred earlier this month.
"I can't help but remark that the campus tragedy of three weeks ago has been referred to as the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history - but I think the deadliest shooting in U.S. history was here, the Sand Creek Massacre," Little Coyote said.
"Much has been said and much will be said about the injustice and the slaughter of innocence here. But I think along with this, there will be talk of healing and peace," he added.
Several members of the tribes spoke at the dedication each telling stories about the massacre and collectively expressing happiness for the recognition of the site as a national historic site.
Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien were on hand along with former Gov. Roy Romer; National Park Service Director Mary Bomar; U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo.; U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and officials from both the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Representatives for U.S. Sens. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Ken Salazar, D-Colo., also were there.
"It is my honor to be here. I speak on behalf of the people of Colorado who think that it is fitting that we have a memorial here. Some would say it has been too long and it should have happened sooner. I would add my voice to that," Ritter said.
Brownback, a presidential candidate, apologized for the atrocity and asked for forgiveness. "You can sense the wounds that still ache," Brownback said.
Musgrave said that although Saturday was a celebration, she still was feeling the sadness of the massacre in her heart.
"When we look at our history, we never want to rewrite it; we want to remember history as it happened. I am touched to see the children that are with us and I am touched by the elderly that are walking with canes and you think of the helplessness of innocent people. As we dedicate this site today, we are doing what good people do. We are remembering the wrongs, we are regretting and we are repenting," Musgrave said.
As told, some 160 Cheyenne and Arapaho perished here. Survivors included many who fled before the attack, and others, including the wounded, who trekked northward throughout the day and into the night.
Park Service officials say that according to one Cheyenne witness, "We all stopped in a ravine about 10 miles above the battleground. . . It was very dark and cold. . . Of course, no one slept a wink thinking about what had taken place that day. Wounds began to pain and Indians kept up hollering all night."
Park officials said Saturday that for now, the site will be open to the public on a limited basis. A small contact station will be built in the weeks to come.
More than 142 years have passed since Colorado militia soldiers, in a deadly onslaught of bullets and blows, attacked this peaceful encampment - killing some 160 people, mostly women, children and the elderly - about 30 miles northeast of Eads. The attack came while most of the men of the village were away hunting.
On Saturday morning, the land was dedicated a national historic site on a field about 1 mile south of where the massacre took place.
For the first time since the massacre, an American flag flew over the site as hundreds of people gathered for the dedication under a blue sky and a gentle breeze. Before the ceremony, members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes wearing headdresses chanted and played drums.
The Sand Creek Massacre is considered one of the bloodiest days in U.S. history.
It was here on on Nov. 29, 1864, where more than 700 U.S. Army troops, led by Col. John M. Chivington, attacked a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho who were sleeping under a U.S. flag on the sandy banks of the stream.
Survivors witnessed atrocities that forever will be remembered as dark moments in human history, committed by a Colorado militia in a rage of killing, raping, looting and burning.
Descendants of some of those massacred were among several hundred people at the dedication ceremony.
As descendents sat on folding chairs listening to speakers, the gnawing reality of the senseless slaughter that occurred remained in their souls.
For 81-year-old Mary Bear of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, the date is forever etched in pain, blood and tears.
Mary Bear sat among tribesmen Saturday recalling the stories told by her elder ancestors of the massacre.
"I have been here about four times now and I always feel the same. It's never going to be forgotten," Mary Bear said.
Mary Bear said on one of her visits she placed a staff in the land near the site of the massacre as a symbol.
"I had a dream that the souls of our ancestors were still suffering here. I placed the staff and told them to please go home - go where you belong. Go where ever you are supposed to go," she said holding a ceremonial feather.
Bear, who traveled from Wyoming on Saturday, said that four of her family members were killed in the massacre.
"They were killed in this battle - I am getting older and I am glad that I could be here today. This is a great event for all of us," Bear said.
Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, also wearing a ceremonial headdress, retold the painful story pointing toward the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site which on Saturday, was home to about 20 tepees and a sweat lodge set up on the grassy prairie where the killings took place. Tribesmen had been camping there since Wednesday.
"I camped out here last night and I wanted to kind of get a picture of how the people felt on Nov. 28, 1864, the day before the massacre. . . It's nice to see so many descendants here today," Campbell said.
"The night before the tragedy must have been so placid that I think the people were emotionally disarmed," he added.
Campbell said the militia formed by Evans had one goal.
"They wanted to get rid of the Indians so that Colorado could reach statehood sooner," Campbell said.
Campbell said the militia was called the "Bloodless Third" Regiment because most of them had never been in a battle and never wanted to be in a battle.
"The militia was raised - a good number of them - from the thugs and the alcoholics of skid row in Denver, Colorado. When they arrived here, they were already spoiling for a fight," he said.
Campbell said that after the massacre, the militia took some remains of those they slaughtered from the killing field to Denver where they paraded the body parts through the streets.
"They called Indians savages back then. If there were any savages that day, it was not the Indian people," Campbell said.
Campbell, who began working to memorialize the massacre site when he was elected to the Colorado House in 1983, said that Saturday's event was the completion of a spiritual circle.
"There was a terrible tragedy here. Part of this is a healing process and I know a lot of people are happy to be here. For me, it's like completing one of my great goals in life," he said.
Eugene Little Coyote, president of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, compared the massacre to the Virginia Tech school shootings that occurred earlier this month.
"I can't help but remark that the campus tragedy of three weeks ago has been referred to as the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history - but I think the deadliest shooting in U.S. history was here, the Sand Creek Massacre," Little Coyote said.
"Much has been said and much will be said about the injustice and the slaughter of innocence here. But I think along with this, there will be talk of healing and peace," he added.
Several members of the tribes spoke at the dedication each telling stories about the massacre and collectively expressing happiness for the recognition of the site as a national historic site.
Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien were on hand along with former Gov. Roy Romer; National Park Service Director Mary Bomar; U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo.; U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and officials from both the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Representatives for U.S. Sens. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., and Ken Salazar, D-Colo., also were there.
"It is my honor to be here. I speak on behalf of the people of Colorado who think that it is fitting that we have a memorial here. Some would say it has been too long and it should have happened sooner. I would add my voice to that," Ritter said.
Brownback, a presidential candidate, apologized for the atrocity and asked for forgiveness. "You can sense the wounds that still ache," Brownback said.
Musgrave said that although Saturday was a celebration, she still was feeling the sadness of the massacre in her heart.
"When we look at our history, we never want to rewrite it; we want to remember history as it happened. I am touched to see the children that are with us and I am touched by the elderly that are walking with canes and you think of the helplessness of innocent people. As we dedicate this site today, we are doing what good people do. We are remembering the wrongs, we are regretting and we are repenting," Musgrave said.
As told, some 160 Cheyenne and Arapaho perished here. Survivors included many who fled before the attack, and others, including the wounded, who trekked northward throughout the day and into the night.
Park Service officials say that according to one Cheyenne witness, "We all stopped in a ravine about 10 miles above the battleground. . . It was very dark and cold. . . Of course, no one slept a wink thinking about what had taken place that day. Wounds began to pain and Indians kept up hollering all night."
Park officials said Saturday that for now, the site will be open to the public on a limited basis. A small contact station will be built in the weeks to come.
Go Get'em Gladys......................
Tribal Mismanagement Threatens Sovereignty
April 15, 2007
To the Editor:
Our tribal governments are being accused of misconduct and abusive practices. One thing is certain, continued corrupt practices seriously weaken our tribal sovereignty. If we don’t come up with a solution, it could become a serious problem in our community affairs. These practices are largely attributable to mostly male leaders in office. Women are not appointed to tribal offices or even allowed to have a voice. Poor, dysfunctional government has led to significant problems in our own area for the last 10 years … taking on various forms: rigged elections or appointments, freebies at conferences, perks, free lunches or dinners, entertainment tickets, contracts, paid vacations out of the area, and taking ownership of confiscated vehicles without any rationale.One high-profile case involves leaders who compensated themselves in addition to their salary. These leaders come from high unemployment, poverty-stricken areas. Expensive junkets and vacations are justified by attending conferences. In one such case, an Indian treatment center spent thousands of dollars for a trip to California. One Indian official and his wife traveled out of the U.S. to a famous vacation spot. Much of this is true if one listens to other tribes and their problems. So much more goes unreported that public perception is hardening.What has happened to what we were taught about honesty, moral ethics, values, and leaders’ obligations to represent tribal members’ well-being? What are our kids learning from our leaders? Is it OK to take what does not belong to you? Is it OK to deprive others of what they deserve? Is it OK to bully your own people?There is little accountability for all funds, while the need is so great for many members who reside in this poverty-stricken area with high unemployment. Even those who are qualified are not hired, despite repeated attempts to get jobs. Jobs are reserved for family members, qualified or not: nepotism in the purest form.How do they justify these actions and sleep well at night? Is it possible not to have a conscience? Anyone who attends a conference to learn, or goes to an essential meeting, should be required to make a full report to the rest of the tribal members. Then we will know that they spent tribal funds constructively. Keeping the community informed is a must, as is having a voice without any repercussions. We have to let the governing body know that exploiting the tribe of Taos Pueblo is not acceptable, especially discrimination against those they do not like. Funds are allocated to tribes based on population counts. We need to let the federal government intervene and audit all the programs, businesses, beneficiaries, and co-mingled funds (although at times the federal government cannot be trusted).If there are repeat offenders, they must be prohibited from being appointed to any office in the future. They should take responsibility for their actions. Remember, it was their choice. There are consequences for their behavior. The 2006 Taos Pueblo Tribal Administration should be questioned as to why bonuses, honorariums, and additional funds were given to members of tribal government and others. What individuals decided who got what—including tribal credit cards? This is the most serious issue facing us today and it should not be taken lightly. We need to elect persons who can be trusted in their capacity as leaders.Also, funds appear to be unaccounted for. The accountants for the tribe should be worried. Business being conducted currently requires extensive knowledge and efficient skills for effective operation. This kind of damage should be halted quickly or it will continue to resonate for generations. “Everyone needs someone to believe in.”Call 751-7221 if you were discriminated against. A list will be compiled to see who was left out of the distribution.
Gladys Kozoll
Taos Pueblo
April 15, 2007
To the Editor:
Our tribal governments are being accused of misconduct and abusive practices. One thing is certain, continued corrupt practices seriously weaken our tribal sovereignty. If we don’t come up with a solution, it could become a serious problem in our community affairs. These practices are largely attributable to mostly male leaders in office. Women are not appointed to tribal offices or even allowed to have a voice. Poor, dysfunctional government has led to significant problems in our own area for the last 10 years … taking on various forms: rigged elections or appointments, freebies at conferences, perks, free lunches or dinners, entertainment tickets, contracts, paid vacations out of the area, and taking ownership of confiscated vehicles without any rationale.One high-profile case involves leaders who compensated themselves in addition to their salary. These leaders come from high unemployment, poverty-stricken areas. Expensive junkets and vacations are justified by attending conferences. In one such case, an Indian treatment center spent thousands of dollars for a trip to California. One Indian official and his wife traveled out of the U.S. to a famous vacation spot. Much of this is true if one listens to other tribes and their problems. So much more goes unreported that public perception is hardening.What has happened to what we were taught about honesty, moral ethics, values, and leaders’ obligations to represent tribal members’ well-being? What are our kids learning from our leaders? Is it OK to take what does not belong to you? Is it OK to deprive others of what they deserve? Is it OK to bully your own people?There is little accountability for all funds, while the need is so great for many members who reside in this poverty-stricken area with high unemployment. Even those who are qualified are not hired, despite repeated attempts to get jobs. Jobs are reserved for family members, qualified or not: nepotism in the purest form.How do they justify these actions and sleep well at night? Is it possible not to have a conscience? Anyone who attends a conference to learn, or goes to an essential meeting, should be required to make a full report to the rest of the tribal members. Then we will know that they spent tribal funds constructively. Keeping the community informed is a must, as is having a voice without any repercussions. We have to let the governing body know that exploiting the tribe of Taos Pueblo is not acceptable, especially discrimination against those they do not like. Funds are allocated to tribes based on population counts. We need to let the federal government intervene and audit all the programs, businesses, beneficiaries, and co-mingled funds (although at times the federal government cannot be trusted).If there are repeat offenders, they must be prohibited from being appointed to any office in the future. They should take responsibility for their actions. Remember, it was their choice. There are consequences for their behavior. The 2006 Taos Pueblo Tribal Administration should be questioned as to why bonuses, honorariums, and additional funds were given to members of tribal government and others. What individuals decided who got what—including tribal credit cards? This is the most serious issue facing us today and it should not be taken lightly. We need to elect persons who can be trusted in their capacity as leaders.Also, funds appear to be unaccounted for. The accountants for the tribe should be worried. Business being conducted currently requires extensive knowledge and efficient skills for effective operation. This kind of damage should be halted quickly or it will continue to resonate for generations. “Everyone needs someone to believe in.”Call 751-7221 if you were discriminated against. A list will be compiled to see who was left out of the distribution.
Gladys Kozoll
Taos Pueblo
MN Gaming Impact forum...............
MINNEAPOLIS, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- PUBLIC FORUM: Gambling's Impact: Who is it helping, who is it hurting? SPONSORED BY: Minnesotans for Responsible Government, and The Resource Sentinel Public Forum Friday, April 27, 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Room 300S State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155 Press Conference Friday, April 27, 10 a.m. Room 181 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155
Minnesotans across the state are being invited to attend a forum on gambling's true social and economic impact, as well as its previously unrecognized threats to national security. Dr. John Kindt, JD, MBA, and one of the country's leading experts will lead the forum on the economic and societal effects of gambling.
Citizens are also being asked to encourage their representatives to participate as well.
Topics Dr. Kindt is prepared to discuss include:
-- What is the real economic impact of gambling?
-- How is legalized gambling affecting crime rates?
-- How does gambling really affect tourism, restaurants, hotels, and small
businesses?
-- Are the games "fair" and to what degree are casinos racketeer
influenced?
-- What effect has the gaming industry had on academic research?
-- How is legalized gambling cheating our children's educational funding
and impacting local property taxes.
Dr. Kindt has spent over 20 years of research on the impact of gambling. He has been recognized for his work in environmental law, international law, and economics.
Dr. Kindt has testified in Congress before the U. S. House of Representatives' Commission on Resources, the House Commission on the Judiciary, and the House Commission on Small Business. He recently presented his findings on gambling's strategic socio-economic threat to national security at the International Business Conference sponsored by Harvard's Business School, Law School, and Kennedy School of Government.
This will be an unusual opportunity to meet Dr. Kindt and to ask him questions about gambling's impacts here in Minnesota and in comparison to other areas of the country.
All academic and articles on gambling are downloadable for free at http://www.citizenlink.org/gamblingresearch
A Legislator, A Mirror, and Truth
David Hoch, founder of Minnesotans for Responsible Government, has a long history of advocacy in Minnesota. It was during his exploration of alternatives for funding a new baseball stadium that he discovered the hidden side of "gaming" in Minnesota. This led to Mr. Hoch being threatened and, eventually, being sued -- all in an attempt to keep Mr. Hoch quiet. Why? Because Mr. Hoch told the truth.
Minnesota remains the only state in America receiving no financial benefit from the compacts that permit Tribal casinos within its borders, while at the same time having no off-reservation casino-style gaming. Only $150,000 per year total from all 19 tribal casinos, considered an offset to state inspections of the casinos, is paid to the state. That comes to a ridiculous $7,894.74 per casino! (And, several Tribes failed to even make these nominal payments to the state). Contrast that amount with Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN -- which by itself pays the state of MN more than $900,000 for state regulation and inspections of its facility. And now, the state wants to tax Canterbury even more. Why?
Minnesota's casino inspection capacity lacks personnel with any technical training; qualification to be a 'casino inspections agent' in Minnesota is limited primarily to prior work as a police officer. All other states with casino gaming employ electrical engineers on their respective staffs, so that they can truly inspect the slot machines. An official with a Las Vegas casino told Mr. Hoch this: 'The casino inspections in Minnesota are a joke. Everyone in Vegas knows Minnesota is totally corrupt when it comes to the casinos".
The State of MN does not track the number of slot machines within its borders, and never re-inspects a machine that has failed inspection. In other words, machines which fail an 'inspection' are allowed to remain in play -- which means thousands of Minnesotans -- your constituents -- are allowed to play slot machines which are in violation of the TRIBAL-STATE COMPACT FOR THE REGULATION OF CLASS III GAMING IN MINNESOTA -- and the State of Minnesota allows it!
Tribes in Minnesota mandate that slot machine manufacturers ship operating software separately from the machines, and directly to, respective Tribal offices. Neither the state nor manufacturer has any idea who installs the software into the machines. There is not another place in the United States where this is allowed to occur. Only in Minnesota.
Indian "gaming" has deep, and growing, roots in Minnesota. Lyle Berman, instrumental in founding Tribal casinos across America and the World Poker Tour, is from Minnesota. Former Congressman Gerry Sikorski, Chairman of Holland & Knight, the largest lobbying firm in Washington DC, lobbies for several Tribes. Tom Heffelfinger, former US Attorney from Minneapolis, now heads up the Native American Law department at Best & Flanagan in Minneapolis. Tadd Johnson from Minnesota was Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Chris Georgacas, former head of the Minnesota Republican party, lobbies for several tribes. Dave ('Famous Dave') Anderson (from MN) was Head of the BIA.
The State of Minnesota has an account at the only Tribally-owned bank in Minnesota.
Minnesotans for Responsible Government possesses substantial -- and irrefutable -- documentation showing both the Tribes and the State of Minnesota have repeatedly violated the TRIBAL-STATE COMPACTS.
Stay tuned -- Minnesotans for Responsible Government may have a very big bombshell coming soon!
Paid for by Minnesotans for Responsible Government 1827 Beckman Avenue St. Paul, MN 55112
Minnesotans across the state are being invited to attend a forum on gambling's true social and economic impact, as well as its previously unrecognized threats to national security. Dr. John Kindt, JD, MBA, and one of the country's leading experts will lead the forum on the economic and societal effects of gambling.
Citizens are also being asked to encourage their representatives to participate as well.
Topics Dr. Kindt is prepared to discuss include:
-- What is the real economic impact of gambling?
-- How is legalized gambling affecting crime rates?
-- How does gambling really affect tourism, restaurants, hotels, and small
businesses?
-- Are the games "fair" and to what degree are casinos racketeer
influenced?
-- What effect has the gaming industry had on academic research?
-- How is legalized gambling cheating our children's educational funding
and impacting local property taxes.
Dr. Kindt has spent over 20 years of research on the impact of gambling. He has been recognized for his work in environmental law, international law, and economics.
Dr. Kindt has testified in Congress before the U. S. House of Representatives' Commission on Resources, the House Commission on the Judiciary, and the House Commission on Small Business. He recently presented his findings on gambling's strategic socio-economic threat to national security at the International Business Conference sponsored by Harvard's Business School, Law School, and Kennedy School of Government.
This will be an unusual opportunity to meet Dr. Kindt and to ask him questions about gambling's impacts here in Minnesota and in comparison to other areas of the country.
All academic and articles on gambling are downloadable for free at http://www.citizenlink.org/gamblingresearch
A Legislator, A Mirror, and Truth
David Hoch, founder of Minnesotans for Responsible Government, has a long history of advocacy in Minnesota. It was during his exploration of alternatives for funding a new baseball stadium that he discovered the hidden side of "gaming" in Minnesota. This led to Mr. Hoch being threatened and, eventually, being sued -- all in an attempt to keep Mr. Hoch quiet. Why? Because Mr. Hoch told the truth.
Minnesota remains the only state in America receiving no financial benefit from the compacts that permit Tribal casinos within its borders, while at the same time having no off-reservation casino-style gaming. Only $150,000 per year total from all 19 tribal casinos, considered an offset to state inspections of the casinos, is paid to the state. That comes to a ridiculous $7,894.74 per casino! (And, several Tribes failed to even make these nominal payments to the state). Contrast that amount with Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN -- which by itself pays the state of MN more than $900,000 for state regulation and inspections of its facility. And now, the state wants to tax Canterbury even more. Why?
Minnesota's casino inspection capacity lacks personnel with any technical training; qualification to be a 'casino inspections agent' in Minnesota is limited primarily to prior work as a police officer. All other states with casino gaming employ electrical engineers on their respective staffs, so that they can truly inspect the slot machines. An official with a Las Vegas casino told Mr. Hoch this: 'The casino inspections in Minnesota are a joke. Everyone in Vegas knows Minnesota is totally corrupt when it comes to the casinos".
The State of MN does not track the number of slot machines within its borders, and never re-inspects a machine that has failed inspection. In other words, machines which fail an 'inspection' are allowed to remain in play -- which means thousands of Minnesotans -- your constituents -- are allowed to play slot machines which are in violation of the TRIBAL-STATE COMPACT FOR THE REGULATION OF CLASS III GAMING IN MINNESOTA -- and the State of Minnesota allows it!
Tribes in Minnesota mandate that slot machine manufacturers ship operating software separately from the machines, and directly to, respective Tribal offices. Neither the state nor manufacturer has any idea who installs the software into the machines. There is not another place in the United States where this is allowed to occur. Only in Minnesota.
Indian "gaming" has deep, and growing, roots in Minnesota. Lyle Berman, instrumental in founding Tribal casinos across America and the World Poker Tour, is from Minnesota. Former Congressman Gerry Sikorski, Chairman of Holland & Knight, the largest lobbying firm in Washington DC, lobbies for several Tribes. Tom Heffelfinger, former US Attorney from Minneapolis, now heads up the Native American Law department at Best & Flanagan in Minneapolis. Tadd Johnson from Minnesota was Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Chris Georgacas, former head of the Minnesota Republican party, lobbies for several tribes. Dave ('Famous Dave') Anderson (from MN) was Head of the BIA.
The State of Minnesota has an account at the only Tribally-owned bank in Minnesota.
Minnesotans for Responsible Government possesses substantial -- and irrefutable -- documentation showing both the Tribes and the State of Minnesota have repeatedly violated the TRIBAL-STATE COMPACTS.
Stay tuned -- Minnesotans for Responsible Government may have a very big bombshell coming soon!
Paid for by Minnesotans for Responsible Government 1827 Beckman Avenue St. Paul, MN 55112
.........Monday it is............
Why America and the major media won't fall in line for the Fair Tax movement faster than Slick Willie to an intern is beyond me. (FairTax.org) A tax code 10,000 pages in length with a million words is beyond me, beyond my accountant and beyond anyone at the IRS.
George Bush must think that the media will attack him for flip-flopping on Iraq if he pulls out. Sort of what happened to Kerry. Another 100 Americans dead this month over there. If there is a surge it is surging toward more dead Americans. Maybe we need more flip-flop than body bags.
Abelson in Barron's is again adrift this week. Which makes it months, years and decades that he has been dead wrong on the stock market. Long term it only goes one way folks.
A friend and money-manager over in Birmingham brought to my attention a book he says is a fine read, "The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read." It is written by Daniel Solin, a leading securities arbitration lawyer. Mine is headed toward my office as I type.
Speaking of Alabama, the redneck lunatics tossing Budweiser cans at Jeff Gordan after his victory at Talladega was a new low for NASCAR. What is up with that?
At the lake this weekend it was obvious the correlation for ladies on the lake between the amount of tanning bed time they use and their breast augmentation. It was nearly obvious to a posse of 4th-graders. Dad for sure.
George Bush must think that the media will attack him for flip-flopping on Iraq if he pulls out. Sort of what happened to Kerry. Another 100 Americans dead this month over there. If there is a surge it is surging toward more dead Americans. Maybe we need more flip-flop than body bags.
Abelson in Barron's is again adrift this week. Which makes it months, years and decades that he has been dead wrong on the stock market. Long term it only goes one way folks.
A friend and money-manager over in Birmingham brought to my attention a book he says is a fine read, "The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read." It is written by Daniel Solin, a leading securities arbitration lawyer. Mine is headed toward my office as I type.
Speaking of Alabama, the redneck lunatics tossing Budweiser cans at Jeff Gordan after his victory at Talladega was a new low for NASCAR. What is up with that?
At the lake this weekend it was obvious the correlation for ladies on the lake between the amount of tanning bed time they use and their breast augmentation. It was nearly obvious to a posse of 4th-graders. Dad for sure.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Some lovely redneck humor for Friday..........
How to say 'I love you' in 25 languages.....
English - I Love You
Spanish - Te Amo
French - Je T'aime
German - lch Liebe Dich
Japanese - Ai
Shite - Imasu
Thai - Phom rak khun
Italian - Ti amo
Chinese - Wo Ai Ni
Swedish - Jag Alskar
Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and parts of Florida: "nice ass , get in the truck."
English - I Love You
Spanish - Te Amo
French - Je T'aime
German - lch Liebe Dich
Japanese - Ai
Shite - Imasu
Thai - Phom rak khun
Italian - Ti amo
Chinese - Wo Ai Ni
Swedish - Jag Alskar
Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Louisiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and parts of Florida: "nice ass , get in the truck."
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
CBS..........
CBS has policies concerning irresponsible use of alcohol, but no policies on irresponsible or false news reporting? The less I hear major media the better I feel.
And if Barrons would jettison Abelson at Dow 13,000 I might get a subscription.
Wishful thinking. Good news doesn't sell advertising in America.
And if Barrons would jettison Abelson at Dow 13,000 I might get a subscription.
Wishful thinking. Good news doesn't sell advertising in America.
Monday, April 23, 2007
High Performance.............
Accenture Opens Application Process for 2007 Scholarship Fund for American Indian Students"
Accenture is now accepting applications for its scholarship fund program for American Indian students. The Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund supports students with demonstrated leadership ability and financial need entering fields of professional study.
Accenture is now accepting applications for its scholarship fund program for American Indian students. The Accenture American Indian Scholarship Fund supports students with demonstrated leadership ability and financial need entering fields of professional study.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Oil.............
Tonight I happened by the parking lot of the Goodwill store when returning from celebration of a birthday with great friends. The parking lot was empty. What took my attention was the black color of the pavement in the parking spaces. Motor oil. Lots of it having dripped out of engines in need of some TLC.
The relationship between the amount of motor oil dripped on the pavement and the net worth of the customer base must be in direct correlation. That said, I know plenty of millionaires who shop there as well and drive some very nice rigs. I know. I manage their money.
Another reason how the rich get and stay wealthy.
The relationship between the amount of motor oil dripped on the pavement and the net worth of the customer base must be in direct correlation. That said, I know plenty of millionaires who shop there as well and drive some very nice rigs. I know. I manage their money.
Another reason how the rich get and stay wealthy.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Blue Angels.................
A couple of weeks ago as the Carnival ship "Miracle" deported the Port of Tampa I was watching a late afternoon Blue Angles show from atop the ship with my Kahles binoculars.
Always a beautiful sight. I have had the opportunity to watch them in 3 different states and they always fire up the massive crowds. The sound of freedom is a beautiful thing with the speed and grace of such beautiful machinery.
My prayers go out to the Blue Angels family in the crash of one of their own.
Always a beautiful sight. I have had the opportunity to watch them in 3 different states and they always fire up the massive crowds. The sound of freedom is a beautiful thing with the speed and grace of such beautiful machinery.
My prayers go out to the Blue Angels family in the crash of one of their own.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Records are made to be ________!
April 1, 1982 found me at the offices of Kidder, Peabody & Company, Inc. That day the Dow stood at 680 and trading volumes were about what a good quant arb program can put on in afew nanoseconds. I want to congratulate the Market Beast for taking us into new high ground this week and also congratulate those market participants riding the trend.
That said, the stock market goes higher almost every day, but yet the dollar falls by an equal amount every day. Everyone on TV is saying what a great market environment this is, but what good is making money if that money isn't worth anything? Has anyone looked at the Euro or Yuan this week? If you can make tails of how these currencies are rallying against the dollar please give me a call. We may run some commission flow through your firm if you make sense.
That said, the stock market goes higher almost every day, but yet the dollar falls by an equal amount every day. Everyone on TV is saying what a great market environment this is, but what good is making money if that money isn't worth anything? Has anyone looked at the Euro or Yuan this week? If you can make tails of how these currencies are rallying against the dollar please give me a call. We may run some commission flow through your firm if you make sense.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Registered Investment Advisors beat the brokers.............
BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Anyone who has ever coached youth sports knows that you "play to the rules." That means if really young kids are required by their league to make three passes before scoring, you work on making the passes; if older kids get to play using high school or college rules, your focus changes to playing at that level.
So when the game is investment advice and the rules change, you have to wonder how it will affect overall play for consumers.
Nowhere is that more true than with the recent appellate court decision that ruled in favor of the Financial Planning Association and against the Securities and Exchange Commission in a lawsuit that challenged the rules of just who could hold themselves out as a financial planner and what standards apply to various types of adviser.
On the surface, there is no question that the decision is a victory for traditional financial planners and for consumers. But there is some question as to the potential fallout now that the rules have been changed.
To see why, consider the rules, the changes and how the play of the financial-advice game could be forever altered.
The Financial Planning Association, which brought the lawsuit against the SEC in 2004, argued that regulators had rewritten the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 in a way that allowed brokers to offer the same advice as registered investment advisers without the fiduciary responsibility to put a client's needs and interests first.
In a split decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held that brokers can only give financial advice if they are not paid for it.
You read that right: brokers must give either no advice or free advice. If they receive fees for providing financial advice, they must register with the SEC as investment advisers and adopt a fiduciary responsibility for their customers.
That appears confusing, but it's fairly simple: Investment advisers, which can include virtually all stripes of "wealth planner," are paid for providing counsel (and not just the sale of investments) and have that fiduciary requirement to their clients. Broker-dealers don't have that fiduciary requirement; without meeting that higher standard -- by registering as investment advisers -- they would be violating the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 if they charged consumers for advice.
The distinction is important because the rule affects many of the wealth advisers who work for full-service brokerage firms. Since 1999, when new rules allowed the brokerage houses to offer fee-based accounts, the big firms have been particularly aggressive in offering advisory accounts, with more and more brokers describing themselves as "financial advisers."
Number of fee-based accounts jumps
Cerulli Associates, a Boston firm that researches the brokerage business, says that fee-based advisory accounts grew by nearly 20% over the past three years. Those accounts, which now hold more than $272 billion, are particularly popular with new clients; those customers may not be quite clear on just what they are paying for.
The current issue of Smart Money magazine includes a terrific piece by Dyan Machan, covering an effort to gain empirical evidence on how eight big brokerage houses work with new clients.
"Of the eight brokers we visited," Machan's article says, "five offered us financial plans even though, by critics' standards, they weren't qualified."
The question, however, becomes what happens now.
The Financial Planning Association, in bringing the suit, wanted to create a legal standard for what financial advisers provide, and wanted to stress the importance of putting the customer's interests first. That goal is admirable.
If the SEC wants to continue to fight the case, the next step would be the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's hard to imagine that kind of effort would actually succeed. While one appellate judge sided with the regulators, the majority opinion so thoroughly broke down the SEC that I have a hard time believing the agency will go that route.
A lot of the issues around brokers holding themselves out as investment advisers had to do with marketing and exactly how brokers positioned their services. The court ruling makes no mention of marketing; it simply says that charging for advice is "special compensation" that forces brokers to be regulated as investment advisers.
Possible setbacks
The way a brokerage firm might play the game in this new environment would be to end its fee-based services. If enough firms stop charging asset-management fees and go back to commission structures, that's a big potential loss for consumers. While every form of advisory agreement has some form of conflict, most observers suggest that fee-based arrangements are the closest to being ideal; this ruling could set back the progress made on this front by a decade or more.
While brokers may not have had a legal reason to live up to the fiduciary standard, there is no doubt that many of them do. Plenty of optimists in the financial-planning community had hoped that the brokers of the world would someday cozy up to the fiduciary standard; those hopes would now appear dashed.
The one thing financial planners liked about the old rule was that it took away the broker's ability to be called a "financial adviser."
Brokerage firms might now say they provide financial-planning services for a fee, using some separate subsidiary company to provide the actual plan and burying commissions in the process, making it harder for consumers to know precisely what they are getting for their money and how their money is being spent.
The moral of this whole story is that this victory for the financial-planning business doesn't settle anything for consumers.
While the rules of the investment-advice game are changing, consumers must continue to start the financial-planning process with the same old questions about how advisers get paid, what they provide for those dollars and whose interests come first, because unless you have a scorecard and a rulebook, it's tough to tell who you might want to have playing on your financial team.
So when the game is investment advice and the rules change, you have to wonder how it will affect overall play for consumers.
Nowhere is that more true than with the recent appellate court decision that ruled in favor of the Financial Planning Association and against the Securities and Exchange Commission in a lawsuit that challenged the rules of just who could hold themselves out as a financial planner and what standards apply to various types of adviser.
On the surface, there is no question that the decision is a victory for traditional financial planners and for consumers. But there is some question as to the potential fallout now that the rules have been changed.
To see why, consider the rules, the changes and how the play of the financial-advice game could be forever altered.
The Financial Planning Association, which brought the lawsuit against the SEC in 2004, argued that regulators had rewritten the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 in a way that allowed brokers to offer the same advice as registered investment advisers without the fiduciary responsibility to put a client's needs and interests first.
In a split decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held that brokers can only give financial advice if they are not paid for it.
You read that right: brokers must give either no advice or free advice. If they receive fees for providing financial advice, they must register with the SEC as investment advisers and adopt a fiduciary responsibility for their customers.
That appears confusing, but it's fairly simple: Investment advisers, which can include virtually all stripes of "wealth planner," are paid for providing counsel (and not just the sale of investments) and have that fiduciary requirement to their clients. Broker-dealers don't have that fiduciary requirement; without meeting that higher standard -- by registering as investment advisers -- they would be violating the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 if they charged consumers for advice.
The distinction is important because the rule affects many of the wealth advisers who work for full-service brokerage firms. Since 1999, when new rules allowed the brokerage houses to offer fee-based accounts, the big firms have been particularly aggressive in offering advisory accounts, with more and more brokers describing themselves as "financial advisers."
Number of fee-based accounts jumps
Cerulli Associates, a Boston firm that researches the brokerage business, says that fee-based advisory accounts grew by nearly 20% over the past three years. Those accounts, which now hold more than $272 billion, are particularly popular with new clients; those customers may not be quite clear on just what they are paying for.
The current issue of Smart Money magazine includes a terrific piece by Dyan Machan, covering an effort to gain empirical evidence on how eight big brokerage houses work with new clients.
"Of the eight brokers we visited," Machan's article says, "five offered us financial plans even though, by critics' standards, they weren't qualified."
The question, however, becomes what happens now.
The Financial Planning Association, in bringing the suit, wanted to create a legal standard for what financial advisers provide, and wanted to stress the importance of putting the customer's interests first. That goal is admirable.
If the SEC wants to continue to fight the case, the next step would be the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's hard to imagine that kind of effort would actually succeed. While one appellate judge sided with the regulators, the majority opinion so thoroughly broke down the SEC that I have a hard time believing the agency will go that route.
A lot of the issues around brokers holding themselves out as investment advisers had to do with marketing and exactly how brokers positioned their services. The court ruling makes no mention of marketing; it simply says that charging for advice is "special compensation" that forces brokers to be regulated as investment advisers.
Possible setbacks
The way a brokerage firm might play the game in this new environment would be to end its fee-based services. If enough firms stop charging asset-management fees and go back to commission structures, that's a big potential loss for consumers. While every form of advisory agreement has some form of conflict, most observers suggest that fee-based arrangements are the closest to being ideal; this ruling could set back the progress made on this front by a decade or more.
While brokers may not have had a legal reason to live up to the fiduciary standard, there is no doubt that many of them do. Plenty of optimists in the financial-planning community had hoped that the brokers of the world would someday cozy up to the fiduciary standard; those hopes would now appear dashed.
The one thing financial planners liked about the old rule was that it took away the broker's ability to be called a "financial adviser."
Brokerage firms might now say they provide financial-planning services for a fee, using some separate subsidiary company to provide the actual plan and burying commissions in the process, making it harder for consumers to know precisely what they are getting for their money and how their money is being spent.
The moral of this whole story is that this victory for the financial-planning business doesn't settle anything for consumers.
While the rules of the investment-advice game are changing, consumers must continue to start the financial-planning process with the same old questions about how advisers get paid, what they provide for those dollars and whose interests come first, because unless you have a scorecard and a rulebook, it's tough to tell who you might want to have playing on your financial team.
Neal Boortz said it best .........
"Now here's something that I have yet to see reported in the mainstream media. Earlier this year the Virginia General Assembly failed to act on House Bill 1572. The citizens of Virginia are permitted to carry concealed weapons if they get a proper permit from the state government --- unless you are on a college campus. This bill would have allowed college students and employees to carry handguns on campus --- with appropriate permits, of course. It died in subcommittee. After the bill was thrown out and up steps Larry Hincker, a spokesman for Virginia Tech, the site of the carnage, who says "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."
VA Tech.............
We live in an open society. Just ask George Soros. The gun safes in my homes hold some great firearms. Together they haven't killed as many people as Ted Kennedys' car.
They nuts among us are hard to weed out. The hundreds of millions among us, millions criminally among us and your government unable to do anything about them, can hide and remain reclusive for long periods of time. Many of the criminal aliens who I have hired over the years to do yard work have figured out how to come into America without getting caught. All of them came into America on foot. At least that is what they all told me.
The mindset of the madman running through VA Tech we may never know.
Guns by themselves cause no more crime than pencils cause missspelled words.
Psychopaths with guns are very dangerous. Anywhere in the world. Period.
They nuts among us are hard to weed out. The hundreds of millions among us, millions criminally among us and your government unable to do anything about them, can hide and remain reclusive for long periods of time. Many of the criminal aliens who I have hired over the years to do yard work have figured out how to come into America without getting caught. All of them came into America on foot. At least that is what they all told me.
The mindset of the madman running through VA Tech we may never know.
Guns by themselves cause no more crime than pencils cause missspelled words.
Psychopaths with guns are very dangerous. Anywhere in the world. Period.
Monday, April 16, 2007
30004
The offices of Chippewa Partners are nice. Very nice. But what city are we in, you ask.
With the change in the name of the "city" where we are located from Alpharetta to Milton I don't know what city I should call home. The USPS will answer to both. So will I.
It's all in the 30004.
With the change in the name of the "city" where we are located from Alpharetta to Milton I don't know what city I should call home. The USPS will answer to both. So will I.
It's all in the 30004.
Go ahead, try it..............
This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't. It's preprogrammed in your brain!
1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are goofy) and while sitting where you are, at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction.
I told you so!!!
1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they will think you are goofy) and while sitting where you are, at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction.
I told you so!!!
VA TECH
My heart goes out to the families of the victims of today's carnage.
More than disturbing.
And Americans continue to die in Iraq.
As disturbing.
More than disturbing.
And Americans continue to die in Iraq.
As disturbing.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
a "pawn" taking on Putin..................
MOSCOW (April 14) - Police detained Garry Kasparov , the former world chess champion who now leads one of Russia's strongest opposition movements, and at least 100 other activists Saturday as they gathered for a forbidden anti-Kremlin demonstration in central Moscow. About 200 Kasparov supporters later gathered outside the police station where he was being held, shouting "freedom for political prisoners." After about an hour, police waded into the crowd, beating some demonstrators with truncheons and kicking them, offering sarcastic good wishes the crowd was forced to disperse. The demonstration, one in a series of so-called Dissenters' Marches, increased tension between opposition supporters who complain the Kremlin is cracking down on political dissent and authorities who vow to block any unauthorized demonstrations. A similar march planned for St. Petersburg on Sunday also has been banned. Since the first such march in December in Moscow, Kasparov has emerged as one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics. He has vowed to accelerate his protest actions as presidential and parliamentary elections approach. Kasparov's United Civil Front organization works with other opposition groups in a loose alliance called Other Russia, which organized the marches. After his detention, he waved and smiled from a police van and did not appear to have been hurt. Police department spokesman Yevgeny Gildeyev said Kasparov was detained on suspicion of calling for provocations. Gildeyev said about 170 people in total were detained at the square. City authorities gave permission to Other Russia to hold a rally at Turgenev Square, but denied their request to gather at the more central and prominent Pushkin Square, one of Moscow's most well-known public spaces. Other Russia defied the ban and declared they would march from Pushkin Square to the other square, about a mile away. Police detained scores of activists at Pushkin Square, but thousands of others began marching. More than 1,000 others gathered at the authorized rally site. Among them was Mikhail Kasyanov, who was Putin's first prime minister but now has gone into opposition. "Everyone should ask the question: what is happening with our authorities - are they still sane, or have they gone mad?" Kasyanov said, as the crowd chanted "shame on the government." Andrei Illarionov, a former Kremlin economic adviser who came to support the demonstrators, told journalists that the heavy police presence showed "paranoia - there is no rational explanation for this behavior." The crowd began leaving by mid-afternoon. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who was observing the march, denied there were political motivations behind the ban, saying authorities were concerned with public order. "We have sanctioned a large number of events, both pro-government and pro-presidential, and also anti-government ones," the mayor said, according to the news agency Interfax. "Processions are a problem for us. We have not allowed pro-presidential organizations to hold them as well." In recent months, three demonstrations - all called Dissenters' Marches - were either broken up harshly or smothered under a massive police presence in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. If this weekend's protests draw large crowds, they could give momentum to Russia's beleaguered opposition and fuel more demonstrations against the government. If they founder, it could signal further irrelevancy for the opposition, which has been fractured by years of infighting. Russia's mainstream liberal parties, which some critics say have been co-opted by the Kremlin, have largely kept their distance. Grigory Yavlinsky, who heads the Yabloko party, refused to participate in the Moscow march, saying in a statement that "the ideological and political composition of the these actions are unacceptable for Yabloko." In the run-up to the demonstrations, Moscow's city council passed strict new regulations on rallies - including a rule limiting the density of protesters to no more than two people per 10 square feet. This week, prosecutors seized recordings of an Ekho Moskvy radio interview with Eduard Limonov, whose National Bolshevik Party is known for its street theater and political pranks targeting Putin. Since Putin took office in 2000, the Kremlin has moved to centralize power in Russia, created an obedient parliament, abolished direct gubernatorial elections and tightened restrictions on civic groups. Kremlin critics are now rarely heard on major TV networks. Putin also brought stability after a decade of chaos, and has presided over rapid economic growth. Polls rate him as by far the most popular political figure in Russia. Russia's parliament on Friday accused the United States of meddling in its politics before the elections, adopting angry statements criticizing a State Department report that outlined U.S. aid to Russian non-governmental organizations.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday the 13th.........
Imus gets fired, Ludicris gets a Grammy. Amazing. I never listened to Imus or watched him. Probably something about caustic coke-heads and gum chewing turned me off.
The other night a local Monday Night Football gang that had transformed themselves into a $10,000 entry fee poker "club" was busted. A friendly, high-stakes poker game. The law caught up to them and it may well cost them all far more than the entry stake.
Funny how Georgia works.
The state owns the real gambling operation in the state called the Georgia Lotto. It is a great franchise and they apparently hate competition. Every convenience store in the state profits from the gambling habits of its citizens, some far brighter than others. Is it racist or discriminatory that the less intelligent Georgia citizens who probably can't afford throwing good money after bad buying lottery tickets support university students in paying for their educations? The rich and smart get richer.........
You have to love how the bulls keep pressing the bears. Who doesn't love these late session rallies? Don't let long-term prejudices blind you to the truth of what is happening today. The stock market tells a story every day and if we listen carefully we will greatly outperform those who claim to know what the future holds. There is an old saying "bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered." The more accurate saying may be "flexible folks make money, stubborn folks get killed."
About 15 years ago I left the ranks of being a stockbroker and joined the ranks of a professional trader and money manager. Being a stockbroker is certainly an excellent profession that can be fulfilling and lucrative as a salesman, but until I became a full time trader I never really understood how enjoying my work could make such a huge difference in my results. Trading was the right fit for me. The main appeal of trading is the flexibility and freedom it gave me. The very nice economic rewards were a consequence of enjoying what I was doing. To wake up and look forward to what I was going to do that day made a huge difference not only in my happiness but in my net worth. Friday the 13th was always a good day for me.
Today is no exception.
The other night a local Monday Night Football gang that had transformed themselves into a $10,000 entry fee poker "club" was busted. A friendly, high-stakes poker game. The law caught up to them and it may well cost them all far more than the entry stake.
Funny how Georgia works.
The state owns the real gambling operation in the state called the Georgia Lotto. It is a great franchise and they apparently hate competition. Every convenience store in the state profits from the gambling habits of its citizens, some far brighter than others. Is it racist or discriminatory that the less intelligent Georgia citizens who probably can't afford throwing good money after bad buying lottery tickets support university students in paying for their educations? The rich and smart get richer.........
You have to love how the bulls keep pressing the bears. Who doesn't love these late session rallies? Don't let long-term prejudices blind you to the truth of what is happening today. The stock market tells a story every day and if we listen carefully we will greatly outperform those who claim to know what the future holds. There is an old saying "bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered." The more accurate saying may be "flexible folks make money, stubborn folks get killed."
About 15 years ago I left the ranks of being a stockbroker and joined the ranks of a professional trader and money manager. Being a stockbroker is certainly an excellent profession that can be fulfilling and lucrative as a salesman, but until I became a full time trader I never really understood how enjoying my work could make such a huge difference in my results. Trading was the right fit for me. The main appeal of trading is the flexibility and freedom it gave me. The very nice economic rewards were a consequence of enjoying what I was doing. To wake up and look forward to what I was going to do that day made a huge difference not only in my happiness but in my net worth. Friday the 13th was always a good day for me.
Today is no exception.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Solarfun............
The symbol is SOLF.
Interesting acceleration in top and bottom line numbers.
Another Chinese company.
Interesting acceleration in top and bottom line numbers.
Another Chinese company.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Jimmy Cramer................
Many Alpharetta IBD CANSLIM meeting attendees have shown up at our meetings with varied opinions of the former hedge fundist who averaged a compounded 24% per year over a decade at his fund. Boo-yah Skeeeeedaddy............
Here is a look at a web site who has made it a business to follow Cramers stock recommendations against a dart-throwing monkey. Enjoy the read !!!!
http://www.cramerwatch.org/
Here is a look at a web site who has made it a business to follow Cramers stock recommendations against a dart-throwing monkey. Enjoy the read !!!!
http://www.cramerwatch.org/
Musings on last week...........
The oft-stated phrase I heard last week, "your first cruise is probably your best cruise" is probably correct. I spent a week on this vessel;
http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Onboard_Activities/Miracle-Onboard_Exp.aspx
Carnival understands the cruise experience and I would book another trip with them in a nanosecond. That said, weather and sea conditions can have a pretty big impact on a trip and they aren't negotiable at the time of booking.
Mexico is always a treat. Not a sign of any middle-class citizenry. Not in my lifetime. No wonder millions wander around America.
The port of Costa Maya is a hoot. Build a large pier to dock a large ship and you will attract business. Belize was nice, English speaking, fairly clean and good beer. Cozumel and Grand Cayman I can do without. I have never been to Myrtle Beach but that is what they felt like. Or Gatlinburg. No shortage of financial institutions in Grand Cayman either! Can anyone say dirty money without smiling? Going down in a submarine was nice, it beats learning how to dive and I think probaby more things to see while covering so much more "ground" on the ocean floor.
Hard not to gain a couple of pounds on a ship. Food was abundant and good. Service and staff superb. All in all another great week on our planet.
Mr. Market treated us well last week. The fine folks at Web Methods (WEBM) decided to throw in the towel and sell themselves which caught me by surprise but hey, sticking with the stock with declining revenues paid off. It is nice to have an edge. My theme of owning water stocks seems to be working. MIC is headed up. Anyone care to bet against this stock NOT doubling from here?
There is nothing I'd rather do than be wildly bullish, but for me it all comes down to finding the charts I like. I worked the charts hard yesterday and today but found surprisingly few of interest. I focus heavily on stocks that are moving out of support on volume increases and there simply weren't that many on my screens. My feelings and opinions about the market are primarily a function of the hundreds of individual stocks I look at throughout the day. Volume is the key to my decision-making. It is my main measure of the emotional state of buyers. When there are big volume increases, I have much greater confidence that a price move may develop some meaningful momentum. I think of volume as the jet-fuel that drives a stock. They can't act like an F-14 Tomcat with the after-burners glowing without volume!
What we do is watch charts and see if there are signs that big buyers are interested. If volume picks up and stock starts moving, then it's probably a sign that someone knows something positive about the fundamental case. If you are a trader like me, the best possible quality the market can possess is "follow-through". Strong follow-through is what produces big gains. I seldom make one buy and one sale of a stock. My methoodology is to average in and average out and to use varying time frames. I'm constantly evaluating positions as conditions evolve.
This is a tough game and trading from a cruise ship wasn't my idea of having a great vacation nor having optimal trading tools at my disposal. Over the years I have found that the secret to success lies not so much in playing well as in not playing badly. After all, the system wasn't designed so most people could beat it.
http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Onboard_Activities/Miracle-Onboard_Exp.aspx
Carnival understands the cruise experience and I would book another trip with them in a nanosecond. That said, weather and sea conditions can have a pretty big impact on a trip and they aren't negotiable at the time of booking.
Mexico is always a treat. Not a sign of any middle-class citizenry. Not in my lifetime. No wonder millions wander around America.
The port of Costa Maya is a hoot. Build a large pier to dock a large ship and you will attract business. Belize was nice, English speaking, fairly clean and good beer. Cozumel and Grand Cayman I can do without. I have never been to Myrtle Beach but that is what they felt like. Or Gatlinburg. No shortage of financial institutions in Grand Cayman either! Can anyone say dirty money without smiling? Going down in a submarine was nice, it beats learning how to dive and I think probaby more things to see while covering so much more "ground" on the ocean floor.
Hard not to gain a couple of pounds on a ship. Food was abundant and good. Service and staff superb. All in all another great week on our planet.
Mr. Market treated us well last week. The fine folks at Web Methods (WEBM) decided to throw in the towel and sell themselves which caught me by surprise but hey, sticking with the stock with declining revenues paid off. It is nice to have an edge. My theme of owning water stocks seems to be working. MIC is headed up. Anyone care to bet against this stock NOT doubling from here?
There is nothing I'd rather do than be wildly bullish, but for me it all comes down to finding the charts I like. I worked the charts hard yesterday and today but found surprisingly few of interest. I focus heavily on stocks that are moving out of support on volume increases and there simply weren't that many on my screens. My feelings and opinions about the market are primarily a function of the hundreds of individual stocks I look at throughout the day. Volume is the key to my decision-making. It is my main measure of the emotional state of buyers. When there are big volume increases, I have much greater confidence that a price move may develop some meaningful momentum. I think of volume as the jet-fuel that drives a stock. They can't act like an F-14 Tomcat with the after-burners glowing without volume!
What we do is watch charts and see if there are signs that big buyers are interested. If volume picks up and stock starts moving, then it's probably a sign that someone knows something positive about the fundamental case. If you are a trader like me, the best possible quality the market can possess is "follow-through". Strong follow-through is what produces big gains. I seldom make one buy and one sale of a stock. My methoodology is to average in and average out and to use varying time frames. I'm constantly evaluating positions as conditions evolve.
This is a tough game and trading from a cruise ship wasn't my idea of having a great vacation nor having optimal trading tools at my disposal. Over the years I have found that the secret to success lies not so much in playing well as in not playing badly. After all, the system wasn't designed so most people could beat it.