Obsession

Is it possible to get too caught up in the stock market - to treat it as you would a table card game like poker? I'm afraid so. It can become an obsession - like a beautiful woman or like fine liquor. There is nothing wrong with becoming obsessed, just be careful what you become addicted to. There are always at least two roads to travel - choose wisely. 

Toyota

Did you hear? Toyota posted a profit in its most recent financial quarter of $242 million. It made the news because Toyota has recently been losing money - since about a year ago, in fact. Prior to the Great Recession, Toyota had never, ever had a negative quarter. It was simply expected that it would post a profit year after year after year. That's why this is news. Imagine Walt Disney all of a sudden deciding not to license the sale of Mickey Mouse merchandise. That would be unheard of. However, it probably makes absolutely no difference to this topless woman - she's on vacation in Bermuda.

Privacy

From a news story on the net: I had not heard about this wild idea: "PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes." Raising gas taxes is just too simple a way out of this dilemma. Everyone knows that cars cause most of the world's pollution. The real reason behind this lame idea must be to reduce the number of cars. Maybe soon, we'll hear someone say that people over a certain age shouldn't drive at all. The words "monitoring devices" scares the unholy sweat out of me.

Recession???

I stopped by Target, Wal-Mart, and JC Penney this afternoon to do some last minute shopping. The parking lots were full to the gills, filled to the rafters, standing room only inside. Many shelves were bare. So, I asked myself - where is this recession that economists keep talking about??? Maybe everywhere else except here? Washington should put a commission together to look into this mystery. I did notice the price of gas is at $1.60 now. That much is true, but everything else is still expensive. Where is the deflation I keep hearing about? The woman at left must be smiling because her unemployment check is huge? Or she has a very rich husband? I have no clue.

Work it Out

Work is movement. Don't be inert. Just move. Even rich people work - most of them anyway. Paloma Picasso may not need the money but she has worked practically all her life - she needs to work. She will forever be known as the daughter of the famous painter but she works anyway. She does not paint - she designs stuff like jewelry and perfumes and fashion accessories. Learn from her example. She's fifty nine and still working.

Obsession

Is it possible to become obsessed with the stock market, the way you would a beautiful woman or fine liquor? If you're not careful, you could begin to treat it the same way you would a card game like poker. The stock market is not a nice place for gamblers. You have to know something about what you're buying - choose wisely. There are always at least two roads to choose from. My choice is the color blue.

Bottom

This quote is from some publication - don't ask me which one - maybe Yahoo. "I don't think anyone can say we've reached the bottom yet," said Chuck Gabriel, managing director of Capital Alpha Partners in Washington. "It's going to be a very gloomy Christmas." Kim Caughey, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh, said that "for investors to get more confidence, we need to know details" of the new administration's plans to handle the crisis. "There's been a vacuum of leadership" she added, "and when that happens, you get fear and rumors, and then people sell." It came from about two weeks ago. These people know nothing. They panic just like everyone else. Even their guesses are half-hearted. They are too scared to stick their necks out and say something concrete. I think what I said was that the market had already hit bottom - it's time to start buying. You can have a different opinion, of course, but at least state it - don't be a marshmallow when you talk - please.

Horse sense II

Okay, the credit emergency seems not to be over. Lots of people never saw it as a real emergency since the stock market seemed to be doing fine inspite of the delay in securing the 700 billion dollar injection of funds but there you have it. There is more to be done. More businesses to save. More jobs to create. It will be so much fun. Did Wall Street learn anything? Who knows? Just buy as many conservative shares as you can while they're still cheap. I think WAMU is about 4 cents. Is that cheap enough? We need an injection of plain old horse sense. That's what we need.

Getting tipped off

Isn't it cool when you know someone on the inside and you get information about something important that most people cannot possibly know about???? The party girls on the left (I have no clue who they are) are having a good time at some posh party somewhere - it doesn't matter where. They are there because their husbands are there. Trust me on that. Their husbands are investors. They do not appear to be worried about stock market losses. They do not appear to be worried about anything at all. Before the financial collapse of so many large firms (like Bear Stearns and AIG) that caused Wall Street to reel and shake, I think some people got tipped off. As was the custom every six years in Mexico, with the changes in administration came official peso devaluations and people were financially hurt every time. There were some people who were never hurt because they got tipped off. Get to know someone on the inside if you can possibly manage it. You'll be glad you did.

Hemlines

Here is proof that the economy is (or will shortly be) improving. This is not a supermodel who is being paid to wear the high hemline. She is just an average woman (no, not my next door neighbor) who is confident about the economy. I bet you she isn't even worried about job security. She has a penthouse on the third floor. Cool.

Hemlines going up

After tomorrow, when the bailout plan is approved, hemlines will start going up again. They say that good economic times tend to raise hemlines on women's dresses or skirts. Who really knows? Of course, if the little plan doesn't get approved, then the hemlines will drop - probably all the way to the floor. It won't make too much difference to me either way - my eyesight is not terribly good. I would need to get really close to notice the difference.

Dresses

They say that being a man is easy because you have only one dress style and that's it. No need to change wardrobe every year. Perhaps you buy a new tie every now and then, but women, OMG. How do you choose? How do you choose? Don't look to me for help. I think a simply dressed woman is good enough. No need to wrap yourself in Gap, Versace, Prada, Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Yves St Laurent, Donna Karan, DKNY, Elie Tahari, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, or a hundred other chic dress makers. There's no law against it though, if you can afford it.