I guess things will never change

THIS is what I do when I don't go into the shop for an entire day. I waste my time on the blogs.

I don't "follow" politics as much as some of my friends do. I have 1/2 an idea what's going on, and when election time closes in I try to dig around and make as informed a decision as possible (somewhat easier/harder with the Internet -- there's more information but sometimes it's harder to dig between truth and crap). Today I was reading about the possibility of Rudy Giuliani as a possible GOP candidate for 2008. This about sums it up ...

Already, Giuliani’s popularity has set off a “stop Rudy” movement among cultural conservatives, who object to his three marriages and his support for abortion rights, gay unions, and curbs on gun ownership. Some social conservatives even dismiss his achievement in reviving New York before 9/11. An August story on the website Right Wing News, for instance, claims that Giuliani governed Gotham from “left of center.” Similarly, conservatives have been feeding the press a misleading collection of quotations by and about Giuliani, on tax policy and school choice issues, assembled to make him look like a liberal.

I'm not saying I'm for or against Rudy (or Barack or Hillary or Danny or Donnie or Joey or Jonathan or Jordan). I don't know yet - way too early to call.

But I do think that generally speaking most people in this country are in the "middle" of the road. I'd think that *MOST* Democrats AND Republicans are moderate, and we have far more in common than not. I have to wonder if the parties (both the Dems and the GOP) are going to push out the candidates that are in the middle (the more liberal Republicans or the more conservative Democrats) in order to try to put forth a candidate that will toe the party line.

And really -- I'd think we'd all be better off with someone that doesn't toe a party line, but looks at the country as a whole.

Okay -- there's 300,000,000 people in this country -- and while you can't please all the people all time - there really ain't no reason to only think about 150,000,000 of them.

But what do I know -- I'm only one lone voice in the 3 million.

Change in attitude -- without a change in latitude

I'm (trying) to learn to take care of myself. Sometimes some of my "peeps" (more on some of them later) help to remind me.


This week, Crem was out of town for a few days and I picked him up from the airport. Which, at first glance might have seemed crazy but I put it this way ---


from my point of view .... makes me get out of the store -makes me spend time away from my kids

from Crem's point of view ... there's a 75% chance that I'd be cuter than the taxi driver, and there's a 60% chance that my car smells better than the taxi (actually higher than that cause my kids haven't been in the car lately leaving banana peels or 1/2 eaten yogurt containers).


Where's the downside?


So after picking him up I hadn't eaten, he hadn't eaten but it was too late for "dinner" dinner so we went to get some nosh and such :}. He'd already gotten quite lubed enough both with his boss after the presentation and on the plane, but ......


Anyway - as geography would have it, it was not at all inconvenient to make a stop on the way home ...at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Where they have not too bad food and really really good libations.

I now have a new love in my life, and

Today I'm grateful for ...


Chocolate martinis ... Bailey's, Amaretto, Kahlua, cream, chocolate, vodka.

Where's the downside? I'm just sayin ...

Which, of course brings to mind the words of one of my favorite philosophers ...

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couln't laugh we just would go insane
If we weren't all crazy we would go insane .........

What do you DO all day (boring)

I own a business. Someone once asked me what I do all day and I likened it to this guy ...

It often seems I'm running around trying to keep everything moving before it all falls and crashes.

Friday I told Spouse that I needed a hand this morning. I've been telling him (for weeks) that I'm stretched out and exhausted. Friday morning this is what I did (might be in a different order, and I'm sure things are missing) ...

1. Proof three returns from Thursday night. (In my office, nothing goes anywhere without two sets of eyes looking at it. Any of us can make mistakes, but around here we seldom have two people make the same mistake).


2. Check email


3. Say "hi" to client and get him sat down with preparer


4. Find out prep#1 computer was broken


5. Get client and preparer situation in other cubicle


6. Fix prep#1 computer (monitor was flaky)


7. Dress waver #1


8. Find the banners, stands, and all the parts.


9. Get a water refill.


10. Drag water bottles around


11. Make coffee for waver #1


12. See building maintenance guy about fixing the GAP under the front door (don't need to heat the town)

I don't remember all the details exactly, but that was all in a period of about 15-20 minutes. The next few hours was sort of a "more of the same." I was thinking of trying to keep a list, but I never had time.Basically, my goal in life is to keep moving, and make sure that the plates don't come crashing down.

Chip & Princess' school is having their biennial dinner dance/fundraiser in a few weeks. The theme is "honky tonk" so I went to Rhapsody and typed in Honky Tonk to see what happened. Among other things I came across a song by Trace Adkins

But all I can do, is all I can do and I keep on tryin
And all I can be is all I can be
and I keep on tryin
There's always a mountain in front of me,
Seems I'm always climbin and fallin and climbin
But I keep on tryin
Trace Adkins

AH well -- life is life.

Science news

A major research institution recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named Bushcronium.Bushcronium has a single neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 76 deputy neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an Atomic mass of 313. These 313 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.Since Bushcronium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can still be detected as it impedes any reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Bushcronium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would normally take less than a second.Bushcronium has a normal half-life of multiples of 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Bushcronium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to believe that Bushcronium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as “Critical Morass.”When catalyzed with money, Bushcronium activates Foxnewsium, an element which radiates orders of magnitude, more energy, albeit as incoherent noise, since it has 1/2 as many peons but twice as many morons.

The birthday boy

Today I'm grateful for

Spouse

Okay -- I wasn't being neglectful of Spouse by waiting this many days into this theme -- I just figured I'd wait until his birthday (since I knew it was coming up).

Spouse and I are not alike. Actually though we compliment each other in a grand variety of ways. For instance, I tend to procrastinate -- and at least with Spouse around I never have to worry about the phone or electricity getting turned off because I just didn't get around to paying the bills. He makes sure all that stuff is up to date.

Spouse loads *and* unloads the dishwasher.

Spouse takes out the garbage (and remembers every week)

Spouse always folds the laundry (and washes the laundry during tax season).

NOW - some make look at say "hey that's all just everyday stuff what's that about" but the other day I was reading The Dilbert Blog. Scott Adams A few days ago he did a Romance surveyRomance survey, and got 381 responses (I did NOT read all of them). He was surprised by the number of people that considered simple household chores to be romantic. I guess he hasn't been married that long. Those simple little everyday things might not seem like much.

Spouse does not insist he read my blog (he doesn't even know where to find it). I'd go bonkers if I lived with someone that needed to know everything I did, everywhere I went, and everything I said. I'd be like bouncing off the walls.

And I'm really grateful to Spouse because, after he reads this, he's going to see how much I love him, how much I need him, and he's going to make a doctor's appointment to have a checkup and make sure he doesn't have sleep apnea. Because as much as I sometimes think he's a pain, he's my pain and I want him to stick around for a long time.

Monkey Business

Back in early Jan, in Four for Friday meme I answered the question -- Investing: If you had extra money to invest in 2007, where would you put it? If I knew then what I know now ...

Mr. Monk, with the Chicago Sun Times, has beaten the market four years running. (Note -- Mr. Monk is the one on the left -- the one without the tie)



Primal picks
Primal picks
(http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/208997,CST-FIN-curious14.article)

January 14, 2007

BY DAVID ROEDER Sun-Times Columnist
This year, Mr. Adam Monk, the Sun-Times' stock-picking monkey who has beaten the market for four years running, is into erectile dysfunction. He's also into syringes, women's clothes and fresh fruit and vegetables. But don't get the wrong idea.




These are the businesses of Mr. Monk's latest stock picks, made last week exclusively for the Sun-Times. And that means only one thing: It's time again for the Sun-Times Monkey Manager stock-picking contest, celebrating the wisdom of the everyday investor and primate.

Yes, despite all you hear about consolidation and cost-cutting in the Mainstream Media, with its Incredible Shrinking Newspapers, here we are back with the contest this year, and again with a fabulous prize for the reader who guesses the top-gaining stock of 2007. It's from Apple Vacations, America's Favorite Vacation Company, and details run alongside this story.

To get the stock-guessing juices flowing, I visited Mr. Monk last week at his natural habitat, Animal Rentals Inc., 5742 W. Grand. The senior-citizen cebus monkey crawled over newspaper stock pages (yes, we found some!) arrayed on a desk, and marked his five favorites with a pen. It's now a time-honored ritual, documented by a Sun-Times photographer and the accounting firm Howard, Fine & Howard.

His selections are included in an accompanying table. Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Mr. Monk, progressive as ever, is trying something new. One of his stocks isn't a stock at all, strictly speaking. It's an exchange-traded fund, Market 2000 HOLDRS Trust (MKH), which represents shares of the 50 largest-cap companies.

"It's going to be a big year for that part of the market," Mr. Monk told this reporter. "I had this pathetic intern working for me, and I told him to go buy me some large caps. He came back with this boxload of incredibly ugly cheesehead things. So I got into that market with this ETF."

His other picks include companies in pharmaceutical supplies (the syringes) and medical devices (for sundry pelvic issues), historically two of Mr. Monk's favorite sectors. Rounding out his portfolio are Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (FDP) and ladies' apparel maker Cygne Designs Inc. (CYDS).

The latter two stocks had really bad years in 2006, but Mr. Monk insisted they are bouncing back. "Any monkey knows you can't go wrong with bananas and pineapples," he said. "Cygne makes jeans and skimpy tops for teenagers. Believe me, it's not spending much on material."

Mr. Monk invited readers to follow his stocks all year, with updates in the Sun-Times and at www.sun times.com, and to top his performance by submitting a stock for the contest.

In the four years since Mr. Monk has chaired and inspired this contest, his stocks have posted annual returns of 37 percent, 36 percent, 3 percent and, in 2006, 36 percent, beating the major indexes every time. It's proof that you don't have to be an insider CEO, an insider hedge-fund manager or a loudmouth on CNBC to make money in the market.

Our readers have responded to his example with stock picks that gained 100 percent, 200 percent and way higher. So take your best shot again this year.

Mr. Monk is with you all the way, while also tending to his latest venture, as previously reported. He has founded a company to produce the next generation in camera-, phone-, Internet-, music- and game-linked devices that will provide you with every technological convenience while recording your every move to build the most massive consumer database known to man. It is nothing less than a campaign for global domination.

It's called Private Eye Electronic Products (PEEP) and Mr. Monk gave me the latest update.

"We're going after Steve Jobs with our new device, the iPEEP. We're also launching our version of the BlackBerry, only it will be for the late adopters of technology. We call it the ElderBerry. And I have responded to the City of Chicago's call for proposals on offering free Wi-Fi access to everybody."

That sounds exciting, I said.

Mr. Monk hesitated. "I'm not too sure about the city," he said. "I went to my alderman and said I want to offer free Wi-Fi. My alderman -- he's up there in years a bit -- said, 'Whaa . . . you want a free hi-fi?' Trust me, there's a steep learning curve with the city on this whole thing."

I told Mr. Monk that I was amazed by his new ideas and ventures. Why, I asked, does he do this when, at age 35, he's geriatric for a cebus monkey and could retire on all the laurels and riches he's gained for his stock expertise?

"It's all a matter of challenging yourself," he said, "and of taking what's out there and improving it. For example, there's Donald Trump and his show, 'The Apprentice.' That whole franchise is obviously failing. So I've signed as senior producer of a new show where people compete to serve my organization and replace that pathetic intern who bought the cheeseheads. I call the show 'The Pathetic Interns.' And you'll love my twist on the concept."

What's the twist?

"I signed that Hilton woman to star in it. She'll lord it over the contestants in a vaguely dominatrix sort of way."

Imagine that, I said. You signed Paris Hilton?

"No, no. She's got a sister, a real up-and-comer. Stockholm Hilton. She got the brain genes in the family."

What channel will carry the show?

"For Mr. Monk, there's only one. Animal Planet."


Here are Mr. Adam Monk's stock selections for 2007


Cygne Designs
Ticker: CYDS
Business: Women’s clothes
Friday's close: $2.30
Percent return in last 52 weeks: -53.1
Comment: Accounting woes hurt results

Fresh Del Monte Produce
Ticker: FDP
Business: Fresh fruits, veggies
Friday's close: 14.90
Percent return in last 52 weeks: -33.2
Comment: Ongoing losses kill dividend

West Pharmaceutical Services
Ticker: WST
Business: Health care packaging, testing
Friday's close: 48.19
Percent return in last 52 weeks: +66.5
Comment: Profit growth may flat-line

American Medical Systems Holdings
Ticker: AMMD
Business: Urological disorder devices
Friday's close: 19.91
Percent return in last 52 weeks: -2.2
Comment: Erectile Dysfunction R Us

Market 200 HOLDRS
Ticker: MKH
Business: Shares of 50 large-caps
Friday's close: 62.41
Percent return in last 52 weeks: +14.8
Comment: Big-caps in big comeback?



Contests have rules (here are ours)

It's time to test your skills against the investment prowess of Mr. Adam Monk, the primate of portfolio performance. Enter the Sun-Times Monkey Manager stock-picking contest, 2007 edition!

Send us your favorite stock, and we'll track it all year. You'll win the contest if your stock has the greatest price appreciation of all entries.

You could win a fabulous prize. It's from Apple Vacations, America's Favorite Vacation Company. It's a seven-night trip for two to Gran Bahia Principe Tulum in Riviera Maya, Mexico!


Here are the rules:

• Send us a pick of one stock via e-mail or regular mail. The stock must be listed on a U.S. market and trade for at least $5 a share as of Jan. 1, 2007.

• The winner is the stock with the biggest price appreciation in 2007. Dividends don't count. If your stock stops trading, such as because of a merger, it is disqualified. Stocks that had their debut after Jan. 1, 2007, are ineligible.

• Tell us your name, the name of your stock and the ticker symbol. Provide your address, daytime phone number and e-mail address.

• For a tiebreaker (for multiple readers picking the same stock), tell us where the Dow Jones industrial average will close at the end of 2007. Closest guess wins.

• E-mail must arrive by 5 p.m. Jan. 22, 2007. Send it to monkey@suntimes.com, with "Monkey Manager" in the subject header. Regular mail must be postmarked by Jan. 22, 2007. Send to: Monkey Manager, Chicago Sun-Times Business Section, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654.



© Copyright 2007 Sun-Times News Group User Agreement and Privacy Policy

Darn too bad it's January

This could be the sound bite of the year if this wasn't January. By December nobody will remember it.....

I'm just going to pull a snippet from the story - only cause it's too good to pass up. You can click on the link for the entire story.

First -- our sound bite ...

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore."

Personally I happen to believe that condoms belong anywhere that people are having sex. And I'm not thinking I'd make a blanket statement that people are NOT having sex in school.

Now, let's switch around the statement a little bit -- because the complaint was about a movie that Al Gore is in so in fact that statement says...

Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does the truth.

I really have to wonder, if someone that had never been involved in politics was featured in the movie, would the movie garner more respect in certain quarters? I know that somehow "Al Gore" is seen as a spokesperson for "all them silly liberals." It doesn't matter what he said - he's considered by some to have a liberal bias.

But if I highly respected scientist type was in the movie, would it sell as much?? (I mean really how many "regular" folk are going to go running out to hear Stephen Hawking speak -- he just doesn't have the box office appeal??)

Then, one further comment.

THIS winter?? This winter someone is saying that global warming is a load of hooey??

SIGH

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Federal Way schools restrict Gore film
'Inconvenient Truth' called too controversial

Thursday, January 11, 2007

By ROBERT MCCLURE AND LISA STIFFLER
P-I REPORTERS


Al Gore's documentary about global warming may not be shown unless the teacher also presents an "opposing view."
"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P-I reporter Robert McClure can be reached at 206-448-8092 or robertmcclure@seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

some things work, some things don't

Unless you live under a rock, you might know that the Chicago Bears are the NFC champs and are going to the Stupid (I mean SUPER) Bowl.

This is not significant to my life, but Spouse and Chip care. On Stupid Bowl Sunday I will go to the annual chili supper, eat chili, visit with the other people that don't much care about the game, and run into the TV room whenever a commercial comes on.

THAT said -- I noticed a few things around today.

THIS I think is cute (wonder where he got it)

This doesn't work for me.

And this REALLY doesn't work for me.

I mean, I don't know much really or care much really about football. But pink just doesn't seem to go with "Monsters of the Midway." (Then again, neither does the name "Lovie Smith," which when put together with the word "bear" brings an image like this

not an image like this.

I'm just saying.

(Though -- that said I can see Christina in a pink fitted Chargers shirt.)

A river runs through it.

Today I'm grateful for ....

Anderson's Bookshop

I live in an up and coming suburb. And yes that's a note of sarcasm you detect there in my voice. In our downtown we have the river, along the river is a wonderful linear park, with walking trails, benches, water fountains, drinking fountains (including a few for dogs) a pool, a playground, soccer and baseball fields, woods, bridges, fountains, and lots of mutt mitts :}. (Humans must pick up the dog poop -- nobody picks up the goose poop). Also along/near the river are the city offices, park district offices, and the downtown branch of the library.

After the lovely parklike riverwalk, and the city, park, and library facilities, we have the $HOPPING. A long time ago there used to be a number of charming, small, family oriented businesses. Of course, with the increase in population, the increase in foot traffic in the area, and other things, the small, charming, family oriented business gave way to the Major Chain Stores. Forget the little guys, and while all you people are here shopping let's make sure you don't support the local businesses, but make sure you go to the chains. One by one the locals are being driven out -- but Chain$ willing to pay the increased rents that the landlords can charge are flocking like the Canadian Geese that won't migrate further than the silly folks that feed them all year and then complain when they get agressive..

Yeah, it's the same old song everywhere.

Most likely you've seen the movie You've Got Mail. Romantic comedy with Meg Ryan owing a small indy bookstore and Tom Hanks being the guy from Big Chain Bookstore. Around the same time that movie was released (a year or two either way), Barnes and Noble Bookseller built a flagship store in downtown Naperville. Smack dab on the corner of "almost everyone passes this way" and "just about everyone else turns here." Two stories tall, comfy chairs, music department, coffee shop.

Meanwhile, a couple of blocks over Anderson's Bookshop is still sitting there. No music department, no coffee shop, and not an overtowering presence on "all cars pass here."

However, despite the presence of the mega chain, and the off main drag location of Anderson's, Anderson's Bookshop *IS* an overpowering presence in the world of books. Since moving here I (or members of my family) have gotten autographs from the following authors...

Eric Carle
Nancy Carlson
Kevin Henkes
Dav Pikley
Cynthia Rylant
Lemony Snicket (actually, his stamp because although I've been to two "signings" unfortunate things happened to Mr. Snicket so he was unable to attend the events and Mr. Handler had to represent Mr. Snicket).
and some british chick named Rowling. (that was a LONG day surrounded by Jr. High age kids).
This is a small sampling of the authors they've brought into the area. I'm sure I've even met more, but this is all that can come to the top of my head while I'm sitting in my office with a headache. (I was looking the other day at some of the display signs they had autographed -- Terkel, Paolini, Elizabeth Berg & Alice Hoffman, Brashares, Andrews Edwards -- JK Rowling was there twice -- Anderson's had her through back when Philosopher's Stone was some obscure British novel).

Saturday we had a birthday emergency type thing. Chip was invited to a birthday party Sunday which "we" forgot about (I never knew about it -- Spouse never even opened the invitation until yesterday when friend's dad called to find out why Chip had RSVPd but we hadn't). So Saturday night (after a full day of work and going home and then making dinner) I had to run out with Chip to get a present for his friend. Now I knew there were plenty of places we could go to get something and I knew the "toy" selection at Anderson's bookshop was small, but I also knew that there would be things that would interest a 10 year old boy and be within my budget. I also knew that after purchasing said gift I could get it gift wrapped, for FREE.

I'm sure, like any business, they care about the bottom line and making a buck here and there when and where they can. But they have this fascinating marketing approach for a bookseller. They READ books, they LOVE books, and they attract people (both from the buyers and sellers standpoint) that LOVE books.

Hey -- it works.

Am I shallow????

I was looking over some of my gratitude notes -- there seems to be a pattern ....

1. Feed me, send me recipes, I love you.


2. Drink wine with me, I love you.


3. Pizza and hotdogs


4. Coffee


5. Jump starting my car


6. Go out for a Guinness with me and you get to be my *BEST* Friend.

Okay -- I guess I was altruistic with the animal rescue folks, but really, this seems to run across the "what's in it for me."

Oh well maybe someday (if I remember) I'll try to think of a few more things that I don't get anything out of.

Maybe ...

If I remember