Thursday, December 04, 2008
Headin' to Atlantis
Cheryl, Zach and I are heading out tomorrow morning to the Bahamas for a nice long relaxing weekend. Cheryl's cousin Megan is getting married on Saturday afternoon. None of us has ever been to the Bahamas and we are looking forward to a little rest and relaxation. The return flight is on Monday...wish us luck!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Some people should not be allowed to reproduce...
We all know that celebrities seem to give their children odd names at times, but this one has to take the cake. The superficial had this on their front page today and I have been laughing my ass off about it for 5 minutes. Poor kid....
http://thesuperficial.com/2008/11/ashlee_simpson_has_a_boy.php
http://thesuperficial.com/2008/11/ashlee_simpson_has_a_boy.php
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Look Out Below
So...we are now two days into the "new world" of the savior of the free world Barack Obama. Too bad the market is down almost 1000 points in these two days. I guess higher taxes on businesses and increased regulation doesn't sit too well with investors....hmmm, who would have thought?
After two days of mourning and vomitting at the stupidity of the voting public in the United States, I have realized that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The light is known as "the blame game". It is something that Democrats have become experts at for 8 long years...blaming every bad thing in the world on George Bush and the "evil" Republicans. Now it is my turn for a little payback, at least for the next four years. Any economic news, natural disaster, wars, etc is now the fault of the savior Barack Obama. I feel much better now! Cheers everyone....
After two days of mourning and vomitting at the stupidity of the voting public in the United States, I have realized that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The light is known as "the blame game". It is something that Democrats have become experts at for 8 long years...blaming every bad thing in the world on George Bush and the "evil" Republicans. Now it is my turn for a little payback, at least for the next four years. Any economic news, natural disaster, wars, etc is now the fault of the savior Barack Obama. I feel much better now! Cheers everyone....
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Why I am voting for McCain
There is a little expression we use on Wall Street when talking to clients about the gyrations of the stock market..."Beware the crowd at extremes". This means that the stock market is a very dangerous place when people are acting on emotion and not facts. Nothing could be closer to the truth than during this presidential election...emotion is overriding reason and sound judgement. Here is what I am talking about:
On one hand is a guy who has no experience and is completely unproven. This guy has a group of VERY questionable associates that he used to hang out with. His views on the issues are very liberal with some bordering on radical. He "goes with the flow" and follows his political party's wishes to the letter. But he is great at making speeches.
On the other hand you have a guy with lots of experience who is proven. This guy has never associated with radicals, much less a bunch of them. He fought for his country and is considered moderate on many issues. He has gone against his own party on numerous issues where he thought they were wrong. Like most people, he is not a great orator.
We all know where I am going here...I support John McCain for President. I know this isn't the "cool" thing to do...it's what I believe is the best decision given the two choices. I don't support McCain because I like him a whole lot. I don't support him because I agree with him on all the issues. I will vote for McCain because I am making a rational decision based on the facts and I think he would be a better President.
I realize that many people are trying to link McCain and Bush just because they are both Republicans. But if you do the research, you will see that McCain and Bush are only similar on a few issues. In fact, during the 2000 Presidential primary, it is no secret that they did not see eye-to-eye on many issues.
I encourage everyone to get out there on Tuesday and vote. But I ask you not to make your decision based on anger, emotion, a good speech, or what is "cool" to do. If you do this, you are selling your stocks right at the bottom of the market before the rally. Make your own decision based on the issues and your feelings as to who would do a better job leading us through the next four years....
On one hand is a guy who has no experience and is completely unproven. This guy has a group of VERY questionable associates that he used to hang out with. His views on the issues are very liberal with some bordering on radical. He "goes with the flow" and follows his political party's wishes to the letter. But he is great at making speeches.
On the other hand you have a guy with lots of experience who is proven. This guy has never associated with radicals, much less a bunch of them. He fought for his country and is considered moderate on many issues. He has gone against his own party on numerous issues where he thought they were wrong. Like most people, he is not a great orator.
We all know where I am going here...I support John McCain for President. I know this isn't the "cool" thing to do...it's what I believe is the best decision given the two choices. I don't support McCain because I like him a whole lot. I don't support him because I agree with him on all the issues. I will vote for McCain because I am making a rational decision based on the facts and I think he would be a better President.
I realize that many people are trying to link McCain and Bush just because they are both Republicans. But if you do the research, you will see that McCain and Bush are only similar on a few issues. In fact, during the 2000 Presidential primary, it is no secret that they did not see eye-to-eye on many issues.
I encourage everyone to get out there on Tuesday and vote. But I ask you not to make your decision based on anger, emotion, a good speech, or what is "cool" to do. If you do this, you are selling your stocks right at the bottom of the market before the rally. Make your own decision based on the issues and your feelings as to who would do a better job leading us through the next four years....
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Oh no.....
No, I'm not thinking about Barack Obama and how absolutely scary it is that he could be President shortly. My Sony bigscreen's picture went on the fritz yesterday morning and I now realize how crappy life is without a bigscreen. I am so spoiled. I am also turning 35 tomorrow, which doesn't seem to bother me nearly as much as the TV issue. More on the political statements this weekend, grasshoppers!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Investing 101
Let me know who made what money this week on my suggestion. Hopefully SOMEONE out there made a few bucks cause I made a killing this week....I bought QLD at 30 on Friday last week and sold it Tuesday at 42. Bought it back yesterday at 30.50 and sold it today at 36. Sure I got lucky this time, but with the way things have been in the market lately, I was way overdue for some good luck.
For those longer-term investors out there (which I normally am, by the way...this was a rare trading move that I usually don't have the balls to do), here is a great opinion piece that Warren Buffett wrote in today's New York Times...this is exactly the way you should be thinking right now if you are a long-term investor....
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
For those longer-term investors out there (which I normally am, by the way...this was a rare trading move that I usually don't have the balls to do), here is a great opinion piece that Warren Buffett wrote in today's New York Times...this is exactly the way you should be thinking right now if you are a long-term investor....
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
Monday, October 13, 2008
Take the Money and Run
So you thought I was crazy on Friday, huh? Man do I love it when I am right! Granted, it doesn't always happen, but it sure feels good when I pick it right and actually act on it. Yep...I followed my own advice on Friday and bought QLD at 30 and DDM at about 31. Now my fellow grasshoppers... here is another lesson in making money and it goes something like this...
Bulls make money, Bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered. Don't go out and be a big pig and try to double your money on these things...take some profits. In my case, I think there might be a little more upside follow through tomorrow morning, but I plan on selling at least half of my investment tomorrow. These types of rallies don't happen often, the economy still sucks, and if you can make a 25% or 30% return in 2 days that is 2 years of good work...sell and live to fight another day. Either that or sell half and set a downside stop on the rest at maybe 20 or 25% gain...you can always buy back in when it comes back down.
School is now out.....good luck Daniel-son....
Bulls make money, Bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered. Don't go out and be a big pig and try to double your money on these things...take some profits. In my case, I think there might be a little more upside follow through tomorrow morning, but I plan on selling at least half of my investment tomorrow. These types of rallies don't happen often, the economy still sucks, and if you can make a 25% or 30% return in 2 days that is 2 years of good work...sell and live to fight another day. Either that or sell half and set a downside stop on the rest at maybe 20 or 25% gain...you can always buy back in when it comes back down.
School is now out.....good luck Daniel-son....
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Time to Buy
Yeah...I know...are you friggin NUTS Todd? Why in the hell would I want to buy any stock right now? My response to that is...why not? The market is ridiculously oversold, pessimism is high, the future looks grim. All classic signs of at least a short term bottom in the market. This situation just screams for someone to crush all the shorts out there.
So, if you are a long-term investor (3 years or longer) and have extra cash laying around that you don't plan on needing in the near future, you need to back up the truck here and buy. I know this runs opposite to what the emotional part of your brain says, but your emotional brain gets you in trouble when you are trying to make a rational decision. Sure, you might lose money over the next day or two, but I am guessing you will make money in the next week when we get the huge oversold rally that is just waiting out there....I wouldn't be surprised to see a short term oversold 1000 point rally by next week.
So here is what you do grasshopper. Go buy some QLD between 32-33, DDM between 33-34 or SSO between 29-30 tomorrow morning and dont look at it for a week. Look at it next Friday and see how much money you have made. Could I be wrong...sure. But I am gonna bet I am right. I am even gonna write a reminder on my calendar for next Friday to see if I was right or wrong so I can say "I told you so". Even if I am wrong, does anyone out there really think the stock market won't be higher than it is now in 3 years? The clouds will part, the hurricane will wind down and life will go on. Time to step up to the plate people...
So, if you are a long-term investor (3 years or longer) and have extra cash laying around that you don't plan on needing in the near future, you need to back up the truck here and buy. I know this runs opposite to what the emotional part of your brain says, but your emotional brain gets you in trouble when you are trying to make a rational decision. Sure, you might lose money over the next day or two, but I am guessing you will make money in the next week when we get the huge oversold rally that is just waiting out there....I wouldn't be surprised to see a short term oversold 1000 point rally by next week.
So here is what you do grasshopper. Go buy some QLD between 32-33, DDM between 33-34 or SSO between 29-30 tomorrow morning and dont look at it for a week. Look at it next Friday and see how much money you have made. Could I be wrong...sure. But I am gonna bet I am right. I am even gonna write a reminder on my calendar for next Friday to see if I was right or wrong so I can say "I told you so". Even if I am wrong, does anyone out there really think the stock market won't be higher than it is now in 3 years? The clouds will part, the hurricane will wind down and life will go on. Time to step up to the plate people...
Some Political Humor
Thanks to my fellow stressed out Financial Advisor Kris for this one. No matter what side of the political fence you sit, this one is hilarious. Enjoy.
http://www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm
http://www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Some Perspective on the Markets/ Economy
With all the crap that is going on these days in the financial markets, I figured I would post something to give you, my loyal readers, my perspective on things. As with anything, nobody is ever right 100% of the time on everything, but I think these assumptions are at least in the ballpark.
1) The bailout/rescue bill. I think this bill will help the economy down the road, but it isn't going to help in the near-term. While I applaud Paulson for the effort, this doesn't magically solve all our problems today. As much as we love instant gratification in our country, we will need some patience on this one. I don't see this thing up-and-running at full speed for a few months.....meaning early 2009. Until then, things will probably not be getting better.
2) The stock market. Short term(meaning Monday) I think we are going to see another really bad day. I think we will see the Dow Jones go under 10,000 in the next week or two. More companies will go under in the near future. But remember one thing on the stock market...the market always turns around before the economy does...ALWAYS!
3) Credit. If you live on credit, you better learn how to tighten your belt. The days of easy borrowing is gone for a while. While I am not sure how bad it will get, don't plan on borrowing except for the major ticket items like cars and houses. Everyone had a big credit party the last 5 years and the hangover is finally here....and it's looking like a bad hangover.
4) Investments. First of all, DO NOT panic and do something stupid like pull your money out of the bank and put it under the mattress. The world is not going to end tomorrow. The banking system isn't going to fail and we are not going to end up resembling a third world country. If you are young (meaning you have at least 10 year to retirement) do not pull all your money out of stocks and go into cash in your 401k right now. I know this seems like a smart thing to do, but it isn't. Here's what I mean....
If you move to cash, you are going to get what...2% per year on your cash? Lets say this is a bad slowdown and it takes two years for the market to turn around. You will get a 4% return in cash over two years. You might very well lose more money by leaving things as they are in stocks. BUT...when things turn around, it is not unusual to have a 20% move up in the stock market in a recovery. This up move gets you right back on track to your long-term goals. Plus...you are buying lots of shares of those mutual funds at cheap prices now. Remember...you don't need this money today...you need it later so chill out and let things go.
If you are closer to retirement, also do not panic. Just start adding your monthly 401k contributions into bond funds now instead of stock funds. This will weight you more conservatively as you approach retirement in the next few years. If you are already retired, you probably don't (or shouldn't) have all your money in stocks. Everyone is different, but a 50/50 mix of stock and bonds is a good starting point for someone entering retirement right now.
REMEMBER...the world is not going to end next week...have a cool head and just ride things out. If you feel like you need more security, add a little more you your savings account or money market just to have that extra cushion. If your 401k balance freaks you out, just don't look at it...put it right in the drawer when it shows up in the next few weeks, cause it's gonna be an ugly one.
DISCLAIMER: My posting wasn't meant to freak anyone out, I just want to make sure everyone realizes something...things aren't going to turn around immediately now that the rescue bill has passed. There will be some tough times coming for everyone, but things will improve and life will go on in the end. And (hopefully) people will learn from their mistakes and not repeat them...
1) The bailout/rescue bill. I think this bill will help the economy down the road, but it isn't going to help in the near-term. While I applaud Paulson for the effort, this doesn't magically solve all our problems today. As much as we love instant gratification in our country, we will need some patience on this one. I don't see this thing up-and-running at full speed for a few months.....meaning early 2009. Until then, things will probably not be getting better.
2) The stock market. Short term(meaning Monday) I think we are going to see another really bad day. I think we will see the Dow Jones go under 10,000 in the next week or two. More companies will go under in the near future. But remember one thing on the stock market...the market always turns around before the economy does...ALWAYS!
3) Credit. If you live on credit, you better learn how to tighten your belt. The days of easy borrowing is gone for a while. While I am not sure how bad it will get, don't plan on borrowing except for the major ticket items like cars and houses. Everyone had a big credit party the last 5 years and the hangover is finally here....and it's looking like a bad hangover.
4) Investments. First of all, DO NOT panic and do something stupid like pull your money out of the bank and put it under the mattress. The world is not going to end tomorrow. The banking system isn't going to fail and we are not going to end up resembling a third world country. If you are young (meaning you have at least 10 year to retirement) do not pull all your money out of stocks and go into cash in your 401k right now. I know this seems like a smart thing to do, but it isn't. Here's what I mean....
If you move to cash, you are going to get what...2% per year on your cash? Lets say this is a bad slowdown and it takes two years for the market to turn around. You will get a 4% return in cash over two years. You might very well lose more money by leaving things as they are in stocks. BUT...when things turn around, it is not unusual to have a 20% move up in the stock market in a recovery. This up move gets you right back on track to your long-term goals. Plus...you are buying lots of shares of those mutual funds at cheap prices now. Remember...you don't need this money today...you need it later so chill out and let things go.
If you are closer to retirement, also do not panic. Just start adding your monthly 401k contributions into bond funds now instead of stock funds. This will weight you more conservatively as you approach retirement in the next few years. If you are already retired, you probably don't (or shouldn't) have all your money in stocks. Everyone is different, but a 50/50 mix of stock and bonds is a good starting point for someone entering retirement right now.
REMEMBER...the world is not going to end next week...have a cool head and just ride things out. If you feel like you need more security, add a little more you your savings account or money market just to have that extra cushion. If your 401k balance freaks you out, just don't look at it...put it right in the drawer when it shows up in the next few weeks, cause it's gonna be an ugly one.
DISCLAIMER: My posting wasn't meant to freak anyone out, I just want to make sure everyone realizes something...things aren't going to turn around immediately now that the rescue bill has passed. There will be some tough times coming for everyone, but things will improve and life will go on in the end. And (hopefully) people will learn from their mistakes and not repeat them...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Sad Day....
Why was yesterday such a sad day? I know what you guys are thinking...the stock market was down 500 points yesterday and we are in the middle of the largest financial crisis since the great depression...Fannie and Freddie go under, followed by Lehman Brothers and now maybe even insurance giant AIG. Surprisingly, that is NOT why yesterday was such a sad day.
Yesterday marked the passing of Richard Wright, one of the original founding members of Pink Floyd. Since my college days I have been a huge fan of Floyd and while I was probably a little late to the show, I feel that they were one of the most influential and important bands in the history of rock music. To this day I still kick myself for not going to the Pink Floyd Division Bell tour in Cleveland in the early 90s. RIP Richard.....
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/15/obit.wright.ap/index.html
Yesterday marked the passing of Richard Wright, one of the original founding members of Pink Floyd. Since my college days I have been a huge fan of Floyd and while I was probably a little late to the show, I feel that they were one of the most influential and important bands in the history of rock music. To this day I still kick myself for not going to the Pink Floyd Division Bell tour in Cleveland in the early 90s. RIP Richard.....
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/15/obit.wright.ap/index.html
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Political Stuff
Yep...it's that time again. It happens every four years. I get really irritated for a few months every time I turn on the TV. Must be a presidential election year! As you all know, I am a McCain/Palin supporter and a Republican. I am not a huge fan of McCain, but I have to be honest and say I am really impressed with Sarah Palin as the VP choice. Obviously, not everyone out there feels the same as I do but thats ok...someone has to be right and someone has to be wrong...
Below I have posted a rant from last week that was posted on youtube by Diddy. Yes...THAT Diddy....Puff Daddy..or P. Diddy..or whatever the hell his name is these days. I know there was some type of half-assed apology this week, but today was the first time I saw it and it makes me want to vomit. I could go on about how inappropriate and hateful and pathetic this is, but I think it is best left to Diddy himself to stick his foot in his own mouth. Mr. Obama needs to tell Diddy to chill out because this type of ridiculous shit just shows how ignorant he is. Make sure you watch the whole thing as the last 20-30 seconds is the most bizarre/stupid part....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQ_ZO636HI
Below I have posted a rant from last week that was posted on youtube by Diddy. Yes...THAT Diddy....Puff Daddy..or P. Diddy..or whatever the hell his name is these days. I know there was some type of half-assed apology this week, but today was the first time I saw it and it makes me want to vomit. I could go on about how inappropriate and hateful and pathetic this is, but I think it is best left to Diddy himself to stick his foot in his own mouth. Mr. Obama needs to tell Diddy to chill out because this type of ridiculous shit just shows how ignorant he is. Make sure you watch the whole thing as the last 20-30 seconds is the most bizarre/stupid part....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQ_ZO636HI
Must have just been a typo....
Did anyone see the story about the mayor of Detroit today? I guess this guy is being forced to resign over some rather "questionable" things he did. I have attached the article here from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/09/04/detroit.mayor/index.html
Does anyone notice something odd about this article? No? It would be easy to not notice this while reading the article, but there is no mention of his party affiliation...especially during our present "politics all the time" news schedules. One guess what party he belongs to? Yep, thats right...he's a Democrat.
It's funny how public officials like Larry Craig and Mark Foley are immediately revealed as Republicans when they do something wrong, but somehow this guy avoids being labeled a Democrat when he is a scumbag. I actually had to go to Wikipedia to find out which party he belonged to. I also read two other articles from different sources...they also strangely avoided mentioning he was a Democrat. Where was the only place I saw an article showing he was a Democrat? Yep...Fox News. At least Rupert's boys are being honest....
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/09/04/detroit.mayor/index.html
Does anyone notice something odd about this article? No? It would be easy to not notice this while reading the article, but there is no mention of his party affiliation...especially during our present "politics all the time" news schedules. One guess what party he belongs to? Yep, thats right...he's a Democrat.
It's funny how public officials like Larry Craig and Mark Foley are immediately revealed as Republicans when they do something wrong, but somehow this guy avoids being labeled a Democrat when he is a scumbag. I actually had to go to Wikipedia to find out which party he belonged to. I also read two other articles from different sources...they also strangely avoided mentioning he was a Democrat. Where was the only place I saw an article showing he was a Democrat? Yep...Fox News. At least Rupert's boys are being honest....
Monday, September 01, 2008
Hanna, Ike and the Wagon
The good news is that Gustav missed us here in South Florida...just a little rain and some small breezes. Unfortunately, I see that Hurricane Hanna and the newly formed Tropical Storm Ike are both heading this way in the next week...Hanna around Thursday and Ike toward the weekend. Just to be safe, I ran out to Home Depot to pick up a few needed Hurricane preparedness items.
As for Cheryl and I, we had a great time last night in Jupiter...dinner was excellent as expected and the drinks went down pretty smooth too. That being said, Cheryl and I have decided to jump on the wagon for a couple of weeks to dry out. We seem to have been enjoying a few too many beers and bottles of wine recently and have been feeling crappy/lazy the last few weeks. I am sure everyone knows that "stuck in a rut" feeling and we both have decided to chill on the beverages for a while. Lets hope that Hanna and Ike stay away from the Margarita Lounge the next week or we might be falling off that wagon...there isn't a whole lot to do on those stormy nights without power when you know you don't have to work the next day....wish us luck!
As for Cheryl and I, we had a great time last night in Jupiter...dinner was excellent as expected and the drinks went down pretty smooth too. That being said, Cheryl and I have decided to jump on the wagon for a couple of weeks to dry out. We seem to have been enjoying a few too many beers and bottles of wine recently and have been feeling crappy/lazy the last few weeks. I am sure everyone knows that "stuck in a rut" feeling and we both have decided to chill on the beverages for a while. Lets hope that Hanna and Ike stay away from the Margarita Lounge the next week or we might be falling off that wagon...there isn't a whole lot to do on those stormy nights without power when you know you don't have to work the next day....wish us luck!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Labor Day Weekend (whats happenin lately)
Pattymelt is in town for the Labor Day weekend visiting her favorite grandson Zach. She came in yesterday and seems to be enjoying her time with the big man. With Patty around, Cheryl and I are taking off this afternoon for a little alone time. We are heading up to the Jupiter Beach Resort (about 40 minutes north of here) for the night and plan on having dinner tonight at Jettys.
I see Gustav is gonna kick the hell out of the Gulf Coast sometime tomorrow. It looks like this one could be worse than Katrina in terms of winds. (remember Katrina weakened right before landfall) Hopefully it will hit a less populated area west of New Orleans.
As for us, we are watching Tropical Storm Hanna a little closer these days as we are in the "cone" as of now. While the hurricane center says it will miss us, I am always a little skeptical of these last minute turns....if they miss the timing by 6-8 hours we are gonna get hit. The good news is that it is at least 4 days out and a lot can happen in the interim period.
I see that McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, which I think is great. Sure, she doesn't have much experience, but neither does Obama...so I see that as a wash. At least she has some executive experience being a governor, which is something that Obama can't say. Her choice as VP should definitely help McCain appeal to the Republican base as she is pretty conservative. And her personal story is pretty cool...
Looks like the Dolphins are now down to the 53 man roster as they did final cuts yesterday. Reagan Mauia and Justin Peele were the big cuts, neither which would be considered a big surprise in my book. I like the fact that they kept 6 receivers, most of which are young guys. I also like the fact that they just gave Ricky Williams a one-year extension as I think he is gonna have a big year in 2008...as long as he stays away from Zulu Puff.
Well..thats it for now Margarita Drinkers. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend....stay outta trouble and don't let your meat loaf.....
I see Gustav is gonna kick the hell out of the Gulf Coast sometime tomorrow. It looks like this one could be worse than Katrina in terms of winds. (remember Katrina weakened right before landfall) Hopefully it will hit a less populated area west of New Orleans.
As for us, we are watching Tropical Storm Hanna a little closer these days as we are in the "cone" as of now. While the hurricane center says it will miss us, I am always a little skeptical of these last minute turns....if they miss the timing by 6-8 hours we are gonna get hit. The good news is that it is at least 4 days out and a lot can happen in the interim period.
I see that McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, which I think is great. Sure, she doesn't have much experience, but neither does Obama...so I see that as a wash. At least she has some executive experience being a governor, which is something that Obama can't say. Her choice as VP should definitely help McCain appeal to the Republican base as she is pretty conservative. And her personal story is pretty cool...
Looks like the Dolphins are now down to the 53 man roster as they did final cuts yesterday. Reagan Mauia and Justin Peele were the big cuts, neither which would be considered a big surprise in my book. I like the fact that they kept 6 receivers, most of which are young guys. I also like the fact that they just gave Ricky Williams a one-year extension as I think he is gonna have a big year in 2008...as long as he stays away from Zulu Puff.
Well..thats it for now Margarita Drinkers. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend....stay outta trouble and don't let your meat loaf.....
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Goodbye Travis Daniels
It looks like Parcels and the Dolphins are pretty much cleaning house this year. First it was Zach Thomas...then Jason Taylor...then Jay Feely. Today it was Travis "I get burned constantly" Daniels. As you can tell, I am actually excited about him leaving as I never liked the guy as a player. He was a fourth rounder and we got a draft choice for him, so thats a gain in my book.
The bad news is that he went to Cleveland....sorry Hickman. Your GM must be blind and stupid because Travis Daniels is NOT the solution for you guys problems in the secondary. Trust me...you'll see in the first game he plays.
Speaking of football, I have decided to get involved in Cheryl's Fantasy Football group this year so everyone wish me luck...the draft is on Monday Night and I'm getting excited!
The bad news is that he went to Cleveland....sorry Hickman. Your GM must be blind and stupid because Travis Daniels is NOT the solution for you guys problems in the secondary. Trust me...you'll see in the first game he plays.
Speaking of football, I have decided to get involved in Cheryl's Fantasy Football group this year so everyone wish me luck...the draft is on Monday Night and I'm getting excited!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Why Obama Scares me
Some of you know that I have been stewing over this post for the last week or so. I figured it would be best if I didn't post my thoughts on Mr Obama's economic plan immediately so I have let it stew for a week. I've had a couple glasses of wine tonight and figured it needed to come out...so here goes....
I am not a fan of Barack Obama. I am also not a huge fan of John McCain, but I definitely see McCain as the lesser of two evils in the 2008 Presidential Election. Last weekend I was reading some articles on Obama and McCain's economic ideas and quite frankly, Obama's ideas scared the hell out of me. As I consider myself a well informed person on the economy, here is my opinion on three of Mr Obama's economic ideas that scared me the most:
1) Extend unemployment benefits to more people. What? We live in a consumer society where approximately 70% of our economy depends on people spending money to buy goods and services. How does it help our society by giving money to people that don't have jobs? How does giving away more money to unemployed people help us get out of an economic hole? Answer: it doesn't! Even Bill Clinton recognized this when he reduced unemployment benefits during his administration.
2) Tax the "Rich" people more. This is an even dumber idea. Lets give money to people with no jobs but lets increase the tax burden on the people who make the economy run (spend the money). I am willing to bet that the rich guy is gonna buy a lot more big-screen TVs and cars than the unemployed guy.
3) Increase the Minimum Wage from $6.50 to $9.50/hour. May sound like a good idea on the surface but does this make sense financially? Hell no. If you want to increase the minimum wage, that is fine with me...but it should be done slowly over time and there should be some type of link to inflation. Quickly increasing the minimum wage by 50% is going to cripple small businesses in this country...the same small businesses which provide so many jobs to American people. Think about it this way...what if your grocery or electric bill went up 50% overnight? And what will happen when that small business owner now has a 50% increase in his labor cost? Thats right...he is going to lay off workers because he can't afford to pay them. And how does that help the economy??
This exact same concept was rampant in the 1970s...tax the rich...give money away...high inflation...stagnant economy...I could go on and on but it was not a good time for our country. Now we sit here about to repeat the same mistakes with Mr Obama. And this doesn't even mention the crazy whack-job advisors that Obama had working for him up until a few months ago (remember that Reverend Wright dude...enough said).
My whole point here is that Barack Obama isn't anything new. He is a incredibly inexperienced guy who is a great talker...that much I will give him. But he is rehashing old ideas from the 1970s...ideas that didn't work then and most certainly won't work today.
Sure...John McCain is 257 years old and he is a grumpy old codger...I don't relate to him on many levels. But the guy has been around and has experience. I know what he stands for. He is much more middle-of-the-road than George Bush on many issues. And given the choice of one or the other, I am gonna go with guy who is an experienced driver...not the guy who just got his license two weeks ago.
I am not a fan of Barack Obama. I am also not a huge fan of John McCain, but I definitely see McCain as the lesser of two evils in the 2008 Presidential Election. Last weekend I was reading some articles on Obama and McCain's economic ideas and quite frankly, Obama's ideas scared the hell out of me. As I consider myself a well informed person on the economy, here is my opinion on three of Mr Obama's economic ideas that scared me the most:
1) Extend unemployment benefits to more people. What? We live in a consumer society where approximately 70% of our economy depends on people spending money to buy goods and services. How does it help our society by giving money to people that don't have jobs? How does giving away more money to unemployed people help us get out of an economic hole? Answer: it doesn't! Even Bill Clinton recognized this when he reduced unemployment benefits during his administration.
2) Tax the "Rich" people more. This is an even dumber idea. Lets give money to people with no jobs but lets increase the tax burden on the people who make the economy run (spend the money). I am willing to bet that the rich guy is gonna buy a lot more big-screen TVs and cars than the unemployed guy.
3) Increase the Minimum Wage from $6.50 to $9.50/hour. May sound like a good idea on the surface but does this make sense financially? Hell no. If you want to increase the minimum wage, that is fine with me...but it should be done slowly over time and there should be some type of link to inflation. Quickly increasing the minimum wage by 50% is going to cripple small businesses in this country...the same small businesses which provide so many jobs to American people. Think about it this way...what if your grocery or electric bill went up 50% overnight? And what will happen when that small business owner now has a 50% increase in his labor cost? Thats right...he is going to lay off workers because he can't afford to pay them. And how does that help the economy??
This exact same concept was rampant in the 1970s...tax the rich...give money away...high inflation...stagnant economy...I could go on and on but it was not a good time for our country. Now we sit here about to repeat the same mistakes with Mr Obama. And this doesn't even mention the crazy whack-job advisors that Obama had working for him up until a few months ago (remember that Reverend Wright dude...enough said).
My whole point here is that Barack Obama isn't anything new. He is a incredibly inexperienced guy who is a great talker...that much I will give him. But he is rehashing old ideas from the 1970s...ideas that didn't work then and most certainly won't work today.
Sure...John McCain is 257 years old and he is a grumpy old codger...I don't relate to him on many levels. But the guy has been around and has experience. I know what he stands for. He is much more middle-of-the-road than George Bush on many issues. And given the choice of one or the other, I am gonna go with guy who is an experienced driver...not the guy who just got his license two weeks ago.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Gas Prices on their way down
Many of you have probably noticed something rather odd the last week...lower gas prices. Yeah I know...who gives a shit about paying 3.95 versus 4.20 per gallon, right? Hey..it's a start, right? I wrote in my post from July 17th (Anyone Remember Iraq) that prices were heading lower, but I figured it would take until the end of the year to reach $100/barrel. So far, we have gone from $147 to $122 on oil in about 2 weeks. I would look for $100 oil (and gas in the $3.50 range) by Labor Day on it's way down to $3.00 sometime next year. I would be willing to bet that the days of $2/gallon gas are long gone, but I don't see a reason we can't stabilize long-term in the $2-$3 range.
On the home front, I hope everyone has checked out Zach's blog that Cheryl created recently...she has been doing a GREAT job on it. If you haven't yet, go look at the most recent post with Zach in the bathtub....it is hilarious. The link is on the right side under the Links section. Hopefully you will enjoy as the blog develops. And don't forget to drop some comments and show Cheryl some love for all her efforts.
I would also be a bad person if I didn't mention Mr Hickman's new blog..Good Helmet. It's a good read for all you other football-crazy people like Chris. I have also added the link to his blog under Zach's blog link. Sorry Hickman...the big Z man takes top spot on the list...I am sure you understand.
On the home front, I hope everyone has checked out Zach's blog that Cheryl created recently...she has been doing a GREAT job on it. If you haven't yet, go look at the most recent post with Zach in the bathtub....it is hilarious. The link is on the right side under the Links section. Hopefully you will enjoy as the blog develops. And don't forget to drop some comments and show Cheryl some love for all her efforts.
I would also be a bad person if I didn't mention Mr Hickman's new blog..Good Helmet. It's a good read for all you other football-crazy people like Chris. I have also added the link to his blog under Zach's blog link. Sorry Hickman...the big Z man takes top spot on the list...I am sure you understand.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Zach's Blog!!
For all of you who can't get enough Zach, he now has his very own blog! Cheryl set it up this afternoon and she will be adding pictures and info weekly. I have added the link to The Margarita Lounge links at the right. Please show some love to Zach and post a comment when you get a minute....
Greg Norman blows it...again!
Growing up, I was always a HUGE fan of Greg Norman. But, with his disappearance after the 1996 Masters, I figured my days of rooting on the Shark were over. Until this weekend. Who would have dreamed that 53 year-old Greg Norman would have a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Open Championship?
So..there I sat all day today on my couch...thinking of all the glory Greg was going to get after beating the youngsters today. I was sure that he was going to exercise the demons of his past and bring home a victory for the ages ala Jack Nicklaus at the Masters in 1986. I was sure that he was going to hit irons off the tees and show his wisdom by being conservative and just making pars.
Boy was I wrong. It was just like the 80s all over again. There was Greg...blasting drivers into the rough all day and having to scramble for pars. Now...I realize that even if he would have played conservatively, he might not have won. Patty Harrington played the last two holes amazingly and probably would have beat Greg there anyway...but at least he would have had a chance! You don't have much of a chance to win a major when you are four shots down on the 18th tee.
Don't get me wrong...I am very proud of what Greg did this week and it was great to see him turn the ol' clock back, even if only for a short time. But it was sad to see he hasn't learned his lesson from all the bad luck (and bad decisions) from his past.
So..there I sat all day today on my couch...thinking of all the glory Greg was going to get after beating the youngsters today. I was sure that he was going to exercise the demons of his past and bring home a victory for the ages ala Jack Nicklaus at the Masters in 1986. I was sure that he was going to hit irons off the tees and show his wisdom by being conservative and just making pars.
Boy was I wrong. It was just like the 80s all over again. There was Greg...blasting drivers into the rough all day and having to scramble for pars. Now...I realize that even if he would have played conservatively, he might not have won. Patty Harrington played the last two holes amazingly and probably would have beat Greg there anyway...but at least he would have had a chance! You don't have much of a chance to win a major when you are four shots down on the 18th tee.
Don't get me wrong...I am very proud of what Greg did this week and it was great to see him turn the ol' clock back, even if only for a short time. But it was sad to see he hasn't learned his lesson from all the bad luck (and bad decisions) from his past.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Anyone remember Iraq?
I know that nobody seems to give a shit anymore, but does anyone remember Iraq? I know that the economy is crappy and gas prices are high and everyone in the world is doom-and-gloom these days, but what ever happened to all this press coverage of Iraq?
One year ago, Harry Reid and John Murtha were falling all over each other to condemn the troop surge in Iraq...Reid even going as far to say that "the war in Iraq is lost". It seems that everytime I turned on the news last summer, there was another naysayer out there saying how it wouldn't work. Fast forward one year and things are better. Sure, Iraq doesn't look like the United States yet, but nobody out there can deny that the situation is much better than it was a year ago. Security is better. Violence is down. Political reconciliation has improved. Yet...no mention of anything in the news about it. Luckily, I was able to find a few news articles stuffed in the corner of some websites that I am sure Harry Reid would hate:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/17/iraqs-security-remarkably-better/
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/17/iraq.afghanistan.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
Wouldn't you think that with all the problems in the world right now, it would be nice to show a little good news occasionally? Now you all know why I refuse to watch the nightly news...it's just plain depressing. While all of the news outlets LOVE death and negativity, I prefer to be an optimist about things.....
1) The economy will improve. For the last hundred years (or more) there have always been ups and downs in our economy. Sometimes recessions come along...it's just a fact of life. Every time a slowdown or recession comes along, people say that "it's different this time". No it isn't. It might be six months...it might be a year or two...but things will improve.
2) Gas prices will come down. Sooner rather than later in my opinion. Crude got hammered the last week and broke a very key support level today. I expect $100 oil (maybe under) by the end of the year. I realize I am sticking my neck out here, but like I said...I am an optimist!
3) Every bank in the country in not going to fail. Just chill out...please. Even if it does, the cash is FDIC insured so you have nothing to worry about.
So...go have a beer. Kiss your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend and go out to a nice dinner this weekend. Be an optimist....
One year ago, Harry Reid and John Murtha were falling all over each other to condemn the troop surge in Iraq...Reid even going as far to say that "the war in Iraq is lost". It seems that everytime I turned on the news last summer, there was another naysayer out there saying how it wouldn't work. Fast forward one year and things are better. Sure, Iraq doesn't look like the United States yet, but nobody out there can deny that the situation is much better than it was a year ago. Security is better. Violence is down. Political reconciliation has improved. Yet...no mention of anything in the news about it. Luckily, I was able to find a few news articles stuffed in the corner of some websites that I am sure Harry Reid would hate:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/17/iraqs-security-remarkably-better/
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/17/iraq.afghanistan.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch
Wouldn't you think that with all the problems in the world right now, it would be nice to show a little good news occasionally? Now you all know why I refuse to watch the nightly news...it's just plain depressing. While all of the news outlets LOVE death and negativity, I prefer to be an optimist about things.....
1) The economy will improve. For the last hundred years (or more) there have always been ups and downs in our economy. Sometimes recessions come along...it's just a fact of life. Every time a slowdown or recession comes along, people say that "it's different this time". No it isn't. It might be six months...it might be a year or two...but things will improve.
2) Gas prices will come down. Sooner rather than later in my opinion. Crude got hammered the last week and broke a very key support level today. I expect $100 oil (maybe under) by the end of the year. I realize I am sticking my neck out here, but like I said...I am an optimist!
3) Every bank in the country in not going to fail. Just chill out...please. Even if it does, the cash is FDIC insured so you have nothing to worry about.
So...go have a beer. Kiss your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend and go out to a nice dinner this weekend. Be an optimist....
Sunday, July 06, 2008
I am a survivor!
After much fun, KD headed back to Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon. While we had a few cold beverages and some good times over his 3 day visit, we actually behaved ourselves and I avoided the major hangovers I had been dreading.
While I enjoyed having him down here for a few days, it is nice to have some peace and quiet around the house for once. I guess when you have a toddler running around all the time, you respect a quiet day or two much more. I stayed in last night, cooked some dinner and watched some TV. Today I think I will finally get to some of the long-overdue chores that have been building up on my "to-do" list for the past few months.
Cheryl and Zach are scheduled to fly back in tomorrow afternoon around 3:20pm. I am sure by then I will be looking forward to a little excitement around here....
While I enjoyed having him down here for a few days, it is nice to have some peace and quiet around the house for once. I guess when you have a toddler running around all the time, you respect a quiet day or two much more. I stayed in last night, cooked some dinner and watched some TV. Today I think I will finally get to some of the long-overdue chores that have been building up on my "to-do" list for the past few months.
Cheryl and Zach are scheduled to fly back in tomorrow afternoon around 3:20pm. I am sure by then I will be looking forward to a little excitement around here....
Monday, June 23, 2008
Rain Rain (and other stuff)
Is it ever going to stop raining in South Florida? I guess you either have it one way or the other around here. We have been bitching about the lack of rain for a year (water restrictions, reduced watering, etc) and now we get it all at once. The good news is my grass is the greenest it has been in a LONG time. The bad news is that it is really depressing. If we could get one day of sun...just one day...maybe it would help. But this type of gloom reminds me of Erie in the winter. Ugh....
I see that George Carlin died yesterday out in Cali. This is a true tragedy and day of mourning, especially for me. I always loved Carlin growing up and watched him whenever I could. Yes....even in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Obviously the movies weren't his thing...he was first and foremost a stand-up comic. Seems like all the great comics from my childhood are dead...Sam Kinnison, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy. Oh yeah..Eddie is still alive and doing movies like "Daddy Daycare" so in terms of comedy he might as well have thrown a seven already.
I also see that Barack Obama is leading in the latest Presidential polls and I need to stop to vomit. Yep, I am already sick of it and the election isn't for another 4 1/2 months. Just so everyone knows how I feel, there is no way in hell I will ever vote for Barack Hussein Obama...ever. And it has nothing to do with his middle name. I really don't like the alternative choice (the old geezer), but in terms of policies at least I know where McCain stands on most things. Obama seems to be like Bill Clinton where he tells everyone what they want to hear and is real cloudy on the details. I realize that the old geezer doesn't have much of a chance here (I don't think Jesus Christ would have much of a chance at this point) , but I'm gonna go with my gut and stay away from the guy who has whacko preachers for spiritual advisors the last 20 years. At least McCain's wife is in the beer business. A war veteran and beer ALWAYS beats two lawyers in my book.
And FINALLY...I will be receiving a rare visit from the late, great K-Delish next week! NO..he isn't dead or anything...it just seems like it. It has been a few years since Mr. Douglas made his way down to Florida to see his old buddies, but he will be here on July 2nd for a few days. I am sure there will be some cold beverage consumption involved, but I realize we are both old married farts with kids so my excitement is somewhat tempered. We'll probably get all banged up the first night and complain about hangovers for the next three days....
I see that George Carlin died yesterday out in Cali. This is a true tragedy and day of mourning, especially for me. I always loved Carlin growing up and watched him whenever I could. Yes....even in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". Obviously the movies weren't his thing...he was first and foremost a stand-up comic. Seems like all the great comics from my childhood are dead...Sam Kinnison, George Carlin, Eddie Murphy. Oh yeah..Eddie is still alive and doing movies like "Daddy Daycare" so in terms of comedy he might as well have thrown a seven already.
I also see that Barack Obama is leading in the latest Presidential polls and I need to stop to vomit. Yep, I am already sick of it and the election isn't for another 4 1/2 months. Just so everyone knows how I feel, there is no way in hell I will ever vote for Barack Hussein Obama...ever. And it has nothing to do with his middle name. I really don't like the alternative choice (the old geezer), but in terms of policies at least I know where McCain stands on most things. Obama seems to be like Bill Clinton where he tells everyone what they want to hear and is real cloudy on the details. I realize that the old geezer doesn't have much of a chance here (I don't think Jesus Christ would have much of a chance at this point) , but I'm gonna go with my gut and stay away from the guy who has whacko preachers for spiritual advisors the last 20 years. At least McCain's wife is in the beer business. A war veteran and beer ALWAYS beats two lawyers in my book.
And FINALLY...I will be receiving a rare visit from the late, great K-Delish next week! NO..he isn't dead or anything...it just seems like it. It has been a few years since Mr. Douglas made his way down to Florida to see his old buddies, but he will be here on July 2nd for a few days. I am sure there will be some cold beverage consumption involved, but I realize we are both old married farts with kids so my excitement is somewhat tempered. We'll probably get all banged up the first night and complain about hangovers for the next three days....
Sunday, June 15, 2008
I'm wrong again...
Looks like I was wrong again about Tiger this week. Hey...at least I admit when I am wrong, right? I would be lying if I said that I was happy about him making that putt on 18 to force the payoff tomorrow. I would have much rather seen Rocco Mediate the journeyman/underdog pull off the biggest upset on the biggest stage to send Tiger packing, but I guess it wasn't meant to be today.
The good news is that the final round of a major was (for once) very exciting down the stretch. It seems like there has been a lack of drama recently on Sundays at the majors with no down-to-the-wire battles like today. To see Tiger gut it out on a bad knee was great. To see the longshot play the best golf of his life at age 45 to tie the best player in the world is great theater, there is no doubt about it.
Unfortunately, the bad news is that there is a Monday playoff, which I am not a fan of. The drama is gone on Monday...everyone is back at work...the crowds are gone from the golf course...and often times the air of excitement is gone when the two players tee it up on Monday morning. And in this case, I think Rocco's magic will be gone. Trust me...I hope it isn't and I would root for Rocco any day of the week. But I know that head-to-head Rocco vs. Tiger isn't probably going to be much to watch tomorrow. I hope I am again wrong tomorrow....
The good news is that the final round of a major was (for once) very exciting down the stretch. It seems like there has been a lack of drama recently on Sundays at the majors with no down-to-the-wire battles like today. To see Tiger gut it out on a bad knee was great. To see the longshot play the best golf of his life at age 45 to tie the best player in the world is great theater, there is no doubt about it.
Unfortunately, the bad news is that there is a Monday playoff, which I am not a fan of. The drama is gone on Monday...everyone is back at work...the crowds are gone from the golf course...and often times the air of excitement is gone when the two players tee it up on Monday morning. And in this case, I think Rocco's magic will be gone. Trust me...I hope it isn't and I would root for Rocco any day of the week. But I know that head-to-head Rocco vs. Tiger isn't probably going to be much to watch tomorrow. I hope I am again wrong tomorrow....
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
US Open Week
Another US Open is upon us. While all the talk (as usual) is about Tiger, I don't think the focus at the end of the week will be on him. I could be wrong about that one, but I just don't see him being at his best after almost two months off. If it was any other tournament I would say he had a chance, but not the US Open. Open courses tear apart great players who are on top of their games. Maybe he doesn't miss the cut like he did in 2006, but I just don't see Elderick winning this week.
I would keep an eye on Phil, Sergio and Vijay to be there on the weekend. I also like Stewart Cink, Luke Donald and Boo Weekley to hang around the top of the leaderboard. My "dark horses" for the week are Anthony Kim, Justin Rose and Jeff Quinney. The cool thing about this year is that coverage on the East Coast is going to be in prime time, which is a little different from the ordinary 6-7pm finish.
I would keep an eye on Phil, Sergio and Vijay to be there on the weekend. I also like Stewart Cink, Luke Donald and Boo Weekley to hang around the top of the leaderboard. My "dark horses" for the week are Anthony Kim, Justin Rose and Jeff Quinney. The cool thing about this year is that coverage on the East Coast is going to be in prime time, which is a little different from the ordinary 6-7pm finish.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Hurricane Season
One of the most feared seasons of the year begins in South Florida tomorrow...Hurricane Season. While the last two summers have been fairly boring, I don't think I will ever forget the summers of 2004 and 2005 with Jeanne, Frances and Wilma. As many of you know, I am a hurricane nut and just love following them throughout the summer. Hopefully there is some excitement this year.
Hey T...there is already some convection out there in the Western Caribbean!! When you gonna come visit for a hurricane party?
Hey T...there is already some convection out there in the Western Caribbean!! When you gonna come visit for a hurricane party?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Back from the Mountains
As every good vacation always does, this one has come to an end. Cheryl and I got back last night and we both decided to take an extra day off work to get used to "normal life" again. It's gonna be tough, but at least we only have three more days left this week.
We both want to thank Pattymelt for taking a week out of her life to come down and babysit Zach. From what I understand, it was a rather teary affair at the airport today.
As for the trip, we had a GREAT time. We arrived in Charlotte around noon on Thursday without any flight delays. We drove two hours to Asheville and spent a few hours at Biltmore. After a great dinner out, we got up the next morning and spent a few more hours at Biltmore before driving the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few hours. The next three nights were spent at Heaven's Gait...a house rental in the mountains about an hour off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
While pictures never seem to do a beautiful place any justice, I have tried my best to show as much of our vacation as possible. We hope that you enjoy the pictures (to follow)....
We both want to thank Pattymelt for taking a week out of her life to come down and babysit Zach. From what I understand, it was a rather teary affair at the airport today.
As for the trip, we had a GREAT time. We arrived in Charlotte around noon on Thursday without any flight delays. We drove two hours to Asheville and spent a few hours at Biltmore. After a great dinner out, we got up the next morning and spent a few more hours at Biltmore before driving the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few hours. The next three nights were spent at Heaven's Gait...a house rental in the mountains about an hour off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
While pictures never seem to do a beautiful place any justice, I have tried my best to show as much of our vacation as possible. We hope that you enjoy the pictures (to follow)....
Biltmore
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For those of you who have never heard of Biltmore, here it is. Biltmore was constructed in the late 1890s by George Vanderbilt in the hills around Asheville, NC. In addition to the four story house (plus the basement), there are gardens, a farm, a restaurant, a winery, and an Inn. While it is pretty expensive to visit ($47 per person), it was well worth our money.
Biltmore (rear view)
This is the view from the back porch of the Biltmore House. In the background are the Blue Ridge Mountains that are just north of Asheville.
Biltmore Gardens
Biltmore Gardens which are adjacent to the Biltmore House. Note the nice classic car driving by when Cheryl snapped this picture.
Linn Cove Viaduct
This is Cheryl's favorite spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's called the Linn Cove Viaduct. It was completed in the early 1980s and was the last link in the Parkway. Since the Linn Cove area is a "protected" area that is environmentally sensitive, engineers had to wait until the technology was available to build this. It was opened to traffic in 1987.
Heaven's Gait
Front View of our house for the weekend. To say this place was in the middle of nowhere is an understatement. This is literally the last house on the road and about 4 miles from the entrance to the development.
Heaven's Gait (rear view)
Rear view of the house from down the hill. I almost killed myself getting back up the hill to the house after I took this one....
Side Window View
This is the view we woke up to every day from our side window. Not too shabby, huh?
Rear View
View from the back deck. Many beverages were consumed on this deck. We were also very lucky to have three beautiful sunsets to look at on our three-night stay.
Grandfather Mountain
View from the top of Grandfather Mountain. There were about 10 pictures I could have posted here, but this one was my favorite.
Blowing Rock
View from Blowing Rock. Blowing Rock is an actual rock (where this was taken from) , but it is also the name of the town that was about an hour from our house. There is a really cool downtown area where we enjoyed a couple beers after taking in this view.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Headin' to North Carolina...
Yes, I know...I am pathetic. It has been over three weeks since a post and there have been lots of things going on...some good and some bad. The good news is that vacation time is FINALLY here! Cheryl and I are heading out on Thursday morning for some much-deserved rest and relaxation in the mountains of North Carolina. We figured that Zach would be fine with Lucy for a few days, right?
Actually, Pattymelt is flying in tomorrow to watch the big man while we are gone. We are staying in Asheville on Thursday Night at a bed and breakfast and then renting a house in Ferguson, NC for three nights that is on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Talk about fun...we have been looking forward to this trip for months and we are very excited that it is almost here. Unfortunately, we are both sick right now (me a sore throat and Cheryl has bronchitis) so hopefully we will improve in the next day or so. I am hoping to have some good pictures to share with everyone when we get back next week.
Actually, Pattymelt is flying in tomorrow to watch the big man while we are gone. We are staying in Asheville on Thursday Night at a bed and breakfast and then renting a house in Ferguson, NC for three nights that is on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Talk about fun...we have been looking forward to this trip for months and we are very excited that it is almost here. Unfortunately, we are both sick right now (me a sore throat and Cheryl has bronchitis) so hopefully we will improve in the next day or so. I am hoping to have some good pictures to share with everyone when we get back next week.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Whats been going on...
As it's been a while since I have done a "whats going on" entry, I figured I could cover a whole lot of stuff at once. Here goes:
1) The 2008 NFL Draft is over and the Dolphins did pretty well in my book. Sure, there was nothing flashy about getting a bunch of linemen and a few late round running backs, but I give them an over all grade of a "B". The only negative was the trading of Lorenzo Booker, who I thought was one of the lone high points of last years 1-15 debacle.
2) Buy stocks. Sure, the market has sucked since October, but I think we are turning a corner the last month. There are also rumors out there (and confirmed by one of my realtor clients) that people are actually buying houses again. The stimulus checks start showing up soon and with interest rates getting cut, there should be a nice bump to the economy come October/November. A new president at the end of 2008, an improving economy and (hopefully) a rising dollar and lower oil prices is just what the market ordered. If you have been sitting on the sidelines and worried, start adding it back into the market. If all this market/economy jargon confused you, here is the executive summary....Buy real estate, buy stocks (tech, banks, even homebuilders are OK here), and buy dollars. Sell anything in energy and commodities, including gold and oil. The music is gonna stop soon and you don't want to be the one without a chair. I know I have said this for a while now, but it's coming along soon....
3) Zach is getting so big. Every day he seems to learn something else and he is literally into everything in the house. He really is at such a fun age right now. Walking (and running) around, laughing and babbling incoherent words and sentences. It doesn't get any better than this.
4) Only 3 1/2 weeks left until Cheryl and I head to the mountains of North Carolina for a much needed vacation. We love Zach, but we are both looking forward to a few days away from being Mommy and Daddy. Pattymelt (now known as Nanna to Zach) will be coming for almost a week to babysit.
5) One of the best times of the year will be upon us in two days....SUNFEST! I've got my tickets and I am ready to partake in some cold beverage consumption. Cheryl and I are planning a "date night" on Saturday and Zach will be staying with Mimi and Papa in Delray for the night. Hopefully I will have some great pictures like the ones from last year....
1) The 2008 NFL Draft is over and the Dolphins did pretty well in my book. Sure, there was nothing flashy about getting a bunch of linemen and a few late round running backs, but I give them an over all grade of a "B". The only negative was the trading of Lorenzo Booker, who I thought was one of the lone high points of last years 1-15 debacle.
2) Buy stocks. Sure, the market has sucked since October, but I think we are turning a corner the last month. There are also rumors out there (and confirmed by one of my realtor clients) that people are actually buying houses again. The stimulus checks start showing up soon and with interest rates getting cut, there should be a nice bump to the economy come October/November. A new president at the end of 2008, an improving economy and (hopefully) a rising dollar and lower oil prices is just what the market ordered. If you have been sitting on the sidelines and worried, start adding it back into the market. If all this market/economy jargon confused you, here is the executive summary....Buy real estate, buy stocks (tech, banks, even homebuilders are OK here), and buy dollars. Sell anything in energy and commodities, including gold and oil. The music is gonna stop soon and you don't want to be the one without a chair. I know I have said this for a while now, but it's coming along soon....
3) Zach is getting so big. Every day he seems to learn something else and he is literally into everything in the house. He really is at such a fun age right now. Walking (and running) around, laughing and babbling incoherent words and sentences. It doesn't get any better than this.
4) Only 3 1/2 weeks left until Cheryl and I head to the mountains of North Carolina for a much needed vacation. We love Zach, but we are both looking forward to a few days away from being Mommy and Daddy. Pattymelt (now known as Nanna to Zach) will be coming for almost a week to babysit.
5) One of the best times of the year will be upon us in two days....SUNFEST! I've got my tickets and I am ready to partake in some cold beverage consumption. Cheryl and I are planning a "date night" on Saturday and Zach will be staying with Mimi and Papa in Delray for the night. Hopefully I will have some great pictures like the ones from last year....
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Zach gets his ass kicked....
Poor Z got his ass kicked at daycare today...by a girl. The pictures make it look worse than it is, but I still felt bad when I heard about it tonight after getting home from work. I told him to make sure he punches her in the face tomorrow, cause fair is fair....right??Seriously, I guess one of the girls in his class decided they wanted the toy he was playing with so she decided to go all baby-psycho on him and scratch up his face. I am sure he could care less as he is fairly chill about stuff like this. Zach is a lover...not a fighter.
Monday, April 21, 2008
You can help!
One woman in the United States is diagnosed with Breast Cancer every 3 minutes.
One woman in the United States dies of Breast Cancer every 13 minutes.
One in every 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer at some point in their life.
One of my old college pals, Sharon Montgomery, signed up for a 3-day event in Cleveland to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer. Sharon is going to walk 60-miles over 3 days and hopes to raise at least $2200 for the Komen Foundation. The money raised will go toward future research, education, screening, and treatment of Breast Cancer.
Statistics say that 1 in every 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer - chances are good that someone you know will be affected. Every dollar helps - if you can spare $10.00, please follow the link below and support Sharon....you never know, you could save the life of your mom, your wife, a friend, your daughter, etc.
Good luck Sharon!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Masters 2008
Zach won't be competing in the Masters for another 18 years, but it sure helps to start practicing now.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Some support for "Big Oil"
As some of you know, I am a fan of Glenn Beck. I also am not a member of the "bash the oil companies" clan that now seems to be running around. If it isn't "Big Oil" it's "Big Banks" or "Big Healthcare" or "Big Insurance" that always seems to be lurking around the corner to screw you over and take your money.
But, instead of going off on a tangent on the whole oil thing, I figured I would let Glenn Beck do the talking. He wrote a great article last week which I think hits the nail on the head. It also does a little Al Gore bashing, which is always OK in my book as I think he is a total phony. Here is the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/03/beck.oilexecs/index.html
But, instead of going off on a tangent on the whole oil thing, I figured I would let Glenn Beck do the talking. He wrote a great article last week which I think hits the nail on the head. It also does a little Al Gore bashing, which is always OK in my book as I think he is a total phony. Here is the article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/03/beck.oilexecs/index.html
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter
Happy Easter! Zach won't be getting any candy this year, but he did get this very cool Elmo couch. He also received a new Ohio State jersey from his Aunt Sally - a very important gift since football season is quickly approaching.Monday, March 17, 2008
RIP Bear Stearns
Yep...it finally happened today. A major player on Wall Street went under. Bear Stearns, one of the most well-respected names on the Street sold out to JP Morgan for $2 per share. It was at $160 per share less than a year ago and $100 per share in December. I almost fell out of my chair this morning when I found out.
Now...no matter how you feel about the company(or whether you have ever even heard of them), there is one sad thing about the demise...7,000 people are going to lose their jobs. I think JP Morgan was planning on keeping half of the estimated 14,000 employees of Bear, but the other half is going to be shortly out of a job. I feel for these people. In addition, there are some stories I heard today about Bear employees who had their entire retirement plan tied up in Bear Stearns stock. While I feel bad for someone who is ready to retire and only has $50,000 to their name, I feel even worse if that account was worth $1 Million a few weeks ago. This brings me to today's lesson, fellow readers....DIVERSIFY!!!!
Most of these people at Bear are very smart people so they should have diversified their retirement accounts. But I know there are lots that didn't. Take my advice....don't be stupid...DO NOT HAVE ALL OF YOUR MONEY INVESTED IN ONE STOCK!!!!. I can preach this over and over to people but there is always someone who thinks they are smarter than everyone else. Ask the people at Bear Stearns...Ask the people at Enron. Don't have more than 10% of your portfolio in one stock and you will live to fight another day if the company blows up. You won't be happy when you lose 10% of your money, but it sure beats losing your entire life savings. It's just not worth it....
Now...no matter how you feel about the company(or whether you have ever even heard of them), there is one sad thing about the demise...7,000 people are going to lose their jobs. I think JP Morgan was planning on keeping half of the estimated 14,000 employees of Bear, but the other half is going to be shortly out of a job. I feel for these people. In addition, there are some stories I heard today about Bear employees who had their entire retirement plan tied up in Bear Stearns stock. While I feel bad for someone who is ready to retire and only has $50,000 to their name, I feel even worse if that account was worth $1 Million a few weeks ago. This brings me to today's lesson, fellow readers....DIVERSIFY!!!!
Most of these people at Bear are very smart people so they should have diversified their retirement accounts. But I know there are lots that didn't. Take my advice....don't be stupid...DO NOT HAVE ALL OF YOUR MONEY INVESTED IN ONE STOCK!!!!. I can preach this over and over to people but there is always someone who thinks they are smarter than everyone else. Ask the people at Bear Stearns...Ask the people at Enron. Don't have more than 10% of your portfolio in one stock and you will live to fight another day if the company blows up. You won't be happy when you lose 10% of your money, but it sure beats losing your entire life savings. It's just not worth it....
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
More Pix of Zach
At the request of Aunt Sally, here are a couple more pictures of Zach from the past week. This picture shows Zach in normal 7am spot....rummaging through the cabinets. Please note that he is getting ready to throw around some very loud kitchen utensils.
Zach wearing his new shades on the fire truck. This was taken about half a second before he threw them off . He doesn't really like the shades, but we keep putting them on hoping he will change his mind. No luck so far....
Monday, March 10, 2008
Client #9
Caption: "This is about how much of my penis is going to be left after my wife chops it off tonight".So there I was, having a rather terrible day at work. The market is getting hammered AGAIN, oil prices are at completely irrational numbers, and it is cloudy outside. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, along comes the Eliot Spitzer story and all is good with the world again.
As anyone who works on Wall Street can tell you, this guy is a scumbag. He has always hid behind the "crusader" label and did it all for political gain. I have been trying to find my post from a year or two ago where I ripped into him about this, but just can't seem to find it. No matter...old "Client #9" showed his true colors today.
Finally...after all of the scandals involving Republicans like Larry Craig and Mark Foley, I get to see a Democrat fry a little bit! I did find it rather funny that the NBC Nightly News only spent 4 minutes on the story tonight...the same amount of time they spent on the Obama/Clinton race. I seem to remember at least half of the newscast devoted to Larry Craig when he got busted trying to get some action in the airport bathroom stall last year. I even saw old James Carville on CNN tonight defending Spitzer and saying how this wasn't a big deal. Keep diggin that hole, Jimmy...I will even hand you the shovel....
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
A cure for my bad mood
I am so grateful for this little man. It doesn't matter how bad my day is or how much I have on my mind.....this guy's smile washes it all away. Can't help but smile when you look at it, huh?
The Happy Man
I think Cheryl said it best above. We all have tough days, tough weeks, and even tough months. But when you come home and get a big smile from a handsome man like Zach, all the troubles seem to melt away. Since I haven't posted many pictures of him recently, here is another great one we took within the past week.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Two out of Three Days....
I know that my regular readers (all two of you) are probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I have now posted two out of last three days. It just seems like it's so hard to get to the Margarita Lounge, but I will continue to try and keep everyone updated on whats going on.
Speaking of whats going on...I actually got a response today from "The Senator"! It has been a very long time Mark. Actually, I assume it was the Senator and not MT as it was just signed as "Mark". Normally, I can keep them straight but the comment had a "Go Obama" note on it, so I was quite confused as to which liberal was posting it. Plus I am drinking some wine tonight, so I am easily confused....
In any case, at least it didn't say "Go Hilary" because then I would have to vomit. And I don't like to vomit wine...it is messy. In my opinion, both Hilary and Obama are equally worthless, but I don't think there is a chance in hell of Hilary winning at this point, and that REALLY makes me happy.
Speaking of whats going on...I actually got a response today from "The Senator"! It has been a very long time Mark. Actually, I assume it was the Senator and not MT as it was just signed as "Mark". Normally, I can keep them straight but the comment had a "Go Obama" note on it, so I was quite confused as to which liberal was posting it. Plus I am drinking some wine tonight, so I am easily confused....
In any case, at least it didn't say "Go Hilary" because then I would have to vomit. And I don't like to vomit wine...it is messy. In my opinion, both Hilary and Obama are equally worthless, but I don't think there is a chance in hell of Hilary winning at this point, and that REALLY makes me happy.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Daddy's New Ride
Here is a picture of my new ride. After almost 6 years in the Ford Explorer, it is finally time to move on. Cheryl and I have done our research over the past month and decided on the GMC Acadia. I even found a picture on the internet with my color...Deep Blue Metallic. Although you can't tell by the picture, it has more interior room than my Explorer and also gets better gas mileage. AND, instead of a bench for the second row, it has two Captain's Chairs! Talk about sweet, huh?I am scheduled to go pick it up on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the buying process was the typical car buying pain-in-the-ass. We got a quote from a dealer on the internet and then they didn't want to honor the number when I showed up. Three hours later they finally agreed to it, but only after I had to act like a prick and threaten to leave the dealership two or three times. It was such a difference from Cheryl's Accord a few years ago. That time, everything ran smoothly and they guy we dealt with was really cool.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Politics and Vacation
There are no two subjects on such opposite ends of the spectrum as these. Politics is the big deal today as the Florida Primary is wrapping up. It looks like McCain will be the winner here in the Sunshine State. Not a big surprise, but kind of disappointing for me as I voted for Romney and don't really care for McCain. I always liked Rudy, but since he has basically shit the bed the last month or two, I figured I would go with someone who had a chance of getting the nomination.
As for vacation, that is coming up on Friday. John and Pattymelt are flying into West Palm tomorrow at noon and I am in charge of pickup. They are going to be spending a few days with their wonderful (and unfortunately sick) grandson Z before we all head off on a big family vacation to Sanibel Island on Friday morning. It's Pattymelt's 60th birthday on Sunday and the whole Soderberg clan is getting together for a big party. I think the final number is 14 so it should be quite a little shin-dig.
As for vacation, that is coming up on Friday. John and Pattymelt are flying into West Palm tomorrow at noon and I am in charge of pickup. They are going to be spending a few days with their wonderful (and unfortunately sick) grandson Z before we all head off on a big family vacation to Sanibel Island on Friday morning. It's Pattymelt's 60th birthday on Sunday and the whole Soderberg clan is getting together for a big party. I think the final number is 14 so it should be quite a little shin-dig.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Congrats to the Engaged Couple!
Congratulations go out from the Margarita Lounge to Tracy and Jeff on their engagement yesterday. Cheryl and I were at Casa de Hickman last night enjoying a few (too many) glasses of wine when we got the call from an obviously excited T. We both wish them all the best in their life together and we look forward to a trip to Cali later this year for the wedding.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The BIG Birthday
I know it is hard to believe, but Zach is one today! Cheryl and I had my family over last night for a small celebration. Zach was a little piggy and ate almost an entire cupcake with strawberry icing by himself. It was a rather messy situation, but it was hilarious. Both Cheryl and I are very thankful to have little Zach in our lives. While his first year has been tough at times, it is all worth it in the end to have a healthy smiling baby.
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