Penny Stocks - Formerly the preserve of failing dotcom and biotech stocks, the less than a buck a share ranks have swelled with some big names, notably financial stocks. AIG and Fannie Mae, each once worth north of 50 dollars a share, are now clinging to life at barely more than 50 cents. And there are others heading in that same direction: Bank of America, sinking below $4 per share, and Citibank less than $2. How long before they join the penny-fund? It's a cliched saying that 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall', but evidence of it's inherent truth is all around us. If you own any of these stocks, but especially AIG, Fannie, or best of all, Washington Mutual, which went to zero and died, I hope you got out early or bought late in the game and didn't ride them all the way down. If you did, though, there's some consolation. I plan to use those stocks to wallpaper our bedroom - to remind me in my now less-than-golden years what getting screwed is all about.
Left side, Right side - There is a lot to love about the British - Shakespeare, The Beatles, buttered scones and tea. They gave us Monty Python, too, and Hugh Laurie. But the legacy of that Island nation is not unblemished, for they foisted upon us the wholly wrong-headed notion of driving on the left side of the road. Some nonsense about bringing your sword-hand (the right one) closer to passersby. Very medieval. And the Brits are apparently determined to take this into all areas of travel. Witness the recent collision of British and French nuclear submarines in the Atlantic. No one is giving details, but imagine this: heading towards each other, the Brits go left, and the French go right, and Whamo! There may be more incidents like this to come. Everywhere the British empire landed around the world, left hand driving became the norm - everywhere, that is, except for us. Here in the USA, we resisted. It might have been due to our inherent rebelliousness, or we may have the French to thank for that. Viva Lafayette!
Gassing up - I guess I will never understand modern economics (e.g, my stock successes outlined above). How is it possible for oil prices to be lower than a month ago and yet have gasoline prices higher? For a while oil and gas followed an understandable pattern, oil up, gas up, oil down, gas down. Simple. So what's the story with these oil and gas companies now? Beats the hell out of me. But If I were President Obama, I'd make like Teddy Roosevelt and go all trust-busting on their asses.
Sanford & Son, 2025 - Not to be outdone by the British and French submarine tango, the USA and Russia got into it in space. A Russki satellite fizzed out of it's orbit and collided with an American counterpart. Whamo! (but silently - in space, unlike the ocean, no one can hear you whamo). The resulting debris cloud was last reported spreading out at upwards of 17,000 miles per hour. No immediate danger to the space station or other orbiting mobile homes was announced, but there's no guarantee. Scientists, or better yet, salvage and waste management experts will have to figure out a way to collect and contain this garbage in the future, but it will likely be a hazardous, heart-stopping job. I'm coming, Weezy!
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