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.