55 MPH = 25 MPG

I have a lot to talk about tonight, but let me start with the mathematics formula which is the title of this particular post.

I once told all the friends I have e-mail addresses for that I believed just about everything could be reduced, one way or another, to a mathematical formula. I love numbers and equations so much, I sometimes do long division and other math problems for fun and relaxation. My mind is very "left-side of the brain". I make a good living working for the State of California as an accounting technician, though my primary job duties have become more customer service oriented lately, when I'm entering the numbers into the accounting program, interpreting the data and presenting the results each month, I'm in a state of Zen. But I digress.

For the last two months, I've been experimenting with my driving speeds, lowering from 75 MPH to 55 MPH by 5 MPH every other week, and watched with satisfaction as my MPG indicator kept up a slow and steady climb until today, when it seems to have peaked at 25.2 MPG, up from 20 MPG. Think of that! Simply reducing my speed 20 MPH, I have increased my gas mileage by 26%. Now, 26% may not seem like all that big a savings for some of you reading this, so lets put it in to dollars and cents. Say you have a 14.5 gallon gas tank (industry average), at $4.00 gallon it would cost $58.00 to fill up. If you drive at 75 MPH and get 20 miles per gallon, you would be able to drive 290 miles at an average cost of $0.20/mile. If you drove at 55 MPH you would be able to drive 365.4 miles at an average cost of $0.16/mile. Again, a $.04 savings may not seem like much, but consider this, the average driver will put 15,000 miles per year on his or her car. At $.04/mile, that's $600.00/year, or $50.00/month. Which one of you is so rich that they can afford to throw away $50.00 every month?!? Frankly, I have much more important things to spend my money on.

The only other thing I have to talk about is a comment that was sent to my blog on the "Fresno's Coronation" post. Someone calling themselves "ihateise" was very rude and said some mean things about the Imperial Court of Alameda. I just want to apologize to all of you for what that person said. If I can find a way to delete the comment, I will, but in the meantime, we have to remember, the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protecting free speech isn't there to protect the things we want to hear, it's there to protect the things we DON'T want to hear.

Buy, Sell, & Buy

Just 4 more days till June 2nd, the day when I can sell my stock in Pioneer Southwest Energy (PSE), and while it as done o.k. it has not done nearly as well as my stock in IPI.

My plan (and please don't tell God, because you all know my views on how you make God laugh) is to sell the PSE, and add to my position in Pepsico (PEP). I'm hoping to acquire the PEP before June 6th, which is the date of record if I want my new shares to be eligible for the upcoming dividend that will be payable June 30th. PEP recently raised their dividend from $0.375/share to $0.425/share, to reflect not only how well they have done, but to show how confident they are in how PEP will do in the future.

A co-worker asked me recently why I invested in PEP rather than KO (Coca-Cola), and my answer was quite simple. I drink Pepsi (well Diet Pepsi) and don't care for the taste of Coke, so why shouldn't I invest in one over the other. Aside from having (in my opinion) the better beverage, Pepsi owns, among other choice assets, the Frito-Lay brand, and they are some of my favorite snack foods. Though, for the sake of my waistline, I've had to cut down on the Diet Pepsi and salty snacks.

So that's my plan for my next investment. Having bought the PSE (and being none to impressed with it's performance), I'm going to sell it June 2nd and use the proceeds to buy more stock in PEP.

I'll keep you informed on how it goes.

Ka-Ching!!!!!

I sold my stock in Intrepid Potash, Inc. (IPI) today. All 100 shares at the price of $45.252/share, for an after commission and fees total of $4,516.22. After you subtract the initial purchase price of $3,200.00, I made a profit (Does that make me sound like a Ferengi?) of $1,316.22! Not bad for just a few days over one month.

I put $16.22 of my profits in a state & federal tax exempt bond fund and the remaining $1,300.00 of my profits, I've left in the cash portion of my portfolio till I decide on my next investment.

That's the hard part. Deciding what to invest in next, and not letting my emotions and greed get the better of me and carry me away to a place where I put my money in whatever looks hot at the moment.

I don't have anything else to say just now. My mind is all jumbled up. I am giddy with the size of my first really successful investment.

If I think of anything else to say, I'll keep you informed.

I've decided, by the way, after reading over this post before hitting the publish button, that yes, I do sound like a Ferengi. But guess what boys and girls, I don't care!

Sacrifices Must Be Made

Their was something I wanted to talk about regarding my trip to Fresno's coronation and back home to Stockton this weekend. That thing was my gas mileage.

I was able to do the whole thing at 25 MPG. That's right boys and girls, 25 miles per gallon! How did I do it? By doing something I think very few of you are willing to do. I drove at 60 miles per hour. Driving at that speed meant I had to leave earlier (8:30 AM), and I didn't arrive at the host hotel in Fresno till 11:00 AM, but at 255.46 miles (round trip), I only used just a hair under 10.25 gallons of gas, or at current prices $40.87.

Now, for some of you that may not seem like much of a saving, but compare it to the following. If I had driven at say 70 to 75 miles per hour, my gas mileage would have been an estimated 20 MPG. Keeping all other figures for the round trip constant, it would have cost $51.09 for gas.

By driving just 10 to 15 miles per hour slower, I saved $10.22 worth of gasoline!

I think some of you will still say though that the savings isn't worth leaving so early or driving so slow and that I'm being a bit nitpicky. To you people I say, "Can I have some of that money you're throwing away!"

Don't get the idea that I'm cheap by the way. I am NOT cheap! I am thrifty. The dollar I don't waste driving fast to get one place and then drive fast to get home, is a dollar I can use for more gas, or food, clothing, shelter, or some other stupid, selfish habit of mine. I am frugal. I buy only the best, but then I make the best last as long as possible. That's one of the reasons I have so many different polo shirts. They are very basic, fashion wise, they are easy to accessorize, and when winter comes, all you're going to see is the collar above whatever sweater I'm wearing anyway. I still have shirts I bought nearly 16 years ago, and I'm proud to say I still wear them.

Well, that's all for now. Since the U.S. stock markets were closed today in observance of Memorial Day, I don't have any investment news, but I do have a prediction. Though our markets were closed, the Asian markets, and some European markets were still open. With the markets in Europe falling, the markets in Asia rising, and the comments about recession by former Federal Reserve Chairman Allan Greenspan, I am predicting a volatile day when the U.S. markets open at 9:30 AM (ET). We'll see if I'm right.

Don't worry, I'll keep you informed.

Fresno's Coronation

I just got back from Fresno's Coronation, 2008, and wanted to tell you all what a good time I had. The food was exceptionally tasty, so delicious in fact that it went VERY quickly. The production numbers and other entertainment were also very good, though I must admit a small amount of disappointment over part of it. The sets for the coronation event had the names of some of my favorite Broadway shows, including "Gypsy", written on the 'billboards', but none of the songs or scenes from those shows was performed. The only other problem I saw with the evening was the lack of sufficient tables. They had plenty of chairs, but not enough tables to put them in, so I had to squeeze in between two other people at an already crowded table. Overall though, the night has to be ruled a success, and Patsy Del Rey, and all those who helped her, can be very, very proud.

The new empress of Fresno de Madera is my good friend Divalicious, supported by the new emperor, Anthony, and if either of you are reading this, let me say now, if you ever need my help, just say when.

The next event I'm attending will be the "Shake & Bake" hosted by Seneca Greenwood and the Imperial Court of Alameda on Saturday, June 7th. I have some ideas for the baking contest I'm cooking up in my head, including . . . well, lets leave it a surprise. But suffice it to say, with all due modesty, I think I may have a pretty good chance of winning the top prize. On June 8th, at Club Paradise in Stockton, Sammy Van Gelder will be hosting a fundraiser that also promises to be a blast. I've heard though that it's all live performances though, so the dedicated lypsycers should brush up on their karaoke skills.

That's all I have to write about for now, but I'll leave you with this. Remember when I said that "Gypsy" was one of my favorite shows? Here is a little something from YouTube. It's my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvFZ0yyDbAU&feature=related

I'm Off To Fresno

I'm getting ready to leave for Fresno in another hour and a half. This weekend is FRESNO CORONATION! I'm driving down with Robert Manning (aka Ro'Flack Franklin). I have to make sure I have all my stuff packed and ready, including my camera.

This evening will be the end of reign 34 and the step-down of Empress Patsy Del-Rey. As a special step-down gift, I made a batch of my special "Wesley Toll House" cookies and put them in a really cute, cookie jar. I had a few cookies left over from the batch I made and will be giving them as a gift to Ro', who has said on numerous occasions how much he likes eating my cookies (no pun intended so get your minds out of the gutter).

Not much else to talk about right now. I did have the strangest dream last night though. It was one of my recurring theme dreams, but not one I've had for a good long while. The basic theme is, I met someone and we fell in love. What makes this dream strange was that everyone in it was a cartoon. I looked a little like Hank Hill (only with better hair and a butt), and the object of my affection looked like a dark haired, olive skinned version of Aqua Man. I wonder if the dream was prophetic, and I'll meet my special someone in Fresno? It may sound strange, and you may not believe me, but I've had dreams of prophecy before. But, that's a blog post for another day.

Don't worry, I'll keep you informed.

The Road Not Taken

This is my favorite poem. It was written by Robert Frost in 1916. Maybe it will speak to you as it did to me when I first read it in Jr. Highschool, or maybe it won't. Maybe, if you even read it at all, it will leave as little trace on your psyche as the shadow of a butterfly would leave on your body. Either way, whether you enjoy it or not, here it is:

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry, I could not travel both and be one traveler.

Long I stood, and looked down one as far as I could,

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then, took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both, that morning, equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence;

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

and I -

I took the road less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference.

How I'm Gonna Spend My Check

I got my "Economic Stimulus Check" in the mail today, and I've already decided how I'm going to spend part of it.

The first thing I want to do is buy a 10-speed bike. With the cost of gas expected to reach $4.00/gallon (if not already at that price in some places already), it just makes good sense. I live way to far away from where I work to ride my bike to work each day, but my apartment is perfectly located for riding to the grocery store, the mall, the credit union, or anywhere else in Stockton, California, I need to go. I'm also going to buy a few of the accessories that I'll need like a bike helmet and lock.

As for the rest of my check, I'll be paying that on my Atlantis Events Visa card with B of A, and booking my flight to LA in October for my next LA to Mexico cruise.

Not much else worth writing about happened for me today. I'm recovering from my tooth extraction, but had to leave work early today. I was just so freaking exhausted. The dentist advised I sleep sitting up until the bleeding has completely stopped to avoid the possibility of inhaling a blood clot and , well, I won't speak of what she said could happen, but I think you are all smart enough to get an idea of what could have happened if I had. Anyway, when I sleep in that position, I don't get much sleep (though the upright position is great for other things {evil grin}) and found myself falling asleep at my desk. Since I had gotten all the really important stuff done, my bosses said I could go home and recuperate some more.

The only other thing I have worth writing about is what happened in the financial markets today. With the price of oil spiking to $129/barrel, and other inflation worries, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA or simply The Dow) fell 199.48 points or 1.53% from it's previous close. I'm lucky in one sense because only one of my stocks, MCD, is a Dow component, but unlucky in another due to the fact that except for my 100 shares of PSE, which rose $.18/share, and BMY which was unchanged from yesterday, all my stocks fell. I try to look on the bright side though and take comfort in the fact that I keep a large portion of my portfolio in cash to take advantage of price dips like this, and was able to ad another 32 shares to my position in RCL at $30.23/share.

That's all I have to say at the moment. I'll be buying my 10-speed this weekend, and hopefully, I'll be able to find one that was made in the USA. It would hardly make sense otherwise to use my stimulus check to help stimulate the economy of say, China or Taiwan.

I'll keep you informed.

The Pain! The Pain! (And I'm not talking about Geoffrey)

I had my tooth extracted today, and at the moment, I'm wondering which pain was less intense, the toothache itself, or the gaping hole I've got to deal with till I can get the bridge. Fortunately, the dentist gave me an extra prescription for the "vikes", but I'll see if the pain goes away with what I have left over from my last prescription before I even think about getting another. I don't want to become a "Pill Head" after all.

I did very well on my "CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" today. Portfolio #5 had a huge jump and is now in the top 4.7%, at rank # 29,752, out of all the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, playing. Portfolio #4, which did so well last week, is now my 2nd most successful portfolio, in the top 10.3%, at rank # 65,057.

My real-life investments did "o.k." today, but only just. Kind of flat actually, and not much to talk about on that front. Only 4 days by the way and I can sell my stock of IPI (and if you don't know what stock that is the trading symbol for, you haven't been reading my posts), and at the moment, I have a paper profit of $1,734.00. Just four more day! But of course, anything can happen in those four days, so I'll be waiting on pins & needles, for the time to pass and the ability to sell without a penalty.

I'll keep you all informed.

By the way, for those of you who don't know who Geoffrey Paine is, he is a porn star I met on the Atlantis Events Cruise I took back in October, 2007, and I must say, he has a VERY impressive body of work. I've included a link to his blog, and I highly recommend you check it and him out.

http://www.geoffreypaine.blogspot.com/ Enjoy.

Back From the Dentist

I just got back from the dentist, and it definite, I'm not going to be able to go to the Sacramento Investitures. The tooth that was hurting will have to be removed Monday, and until then he prescribed some antibiotics and some vicoden. Yep, boys and girls, I'm on "Vikes" at the moment, and I'm feeling REALLY good (silly grin). Anyway, after the extraction has healed, I'll be scheduled for a bridge to fill in the gap.

Onto other news, I have decided to emphatically NOT invest in Liberty Lane Acquisitions, the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that listed it's IPO this last Friday. The more I researched, the more I realized the wisdom of Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, was true. I should stick with investing in what I know and what I understand, and as Jim Cramer said in a recent interview, "These 'companies' can do anything with your money when they get it. I hate these things (SPACS)". I've heard it once said, I forget who said it, that "Nothing is more expensive than regret." Well, I'd rather regret not making money on an investment I didn't make, than losing money on an investment I did make.

Yesterday was also the end of the first week of trading in the CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, and I did pretty good. Of the 5 virtual portfolios I put together, #4, which is invested in pure contrarian stocks, did the best, climbing 4.7% for the week, and putting me in the top 11.4%. If any of you would like to sign up for the contest, follow this link https://login.cnbc.com/cas/login?service=http%3A%2F%2Fcontests.cnbc.com%2Fmilliondollar%2Fj_acegi_cas_security_check&login-view=contest&partner-code=null&contest-code=Milliondollarportfoliochallenge. It's not to late to play and maybe win. By the way, for the benefit of those of you who don't know what "Contrarian" means, I have provided another link to wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrarian_investing, which I find to be a very useful web site.

That's it for now. The vicoden is really starting to get to me, and I think I'll take a nap for now. Till next time everybody!

Do You Want to Make God Laugh?

Today I remembered an old saying that my grandparents were very fond of quoting. "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans for the future." Well, I must have had God rolling of the floor and laughing His Ass off today.

I had planned to go to Sacramento for the investiture ceremonies of the C.G.N.I.E.'s Imperial Court. I was looking forward to it so much, not the least because I was going to use the $100 bar tab at FACES ( http://www.faces.net/default_R1.asp ) I won in Chico, California, last week, but also because I think getting out and going to events in other cities and states is important to building rapport between Imperial Court chapters.

What's stopping me? One word, "Toothache"! It got so bad, I had to leave work 1/2 hour early. I have an appointment with my dentist tomorrow and until then, I took some Ibuprofen (double the recommended dose) I had left over for the pain I was in after a car accident. That and some Anbasol.

I'd still like to go, and maybe I will, but since I don't know what kind of shape I'm going to be in after the dental work, I thought it best to bow out.

Onto some other news, I've begun building a position in Bristol-Myers (BMY) and was able to add some more to my position in Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL). BMY pays a nice 5.3% dividend, and is trading near it's 52 week low of $20.05 (last traded at $21.94/share). With the majority of analysts predicting it will climb to $26.80 within a year, I'm sitting on a pretty good, long term, investment with BMY.

The same goes with RCL. It's only paying at about 1.9%, but is also near it's 52 week low of $30.04/share (last traded at $30.74/share). Analysts are predicting RCL will climb to over $41/share within a year, so again, a very good, long term, investment.

On a more speculative note, I've begun a conditional offer to purchase (COTP) a new IPO (Initial Public Offering) of a company called Liberty Lane Acquistion. This is a "Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) and the most speculative investment a person can make. SPACs are created for the sole purpose of acquiring a company, and the money invested is returned to the investor if the acquisition is not made within a certain time frame (typically 2 years). The investor doesn't have to hold the stock that long, it's just how long the SPAC has before it must liquidate. The IPO for Liberty Lane is currently set from between $9.99 and $10.01 per share, but has the potential to grow very large, very quickly. I'm doing as much research as I can on this company and it's stock. I'll keep you informed.

Couldn't Sleep Again (1)

I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, hence the title of this post. The (1) means this is the first post with this title, but not the last. Look for "Couldn't Sleep Again (1,000,000) coming soon (LOL).

I lead a very solitary, lonely life, and I hate it. I hate coming home from work, because I have no one to come home to. I hate going to bed at night, because I go to bed each night alone. I hate a lot of stuff it would seem.

I was thrilled earlier, however, when I saw and heard the news that the California Supreme Court threw out the states gay marriage ban as unconstitutional. Opponents to equality say they will push for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and define it as between one man, and one woman. Well, more power to them. The people who say they are going to do this don't seem to realize how difficult, let alone expensive, getting an amendment to the constitution passed actually is, and guess what boys and girls, we gays & lesbians, not to mention our friends and allies, tend to have a LOT more disposable income than our opponents do.

So, 30 days from yesterday (5/15/08) gay and lesbian couples, many of whom have been in stable committed relationships longer than most straight people have been, can legally marry their partners. A friend of mine made the comment that this would totally change gay culture, and I agree. You will soon see a change in the way gay men and women start dating and forming relationships. It won't be about who's got the cutest face, or the flattest tummy, or the most bubbly-butt anymore.

There is some good news for you Equal Marriage Rights opponents out their who might be reading this (what are the chances of that?). Since you are so opposed to two men (Does anyone notice how they're never that outspoken about two women) having sex, in a loving, committed relationship, remember, nothing kills sex faster than marriage. I don't speak from experience, but I wish I did.

Hillary Vs. Obama

I thought of something after listening to the news on my car radio while driving home from work. The radio commentator was talking about Hillary's latest win in West Virginia, when one of guests made the comment that this victory gives her campaign new life. New life? I'm sorry, but all it does is prolong the process and increase the likelihood that McCain will win the presidency.

Hillary wins a state. Obama wins a state. Hillary. Obama. Hillary. Obama. Over and over, around and around. The whole thing puts me in mind of the tag line from the movie "Alien Vs. Predator", 'Whoever wins, we lose.'. I don't mean that I think either would be a bad president, I mean this indecisiveness within the democratic party will make a republican victory all the more likely.

What do I mean by that? Well, I have seen and heard interviews from both Hillary and Obama supporters who have said, that if their candidate doesn't win, they will either vote for McCain, or not vote at all! Come on people! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Damn!

If we want to take back our country from the civil liberty crushing, anti-gay, wave the flag in your face, God is on our side republicans, we cannot let ourselves become so petty and spiteful.

Vote for Hillary Clinton, or vote for Barrak Obama, it's not for me or anyone else to tell you what to do with your power of the vote, but for God(dess) sake, remember, don't give the White House to McCain by either passively not voting, or aggressively giving him your vote.

By the way, for those of you who care or want to know, I voted for Barrak Obama in the California Primary. If he gets the nomination, great, if not I'm voting for Hillary Clinton. ANYONE but McCain!

My McDonald's Milestone

I sold 130.0528 shares of my McDonald's (MCD) stock today at $61.25/share. These shares represent my principle, or original purchase amount, which means, in essence, I got back out what I put in. So now, I'm playing with the houses money.

My remaining 17 shares of MCD represent over $1,000 of pure profit. I'm keeping them for the dividend.

That's all I had to say really. It may not seem like a lot to some, but this was a big deal for me. My first $1,000 earned from stock investments.

I'm now building up positions in other companies that I feel have good potential for earning me my next thousand dollar profit mark.

I'm recommending Pepsico (PEP), General Electric (GE), and Royal Caribbean (RCL). Their are other companies I'm keeping an eye on, but these are the ones I have shares in now. They are all solid companies, with good, clean balance sheets, that pay good dividends, and an added bonus from RCL is the stock earns you all sorts of bonuses on it's ships if you own at least 100 shares of stock. I don't know if that can be taken advantage of if the cruise is through Atlantis Events, but I'm going to find out.

That's all for now. This Saturday, 5/17/08, I'm going to the C.G.N.I.E.'s Investitures ceremony in Sacramento. This time, I promise to take my camera.

Everything I Need to Know About Life . . . .

I learned everything I need to know about life from Star Trek, the original series, movies, Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and Enterprise, and I'm going to pass on some of that wisdom now.

To paraphrase a line from Captain Kirk, "Mr. Spock, the state employees of Vulcan are logical. That is the only planet in this galaxy that can make that claim." I'm having a problem with one of my co-workers, JG. I have to repeat everything three or four times, and it's driving me crazy, and like many of the other people I work with, she's paralyzed by indecision most of the time.

The Klingons sneer at the Federation, and especially the humans, for this very trait. Chancellor Gowron once said to Captain Picard, "You humans spend all your time saying 'Will this be the right decision or will that be the right decision'. Take action and worry about the consequences later!" The people I work with are like the Federation, and I am the lone Klingon. They never want to make a decision or use independent thought. The always want someone else to do the thinking for them, so if the decision turns out to be wrong, they have someone else to take the blame. Guess what I seem to get a lot of.

I have more gems (or should that be dilithium crystals) of Star Trek wisdom, but I'll share them for another time. I just needed to release the stress of my work day. Surrounded by idiots to afraid to make a decision about anything lest they make the wrong decision, so they make no decision. I swear some of them are so dumb (how dumb are they?), they are so dumb they need written instructions to breath. "Inhale, exhale, repeat as necessary."

The Big Hair Ball

I just got back from "Mitzi's Big Hair Ball" in Chico, CA, and I could hardly wait to tell you all about what a good time I had.

Everyone was so beautifully elegant, and most were on their best behavior (ha ha). The event was hosted by Debbie Delicious, and you could tell she not only put in a lot of hard work herself making the event a success, she had a lot of help from the other members of Chico's court. That is something I love to see, all the members of a court, regardless of current or past position, working together to make a fun evening for not only themselves, but us out-of-towners as well, and their hard work paid off in the over $3,000 that was raised for charity.

I did really well last night with the raffle tickets I bought, and won some really nice prizes. My favorite prize was donated by candidate for Emperor of Reno, Daniel Surreal Foxx (and for the benefit of those of you who didn't get the pun, his name is a play on "Daniel's A Real Fox" {and he is a real fox}). The prize I won was a two day, one night stay, at the Peppermill Resort Spa & Casino (www.peppermillreno.com) of which Mr. Foxx is 'Hotel Shift Lead'. I think that's like a manager or something. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Reno's Coronation even more now and wish Mr. Foxx all the luck in the world, and if he gets elected, even more luck, cause he's gonna need it (again, ha ha).

The only bad news I have from my trip this weekend to Chico was that I forgot my camera here in Stockton. At first, I was worried I had thrown it out with some trash I got rid of before I went to pick up my friends Marc (a.k.a. Empress Kiki LaRoue) and Robert Manning (a.k.a. Ro'Flack Franklin), but when I got back, there it was, on my coffee table right next to the lint brush I also forgot to take. I am such a nitwit!

Till next time everybody.

I Dodged a Bullet Today

Remember me telling you all I had decided to not invest in Western Gas Partners, Limited (WES) and the reasons why (ie. little to no information available on company, IPO priced below original range, etc), well, I dodged the bullet on that one. It may have opened at $16.50/share and even closed at $16.50/share, but at it's low point for the day it was down to $16.18/share. That's way to downside volatile for me.

Anyway, I took a portion of the money I was going to invest in WES and put it in a one month certificate of deposit (CD) at First Palmetto Savings Bank. This is a regional bank in South Carolina, and yes, it is FDIC insured. I chose the one month CD because that is the length of time my money would have been locked into WES anyway, and when the CD matures, another stock investment is sure to come along, maybe even another IPO stock. If any of you are interested (and I don't think many of you will be, but what the hell), the CD is paying interest at the annual rate of 2.7%. So, a $2,000 investment for one month will return not only the principle but interest of $4.44. That may not seem like much, and truth be told, it isn't, but it is only for a month, and the interest earned will pay about half the commission on a future stock trade (buying a CD is one of the investments Charles Schwab does not charge commissions on).

I took another portion of the money I was going to invest in WES with and bought some shares in Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL). This is the cruise line that Atlantis Events, the gay vacations company, used for my cruise along the Mexican Riviera last year. The stock is currently trading near it's 52 week low, and in my analysis VERY undervalued. It pays a dividend of 1.9% and has huge upside potential, with a one year target price estimated at over $40/share (currently trades at $30.76/share). If any of you are thinking of investing, remember this company and it's stock is a LONG TERM investment. I plan on holding onto this one for at least a year and a day (I'm waxing poetic).

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to Chico, California tomorrow for Mitzi's Big Hair Ball. I'm taking my camera, so I'll try to have pictures for you all when I get back. In the meantime, if you want to know more about the Imperial Court of Chico, follow the link posted below. The emperor and empress this year are two of the sweetest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and if they ever need me, all they ever have to say is when. http://www.chicoimperialcourt.com/

No WES Here

I changed my mind on buying the Western Gas Partners, LP (WES) tomorrow. I kept up my research, looking for any information I could find, and I found precious little. Add to that the fact that the final offering price was set at $16.50/share, or $.50 less than the low end of the IPO price range, and I decided it was just to risky. Most of the time "No news is good news", but in this case it's more "No news is bad news".

My other investments are doing well. Intrepid Potash, Inc. (IPI) is up nearly 60%, and my McDonald's (MCD) investment is up over 10% and only $1.48/share before I sell all of it but 17 shares of pure profit I'm going to keep for the dividend.

I've been thinking of what to do with some of the money I have invested in MCD when I finally do sell my original position. I could hold onto the cash and wait for the next IPO like IPI, I can build up a larger position in General Electric (GE) or another good dividend player, I could even put some of it in a T-Bill or some other short term investment. I just don't know right now. I'll keep you informed.

I'd like to take some time now to say how disappointed I am in a friend of mine. I won't mention names, because I still want to give him the chance to keep his promise, but his initials are G. R. . I referred him as a possible contestant for the CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge contest along with 4 other people in order to earn "bonus bucks" to invest with. Of the five I sent invitations to, only my dad has responded and signed up, even though I told all of them they didn't have to play the game if they were to busy, and that it didn't cost anything at all to play, just sign up for it. I don't mind the other three people I referred not signing up because they never promised me anything, but G. R. stood in my home, looked me straight in the eye, wished me luck in the competition and said he would sign up for me. So far, NOTHING! A promise is a promise dude, and while I never forget a kindness, I NEVER forgive a fault, and their is no bigger fault in my book than telling me a bold faced lie, and while some might disagree, a broken promise is the same thing.

Ratatouille (No, not the movie)

One of my best friends in the world, The Lady Cranberry, Empress of Alameda asked me yesterday if I had any recipes for eggplant, and it reminded me that "Yes, I do." This is a tasty, heart healthy, and overall good for you dish that uses a lot of fresh vegetables, and since you make it in the crock-pot, very easy to make. My beloved grandmother started making this special dish years ago and my grandfather gave it much of the credit for his long life. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I and my family did and do.

RATATOUILLE, WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

• 1 baby eggplant, dice, or 1 cup diced regular eggplant.
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 large shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 1/8 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup "NO SALT ADDED" tomato puree
• 2 tbsp shredded fresh basil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 salt (optional)
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add eggplant; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer eggplant to slow cooker. Add zucchini, mushrooms, shallot (or onion), garlic and tomatoes. Add oregano, rosemary, pepper, and tomato puree. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
3. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in basil, lemon juice and salt (if desired). Turn off slow cooker. Let stand 5 minutes.
4. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese.
5. And as always, eat and enjoy.

A Stock Named After Me!

I nearly fell off my chair and laughed my ass off, but a new IPO (initial public offering) was listed today, for a company called Western Gas Partners, and it's proposed trading symbol is going to be WES! I was planning on making a conditional offer to purchase (COTP) even before I saw that, but the symbol sealed the deal.

Why was I going to try and buy this stock? Well, lets look at the facts. With the price of oil over $120/barrel, and most analysts stating it will get to $200/barrel, natural gas becomes a very popular, much less expensive alternative, and like my investment in Pioneer Southwest Partners (PSE), it is a limited partnership and will pay a very nice dividend.

My investment in Intrepid Potash, Inc. (IPI) is doing very well, and surged $1.29/share, or 2.66% today, for a total paper profit of $1,779.00. I'm just hoping it keeps going up till I can finally sell the stock. I'd keep some of it if it paid a dividend, but, sadly, no dividend.

I'll keep you informed as to future investments I make, in case you diced you want to make any investments yourself, and remember, nothing is more expensive than regret.

Stupid People Piss Me Off!

I'm an easy enough guy to get along with but stupid people piss me off. Case in point, one of my co-workers, PM, who is so dumb, I doubt she could alphabetize an "M & M".

We work for the State of California, in the accounting department of a regional branch office of the department of corrections, and one of the first things we were instructed on when we began working in our office was that like what "Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas", a check that's written in one month must be posted in that month. Well today, I discovered that PM had kept about 6 checks that it was my responsibility to enter into the states bookkeeping system on her desk since the 21st of April! She had 9 freaking days to get me the checks but left them in her in box! I think, what few brain cells she actually has had been preoccupied with preparing the Cinco De Mayo lunch we had at work today, and while it was good food, your (and my) tax dollars aren't going to pay for her to cater our lunches.

Onto a different subject, I was not able to sell short any of the Yahoo stock that I wanted to. I set a limit price, but the stock's value fell to quickly and I was unable to borrow any for the short sale. My Intrepid Potash stock is doing well and surged $3.74/share today, which means I have a paper profit of $1,636.33. McDonald's fell $.08/share today, but I'm still up $948.41 for my investment. I need MCD to go up just another $.53/share before I lock in my profits and keep $1,000 invested for the dividend.

Well, that's about it for now. I'll keep you informed, and look for a posting soon of a special recipe I'm dedicating to my friend, the Empress Lady Cranberry of Alameda.

My First Short Sale

I never thought to make to posts in one day, but I've just decided on something, a course of action, that I just had to share with my readers.

If anyone has been following the financial news, they know that Microsoft's (MSFT) attempt to acquire Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) was unsuccessful. Therefore, the huge run up that Yahoo stock has had recently is more likely than not going to take a HUGE nosedive come Monday morning, and I am going to try and take advantage of that event. What am I going to do? I am going to sell short 200 shares of Yahoo at the limit price of $28.67, and then buy them back again at $23.67. This will earn me a profit of $1,000 if I am successful.

Some of you may not know what short selling is, so let me take this opportunity to educate you a little (I borrowed that line from my favorite financial personality, Jim Cramer). When you "sell a stock short", you are borrowing a stock you don't own to sell at one price, because you have determined one way or another (technical analysis, broker recommendation, Ouija board, or horoscope) that the price of the stock is going to go down. When you buy the stock back again, hopefully at a lower price than you sold it for, you are covering your position and the difference in price is your profit.

This is a very risky investment move, and one I'm not exactly comfortable with. The financial markets can decided that Yahoo deserves to go higher, or the board of Microsoft or some other company, may decide to try and buy Yahoo after all. You just never know.

I had originally thought to sell short 200 shares of Yahoo, and when it went down about $5.00/share, to buy 300 shares at the new lower price. This is the equivalent of getting 100 shares of stock for free as the profit made from selling and then buying back the 200 shares would be enough to buy 100 shares. I'm not sure now if I want to do this though. Yahoo doesn't pay a dividend, and I require anything I invest in long term, like my McDonald's stock, pay a dividend.

I'll keep you all informed.

Giant Stuffed Grillburgers

With the approach of summer, I thought a BBQ recipe would be most appreciated. This one comes from a "Better Homes & Gardens" cookbook my grandmother got one year when she renewed her subscription. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I and my family did.

Giant Stuffed Grillburgers

• 1 beaten egg
• 1 1/4 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix, crushed
• 1 4-oz can chopped mushrooms, drained
• 1/3 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion with tops
• 1/4 cup snipped parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt (or garlic salt)

1. Mix together the egg, stuffing mix, drained mushrooms, beef broth, green onion, parsley, butter or margarine, and lemon juice; set aside.
2. Combine meat and salt (or garlic salt); divide mixture in half.
3. On sheets of waxed paper, pat each half to an 8 inch circle.
4. Spoon stuffing over one circle of meat to within 1 inch of edge and top with second circle of meat; peel off top sheet of paper and seal edges of meat.
5. Invert meat patty onto well-greased wire grill basket; peel off remaining paper.
6. Grill over medium coals for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Turn and grill till desired doneness, about another 10 to 12 minutes more.
8. Cut the "burger" into wedges & serve with warmed ketchup if desired

Makes 8 servings

As always, eat and enjoy.

Of Signs and Portents

I get these feelings sometimes. Call them what you will, hunches, premonitions, or lucky guesses, but I get them, and right now I have the feeling that something is about to happen. It is a sense of foreboding. The air is to still, and everything is so quiet. Something bad is about to happen and the world feels like it’s holding it’s breath, waiting. Waiting for what, I don’t know, but I know something bad is about to happen.

Maybe a storm is coming.