Life on the Big Easy...........

A friend just called and asked what do you get when you add corruption and lawlessness with a great dose of Democratic liberalism. Before I could come up with a funny answer he blurted out, "New Orleans".

He's right.

Ft. Berthold Problems..........

I attended the second half of grade 5 and grades 6, 7, and 8 in Mandaree, ND in the mid-1960's.

Indian reservation schools face many problems.

Here are statistics from Mandaree, ND that pain me.

Grade 8

Reading/Language Arts
50% (2005)
31% (2004)
The state of ND average for Reading/Language Arts was 72% in 2005.

Math
38% (2005)
8% (2004)
The state of ND average for Math was 65% in 2005.

Change is needed. Should the reservation itself be abolished?

How do you spell "relief"?

Many clients come to our firm seeking help and relief from getting their portfolio's pounded at the hands of retail stockbrokers. Wall Street has their gimics and it seems to be getting out of hand. The hidden fees, layered many times over in product so hard for the public to ever make a dime off of, are killing their returns.

And to think we are only a phone call away.

Short selling.............

The NYSE media blitz on what they are "doing" to combat naked short selling is interesting. Last I heard it is not illegal to short stocks.

Maybe in front of secondary's or to short the amount of stock in the "green shoe" of an IPO perhaps? Why allow the investment banks to hedge their shoddy merchandise they hoist on the investing public? Can anyone holler "VONAGE" without laughing?

Atlanta drought................

Maybe we will go without rain from Memorial Day to July 4th.

Maybe not.

Let's hope for rain or I'm putting on my regalia real soon.

6 of one...... half-dozen of the other..........

Frankly it seems to be one whale of a horse race here at Chippewa Partners.

Not really as in horseflesh.....as in technical glitches.

Phones versus hard-drives.

It has yet to play out.

Is Dell really all that great?

from Boortz.com....................

The self-annoited guru of talk radio here in Atlanta had something to say..........

Just when you thought things were going well in New Orleans with the rebuilding, this happens. Responding to a request from newly re-elected Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco is sending in the National Guard to restore order. Almost 10 months after Katrina, and things still aren't going too well.

Have you EVER heard of the National Guard being sent to a city almost 10 months after a hurricane to restore order? Of course not .. but then this is New Orleans.

The guard was sent in response to six murders over the weekend. Five teenagers were shot and killed in an SUV, apparently over drugs or something important like who's rap start has tighter braids . Another man was stabbed to death over beer. So the mayor had it...and realizing the police were overwhelmed, asked for help. Probably not a bad idea considering the circumstances. In fact, this could be one of the few right things Nagin has done while in office.

But how about the irony of liberal Democrats admitting they have no control over their population? All of a sudden, you have politicians on the left calling for law and order...priceless. Gone is the talk of crime being caused by poverty or some other social ill being forced on society by the Bush Administration. That's another thing...nowhere in Nagin's request for the National Guard did he blame the lawlessness on George W. Bush, although I'm sure that's coming.

So the troops are back in the Chocolate City....it would seem the recovery from Katrina is further off still.

Sunshine..............

The state of Georgia has no natural lakes. All are man-made. A far cry from the state I was born in. The land of 10,000 lakes. Actually, far more than that.

Increased gas prices have dropped the time spent on the lake by pleasure boaters.

Water skiing is still a rush on "glass" in the morning solitude.

Michael Savage

After 13 years you may not like the messenger.

The sound of his message is for all Americans.

Listen to him.

Think.

My sons are so tired of hearing this...............

Old man CAN'T is dead. I helped bury him.

Dr. Janice Dorn is a true gem.......taken from Victor's "www.dailyspeculations.com"

Days like today can be demoralizing to traders and investors who see profits disintegrate, stops hit and stocks under distribution. It is precisely at these times that we must "steel" ourselves, and not give up in disgust and self-loathing. Your emotions are your greatest enemy on days like today.

The markets giveth and the markets taketh away. The markets don't care who we are, what we own, how much we need the money to put food on the table or anything else about us. The only thing that matters in such situations as we are now experiencing is that you do not quit. Do not quit.

Things always look terrible when we are near a tradable bottom. It is those who do not panic, stay the course and continue to believe in themselves and their positions who will survive to play another day.

Be strong, persevere, never give up, and you will be rewarded. Continue to see opportunity where others see only chaos and panic.

A excerpt from "Fifty Years in Wall Street" by Henry Clews:

Mr. John D. Rockefeller attributes his success to early training and perseverance. That is, like other men who have stamped their individuality upon the affairs of mankind, he is what is termed a causationist; in other words, he believes that nothing is got for nothing, that effects proceed from causes, and the cause of success he believes to be largely perseverance. He believes that perseverance overcomes almost everything, even nature itself, and in that opinion this ordinary business man is at one with the philosophers of antiquity

Securities Regulation........

As an arbitrator for over a decade for both the NYSE and NASD I admit the current system of the proverbial fox guarding the hen house needs change. Probably serious change.

The current set-up, in which the exchanges police their own brokers needs to be fixed. Now that the NYSE is a for-profit enterprise and faces an even greater obligation to eliminate any real or percieved regulatory conflict-of-interest, the problem is enhanced.

Especially if the NYSE uses their stock as currency to go on a global spending spree.

Sunshine in the Cumberlands........

Last weeks respite to "Pamelot" was refreshing.

It is a beautiful part of America.

I am thankful for such a wonderful, productive week.

I am a lucky man.

June.......2006

May's demise brought out the bulls .........if only for a week.

One of my many problems in trading is believing a change in trend is upon us.

I believe we have not had a general change in trend. My bullish cap is still on.

When will it change and for what reason? I don't know.