Dan from Madison

Wise Words on Troubled Times

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Like many, the current events in the financial markets have me a bit dazzled.   I understand a lot more than I did a few weeks ago from reading blog posts, newspaper articles and a small book or two.   I also have been watching CNBC and Fox Business which have had a lot of interesting information on them as well.   But I have a reservation.   Whenever I see a report on CNBC or  soak in a few pixels of  information on a  website I get a certain empty feeling.   I feel as though  I am being played.   These information outlets feed on advertising for their lives, after all.   Blood always leads, even on the financial pages.

The very best thing I have read on the current situation was in the WSJ weekend edition a week ago.   It wasn’t “world ending” stuff, and it was easy to understand and concise.   Several articles in the same edition were excellent.

That said, here is an excellent quote from Blogging Stocks:

In these tough times, the media does it best to convey the impression that it’s really looking out for the best interest of the humble investor.
 
In its September 28, 1998 issue, Fortune’s cover screamed: “The Crash of ’98. Can the U.S. Economy Hold up?” The Managing Editor explained that Fortune was “dedicated” to making sense of the “scary” financial situation.
 
How helpful!
 
I am not trivializing the current financial crisis. I have no idea what the direction of the markets will take in the future. What I do know is the financial media have a vested interest in hyping extreme conditions because it is in their economic interest to do so.
 
Investors can learn from the terrible track record of the media in predicting the future of the markets. They are not a reliable source of information.
 
What are your alternatives?
 
Consider the 80-year history of the markets, which have experienced ten bear markets. Look at long-term risk and reward data. Read books that have peer review, academically tested data supporting intelligent investing principles. There has been a trend by authors of these books to write them in way that is easily understood by everyone…
 
…Ignore the financial media, unless you find it entertaining.
 
The big wooden horse the Greeks gave the Trojans was not a gift. Neither is the information provided with such confidence by most of the financial media.

The article is appropriately named Kissing Cousins:   The Wall Street Collapse and Media Hype.

A Strange Conversation

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I received a confirming email from a hotel in Atlanta. I am staying there next week on business. It mentioned the amenities of the hotel, including “in-room workouts”. Being the fitness freak that I am I went to the hotel’s website to figure out what exactly that was – but no dice, nothing there on the subject.

Why not workout in my room instead of the workout room, right? My other thought was that I could hire a personal trainer for a short period of time that may come right to the room for some strength training. I figured it would be good to get another person’s opinion of my workouts and to possibly show me some pointers. So lets call the hotel to see what it is about.

Me: Good afternoon. I am calling to  find out  what the in-room workout is. I saw it mentioned  on my confirmation and couldn’t find anything about it on your website.

Hired Help: Oh, that means that you have a treadmill in your room.

Me: Is it extra money?

HH: Yes sir, and we have only two of these rooms in the entire hotel.

Me: Doesn’t sound like it would be worth it, I guess I can walk down to the workout room.

HH: Yea, most people do. Only extremely obese people usually request the treadmill in the room.

Me: OK, thanks for the info.

Cross posted at LITGM.

Waste of Time – Time Spent Wisely

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I visited Portland, Oregon on business a few weeks ago.    I had a spare afternoon and after a workout I decided to give myself a walking tour of the area.   It was mostly nice, with a few seedy places in the downtown area.   As I was walking I came  upon this bar, the Satyricon (Photo credit here).

In and of itself it is not an impressive place, it is a rock club like so many others.   What made me stop in my tracks was the fact that by total chance I had happened upon a place that I partied at some  15 years ago.   I paused and stared at the outside of the club (it was the middle of the day) for five or ten minutes as many memories washed over me.

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Fringe Benefit – Will Palin Make the Country Healthier?

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Much has been said already about Governor Palin.   I want to concentrate on her looks.   Which is easy to do for most heterosexual males.   She is well put together.   I like the glasses, I like the skirts, I like the fact that she is an in shape ass kicker of a female.  

The comment thread in this post got my attention.

Here is what Helen, our friend from across the pond said:

And talking of who looks good. You know what makes me mad: how does a woman who has had five children get away with wearing a pencil skirt? Sheesh.

Mitch replied:

Sorry, Helen, but she apparently does it the old-fashioned way: by keeping to a physical regime that would kill most men of her age, let alone of mine. Let us of normal pudginess admire her, and let those who dare, emulate her. Not me, thank-you-very-much. The First Dude doesn’t look much like a citified metrosexual ponce, either, so perhaps it’s just as well they found each other. If they had found one of us regular types, somebody could have gotten hurt.

I am fortunate to have a wife whose figure recovered quite nicely and quickly  after  bearing two wonderful children.   Many women I have known are not so lucky and struggle with their weight all of their lives after having kids.   It looks like Palin may have taken the issue into her own hands and decided that she would be in shape, doing it the old fashioned way – exercise.   A quick dose of Google reveals a few interesting things.

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