I want to wish all of you a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Celebrate the fruits of your labor and enjoy your time with those you work so hard for. I plan on doing very little, eating a lot, and staying away from the areas on my farm that last year on Labor Day weekend contributed to over 110 chigger bites.!!
I still itch every time I think about it!!
On Tuesday we kick off a new month, which historically is the poorest of the year for the stock market.
Only a third of 2007 remains. Lets all strive to make it the best!!!
Friday, August 31, 2007
GOP=Group Of Perverts
If Bill Clinton can receive oral sex in the White House by a young woman who was not his wife, lie about it and still keep his office, a lowly Senator can get it in the men's room. Let's be fair, sex is sex and double standards are double standards. There isn't any physical proof here unlike the presidential stain on Monica's blue dress.
One of my liberal friends has suggested to me that there isn't any proof, that maybe the cop lied.
Ladies and gentleman, the esteemed Senator from Idaho PLED GUILTY.
That, my dear friends, is proof enough.
One of my liberal friends has suggested to me that there isn't any proof, that maybe the cop lied.
Ladies and gentleman, the esteemed Senator from Idaho PLED GUILTY.
That, my dear friends, is proof enough.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Over the hill Dad.............
Senator Larry Craig is in a world of pain in Idaho.........and the GOP ship looks to want to set him adrift. I was in an airport stall fairly recently and had a hand come waving under the side of the stall I was in...........clueless me didn't understand what the hand signal meant at the time, I just figured it was somebody who was traveling with somebody and thought maybe their buddy was in the stall next to them. Maybe I am what my teenager thinks I am........clueless as to what is going on in the "real" world. If so, I love being clueless. And Mr. Craig appears to have a sense of judgement about him on par with Michael Vick. The Senate and Idaho deserve better representation. I hope the Senate still represents America.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
MN highest in exercise........
Obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year and no state showed a decline. In the past few years Minnesota has been in the middle of the pack — but efforts have been made to counteract obesity in Otter Tail County and across the state the past two years.
“Today, schools are mandated to have a school wellness committee in place,” Otter Tail County Public Health Director/CHS Administrator Diane Thorson said. “These committees recommended positive changes in the school settings.”
Thorson said simple changes that have been put in place over the past two years include the availability of water and milk in vending machines and at concession stands, and vegetables, fruit, and dairy products available at concession stands.
Minnesota ranked 27th last year, a gradual improvement from the previous year when the state was in 25th place. North Dakota ranked 18th, which put it among the 20 states with the worst obesity problems; South Dakota ranked 22nd.
The states of Mississippi and Alabama had the highest rates of obesity in 2006. The healthiest states were Colorado and Hawaii.
Otter Tail County Public Health first began looking at the obesity issue in 2002.
“We analyzed the height and weight data collected by schools of students in grades four and eight,” Thorson said, “and then we made recommendations to the schools about changes that could be made in the school setting.”
She said that solving the obesity epidemic will not be easy — for children and adults alike.
“Diet and exercise are the two prescriptions that are ordered to treat this problem,” she said.
“Each of us can start by doing two simple things — eating smaller portions of food and walking for 10 minutes at a time, three times a day. Gradually, we all should have a goal of 20-minute increments of walking.”
The 2006 rankings were released by Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.
Minnesotans led the way when it came to exercise. An estimated 15.4 percent of the state’s residents did not engage an any physical exercise — the lowest rate in the nation. The fact that close to 85 percent of all Minnesotans exercise on a regular basis is good news. Still, the state’s ranking of 27th overall when it comes to the percentage of obese adults is a negative factor.
“Unfortunately, we’re treating obesity more like a mere inconvenience instead of the emergency that it is,” Dr. James Marks said. “I’m happy to be part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropy devoted to improving health care on a nationwide basis.”
Officials at Trust for America’s Health advocate for the government to play a larger role in preventing obesity. They point out that people who are overweight are at an increased risk for diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases that contribute to greater health care costs.
“It’s one of those issues where everyone believes this is an epidemic, but it’s not getting the level of political and policymaker attention that it ought to,” the organization’s executive director Jeffrey Levi said. “Every candidate for president talks about health care reform — but we really need to hone in on the obesity issue as well.”
Levi said we as a country have designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk. That has to change, he said.
“A lack of exercise is a huge factor in obesity rates,” Levi said. “Our organization found that more than 22 percent of Americans did not engage in any physical activity in the past month. The percentage is greater than 30 percent in four states: Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.”
Another factor in obesity rates is poverty. The five poorest states were all in the top 10 when it came to obesity rates. An exception to that rule was the District of Columbia and New Mexico. Both had high poverty rates, but also one of the better (healthier) obesity rates among adults.
Officials said the report is not designed to stigmatize states with high obesity rates — but to stir them into action.
“Today, schools are mandated to have a school wellness committee in place,” Otter Tail County Public Health Director/CHS Administrator Diane Thorson said. “These committees recommended positive changes in the school settings.”
Thorson said simple changes that have been put in place over the past two years include the availability of water and milk in vending machines and at concession stands, and vegetables, fruit, and dairy products available at concession stands.
Minnesota ranked 27th last year, a gradual improvement from the previous year when the state was in 25th place. North Dakota ranked 18th, which put it among the 20 states with the worst obesity problems; South Dakota ranked 22nd.
The states of Mississippi and Alabama had the highest rates of obesity in 2006. The healthiest states were Colorado and Hawaii.
Otter Tail County Public Health first began looking at the obesity issue in 2002.
“We analyzed the height and weight data collected by schools of students in grades four and eight,” Thorson said, “and then we made recommendations to the schools about changes that could be made in the school setting.”
She said that solving the obesity epidemic will not be easy — for children and adults alike.
“Diet and exercise are the two prescriptions that are ordered to treat this problem,” she said.
“Each of us can start by doing two simple things — eating smaller portions of food and walking for 10 minutes at a time, three times a day. Gradually, we all should have a goal of 20-minute increments of walking.”
The 2006 rankings were released by Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.
Minnesotans led the way when it came to exercise. An estimated 15.4 percent of the state’s residents did not engage an any physical exercise — the lowest rate in the nation. The fact that close to 85 percent of all Minnesotans exercise on a regular basis is good news. Still, the state’s ranking of 27th overall when it comes to the percentage of obese adults is a negative factor.
“Unfortunately, we’re treating obesity more like a mere inconvenience instead of the emergency that it is,” Dr. James Marks said. “I’m happy to be part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropy devoted to improving health care on a nationwide basis.”
Officials at Trust for America’s Health advocate for the government to play a larger role in preventing obesity. They point out that people who are overweight are at an increased risk for diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases that contribute to greater health care costs.
“It’s one of those issues where everyone believes this is an epidemic, but it’s not getting the level of political and policymaker attention that it ought to,” the organization’s executive director Jeffrey Levi said. “Every candidate for president talks about health care reform — but we really need to hone in on the obesity issue as well.”
Levi said we as a country have designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk. That has to change, he said.
“A lack of exercise is a huge factor in obesity rates,” Levi said. “Our organization found that more than 22 percent of Americans did not engage in any physical activity in the past month. The percentage is greater than 30 percent in four states: Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.”
Another factor in obesity rates is poverty. The five poorest states were all in the top 10 when it came to obesity rates. An exception to that rule was the District of Columbia and New Mexico. Both had high poverty rates, but also one of the better (healthier) obesity rates among adults.
Officials said the report is not designed to stigmatize states with high obesity rates — but to stir them into action.
Vince Lombardi said..............
"People who work together will win, whether it be against very complex football defenses or the problems of modern society."
Desired words in Indian Country.............
"help me graduate"
"mom and dad raised me together"
"tribal employees are NOT allowed to gamble in the casino"
"high school drop-out rates are less than 5%"
"Meth isn't a problem, period"
"gang violence on reservations became non-existant in 2007"
"diabetes isn't a problem across Indian Country"
"mom and dad raised me together"
"tribal employees are NOT allowed to gamble in the casino"
"high school drop-out rates are less than 5%"
"Meth isn't a problem, period"
"gang violence on reservations became non-existant in 2007"
"diabetes isn't a problem across Indian Country"
Monday, August 27, 2007
And you think stocks stink??
The top bond guru in the world returned a three year average of 3.83% in his "Total Return" Fund. One could have parked money in a money market fund, CDs, a bank, or short term Treasuries and done better than that.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The SURGE in Iraq..............
America's troop build-up and effectiveness has no relationship to the dysfunctional Iraqi government.
It is a quagmire of death, destruction and instability for a long time to come.
And you can take that to any banker of the military industrial complex.
It is a quagmire of death, destruction and instability for a long time to come.
And you can take that to any banker of the military industrial complex.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Michael Savage..............
Michael Savage is the pseudonym of Michael Alan Weiner (born March 31, 1942), a controversial[1] American conservative talk radio host, author, and political pundit.[2] He holds master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology[3] and earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in nutritional ethnomedicine.[4] As Michael Weiner, he has written a number of books on herbal medicine and homeopathy.
As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times bestsellers: The Savage Nation (2003), The Enemy Within (2004), Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder (2005), and The Political Zoo (2006). His nationally syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation, reaches more than ten million listeners on over 400 stations throughout the United States, ranking third in number of stations syndicated nationwide[5] and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.[6]
As Michael Savage, he has written four New York Times bestsellers: The Savage Nation (2003), The Enemy Within (2004), Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder (2005), and The Political Zoo (2006). His nationally syndicated radio show, The Savage Nation, reaches more than ten million listeners on over 400 stations throughout the United States, ranking third in number of stations syndicated nationwide[5] and third in nationwide audience behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.[6]
The Great American Give-Away..........
Bill Gross, billionaire from the beaches of Southern California, stamp-collector par excellence and founder of Pimco, the worlds largest bond fund manager thinks our tax dollars should bail out a couple of million mortgage holders in one shape or another.
The blame belongs on the lenders who were giving money away in the form of loans to unqualified buyers of mortgages. Simple enough to figure out. All of the refi's involved in rampant escalation of housing prices so that Mr. and Mrs. Unqualified Borrower could take out equity to pay off the plasma on the wall and the new BMW's and SUV's was never in question. The fox has gotten in the hen house and it isn't pretty. Blaming the Federal Reserve for allowing all of this is ludicrous. The management of the Fed didn't have stock options and inflate their earnings because of unqualified borrowers. Where was Wall Street in all of this?
Raking it in. The party is over. Check out this piece on Gross.
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- When the dust settles in financial markets, policymakers will have to figure out how to fix the housing market, Bill Gross, managing director of bond giant PIMCO, says in a comment. And the solution should come not from the Federal Reserve, in the form of lower rates, but from the federal government, in the form of an outright bailout, Gross said in the comment, released Wednesday night. PIMCO is one of the largest bond funds in the world, with $693 billion in assets under management.
With market forecasters predicting two million defaults in this housing downcycle and a resulting drop in house prices of near 10%, Gross says, the situation is "serious business" indeed. And while the Federal Reserve could help prop up home prices if it were to substantially cut short-term interest rates, the Fed rate cuts won't be able to prevent hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of adjustable-rate mortgages from shifting to higher levels.
And there's no guarantee, even with short-term interest rate cuts, that mortgage lenders and investors would be willing to accept both lower mortgage rates as well as relaxed lending standards, Gross says. That's an especially big question mark considering the private mortgage market has seen mortgage bonds and whole loans plunge in value in recent months.
And if lending remains restrictive, refinancing - and getting new loans - could still be difficult, putting continuous pressure on borrowers and housing prices even with a much lower fed funds rate.
A better solution, Gross says, would be for a government bailout on the scale of the Savings and Loan, Resolution Trust Corporation remedy of the 1990s. In other words, the government should come in and absorb - in one form or another - the losses caused by several years of loose mortgage underwriting. "Why is it possible to rescue corrupt S&L buccaneers in the early 1990s and provide guidance to levered Wall Street investment bankers during the 1998 LTCM (Long Term Capital Management) crisis, yet throw two million homeowners to the wolves in 2007?," he says.
Despite the fact such a rescue "admittedly might bail out some speculators who deserve worse," Gross says, it would also "support millions of hardworking Americans whose recent hours have become ones of frantic desperation."
The current administration should create "an RMC - Reconstruction Mortgage Corporation," Gross proposes. Or failing that, should "make some modifications to the existing FHA (Federal Housing Administration) program. ... Write some checks, bail 'em out, prevent a destructive housing deflation that Ben Bernanke is unable to do."
-By Danielle Reed, of Dow Jones Newswires
The blame belongs on the lenders who were giving money away in the form of loans to unqualified buyers of mortgages. Simple enough to figure out. All of the refi's involved in rampant escalation of housing prices so that Mr. and Mrs. Unqualified Borrower could take out equity to pay off the plasma on the wall and the new BMW's and SUV's was never in question. The fox has gotten in the hen house and it isn't pretty. Blaming the Federal Reserve for allowing all of this is ludicrous. The management of the Fed didn't have stock options and inflate their earnings because of unqualified borrowers. Where was Wall Street in all of this?
Raking it in. The party is over. Check out this piece on Gross.
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- When the dust settles in financial markets, policymakers will have to figure out how to fix the housing market, Bill Gross, managing director of bond giant PIMCO, says in a comment. And the solution should come not from the Federal Reserve, in the form of lower rates, but from the federal government, in the form of an outright bailout, Gross said in the comment, released Wednesday night. PIMCO is one of the largest bond funds in the world, with $693 billion in assets under management.
With market forecasters predicting two million defaults in this housing downcycle and a resulting drop in house prices of near 10%, Gross says, the situation is "serious business" indeed. And while the Federal Reserve could help prop up home prices if it were to substantially cut short-term interest rates, the Fed rate cuts won't be able to prevent hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of adjustable-rate mortgages from shifting to higher levels.
And there's no guarantee, even with short-term interest rate cuts, that mortgage lenders and investors would be willing to accept both lower mortgage rates as well as relaxed lending standards, Gross says. That's an especially big question mark considering the private mortgage market has seen mortgage bonds and whole loans plunge in value in recent months.
And if lending remains restrictive, refinancing - and getting new loans - could still be difficult, putting continuous pressure on borrowers and housing prices even with a much lower fed funds rate.
A better solution, Gross says, would be for a government bailout on the scale of the Savings and Loan, Resolution Trust Corporation remedy of the 1990s. In other words, the government should come in and absorb - in one form or another - the losses caused by several years of loose mortgage underwriting. "Why is it possible to rescue corrupt S&L buccaneers in the early 1990s and provide guidance to levered Wall Street investment bankers during the 1998 LTCM (Long Term Capital Management) crisis, yet throw two million homeowners to the wolves in 2007?," he says.
Despite the fact such a rescue "admittedly might bail out some speculators who deserve worse," Gross says, it would also "support millions of hardworking Americans whose recent hours have become ones of frantic desperation."
The current administration should create "an RMC - Reconstruction Mortgage Corporation," Gross proposes. Or failing that, should "make some modifications to the existing FHA (Federal Housing Administration) program. ... Write some checks, bail 'em out, prevent a destructive housing deflation that Ben Bernanke is unable to do."
-By Danielle Reed, of Dow Jones Newswires
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
If not now, when?
Fourteen U.S. soldiers died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in northern Iraq, according to a U.S. military statement.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Is it any wonder?
Just 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, while 76% disapprove, according to the August 13-16, 2007, Gallup Poll. That 18% job approval rating matches the low recorded in March 1992, when a check-bouncing scandal was one of several scandals besetting Congress.
Congress is being influenced at a rate of $1,000,000,000 a day. They don't care about you or me. They care about re-election and catering to the influence being offered. In a decade we will look back on this Iraq situation with open eyes. The headstones will be starting to weather for those who gave their all in the sands of Iraq.
Congress won't address Social Security reform, tax code reform, oil drilling, nuclear power or criminal immigration. You see, it is all about getting reelected. The enemy is within.
Congress is being influenced at a rate of $1,000,000,000 a day. They don't care about you or me. They care about re-election and catering to the influence being offered. In a decade we will look back on this Iraq situation with open eyes. The headstones will be starting to weather for those who gave their all in the sands of Iraq.
Congress won't address Social Security reform, tax code reform, oil drilling, nuclear power or criminal immigration. You see, it is all about getting reelected. The enemy is within.
Bad Newz Kennels
The dogfighting operation as of late had nothing to do with dogs and everything to do with birds. If you know the definition of an aviary you will probably guess this licensed pet boarding operation had more to do with canary's. An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. At Bad Newz everyone was singing the same tune. Apparently jail time to 20-somethings just wasn't the cat's meow for the entire "flock". No matter your position on a pro football team. How many other players were involved???
Roll Tide
Nick Saban is a great coach. His football team has had 4 players arrested in the last 2 months.
Maybe instead of X's and O's he should talk about bail bondsmen and the penal code. Or have meetings about attorney's fees and self-image. Or discussion on ethics, responsibility and plain old-fashioned staying out of jail.
Maybe instead of X's and O's he should talk about bail bondsmen and the penal code. Or have meetings about attorney's fees and self-image. Or discussion on ethics, responsibility and plain old-fashioned staying out of jail.
New America High Income Fund
Stop the madness. At todays current price on the NYSE, shares of HYB, New American High Income Fund are trading at $1.86. The market capitalization of the fund itself is over $178,150,000...................and as of 12/31/2006 the fund had approximate capital loss carryforwards of over $179,631,000. Truly a fund today whose sole purpose is to continue to supply compensation to all concerned with the fund. Shareholders have been bagged in this name since the day Patsy Ostrander became part of the "daisy chain" at Drexel Burnham Lambert. The beat goes on.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Michael Vick..........
Some of the more asinine crap to come out of this Vick lunacy is the public babble about the race card, gambling on dog fighting and killing dogs. It is what it is. A young man who happens to be a young father, with few morals, making big money, who has no father and fewer brains.
Did I miss anything?
That said, the lack of serious discussion amongst Americans about our next leader is scary.
I guess I should say it. If you don't pay taxes and support America, why should you be allowed to vote?
We have Putin and the Big Red Machine in China playing war games and all America is worked up about is Vick killing dogs. We have some liberal nuts in the Democratic Party telling us what they are going to do for America. And we have George W. Bush telling us how he is going to cut federal spending. Yeah right.
Tonight when you hit the pillow, say your prayers. Not for Michael Vick, not for the dogs he killed.
For America.
Did I miss anything?
That said, the lack of serious discussion amongst Americans about our next leader is scary.
I guess I should say it. If you don't pay taxes and support America, why should you be allowed to vote?
We have Putin and the Big Red Machine in China playing war games and all America is worked up about is Vick killing dogs. We have some liberal nuts in the Democratic Party telling us what they are going to do for America. And we have George W. Bush telling us how he is going to cut federal spending. Yeah right.
Tonight when you hit the pillow, say your prayers. Not for Michael Vick, not for the dogs he killed.
For America.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Goldman Sachs........
One of the better newspapers in America these days on Saturdays is the Wall Street Journal.
Most financial types I know dont' read the Journal because they either don't want to pay for it, won't take the time to read or think they know what is going on all too well.
I think the Saturday edition is required reading.
Today's article on the guy at Goldman Sachs who quit the firm because he thought his compensation last year of $70,000,000 was sub-par was very entertaining.
And to think 20 years ago, our leader, Michael Milken at Drexel Burnham Lambert on South Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills made around $700,000,000 for the year.
Most financial types I know dont' read the Journal because they either don't want to pay for it, won't take the time to read or think they know what is going on all too well.
I think the Saturday edition is required reading.
Today's article on the guy at Goldman Sachs who quit the firm because he thought his compensation last year of $70,000,000 was sub-par was very entertaining.
And to think 20 years ago, our leader, Michael Milken at Drexel Burnham Lambert on South Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills made around $700,000,000 for the year.
Space walks and space flight........
George Bush's full-employment act for all his pals in government service for NASA in Texas have to love him to their retirement and then some. Going to the moon again is another multi-billion dollar boondoggle. We were there 40 years ago and found some rock.
If you want rock I have plenty in my back yard or at my farm. Free.
All of the publicity generated about missing tiles on heat shields is getting old.
Stop the madness Mr. Bush. Put the emphasis on lasers and Star Wars defense systems to protect America from the madmen of the world. Madmen are like the energizer bunny.
No end in sight and they are coming and coming to kill us.
If you want rock I have plenty in my back yard or at my farm. Free.
All of the publicity generated about missing tiles on heat shields is getting old.
Stop the madness Mr. Bush. Put the emphasis on lasers and Star Wars defense systems to protect America from the madmen of the world. Madmen are like the energizer bunny.
No end in sight and they are coming and coming to kill us.
Red Eagles............
As the defensive coach of the Red Eagles it was a great day today.
Wow, was it hot on that field between 2 and 3:30 pm. My defensive charges, all 11, did their jobs and held our opponents to ZERO points. Coaching football to 10 year olds has to be one of the finest jobs in America. And having a son who is an absolute hammer on defense at middle linebacker is an added plus!
There are great games ahead this fall. As a coach and parent I am proud to be associated with this group of young men and their parents. They work hard, listen well and are eager to learn.
If every teacher in America could be so lucky.
Wow, was it hot on that field between 2 and 3:30 pm. My defensive charges, all 11, did their jobs and held our opponents to ZERO points. Coaching football to 10 year olds has to be one of the finest jobs in America. And having a son who is an absolute hammer on defense at middle linebacker is an added plus!
There are great games ahead this fall. As a coach and parent I am proud to be associated with this group of young men and their parents. They work hard, listen well and are eager to learn.
If every teacher in America could be so lucky.
Friday, August 17, 2007
DELL COMPUTER CORP.
This company should be punished. Reporting a reduction in profit between $50,000,000 and $150,000,000 because of financial manipulation to enhance quarterly earnings releases isn't the news. It is the flagrant errors and irregularities that are serious business.
Senior executives who perpetrated this misconduct (FRAUD) should be hunted down and have a dent put in their net worth. It should be easy for the SEC to find them. Just check out the "19th hole" on any golf course around Round Rock, Texas.
Senior executives who perpetrated this misconduct (FRAUD) should be hunted down and have a dent put in their net worth. It should be easy for the SEC to find them. Just check out the "19th hole" on any golf course around Round Rock, Texas.
Kenneth Bruce, Merrill Lynch
I don't know where his next job will be. As an analyst at a major brokerage firm his job isn't easy keeping investment banking clients, bosses, brokers and their clients happy.
The cauldron he stirred this week is yet another reason to take Wall Street research off your desk before it can hurt you.
The cauldron he stirred this week is yet another reason to take Wall Street research off your desk before it can hurt you.
from Ben Hogan, golfer.......
"Down the fairway of life, smell the roses, for you only get to play one round."
Thursday, August 16, 2007
700 to 800...........
points on the Dow Jones Industrial Averages are rather scarce. Todays trading action was fun to watch. I guess the stock market actually has some interested buyers around.
Maybe a 1,000 intraday swing isn't far off.
Maybe a 1,000 intraday swing isn't far off.
How to stay young.....
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them " 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Stocks dive 208 on credit problems
I love the negativity from all fronts. Headlines abound about how "bad" it is.
It has always amazed me how whenever the market doesn't set a new high every day, or every hour, a host of nattering nabobs of negativism come out of the woods to decry the woes of the economy and the market.
It was time to clean up the credit markets, cheap mortages, fake mortgages, fake qualified buyers, some hedge funds, some big brokerage firms and afew hot-shot traders.
Overdue, really.
The market is doing a good job of it. In orderly fashion.
It has always amazed me how whenever the market doesn't set a new high every day, or every hour, a host of nattering nabobs of negativism come out of the woods to decry the woes of the economy and the market.
It was time to clean up the credit markets, cheap mortages, fake mortgages, fake qualified buyers, some hedge funds, some big brokerage firms and afew hot-shot traders.
Overdue, really.
The market is doing a good job of it. In orderly fashion.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Big $$$$$$$$$$$$$...................
August 4, 2007
To the Editor,
Louis Bad Wound and Larry Red Shirt would surely cry. Both Lakota freedom fighters have gone on ahead with the Creator. Both were part of the original group who worked so hard for the return of the Black Hills to eight Sioux Tribes who claimed ownership.
As an enrolled member of the White Earth Chippewa Nation and the President and Founder of Chippewa Partners, Native American Advisors, Inc., the oldest Native American-owned investment management firm, having registered with the US Securities & Exchange Commission in 1995, I thought I would show why Native American Tribes need to invest prudently in the equity markets and why Tribes should question the role of the BIA in managing their assets.
In June of 1980, a decade after I attended high school in Pine Ridge, South Dakota the Supreme Court of the United States upheld an award of $105.9 million to the Tribes of the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota speaking tribes of North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota for the value of land taken by the US Government plus accrued interest. Those assets have been held “in trust” by the BIA since 1980. The money has been invested in bonds guaranteed by the US Government, the same Government that has violated almost every treaty agreement signed with Tribal leaders. That original investment, in bond investments “managed” by the BIA has grown to $863,286,700; not a small amount for any investment management firm today.
But, had the BIA been directed, asked, or instructed by Tribal or Federal authorities to invest that monetary award, in June of 1980, into the US stock market, into an unmanaged, passive index of United States stocks comprised of the largest 500 stocks in America, (the S & P 500 index, that original $105.9 million would have grown to an absolutely staggering amount of $3,015,532,900 by July of 2007.
Think seriously about these numbers. The time it would take to invest $105.9 million into the S & P 500 Index would be only minutes. Imagine the power these eight tribes would have with over $3 billion in assets in securing the 1.3 million acres of US Forest land they wanted returned. As a former NYSE arbitrator, I don’t call that a trust relationship. I call that a very big rip-off.
To Tribes, stop asking what the BIA can do with your money, that answer seems obvious. Start asking what professional investment management firms can do for Native American money. How long can Native people wait, for if not today, when? The time is now to break the cycle of dependency on BIA financial mismanagement. For all the wonderful Sioux people who could be benefiting from these funds, think very seriously. I know Louis Bad Wound and Larry Red Shirt would.
Respectfully,
Dean T. Parisian
Chief Investment Officer
Chippewa Partners
To the Editor,
Louis Bad Wound and Larry Red Shirt would surely cry. Both Lakota freedom fighters have gone on ahead with the Creator. Both were part of the original group who worked so hard for the return of the Black Hills to eight Sioux Tribes who claimed ownership.
As an enrolled member of the White Earth Chippewa Nation and the President and Founder of Chippewa Partners, Native American Advisors, Inc., the oldest Native American-owned investment management firm, having registered with the US Securities & Exchange Commission in 1995, I thought I would show why Native American Tribes need to invest prudently in the equity markets and why Tribes should question the role of the BIA in managing their assets.
In June of 1980, a decade after I attended high school in Pine Ridge, South Dakota the Supreme Court of the United States upheld an award of $105.9 million to the Tribes of the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota speaking tribes of North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota for the value of land taken by the US Government plus accrued interest. Those assets have been held “in trust” by the BIA since 1980. The money has been invested in bonds guaranteed by the US Government, the same Government that has violated almost every treaty agreement signed with Tribal leaders. That original investment, in bond investments “managed” by the BIA has grown to $863,286,700; not a small amount for any investment management firm today.
But, had the BIA been directed, asked, or instructed by Tribal or Federal authorities to invest that monetary award, in June of 1980, into the US stock market, into an unmanaged, passive index of United States stocks comprised of the largest 500 stocks in America, (the S & P 500 index, that original $105.9 million would have grown to an absolutely staggering amount of $3,015,532,900 by July of 2007.
Think seriously about these numbers. The time it would take to invest $105.9 million into the S & P 500 Index would be only minutes. Imagine the power these eight tribes would have with over $3 billion in assets in securing the 1.3 million acres of US Forest land they wanted returned. As a former NYSE arbitrator, I don’t call that a trust relationship. I call that a very big rip-off.
To Tribes, stop asking what the BIA can do with your money, that answer seems obvious. Start asking what professional investment management firms can do for Native American money. How long can Native people wait, for if not today, when? The time is now to break the cycle of dependency on BIA financial mismanagement. For all the wonderful Sioux people who could be benefiting from these funds, think very seriously. I know Louis Bad Wound and Larry Red Shirt would.
Respectfully,
Dean T. Parisian
Chief Investment Officer
Chippewa Partners
Double take............
My summer beach reading brought me good and bad.
Dr. Alexander Elders recent book "Entries & Exits" was a complete bomb. He was reaching for straws and Wiley Publishing should know better. I seldom say this but I wish I had the C-note back that it cost me. And the time it took to read it. Both wasted.
Brett Steenbargers book "Enhancing Trader Performance" was again, classic Brett. A serious contribution and a "must-read" for anyone with a serious investment library. Priceless.
Dr. Alexander Elders recent book "Entries & Exits" was a complete bomb. He was reaching for straws and Wiley Publishing should know better. I seldom say this but I wish I had the C-note back that it cost me. And the time it took to read it. Both wasted.
Brett Steenbargers book "Enhancing Trader Performance" was again, classic Brett. A serious contribution and a "must-read" for anyone with a serious investment library. Priceless.
Friday, August 03, 2007
What's changed...........?
2nd quarter earnings aren't taking us down. Oil isn't taking us down. Rates aren't taking us down.
Sellers are taking us down. Lots and lots of sellers. And far fewer buyers at the price levels of current offerings.
The Bear management team tonight must wish they never heard of an in-house hedge fund or sub-prime. To have the Bear Stearns CFO calling this the nastiest 22 year debacle he has ever seen is noteworthy. Apparently the market is agreeing with him.
I guess Bear never ponied up the $3,000,000,000 to bail out one of their hedge funds. So now, the lawyers will do their best to recoup from the deep pockets of Bear shareholders. I thought you had to be smart and rich to invest in hedge funds and run them? They all want the upside in great markets and none of the carnage on the way down. Sounds like par.
Sellers are taking us down. Lots and lots of sellers. And far fewer buyers at the price levels of current offerings.
The Bear management team tonight must wish they never heard of an in-house hedge fund or sub-prime. To have the Bear Stearns CFO calling this the nastiest 22 year debacle he has ever seen is noteworthy. Apparently the market is agreeing with him.
I guess Bear never ponied up the $3,000,000,000 to bail out one of their hedge funds. So now, the lawyers will do their best to recoup from the deep pockets of Bear shareholders. I thought you had to be smart and rich to invest in hedge funds and run them? They all want the upside in great markets and none of the carnage on the way down. Sounds like par.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Audi
One of the vehicles in our family stable of "horsepower" is an Audi.
Yes, the engineering is superb. How can Detroit compete against the foreigners?
Will they ever?
Yes, the engineering is superb. How can Detroit compete against the foreigners?
Will they ever?
B-52's..............
Last night at Chastain they played to a packed house. The heat and humidity were one. These guys were probably my first concert ever. It was late '79 or the early 80's when I saw them for the first time at San Diego State. Outdoors. What a great show. Rock Lobster and Love Shack had me going then and again last night. I probably don't get out as much as I should and the people watching last night at Chastain was stellar. The in-town crowd had it going on with plenty of "big-hair" in the crowd. Wilson and Pierson had it back then and they still have it.
I love the energy and fun they bring to their unique brand of entertainment. Pierson's dancing is a hoot. Timeless.
Here's some background on the band.
The B-52's are a New Wave rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976.
The band's name comes from a particular beehive hairdo that is wrapped around, instead of teased, with an open "hole" in the top. During their early years, wigs of that style were often worn by the band's female singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. The band was not named after the airplane of the same name.
Wilson and Pierson formed the band with drummer Keith Strickland, guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) and vocalist Fred Schneider after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant and played their first gig in 1977 at a St. Valentine's Day party for friends. The B-52's sound is marked by the vocals and lush harmonies of Wilson and Pierson, and the generally spoken-word or sprechgesang vocals of Schneider.
The band's quirky take on the New Wave sound of their era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart by the unusual guitar tunings used by Ricky Wilson. Their costume thrift-store chic set them apart as well. During the Mesopotamia tour, the band's famous wigs were under the care of Jackie Slayton, one of Athens's leading artists and long-time friend of the band.
I love the energy and fun they bring to their unique brand of entertainment. Pierson's dancing is a hoot. Timeless.
Here's some background on the band.
The B-52's are a New Wave rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976.
The band's name comes from a particular beehive hairdo that is wrapped around, instead of teased, with an open "hole" in the top. During their early years, wigs of that style were often worn by the band's female singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson. The band was not named after the airplane of the same name.
Wilson and Pierson formed the band with drummer Keith Strickland, guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother) and vocalist Fred Schneider after a drunken night at a Chinese restaurant and played their first gig in 1977 at a St. Valentine's Day party for friends. The B-52's sound is marked by the vocals and lush harmonies of Wilson and Pierson, and the generally spoken-word or sprechgesang vocals of Schneider.
The band's quirky take on the New Wave sound of their era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart by the unusual guitar tunings used by Ricky Wilson. Their costume thrift-store chic set them apart as well. During the Mesopotamia tour, the band's famous wigs were under the care of Jackie Slayton, one of Athens's leading artists and long-time friend of the band.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Read and think.........................
YOU WORRY ME!" By American Airlines Pilot - Captain John Maniscalco I've been trying to say this since 9-11, but you worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. I notice you because I can't help it anymore. People from your homelands, professing to be Muslims, have been attacking and killing my fellow citizens and our friends for more than 20 years now. I don't fully understand their grievances and hate, but I know that nothing can justify t he inhumanity of their attacks. On September 11, nineteen ARAB-MUSLIMS hijacked four jetliners in my country. They cut the throats of women in front of children and brutally stabbed to death others. They took control of those planes and crashed them into buildings killing thousands of proud fathers, loving sons, wise grandparents, elegant daughters, best friends, favorite coaches, fearless public servants, and children's mothers. The Palestinians Celebrated, the Iraqis were overjoyed as was most of the Arab world. So, I notice you now. I don't want to be worried. I don't want to be co nsumed by the same rage and hate and prejudice that has destroyed the soul of these terrorists. But, I need your help. As a rational American, trying to protect my country and family in an irrational and unsafe world, I must know how to tell the difference between you, and the Arab/Muslim terrorist.
How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim-Americans and the Arab/Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children? The events of September 11th changed the answer. It is not my resp onsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me. I want to know, I demand to know, and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America. Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation, that He will protect and prosper it? Or, do you pray that Allah with destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that only this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots who gave their lives for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America? If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it. Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions you are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America. Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent because I worry about who you regard as innocent. No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks because I worry about what is unprovoked to you I am not interested in any more sympathy. I am only interested in action. What will you do for America - our great country - at this time of crisis, at this time of war? I w ant to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting "Allah Bless America." I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time, and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to this nation as a whole. The FBI has a list of over 400 people they want to talk to regarding the WTC attack. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Hand them over to us, now! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from re prisals. The very few Arab/Muslim representatives that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating. They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States proves who was responsible before taking action. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing "leaders" like Khadafi, Hussein, Farrakhan, and Arafat. If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, and pure, and true, when your "leaders" are tea ching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again. A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at ai rport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam. We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take way that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest constitution in the world. I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to demand it. A right paid for by the blood of th ousands of my brothers and sisters who died protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family. I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American. But there can be no gray areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then, "YOU WORRY ME!"
How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim-Americans and the Arab/Muslim terrorists in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children? The events of September 11th changed the answer. It is not my resp onsibility to determine which of you embraces our great country, with ALL of its religions, with ALL of its different citizens, with all of its faults. It is time for every Arab/Muslim in this country to determine it for me. I want to know, I demand to know, and I have a right to know, whether or not you love America. Do you pledge allegiance to its flag? Do you proudly display it in front of your house, or on your car? Do you pray in your many daily prayers that Allah will bless this nation, that He will protect and prosper it? Or, do you pray that Allah with destroy it in one of your Jihads? Are you thankful for the freedom that only this nation affords? A freedom that was paid for by the blood of hundreds of thousands of patriots who gave their lives for this country? Are you willing to preserve this freedom by also paying the ultimate sacrifice? Do you love America? If this is your commitment, then I need YOU to start letting ME know about it. Your Muslim leaders in this nation should be flooding the media at this time with hard facts on your faith, and what hard actions you are taking as a community and as a religion to protect the United States of America. Please, no more benign overtures of regret for the death of the innocent because I worry about who you regard as innocent. No more benign overtures of condemnation for the unprovoked attacks because I worry about what is unprovoked to you I am not interested in any more sympathy. I am only interested in action. What will you do for America - our great country - at this time of crisis, at this time of war? I w ant to see Arab-Muslims waving the AMERICAN flag in the streets. I want to hear you chanting "Allah Bless America." I want to see young Arab/Muslim men enlisting in the military. I want to see a commitment of money, time, and emotion to the victims of this butchering and to this nation as a whole. The FBI has a list of over 400 people they want to talk to regarding the WTC attack. Many of these people live and socialize right now in Muslim communities. You know them. You know where they are. Hand them over to us, now! But I have seen little even approaching this sort of action. Instead I have seen an already closed and secretive community close even tighter. You have disappeared from the streets. You have posted armed security guards at your facilities. You have threatened lawsuits. You have screamed for protection from re prisals. The very few Arab/Muslim representatives that HAVE appeared in the media were defensive and equivocating. They seemed more concerned with making sure that the United States proves who was responsible before taking action. They seemed more concerned with protecting their fellow Muslims from violence directed towards them in the United States and abroad than they did with supporting our country and denouncing "leaders" like Khadafi, Hussein, Farrakhan, and Arafat. If the true teachings of Islam proclaim tolerance and peace and love for all people, then I want chapter and verse from the Koran and statements from popular Muslim leaders to back it up. What good is it if the teachings in the Koran are good, and pure, and true, when your "leaders" are tea ching fanatical interpretations, terrorism, and intolerance? It matters little how good Islam SHOULD BE if huge numbers of the world's Muslims interpret the teachings of Mohammed incorrectly and adhere to a degenerative form of the religion. A form that has been demonstrated to us over and over again. A form whose structure is built upon a foundation of violence, death, and suicide. A form whose members are recruited from the prisons around the world. A form whose members (some as young as five years old) are seen day after day, week in and week out, year after year, marching in the streets around the world, burning effigies of our presidents, burning the American flag, shooting weapons into the air. A form whose members convert from a peaceful religion, only to take up arms against the great United States of America, the country of their birth. A form whose rules are so twisted, that their traveling members refuse to show their faces at ai rport security checkpoints, in the name of Islam. We will NEVER allow the attacks of September 11, or any others for that matter, to take way that which is so precious to us: Our rights under the greatest constitution in the world. I want to know where every Arab Muslim in this country stands and I think it is my right and the right of every true citizen of this country to demand it. A right paid for by the blood of th ousands of my brothers and sisters who died protecting the very constitution that is protecting you and your family. I am pleading with you to let me know. I want you here as my brother, my neighbor, my friend, as a fellow American. But there can be no gray areas or ambivalence regarding your allegiance and it is up to YOU, to show ME, where YOU stand. Until then, "YOU WORRY ME!"