The Vig

I have to admit, this blog is growing on me.

I pray it’s not too late for your kids.

Wow.

Is he paying for protection on the inside?

Sharebuilder.com, a sister-company of my bank, ING Direct, ran a promotion recently where they gave new customers $50 for signing up and trading with their company.  So I dumped in $100 on a whim, figuring I would start a little Roth IRA and see what happened.

My first purchase was the energy SPDR (AMEX: XLE).  I bought back on February 11th at $71.65.  It closed today at $78.66.  That’s a 9.78% return in a little over 2 weeks, for those of you scoring at home.  With $4 gas staring us in the face, I figure I’ll be a millionaire by Christmas.  Of course I can’t withdraw any of it for another 23 years, but whatever.  I’m a freaking genius.

Investing is easy.

Here’s an interesting story.  With the nice weather and the longer days, the crazies are starting to pop-up with their small engine vehicles.  While I was out for a walk the other night, I saw a woman in her mid-twenties riding a go-kart down the middle of Daniels St. without a care in the world.  The infant girl between her legs didn’t seem to have much of a care either.  No helmets.  No seat belts.  Just quality bonding, NASCAR-style.

He’s been getting lots of run the last day or so for endorsing Obama.  This morning he introduced Laura Bush at a conference downtown.  That’s one cool dude.

I’ve found a new semi-secret lunch spot. Semi-secret because it’s out of my co-workers’ migratory path, yet still in plain sight. I get to catch up on podcasts while watching the skaters. I’m guessing there’s an ice skating competition coming up because there are three or four people down there walking through their routines. One guy has his nose buried in a folder as he skates in slow circles. A woman stops to take notes after each repetition. All the while, the normal crowd of people skate around the outside, including a grown man wearing hockey pads and gloves. Is a game about to break out? My favorite is the speed skater who comes by every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He’s got the complete outfit and cruises around, dodging grade schoolers like a pro.

Courtesy Niki K.

They’re white, liberal, and over 60.

My father is 68, and has said vehemently that — although he might support Obama — he just doesn’t believe the nation is ready to vote for a black President. Another long-time family friend, almost 70 and Jewish, told me that he thinks there are still too many racist people in America, and that Obama doesn’t have chance in the general electorate. He told me this over dinner one night, and I said to him, “I hope you’re wrong.” He said, “So do I, but I doubt it.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face. 1968 was 40 years ago.  A ton has changed since then, not the least of which is the demographics.  There truly are more of “us” today than there are of “them”.  Yet the polls suggest there is this segment of older liberals who are going for Hillary in part because “we’re not ready” for Obama.  I wonder when they pull the curtain in November whether these same liberals will vote for Nader for the same reason.  Its something to watch.