Whirlwind Weekend

It's almost over, this crazy weekend. I miss my friends already, but the Browns are still in town and they'll get to see the purchase K and I made this afternoon. Thirty minutes of paper signing culminated in us being owners of a beautiful home on the east side. We're movin' on up, according to the Jeffersons.

Scott's surprise party was the reason for my lack of a post (thanks, Mandi, Angie). At least I know the blog is appreciated now, and I can continue. It was good to see Craig, the Browns, SK, but was not quite the same without Katie, JohnL, MaryL, and Sam & Kev. We made do, though, and Jen organized a hell of a bash. We all recovered Sunday over warm, crispy on the edges pancakes. It was a full weekend of good times.

Dave came to the shindig as well with Cynthia, the angel-sweet woman that will soon be living with three boys and a bigger boy. They are due in two months, and she's ready to pop already. I was pleased to find out he'll be swinging by regularly to 3201 Newport Place since it's his patrol area four nights a week. It's always good to know people on the force. I can't wait to be a nice pit stop for him. He swung in and was 10-10 last night to the bar-b-que we had on the deck at the Faldons' place. Good times, indeed.

There were many pictures taken, and this was partly the reason for my delay. I'll post 'em when I can. Mandi, take care of my neices and get me Tony's new address in Kabul when you get it. I'm very lucky to have so many good people in my life. I love you all.
CZ

Ramble On...

I was reading a post on a forum that I frequent when I stumbled upon a quote that really hit home:

"When you receive the news that my guns have been confiscated, you will know that I am dead."

CZ

Green Again

Ok, my previous post was a little misguided. I could swear that the first stories I read yesterday about this "Earth Hour" were all putting the lights out at the same time, which was 0900 GMT. Of course, this morning now, the stories state that everyone will recognize this hour of darkness at the local time zone time of 8pm. Interesting. Not sure if I'll be participating since that will mean that I can't see my plate of food, or even worse, see my glass to refill my beer. The horror. Can we use candles? Should I bring my Surefire? Who's the authority on this? Where's the commish?
CZ

Being Green

Ahh, yes. Global warming. Didn't Gore invent that, too? I'm tired of hearing about global warming. If people would read scientific studies instead of listening to blowhard politicians, the world would be a much better place.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070315101129.htm

There is evidently a worldwide 'lights out' time tomorrow for people that are raising awareness of 'global warming'. The scheduled time is GMT 0900. Awesome. My lights will be out because this translates to:

CDT= GMT(0900) - 6 = 0300.

3Am. Awesome. I can say I'm green.

A Dim View

I checked my email this morning like I do several times a day looking for a reply from a seller on Ebay. I've been expecting a reply to a claim I made on a seller that substituted an item I purchased with an item of far less value. I've had really good luck with Ebay in the past. I've always had good experiences with buyers and sellers equally, and have made decent money on old things I didn't want anymore. I've also been diversifying my investments lately and been messing around with scarce coins again.



Now, before I explain, you must understand at first that I've collected most everything that could have been collected at one point or another in my life. I've been a philatelist, numismatist, & bibliophile. I've also got a rather sizeable collection of comics and a smaller assortment of old baseball cards. One thing I haven't collected that apparently is common enough to have an official name is sugar packets (sucrologist), and yes, you read that correctly. Bizarre.



I've always had very diverse interests and any one thing (Jeep, guns, whatever) usually doesn't keep me occupied for more than a few months at a time. This is a good thing because if I lose interest, I've always got a choice of other interests or hobbies to fall back on. It also allows me to learn alot about a ton of different things, and this can be nothing but good in my book.

So, rewind a bit. About a month or so ago, I found a coin on Ebay that was a very good deal (so I thought) and put in a bid for it. From the picture and description, I ascertained that it was worth $75 to $100. It was safe to bid $50 in hopes of maybe getting lucky on the 'good deal'. Well, I actually won the bid. Great. I waited two weeks and didn't see a coin (after I paid via Paypal) so I emailed the seller. "Oh, I'm sorry, I overlooked it. It will leave tomorrow and I'll get you a tracking number. Sorry again. "..


Huh? Two weeks later? Anyway, at least she was kind enough to reply. Fine. I never got the promised tracking number in an email, but the coin arrived a couple days later and more than three weeks after the auction ended. That's when I opened what was supposed to be a Morgan Silver Dollar from 1897, minted in San Francisco, in Mint State condition. Well, not so much.



I opened the small package to find a loosely packed, well-circulated brownish Morgan Silver Dollar that was obviously not my coin. It was from 1897, but wasn't an S mint mark. It was a much more common coin minted in Philadelphia. It also was in far worse condition than the picture of the coin I was hoping to get. The thing was worth about twenty bucks. Bottom dollar for any Morgan, really, since they're usually worth that in their weight in silver.

I started the process of getting my money back by emailing the seller. Nothing for three days. I got on Paypal and filed a grievance. For some reason, Paypal advertises 'Buyer Protection' all the time, but in this instance, I was told that they couldn't reach the Paypal customer and that I was basically out of luck. Awesome. I had almost given up and chalked it up as my first bad Ebay experience- until this morning.



I got into my mail box and noticed a different message from Ebay. I opened it to find that they had seen that I recently filed a complaint. Yes. Bad seller. The note went on to explain that it was actually a $100 voucher good for any one-time purchase of ANYTHING on Ebay. Huh? I'd never heard of them doing such a thing. I had developed a negative opinion of Ebay in the past, only because of their CEO banning anything related to guns (listings they catch) being eligible for sale on the site. I don't like any CEO of any company trying to enforce their own morals on the masses. WalMart not selling CDs with graphic lyrics, Ebay banning gun-related items, this kind of stuff. They are publicly owned and should act that way. Well, unfortunately, I have to use Ebay because it is easily the most effective forum on which to peddle my wares and garner fair market value for them. I can buy and sell my guns on Gunbroker.com, so it's not a major problem.

I was pretty pleased with Ebay's action to make things right with this $100 voucher, and was very pleasantly surprised. I got onto my Paypal account just to look around, and lo and behold, there was a full refund from the seller of the original problem coin. Huh? Wow. Not only did the seller refund my money, but now I have an extra $100 to spend on Ebay. Needless to say, my view of Ebay is somewhat brighter now. I still hate Wal Mart, though.
CZ

End of the World

I have been inundated with news of impending doom today. It is all very feasable, and all very scary. Scott just chimed in with a link everyone should check out (see comments from: "Black Gold" yesterday). This is something big on top of big news I heard this morning. Margins on corn and wheat just moved up almost 50% overnight. This means that prices for this stuff is going to be ridiculous this year. All of the laws we passed for cooking corn for our cars is looking very stupid right now. There are many articles that talk about the ridiculous amount of corn it takes to get just one gallon of ethanol. Here's a good article:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/SuperModels/CouldWeReallyRunOutOfFood.aspx?page=1

This lack of food is very important and a HUGE problem in the 'big picture'. I was going to joke about how this will cause the price of beer to go up, but I'm growing more concerned about how much it will be to eat, let alone enjoy a pint of my favorite suds.

And to make matters worse, the big oil problem could compound VERY rapidly. I am in the business of toys that require fuel. This is not good. I've been tossing around the idea of adding on a fuel system to my Jeep that would enable it to run on Propane (LPG)-yes, the same stuff you use in your gas grill. I think it's going to be something I seriously consider doing. The only real disadvantage is having to store a big tank for LPG fuel, most likely behind the seats, which would limit my capacity for storage. We'll see what happens.

CZ

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

If there is one thing I've learned in the past several years of being with mi chica, it is that change is inevitable. This reminder hit me over the head yesterday when I was emailed about a possible change of venue for our wedding reception. I'm all for this change, though, since it was to The Crescent Hotel. Karen and I went to Eureka Springs several months back and had Sunday brunch at their Crystal Dining Room.

http://www.ghostinmysuitcase.com/places/crescent/

We were a little concerned about the $20 a plate price tag, since I can usually make a breakfast that is equal to any restaurant for far less, but all was forgotten after our experience. The food was no less than fantastic, and we were free to eat everything we could put on our plates for the same price. Smoked salmon, eggs how you like 'em, thick waffles, you name it, they had it. Another plus about having the bash there is that we can all stay there and stumble back to our respective rooms after the throw-down subsides.

Jen joked about how a certain someone might be a little bugged out about the fact that the Crescent is notorious for being one of the most haunted hotels in the country. I think it's cool and only adds to the fun factor.

http://www.crescent-hotel.com/ghosts/index.html

It should be a fantastic time, specters or not, and I'm looking forward to more good times with my people.

CZ

Black Gold

There's a great bit of chatter this morning about getting oil closer to home. There is also a ton of talk about the "Oil Peak", which is the idea posed by a few that the world has seen or is currently seeing the most oil production ever on this planet, and supply will only decline from here. Since it takes the earth millions of years to produce it naturally, this is a good possibility. Therefore, in response, there are several companies moving to find it in previously ignored places. Saudi Arabia is believed by many to be inflating its reserve claims by several million barrels for fear that prices will drop.

BP came out today backing off of any 'green' energy sourcing outside of oil, and says the company will be going after oil sands in Canada. This is interesting since it has been proven that oil in the sands and shale is harder to get, is a lesser quality oil, and will cost more to refine. This big move by major players in the oil industry tells me the easy oil is going to be unavailable soon.

This brings me to my jewel of the last few months. Petro-Canada (PCZ) is a bigger player in Canada in both oil and natural gas (another commodity getting chatter) and I've been playing options on this thing for a while. I got in this morning after hearing more rumors and picked up another two options that have already gained 50% in two hours trading time. Good stuff. If only they could all be Black Gold like my little PCZ.

Options

Just thought I'd post the research for last week's results on options tracking. It's very handy. Look at what JASO did this past week since I recommended it, Scott. I think I'll be a buyer soon, especially if it takes a dip before Summer. There is talk in the market of a possible bottom. Even my man Art Cashin spoke of it this morning. We'll see.

http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/content/option+skews+-+ja+solar+baiducom+inc+google+barrick+gold+lehman+brothers+amazoncom+sirius+satellite+radio/trading_floor_blog.aspx?single=true&blogid=83480

The Big Debate

The argument is valid for a Birkenstock to be classified as a mandal. It doesn't necessarily fit my personal definition as such, nor does a Reef style flip flop qualify as a mandal in my book. Granted, Manolo Blahnik I am not, but I know what looks good and what doesn't. If you have feet that look like Frodo's from Lord of the Rings, you shouldn't be wearing any foot attire that exposes even the slightest bit of flesh below the ankle. Here are perfect visual examples (the top middle being the most ridiculous) of the footwear about which I speak. The worst offenders are those that cover most of the foot, yet allow toes with inch long curly brown nails to peek through. Also, my vision of a mandal is also mainly leather. Nylon (ie Teva) doesn't really scream Mandal! to me when I see them. I'm sorry if I've offended people, but the world would be a much more pleasant place without the full leather, skin exposing footwear.

CZ

Mullets and Mandals

Spring brings with it many wonderful things. Warmer weather, green trees, fun in the outdoors, and many other things that aren't available or attainable in the bitter cold and wet of winter. I'm generally very happy this time of year, and the list of things that gets me down or riled up is almost always very small.

The shop was crazy this past Saturday because of the great weather. This means a ton of people. All of these people are just getting out after their six month hibernation from the dank and dark. Motorcycling is an activity that is generally not very fun at 40 degrees and pelting sleet or rain. There are some of those that are extremely hard core and ride no matter what. I'm definitely not a member of that crazy clan. Fun can rarely be had outdoors below 45 degrees or so. There are, of course, the few exceptions that would include hunting, camping, and hiking in the wilderness. That's it for me.

With Spring also comes the bad, and the many people that think it is instantly time to start sporting footwear that is generally reserved for Summer. I'm not talking about women, usually, although there are some exceptions to the rule. I'm talking about the men that start rockin' the mandals with feet that have been covered up in warm wool and cotton for half a year without any maintenance. Mandals are a fashion travesty anyway, and when the horror is compounded by fungal-footed morons prancing around in metro sexual oblivion, I just can't take it.

See here if you're clueless:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mandals

I think I'll turn mandal spotting into a sport, just like we do with the mullets in winter. I'm not talking about the fish, either. The hockey cut. The camaro cut. Whatever you want to call it, it's atrocious. All business up front and a party in the back. Wow. I can't believe there are people in the world that think this is alright. Please, anyone who is reading. Help someone out today, and tell a mandal or mullet wearing individual that mandals and mullets are not something that should be seen in public. Not everyone is as fortunate as we, so help them out. Give them a pair of old shoes, some scissors, and some love.
If you find this guy, he needs lots of love.

http://www.kingjames.co.za/images/uploaded/Mullet%20man.jpg

Happy Hunting

CZ

Good Friday

I keep pulling up the Google finance chart that I check every morning, and I get yesterday's final numbers. What's going on? I do this three times until I figure out that it is Good Friday (not sure if it should be capitalized or not) today, and that many businesses are closed. This includes Wall Street. Nobody is doing anything today, and we've already seen a few people come in the shop preparing for a long weekend outside. Going to the woods to ride their ATVs, going on a long motorcycle ride, whatever. As long as it's outside. I'm happiest when the customers are happiest. It translates directly to our bottom line.

It is Spring, and with that comes alot of activity. It makes me want to get outside and have fun. I want to get out and work on my Jeep, I want to get out and have a fun day at the rifle range, too. Shooting golf balls at 100 yards is a good challenge. Of course, hip firing AK rounds with reckless abandon is high on the fun list, too. Give me a gun, some ammo, targets, and a beautiful day, and I can be occupied for hours on end.

Any of the career politicians that America will practically be force-fed this November won't be good for gun owners and their rights. Of course, I'm leaning toward a Democrat (even though I'll be exercising a futile Libertarian vote) getting in there so that Congressional elections will then lean to the conservative side when voters realize how bad they screwed themselves by electing Hitlery or Obama. Economic and military concerns are bigger right now anyway, and I really think the person elected president in '08 is a crap shoot..

I actually had two or three more paragraphs (that I deleted) ranting about economic woes and Hitlery's new economic stimulus plan. Well, I've decided since it's Friday, we should be happy. No economic or political bashing of socialists. Go out and have some fun-shoot a gun. Targets of Pelosi, Hitlery, and Trent Lott would help...

CZ

Scary....

This should concern everyone that is a citizen of this country.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/125538.html

My rants about the constitution the other day don't sound so alarmist when you see what goes on in the world already.

CZ

I Love Roller Coasters

It's the first day of spring, and it is already shaping up to be a beautiful one. At one point, I had contemplated asking the soon-to-be Mrs. Nash to marry me on this day. Of course, it's apparent that I opted for spontaneity and did it the second week of February on a nice, sunny day hike. I don't regret it a bit, because nothing that has happened in the past month would be happening now. We're within 11 days of signing papers on a house that is almost perfect for us. A little updating in the master bedroom and it will be exactly that.

I thought I'd chime in bright and early since I glanced at an interesting article this morning. Well, more of a page of research, really. Good research, though.

http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/commentary/content/option+skews+-+ja+solar+baiducom+inc+google+barrick+gold+lehman+brothers+amazoncom+sirius+satellite+radio/trading_floor_blog.aspx?single=true&blogid=83480

These charts break down which stocks are most active in puts and calls. These are options to buy contracts (in blocks of 100 shares) for the rights to sell and buy stocks respectively. You buy a call option contract when you think the stock will go up, and you buy a put option contract when you think it will be going down. Simple, yet complicated when you start weighing expiration dates, strike prices, etc. Check the Chicago Board Options Exchange website for good learning material.
http://www.cboe.com/
Anyway, this is how I bide my time watching the market and using my "play money" to my advantage. That money also goes toward buying things for my Jeep, going to play poker, engagement ring, etc. Discretionary income, if you will. I have been keeping an eye on Amazon lately since it is defying logic of late. Many people have been talking about how the bottom is going to fall out of this thing any day. It hasn't done it, yet, and I've been looking for solid information supporting this theory that it will go lower. I happen to think this is the case as well. Finally, I stumbled on these charts that seemingly confirm that the majority of traders think AMZN is on the downturn at least for the short term.

The options that traders were buying skewed heavily toward puts right before Bear Stearns took its horrific and historic dive last week. 3 to 1, Puts to Calls raised a huge warning flag. That's what allowed me to double my money on that particular contract, and I think in this crazy roller coaster ride of a market, this is my tool of choice.
Of particular interest (since at least two of my good buddies have asked lately) look at commodities (ABX, KGC, GLD) and oil (VLO, TSO, XOM) for long-term stability to weather the recession. Also, when the media really starts stories of people complaining about gas prices and talking about alternative energy this summer, look at JASO, FSLR (Scott, you'll like those).

Food for thought.
CZ

Little sister

She is my only true sister in the world, and I love her dearly. She brought these two into the world, and they couldn't have a better mother. She's raising these two by herself while my brother-in-law is in the quagmire that is Afghanistan, and she is celebrating her birthday today with her two little angels.

We fought like cats and dogs when we were younger. We were usually home together after school and mom didn't get home until late, most times because she was trying to work two jobs to make our lives easy. I'm not complaining a bit, and now Mandi is doing the same. Raising two kids without a father (for different reasons) isn't easy, but she's doing a good job. My little nieces are adorable, and I would do anything in the world for them. Hopefully they're being good for their mother today. Mandi, I love you. Happy Birthday!

The Constitution

FREEDOM

My dearest friend Jennifer reminded me of a story that is finally hitting the mainstream news today. I heard last year about a guy (Dick Anthony Heller) that sued the District of Columbia for not allowing him to have a handgun in his home. His suit was upheld by a local court, appealed, and now is before the Supreme Court. Now, to many people, this totalitarian law that bans gun possession in the District is absolutely the most asinine law ever conceived. I happen to be included in that group. Common sense tells you that if you aren't allowed to have a gun in your home or on your person, criminals know this, and will likely think you are an easy target for crime, whether that be mugging, robbing, raping, whatever. Criminals aren't going to heed the laws of the land. They aren't going to turn in their tools of trade because they were told they are illegal. It is their most effective tool for instilling fear and getting whatever they want from unarmed victims. The Supreme Court is going to hear this case, and it will effectively be the most important decision handed down concerning gun ownership in 70 years.

This is an excerpt from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram :

According to Metropolitan Police Department statistics, criminals killed more than 180 individuals in the District of Columbia in 2007. Most of them used a gun. Even more telling are the Police Department's gun recoveries. In a city that bans even the possession of handguns, police recovered 2,924 guns in 2007. Clearly, a ban on gun ownership does not prevent criminals from getting and using guns. Instead, the District of Columbia has created a situation in which criminals have weapons and law-abiding citizens do not. It is no wonder that this city declared a crime emergency last year. The ban has created more targets than safe streets. In addition to being ineffective, the gun ban is unconstitutional. The district has argued that the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" does not apply to individuals outside of a militia.

Obviously, this editor has a very good grasp on common sense. It is sad that there are people in this country in high places (Pelosi, Kennedy, Brady, and a few others come to mind) that have zero common sense. It amazes me how these people are even in office. I will never understand it.

John R. Lott is the one person that has objectively studied these facts more than any person I know and has proven the stance of common sense.

http://books.google.com/books?id=K6dIvTFsDMkC&dq=gun+crime+report&pg=PP1&ots=iQM6tnWsVb&source=citation&sig=hpmkwXb6wNXCNdLwG6rRFLAjg8U&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gun+crime+report&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1&cad=bottom-3results#PPP1,M1

Some people have also come to realize that the Patriot Act, pushed heavily by Bushy and his clan, is only a thinly veiled attempt by the government to take away more rights of the people of this country every day. Most people are too wrapped up in their every day lives to realize how important these seemingly small decisions are to their quality of life. Little by little, we lose our freedoms and become a more totalitarian state. I know I sound like an alarmist, but this law and my rights as a free human being are important to me. If I ever have children, it will be instilled in them as well that we live in the greatest country in the world and we are the most free people in the world. We need to do everything in our power to preserve that, and not fall into an apathetic state. Our lives and the lives of our children depend on it.

CZ

Pepito

I wanted to drop a line to wish my good friend Peppas a happy and beer-filled birthday today. I'm not sure what it is that was in the water in the summer all those years back. It seems I have an inordinate number of friends and acquaintances that were born in the month of March. My sister's birthday is tomorrow, my cousin's the day after. What gives? Someone look up statistics on March birthdays and let me know. October is the greatest birthday month, and everyone knows that, but I'm guessing March may be second best. Hmmm....
Happy Birthday, my brother.
CZ

A Full Day

Okay, gotta run in here real quick and find a birthday card for Mandi, pick up a Shotgun News, and see if they have a newspaper. No newspaper rack? When did this happen? I guess Books A Million is doing better hosting the geek trading card gatherings on Sunday than they are selling newspapers from all over the country. No rack. Oh well. Funny card. I like funny ones way more than the stupid sentimental stuff.

Ok, two down, one to go. Shotgun News, Shotgun News, there it is. I can't remember which is better, Shotgun News or Gun Digest. I open both to verify that it is indeed the Shotgun News. It has more vendors instead of the stupid little classifieds from small timers.

What? While perusing the paper, I hear something approach from my 4 o'clock that sounds like Chewbacca from Star Wars. Slowly in, slowly out with the breathing. I turn around, and to my horror, yes. It is..One of those....One of those Mouth Breathers!! I've got to make my escape now!! Shit, stay cool. Don't burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Karen has wandered off and I can't point out the speciment. Dammit!! Slow...Read...Shit, I can't read. Too distracting. Gotta move. I go to the other end to look at another mag. There it is. It's sitting now. Holy sweet mother, pull your damn pants up, Man!!! Crack kills...Crack with hair?? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

I don't have time, anyway. Found Karen. Proceeding quickly to the checkout. I didn't even tell her about it in the car. I don't know why. Maybe I was still appalled. Stunned stone cold silent from it.

For a couple of weeks now, since Jason talked about the Mouth Breathers in the Kelley Hwy WalMart, it's been a running joke in the crew. We're always drinking and eating and having a great time, so laughter ensues inevitably. High comedy and good times- you just can't beat it.

The rest of the day was full, but good. Took the Taco to Al's for an oil change and service, met the inspector at our future home, and everything went perfectly. I got to top the day off with a wonderful Puerto Rican rice and beans dish. It's on my top five meals list, by the way. Karen gets the ingredients shipped over here in little bricks from her Mimi in the homeland. Good stuff.

Currently, I'm letting some bore cleaner soak in one of my rifles. It's a very calming, rewarding process, cleaning a gun. The rifle in discussion is a sweet little 1937 K-31 Swiss Schmidt-Rubin straight bolt that shoots like a firehouse. It is one of my favorites. They were issued to Swiss soldiers in the armed forces that served in what was ultimately a big militia. The men weren't full time and served when called upon. They kept their rifles at home with them and cared for them as they should any tool that could save their lives. The craftsmanship is phenomenal, just like Swiss watches. The machining perfect and tight. The bolt pulls straight back instead of most Mauser style up and back bolts of most rifles even today. Feel free to put the 1914 Pioneer bayonet on my birthday wish list. Gnarly, eh?

http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/schmidt_rubin.html#m31

For those of you that don't know me well, I'm a gun nut. To the core. I like all guns, but my favorites are military weapons from around the world. The meticulous manufacture and bright, shiny bores that produce little tiny groups on a target hundreds of yards away get me going....Almost as much as a nice meat euphoric moment.

CZ

Meat Euphoria

Medium Rare. Two words that, when used together, evoke an ancient neanderthal, carnivorous, very Pavlovian reaction in my mouth. This is, as some of you may know, the very best way to cook many meats. You just can't get the same flavor if a steak or burger is chargrilled until it's all brown. It's just no good at that point, no matter how juicy it may still be. Go back to when men roamed the earth and had to kill for food. They didn't always cook the meat until it resembled a hockey puck. No, they figured out the right temperature to cook the meat without it making them or their children/wives sick. Pink is better when it comes to beef.

This weekend we celebrated both Scott and Steve O's birthdays. Naturally, the best birthday a man can have is, at some point, drink lots of beer and eat lots of meat. It's cut and dry. Well, Jason lifted the lid on the hot grill and proceeded to remove the nice, big ground beef slabs from a marinate and place them ever so gently on the grate. Little did I know at that point how glorious these particular burgers would be. It was good that we celebrated birthdays, watched some basketball, drank beers, played Wii, and had a great time all evening.

I can remember the two meals in my short 32 years on the earth that were the best burger and best steak I have ever eaten. The best burger was at a little Irish restaurant in the New York Casino in Las Vegas. I'm not positive of that location, but I'm pretty sure that's where it was. My boys can chime in if I'm mis-remembering that one. There were, after all, several beers consumed during that three day time period. The other meal, which was a gloriously tasty steak, was in the same city at a place called DelMonico in the Venetian. Fabulous doesn't begin to describe these meals. Whenever a man who truly appreciates the taste of a properly prepared steak or burger eats one of these rare, perfectly cooked gems, it is usually a very memorable moment. These times are almost always shared with good people, it seems. To me, that is the Meat Euphoria, and that is what we had last night. Here's to good times with good people.
CZ

Lucky 13

Looks like this bear is as big, bad, and ugly as we thought. Yesterday I talked about my buddy Scott's 13 being lucky or unlucky. I was banking on lucky and bought a put contract for Bear Stearns (BSC) like everyone else. It hit paydirt this morning. I was trying to lock in a profit near 200% in less than 24 hours, but the market was too volatile and my computer orders not fast enough for the 60 million shares changing hands with brokers all over the country. By the time my sell to close order was taken, I had to settle for a meager 100% profit. Oh well..Better luck next time.

A bad day for some, yes indeed, because Bear Stearns -as it stands 2 hours into the trading day- has lost nearly half of its value. Crazy. Just goes to show you that if the lemmings are buying options 3:1 in favor of puts over calls, there's a good chance something bad will happen with the stock. There were enough people in high places that talked about the big Bear having cash flow problems to make it happen. Creditors were backing out left and right, and people were shorting the stock like crazy the last couple of days. This amounted to an implosion this morning I can't ever remember seeing with such a prestigious company. This market is wild, kids. Hold on for the bumpy ride.

CZ

Big Bears

The crazy volatility on Wall Street continues today. 13 will prove to be either lucky, or unlucky. There is a crazy amount of activity on a very big company that most of you have heard of:
Bear Stearns
This stock was on a serious downward shot at the opening bell because of a several separate stories concerning Big Bear's cash flow and the fact that they are a creditor for Carlyle Capital.
This came from marketwatch.com
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/bear-stearns-slumps-concern-over/story.aspx?guid=%7B5CADA099-AEB3-44F1-BC26-61F48A08BBAC%7D

I've come to realize that the bear market rally with the majority of stocks we're seeing is a temporary phenomenon. High volume wasn't backing the activity on all of the stock trades the last two days, and without volume, you've got no solid ground. We will most likely see a correction.

I've been seeing a few stories this week about the open interest on put option contracts for Bear Stearns. It seems there is a seriously large amount of traders out there that believe this stock will be taking a serious dive within the next few weeks.
http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSN1330507620080313

This is one of the occasions where 'jumping on the bandwagon' could be a very good thing. I looked at Stearns' price this morning, and noticed that volume (how many trades) at 9:30a (an hour after opening bell) had already climbed to DOUBLE what the normal volume is in an entire day!! Now, as I write this and check it, volume is 5X what average daily volume is for an entire day, and it's still two and a half hours before the closing bell rings. This is serious volume showing a ton of people betting serious money that Bear Stearns is in big trouble. I'm a wagon jumper today. There's a ton of evidence supporting some serious pain for Bear Stearns in the near future. We'll see what happens, but if the lemmings help me out on this one, I won't regret it.

CZ

Two Score and...

The year: 1968

The day: 13th of March

An Historic day for a very good friend of mine that is, shall we say, a 'seasoned' forty years old. Scott has been there for me, through thick and thin, and we've downed many a pint of Guinness together. We've closed down Papa's Pub together. We've remodeled his kitchen, felled trees, hunted deer, and had some very good times doing all of the above and more.

Good friends are a wonderful thing to have in this crazy world in which we live, and when they are good enough that we consider them brothers and sisters, it makes me appreciate every day like it may be my last.

This one is for Scott. I'm sure we'll share a pint or two this weekend in celebration. Happy 40th, my brother.

CZ

Movers and Shakers

"Hi, Chris, this is Ron."
"Hi, thanks for calling me back, what have you got for me?"
"I just got back from looking it over and everything looks great, but, um, have the police been in contact with you yet?"
"Uh...No...Why?"
"Because you STOLE that house!"

Chuckles on his end and a little bit of "you punk" creeped into my head, because he really did have me going for a second. I was on the phone with a guy that is evidently a mover and a shaker in the world of insurance. He was recommended by our financier, Sherry. I was talking with her earlier in the day, going over the details on the disclosure and such, when the topic of insurance came up.

Digressing briefly, another fellow I happen to know has been selling insurance for nearly 40 years, and he told me that he just can't compete with the company I already have my vehicles with. No estimate, no calculating. He flat out told me he couldn't hang with the big dogs in insurance, especially if the homeowner insures their cars with them. It's good to know people in a small town because the people you know won't steer you wrong. They will tell you straight up how it is and not try to bullshit you into anything you don't need, anything that would be a rip off, or anything generally bad.

Now, when I was talking with Sherry, she mentioned that her estimate on the truth in lending disclosure was close to what we should expect to pay for insurance. She said some things, I said some things, then I flat out asked her who wrote her policy for her house. She gave me this guy, and she mentioned that one of the other big box insurers was very competitive. I decided to call Ron first, and the above conversation was what I got when he called me back. To top it off, his estimate for the policy was three dollars cheaper per year than the estimate Sherry came up with. That's good.

The thing that's selling me (I'm still shopping prices) is the fact that this guy went out of his way. He had the bases covered. "So, you're at Wheeler Powersports? What do you do there?" He has caller ID (I didn't tell him where I worked) and knows how to talk to people. We talked about bikes, golfing (evidently Sherry is a golf nut) and a few other non-essentials. He had everything broken down nice and neat, and there was no bullshit salesmanship. He just knows how to connect and talk to people. That's what comes with a couple of decades in the business. He even took time to get online and check out our house, houses in the neighborhood, and come up with an estimate for coverage that was forty thousand more than what the missus and I paid for it. I'm down with that. You show the extra effort, and I'll pay you back with my business. So far, it's looking good. The girl from the office where I currently have my car insurance called me back 48 hours after my initial call. Yep. 2 days. Huh? Ron called me back in 3 hours. Effort. Even though her numbers were just as good, I'm leaning the other way because of the customer service. I'm in the business of customer service, and I know that to make a living, you have to help people find out what it is they want. Ron speaks my language.

CZ

Go Go Cisco

An email just came down the wire that one of my trade triggers was activated and executed to give me a nice 60% return on a CSCO 24 call option. It looks like the market has a fingernail hold on the record gains posted yesterday. This is very good news.

There's an older fellow that has traded on the floor at NYSE for almost 40 years and has seen everything. He is sometimes a guest commentator on CNBC's Squawk shows. Yesterday he was commenting on the pre-market move made by the central bank and the market's reaction before the opening bell. He said that we should watch closely the reaction of traders to a possible 11:30 pullback (it happened almost to the minute) and see if the market would hold on to the gains. If the market went up, it could be a sign that things have reached bottom in this financial quagmire. I'm not sold, but I like this guy, and everything he says comes to fruition. He knows the market and it shows.

If the market holds onto the gains today and posts even a modest gain, the rest of the week could be on the upside nicely. I'm looking forward to it. I'll post again later, but now I have to go shopping for my next good deal.

CZ

Knowledge

Check out the post from Kim today. I agree 100%.
http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/tos/

In a Pinch

America is in quite an interesting quagmire these days. This soft ground has two sides. One that is purely political, and one that is economical. Unfortunately, and sometimes (albeit rarely) even fortunately. My good friend Craig in St. Louis and I see the world through the same shades. He sent me an excerpt from an interview yesterday that raised my eyebrows that have been usually furled these days from hearing so much about Bushy, Hitlery, and Obama. This guy looks promising:

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/7027/

http://www.rootforamerica.com/

The first face of the quagmire is actually a lack of identity. Neither the Republican or Democratic party have any sort of identity anymore. Both are continually in a swirl of ideas, exchanging beliefs and stances on whatever it seems the latest poll indicates is popular with the people. I don't get it. Political views should be solid. People don't stand behind anything anymore and this is disconcerting to say the least. Take a stand, people. Educate yourselves and stand for something, even if it's way off balance on the left.

The other part of the quagmire is the economic situation we're in. The Fed stepped up this morning and released an announcement that they would be lending securities dealers up to 200 Billion dollars for up to 2 weeks (it's normally only overnight). This sparked a huge rally this morning that doesn't seem to be hanging on. Time will tell, but it doesn't look nearly as good as it did this morning before the opening bell.

The fact the the central bank is pulling tricks out of a hat like Merlin is good but it also has a devilish side since it appears they're just trying new things to see how the market reacts. This latest idea seems to be a good one, but the rallies following these antics aren't holding water and equities soon drop back to normal within a day or two. I'm at even money right now and am sitting on the fence. I've got Puts with Amazon (would like for it to drop), Calls with Cisco (would love for it to get up to 30), and if both of these things happen, I would be on cloud nine. Unfortunately, they aren't likely to happen together. This market is a sideways market with crazy volatility. I guess I have to just bide my time until it looks like a good time to buy into Citigroup. When it gets cheap enough, I'll be on it like white on rice and you should too. That one will go straight through the roof when the country finally emerges from the recession we're in. Good luck to you all in crazy 08.

CZ

Out With a Punch

This is a phrase I would use in the description of the Penguins' performance this afternoon. They came out and really took it to the Capitals. Of course, the Caps have one of the best players in the league in Ovechkin, and he didn't disappoint. It was an awesome game and only the second game I've seen in it's entirety this year for the Pens. Crosby had 2 goals (one not really his) and Malkin had 2 assists. The winning goal came with less than a minute to play in the 3rd. It felt like playoff hockey, and I can't wait. Next Sunday on NBC, it'll be the Flyers. I hope we punch them in the mouth, too. The Pens look really good at times and could make a serious run for the cup.

The other meaning, and far more interesting to most of you, is that which would describe the sneaky good drunk you get with a simple brew called Trash Can Punch. Yes, kids, I think we're going to have another Trash Can Punch party. We had one several years ago, and Craig composed the killer concoction then which knocked out several revelers. One of the better quotes of the evening: "I'm just eating the fruit"- famous last words before the infamous boot and rally. Although, I don't really remember a rally.

The reason behind the Trash Can Punch party is a very good one. You see, if all goes well in the next few days, me and the soon-to-be Mrs. Nash will be closing on a nice new house on the 31st. It's a sweet lil' crib, and one we will call home for many years. Last night, while we were out dining and celebrating with the Colleys, Crooks, and Faldons, we decided that the house-warming party should be no less than spectacular. What better way to do that than to watch people get punched by the spectacularly potent trash can full of fruit, juice, and liquor? I know, I can't think of one either. We also started the composition of the playlist for the evening which will include favorites such as Abba, Def Leppard, Van Halen, and many others. After all, the punch makes you feel like you're in high school again, why not listen to the music from that era, eh? Please send suggestions for the playlist to the blog, as we're as giddy as Puerto Rican schoolgirls waiting in the concert line for Menudo. The date has yet to be set, but fear not, I will post it.

Thick and Heavy

I'm not absolutely positive on this one, but I think it's been quite a few years since this area of Arkansas has seen that kind of snow (See Scott's blog for pics) in March. I'm officially boycotting the grocery store next time weather armageddon is predicted by the local weather geeks. It's strange that I ran out of bread mid-week since I normally go to the store on Mondays when I'm off. For some reason, I had polished off the last of it during breakfast Wednesday morning. Now, normally this isn't a big deal. I assumed I would just swing by the ghetto Harp's on my way home from work, just as I had done several times in the last couple of years.

Everything that progresses normally during a work day started going awry yesterday at about 4:30. My apparel sales girl first started to complain about getting home safely around this time, and the roads weren't even bad at this point, but I considered the fact that she drives like the Duke boys from Hazzard county (a weaving 75mph across the Midland bridge is the norm) and relented. Not really a big deal, but then a customer came in to return $400 worth of merchandise sold to him by another associate. It seems maybe this saleswoman was drunk when she sold him this item, because the customer was under the impression the single communication system was all he needed to talk to someone else via radio on another bike. It is, sort of. He would need another system (2 systems) to do this and was, naturally, peeved that he was misled into believing $400 would cover it when, in actuality, he would need to spend about $750. Argh.

I managed to blow it off and planned to discuss it with my saleswoman in the morning. I decided I should go by Sally Ann's (a ragged out little quickie mart that carries Murphy's and Boddington's-go figure) and pick up four pints of Boddington's on the way to ghetto Harp's to retrieve my bread. I thought it would be an easy in and out at the ghetto Harp's, but even people with EBT cards freak out when it comes to a little snowfall. I turned the corner to find the parking lot jammed. Ugh. I managed to avoid being plowed by a blue-hair in a 30 year-old Cutlass and found a spot. I made my way in and got my bread and looked for the Sombra rub Angie recommended for my sore neck. No luck. Evidently, it's not a popular product in here. I got the Icy Hot instead and instantly felt old for noticing and taking advantage of an instant $1 coupon taped to the front. It worked well last night even though I smelled like a medicine cabinet packed with menthol. I didn't care because it brought relief.

The bread and muscle rub retrieval went quickly, but I was stymied by a lady that looked like she hadn't bathed properly in several days. To this particular lady, it seemed like a good idea to let one of her little girls commandeer the little electric cart. You know, the ones that look like a
Rascal, but have baskets on the front. These are normally piloted by those that can't motivate properly due to age or some sort of disability. Unfortunately, oily-haired woman had no qualms about the little one smashing it into the checkout area and blocking my path to the express counter. Argh.

Ahhhhh, sweet Boddington's. After making it home alive, I promptly popped the top on my beloved beer of choice, watched the cascade of golden liquid perfection, and all was well with the world. Most of you know the feeling.

CZ

High Squirrel Comedy

Most people that are now reading my blather on a regular basis have an equal appreciation for squirrels and their hijinks. Looking at Scott's blog today made me laugh.

http://yearofscott.blogspot.com/2008/03/scariest-squirrel-ever.html

Everyone needs a good squirrel in their life.
CZ

Insight

I was reading a few of my regular morning blogs while drinking my morning brew and came across something every American should read and understand.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." -- Thomas Jefferson (1764) -- Quoting 18th Century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in On Crimes and Punishment

The unfortunate recent shootings at college campuses here have prompted a small movement among those students smart enough to realize that no police or security force can be everywhere all the time, and that it is the students' responsibility to protect themselves. It's sad that there are still so many ignorant people in the world that think shootings can be stopped by hope, rhetoric, and the banning of firearms. In the last ten or fifteen years, we as American citizens have been fortunate enough to see what the passing of concealed carry laws has done for so many states. It is an inarguable fact that violent crime drops when criminals know their victims may be armed. Wake up, America, and see the light. It's there.
CZ

Clinton

It will be a glorious day indeed when I don't have to hear or see that name ever again. It was blasted all over every twenty four hour news channel this morning and was pasted all over every web page. Argh. Frustration doesn't even begin to describe my feelings about people that think she would make a good president. She has waffled on so many issues, except her beloved health care plan, it's amazing she knows her stance from day to day. It is obvious that no other desire in her life is as strong as getting into office. It's not to serve the people or make the right decisions for the country, it is just to get into office. Her objective on which she has tunnel vision is to be the first female president. She backed her boy Billy's NAFTA signing and at the time openly praised it to no end. Now her camp is open about the plan being "flawed". WTF? Wouldn't it have made sense to fully research it before backing it? No, you can't get publicity like that. It seems she'll get on the most popular bus of empty promises that will give her the quickest ride to the oval office.

Her socialist health care plan is something she's been trying to get people to listen to for years. There's a reason why people aren't listening, Hitlery. This country is not founded on principals that the government should do everything for the people. We are a democracy. Jefferson had it right in the beginning. Unfortunately, too many Democrats (and recently, Republicans) think big government is the answer. Look at how the social security system is abused and will soon be tapped out. Look at how the various welfare systems are abused. I've actually heard people talk about having more children because of the amount of money they could get from the government. Huh? Where is the logic in that?

All of these systems failed because they are basic systems that look good on paper, but leave a bloated beuracracy to control it. These systems can all be traced back to The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx. I'm sure you've heard of him. There are too many people in this country (Republicans included) that think the government should take care of all of our problems and absolve us all of any personal responsibility but aren't educated enough to understand the big picture. Look at the USSR for a shining example. It's been in a shambles since their communist sytem collapsed.

If the government provides some sort of "bailout" package for the banks that were all writing bad credit paper for the myriad homeowners that shouldn't ever have been able to buy homes, it will only further prove what I'm saying. In an election year, you will likely see both Democratic and Republican candidates speak openly for the need for congress to "do something" about the credit crisis if the economy continues on it's volatile path. The government is far too big when it allows the abuses of so many socialist programs that just bleed money. FCC, FDA, HUD (don't even get me started on that one), OASDI (Social Security), USDA, the list goes on and on. All programs that do little good and a ton of bad.

Bring the troops home and start repairing what's here on this side of the Atlantic and try to quit being the country that saves everyone from evil around the world. We can get plenty of sustaining oil from the oil shale in Canada and the US combined with what we get from the Gulf, we just have to bite the bullet and spend the money to make it happen. The government also has enough property in the western Colorado area to provide enough geothermal energy for millions of people for decades. If our troops weren't in Iraq, we could easily scrounge up the extra scratch. Stop buying from OPEC and see what happens to oil prices. They would plummet. Problem is, there are too many big oil companies here in the states that have a majority of their interests in foreign oil. Get oil here and you piss off these companies which results in politicians losing votes. No votes, no career. An endless, horrible cycle only kept alive because of the unfortunate belief that the government should fix everything.
CZ

He's Back!!

Here comes a solid run for the cup, ladies and gentlemen. Sidney Crosby laced up his skates last night for the first time in 21 games. The Penguins have missed him, but have done really well without him because Malkin is playing like he wants the Art Ross trophy. They've gone 11-6-4 in those games and I couldn't be happier. The playoffs should be awesome since the Pens also picked up Marian Hossa last week in a last minute (literally!) trade that should do nothing but great things for Crosby's line.

CZ

About Time

Well, this comes in today an hour before the closing bell. Thank you. I've been talking up CSCO for two months now hoping it will get back to 30. Hopefully it won't be more than two quarters.

NEW YORK, March 4 (Reuters) - Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Executive John Chambers said on Tuesday that the network equipment maker will hit some "bumps" in the U.S. economy, but such bumps would likely be short-lived.
Chambers told a Morgan Stanley conference that it was hard to say whether such weakness would last two to three quarters, or four to five.
He also said his outlook has not changed since the company's last conference call. (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

CZ

Getting a Beat-Down

Maybe the stock market getting a beat-down is contributing to my neck issues. I'm still in pain today, only a little less than yesterday. Last night wasn't as bad, and it didn't hurt quite as much this morning. It's amazing how fast and how hard we fall when it comes to simple muscle strains. Pull something in your back and you could be down for months. Pull something in the neck and shoulder area, and it's excruciating for days. Both injuries are in or near your core and prevent you from doing almost anything physical. I'll look into the orange-flavored rub Angie was talking about. At this stage, my neck feels like I strained every single muscle that controls my head. Sore muscles would benefit from some sort of heat rub, I would think.

On another note, I'm still at odds as to what the stock market is going through right now. It's baffling. Everything is getting a royal beat-down today, including my many mid-sized gems. Amazon (AMZN) is the exception. There was much talk yesterday on MSNBC about everything going south. Becky whatsername had a long interview with Warren Buffet and he spoke candidly about everything Berkshire is buying and selling right now and the way he sees the market going. I agree with him that we're officially in a recession (by definition) and should buy wisely. I went into my account yesterday around 2pm and picked up a put contract on Amazon, but of course, today it's one of only a handful of stocks on the rise. This defies logic until I see that Cramer said something about a few other companies on the NASDAQ (including AMZN) last night on his show. He sees them going down more as well since these companies generally sell products that are purchased with descretionary income.

Jim Cramer (of Mad Money fame) is a little bit of a blowhard. I can't really watch him because of his way-too-enthusiastic yelling, and it seems to me that anything he mentions as a strong buy has a strong, short surge, but then goes back down to where it was or even lower. This tells me the lemmings watch his show then buy merely on his suggestion. There are a few bloggers that are saying that the weird uptick for AMZN today is due to short sale covers and will be back down tomorrow and the rest of the month. We'll wait and see. My neck can't take much more and can only wait to see if the bloggers are with me on this one and see it as Buffett does. There's a reason the dude has a net worth of somewhere near 60 Billion (that's with a B). I can dream.
CZ

Good Day in Steeler Land

As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers made Big Ben the highest paid Steeler ever. He should be with Pittsburgh until he retires, and that couldn't make me any happier.

CZ

12/21/2012

I awoke this morning to find that my neck is still screaming in protest to any movement whatsoever. It hurt to even move. I fell asleep twice last night on the couch while watching a few cool shows about religion on the history channel and my neck didn't hurt a bit. I should have stayed there and slept the night away. The storms had just begun their rumbling march across the state last night and it was perfect sleeping weather. It's still raining this morning and I don't really feel like going out in it to take care of a couple errands. I must and I will, only because nobody else can do them for me. My neck seems to loosen up as the day progresses, but locks up like a necklace made of spikes as soon as I rest my head on a pillow. I'll be eternally grateful when it subsides.

The date December 12, 2012 came up in one of the shows last night and it is a fascinating one. I've read about this period in the future on several occasions during my everlasting quest for the true meaning of life. I've read a ton of literature about many religions, cults, and dogmas over the years, and this date is one of the most intriguing. It is a date pinpointed by both the ancient Mayan beliefs and a recently uncovered code in the I Ching, originating halfway across the world. There are also several other smaller sects that pinpoint this century as the end of time as we know it.

The Christian religion has also been one that has dabbled in the "end of times" prophecy, but it has evolved over time to accommodate the ages. When Jesus of Nazareth began his ministry around the age of 30, he brought with him the "good news" (Old English meaning of gospel) that the coming of God was at hand and he was bringing about the coming of the Lord. This, obviously, never happened and led to a very quick (3 short years) downfall, ultimately ending in his death. He spoke of the end of the world as was known at the time and that all who believed would be saved by God to live in a new and wondrous world. He was not alone in his claims of Messiahship. There were scads of others in the history of man that have claimed to be the Messiah ( Sabbetai Zevi comes to mind) and that have brought with them this "good news".

The world as we know it today can exhibit itself as a most violent, horrible place, yet can also show us so many beautiful and wonderful things. This dichotomy in the world is what makes life interesting. There are vast differences in good and bad in almost everything we experience and know in our day and age. The environment, politics, religion, belief. The list goes on and on to what seems like infinity. I really don't think there can be really ONE answer to everything. There may have been ONE ultimate beginning, but trillions of chemical reactions and cellular splits all contributed to make up what we know as life. This world is way too full of a thousand different ideas for there to be but one that explains everything. The history of Earth is far too extensive and man's time on it but a relative nanosecond in the history of life on earth. I think it is a most convenient explanation for the invention of an ultimate controller because it is only natural to think that is the case when you know nothing else. There is no other easy explanation, so the simplest solution is one. One operator, one Omnipotent being. To think everything came from nothing goes against all reason and instincts. It is much easier to attribute everything to something. Something to follow, and something to believe in. It is the natural course of human condition. Man is born with the need for knowledge and explanation as he is easily the most intelligent of all living things.

If you've ever seen the movie Castaway with Tom Hanks, you saw a perfect example of this need for something to believe in. Something and someone with whom a man who finds himself all alone could interact. He applied human attributes to a volleyball that washed up on the shoreline and interacted with it constantly. He shared both the greatest of joy and excitement, and the horrible letdowns with this idol he invented. Something so simple, a cheap little volleyball, was his reason for being and a reason to keep going-to push. This is one of the most basic human needs and one that is exemplified in the major religions of today. This is just the basis, and a belief and following is born when you sprinkle in some good, a little evil, and a blueprint to leading a good life. This, for me, is a clear picture of the human condition even though I am in the relatively tiny minority among my peers. That is fine with me, because it also fascinates me to no end and keeps the fire burning.
To Knowledge.

CZ

Inconvenient Injury

Those of you that know me well are perfectly aware that I have a long and storied history of injuries, both self-inflicted (two broken wrists, finger cut in half, etc.), and those that occurred through no fault of my own. I would categorize my latest injury as one of those in which I had no direct hand in it's origin. I woke up this morning with a severe pinched nerve in the back of my neck at the junction of my shoulders. I could barely lift my head from the pillow when my stomach was yelling at me for some delicious biscuits and gravy. I vaguely remember the moment of sharp pain last night in my sleep and I think I was just trying to roll over to a cool side of the pillow. I didn't really have plans for today, but I would have really liked to have been able to make some progress on the old CJ. It wasn't meant to be. Chalk it up as just another inconvenient injury.

The search for a house rambles on. The soon-to-be Mrs. Nash and I have been on the arduous search for a humble abode for what seems like months now, but has only been a few weeks. We are looking for that elusive house that has everything already finished and updated so that we don't have to do any more "home improvement" work. I've already been down that road, and I'd like not to see it again. The only thing I really want to "work" on is my toys and toys belonging to friends. A '70 Cuda and a Jeep TJ come to mind, but I can also be hired cheaply (beer and pizza?) for crawling in attics and chopping down trees. Housework bores me, and to be honest, you can't feed it gas and have fun in it. Don't get me wrong here, if it's a necessity, I'll do it. Leaky pipe, clogged drain, broken switches, the list of things that can go wrong in a house is endless. If I can fix it without hiring out the job, I'll do it. I just don't want to do it 'for fun' because to me, that is as far from 'fun' as it gets.

All I require of a place to hang my hat is a big two (or more) car garage and a spacious kitchen. I've been known to make a good meal or two (blueberry pancakes, anyone?) in my day, and a tiny kitchen sucks because you can't really have anyone hanging around to chat while you whip up vittles. Of course, the big garage only makes sense because I'm always working on a Jeep or motorcycle and that is where a ton of my time will be spent.

We're scheduled to meet Kim (our realtor and long time family friend) to look at a place tomorrow that is the cat's meow. I love it already, and I haven't even set foot in the joint. I've seen pictures of the cavernous family room that is open to the kitchen. I've seen the standard two car garage AND the detached garage-slash-shop in the back yard that has both electricity and running water. Need I say more? I can't wait. Now, if Bernanke comes out and does what everyone thinks he will do during the fed meeting later this month, a local interest rate reduction will likely follow and we can lock ourselves in for a 5.5% note. Only time will tell.

If anyone knows a quick fix for a pinched nerve in the neck, I'm open for suggestions.

CZ

A Good Beating

I'm going to start by saying that those of my regulars that couldn't care less about the sometimes bland world of economics need not even waste their time with my hackneyed interpretation of the stock market. Without further delay, anyone that's been working the stock market lately is likely to be thoroughly frustrated by what has transpired since the few days following the Christmas holiday. I'm not just talking about Series 7 holders either. I'm talking about general investors at home like me that keep track enough to monitor investments and stay on top of any possible decent returns. I gamble (yes, that's basically what it boils down to) a little with options because the possibility for a quick and substantial return on investment is greater than just buying stocks. You also don't need nearly as much liquid capital. Unfortunately, the threat for equal losses is also ever present and palpable. It's all about using news to your advantage.

News, in most cases with the big blue chips is very reliable and can be used reliably for following the other traders and riding the gains upward. That is, if the news is good. If the news is bad, you can short the stock or stay away, but it generally results in the stock taking a hit. The last two months have been very contradictory for a few companies. Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) is the one blue chipper that has kicked my ass because it should be riding high and it is not. A mere whisper of economic problems in the credit sector, financials, or anything else for that matter, and this thing gets a beating worthy of a UFC matchup. My time value on these calls is going down faster than my pint of Boddington's on a good day. Luckily, it only lost 27 cents in yesterday's 317 point massacre which was the leap day loss for DJIA. The damn company is more solid than a brick shithouse and should rebound nicely. I just need it to do it NOW. I'm on this ride until the end and I'll drink another pint in hopes that it will be solidly in the black by the time I'm donning my Reefs.

There has been a bit of a saving grace lately, though, in a nice little company called Petro-Canada (PCZ). This little gem is a mid-size mover and shaker in the oil and gas sector. It does everything related to those two precious commodities. I've been riding the price roller coaster on this one for a few months now and have nothing but gains to show for it so far. As long as my ability to discern when it's about to take a dive and when it's going to shoot up like a roman candle is good, we're all happy. It's a volatile little company and it is common for it to rise and fall 3 or 4 dollars (stock price is fluctuating between 40 & 50 lately) in a few hours. This is awesome for straddles and strangles. Get in, get out at the right time and use your stop limit orders wisely.

The other frustrating company is EXM. Excel Maritime Carriers, Ltd. Dry bulk shipping overseas is the business. It's nice and volatile, just like I like 'em, but it doesn't seem to follow a pattern like other stocks or sectors. When China is looking to import more iron ore, EXM should rise, but it sometimes doesn't. The sector is somewhat boring and doesn't get the news coverage that the big chippers do, so that makes it harder to find information used for prognostication. China is the keystone in all of this, because like so many other people, I see it being a big player in our economic situation here across the mighty Pacific. I think one of big problems there is the fact that China got pounded by record blizzards this winter. I'll drink another pint in hopes we'll all see a springtime boom from the Chinese with fat contracts with dry bulk shippers. I'm right at even on this one, but I think I can get more from it with more time and study.

If I had just been heavy in puts when I was heavy in calls I would be loving life and reaping the rewards. Hindsight is always 20/20, though, as the popular cliche' reminds us incessantly. I'm close to even overall (on the plus side a smidge), and in this current market, I think it's far from a bad thing. The beating could have been much worse, and I think I'm in a decent position considering the conditions. I'm ready and waiting for a big move up. Where's that other pint I know is hiding in the back of the fridge?

CZ

A Good Day

70 degrees with nary a cloud in the sky. I am back to work after taking the day to say goodbye to Bryan. It was a good day of remembrance and celebration of what he left behind. Memories will never die.

CZ