November 30, 2007

This news story has upset me a lot. In short, a Beagle was skinned alive, and its owner found it and they had to euthanize the dog. The photo shown on the news displayed the dog, still alive, with a rectangle-shaped piece of skin neatly removed from the dog's torso. I'm not asking "Who would do such a thing", because clearly there are a lot of people in this world who do not deserve the species recognition Homo sapiens. I am asking "What would this person do to another human being?". It scares me that when I am driving, going shopping, working in my yard, sleeping in my bed, etc, that there are people nearby who are so base, cruel, and vile, that I could be the next victim, or my dog, or someone's child. If a person lacks a conscience, there is no telling what they will do next.

Posted by megabeth at 08:19 AM | Comments (2)

November 29, 2007

Maybe I'm a big ol' weenie, but my low-cost cold weather clothing, purchased at outlet stores and held over from my skiing days, did NOT work nearly as well as the $60 craft windstopper base layer and $150 craft thermal jacket that I bought this year.

I like low-cost alternatives probably more than anyone else. But this article is mostly wrong.

Posted by megabeth at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2007

My capstone course is wrapping up next week. Each week we had a local CEO visit the class and give a presentation on his company. So last night a fellow student and I were talking about what would have happened if Charter Communications' CEO had paid us a visit. First of all, there would have been blood spattered on the walls of the classroom. I envision an army of students carrying AK-47s, shotguns, and knives. The poor guy would then be robbed of any cash he was carrying in order to help defray the cost of paying for cable and internet service that was not received. There would also be a degradation into foul language as epithets were thrown at the poor CEO. I don't think he would live through the experience.

We had a class on Time Warner Cable, and I have never seen so much collective anger directed towards Charter Communications. Everyone had a complaint.

I just don't understand why the company is still in business. There are other options in a market area where Charter has a monopoly, particularly satellite. If you can pay $60 a month for cable, I bet you can pay $80 a month for satellite.

The only way this company is going down is if people stop giving it money... for nothing.

Posted by megabeth at 09:10 AM | Comments (1)

Several years ago I had jury duty and was put on a jury in a criminal trial for an African-American woman who had been arrested for having crack rock in her apartment in a local housing project. Her excuse was (drumroll please... it was intelligently and carefully crafted...) "it wasn't mine". Ha ha. Anyhow, I listened to the case with an open mind. Perhaps it wasn't hers, if there was sufficient proof. There wasn't. So the jury heads back to the deliberation room to discuss a verdict. What happened next suprised me a lot. The black women on the jury were the most unsympathetic, angry and vicious about the case and ready to slap a guilty verdict on her immediately. They had no sympathy for the defendant, they said.

On that note, I also have no sympathy for the women in my peer group. What have they done that is criminal? Driving with road rage. I don't understand why insurance rates are higher for men than for women, because women in their 30s and 40s can't drive worth a crap. They also talk on their cell phones way too much while driving. Cell phone + psycho woman + SUV = very dangerous situation. The other demographic I see who has issues with driving is men in their 20s, since they are young and stupid and haven't made enough mistakes to learn from them. What excuse does a 38-year-old woman have for acting homicidal behind the wheel of a car or truck? None. I don't think "I have kids and it is stressing me out" is a good excuse for any sort of ugly behavior behind the wheel. What scares me even more is that a lot of these women are driving huge SUVs - not the midsize Highlander, but a gigantic Yukon that can kill and maim people, simply because "I have kids and I'm stressed out". I'm pretty sure if she is driving a vehicle like that, then her life could not possibly be bad enough to take her anger out on other innocent drivers. I don't care if the psycho woman driver has kids, is stressed out, has an important presentation, has to buy Christmas gifts or just had an argument with her husband. There is no excuse for road rage. What is wrong with people that they can't realize that they made choices that put themselves where they are now? That's why I can't feel sorry for a woman who is acting like a homicidal maniac. Is there something I don't know as a woman, about being in my 40s? Because if my hormones make me act that ugly, then I don't want to be around in ten years.

Posted by megabeth at 08:31 AM | Comments (2)

November 26, 2007

I am going to talk about a couple of stocks on my watch list that I wasn't stupid enough to buy (but never fear, I was stupid enough to buy some others that are now down 15-20%). Hey, come to think of it, whenever I put a lot of money in the market, the next thing that happens: market tanks. It may take a year or two for that to happen, but since I am a buy and hold investor, I will lose sooner or later. Sense that something is up? Why, yes. The little guy is getting screwed.

I'm about 75% positive at this point that index investing with dollar cost averaging is the only correct way to invest. I am still young and I will recover from my losses (again - see 2001 for the first time), and will use this wisdom for the rest of my life.

Citigroup

Citigroup's CEO Prince resigned on Nov 4 following announcements of massive (as in $8 billion this quarter) losses due to the subprime mortgage fallout. The company plans to lay off 45,000 workers. The chart shows the share price behavior during the last three months. I see a turnaround in Citigroup's future. It may take several years, but if you have the stomach for it, a buying opportunity will present itself in the next 6 months to one year. I won't be buying it because I am tired of losing money, and if I did buy it, the share price would immediately sink to $5. If you buy it, however, the share price will double in two years.

Emageon

Emageon is a local Birmingham company that provides imaging systems to hospitals and other medical facilities. The product sounds pretty good, but potential customers don't seem to be buying it. A decision like that costs mega-bucks and is made once in a blue moon. So, Emageon had a hard time with earnings about a year ago and their stock value was halved (from 16 to 8). And a month ago, they had another not-so-good earnings report and their stock price was halved (from 8 to 4). Since then, the share price continues to decline. In 2001, a company like this would have had a share price of $250 and a P/E ratio of 8000. However, it appears that the market has sufficiently learned a lesson from the 2001 tech bubble burst. Also, this is a lesson that the product CAN be good, but if it doesn't make money, then investors do not want to buy the company's stock. Who knows when the bleeding will stop? I wouldn't be brave enough to buy this one. I might make some of the stupidest investing decisions known to mankind, but I can at least give myself credit for having one logical, boolean brain cell.

Posted by megabeth at 03:07 PM | Comments (5)

On Buy Nothing Day (Nov 23), I spent a total of $18. On groceries. So sue me. I like food.

Posted by megabeth at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)

Ruby has to be the most stubborn dog in the world. This morning, it's pretty warm outside (upper 50s) and lightly raining. She does not want to go potty in the yard. So I go outside with her to see what she does. First, she pees. In my head, I clap quietly. Then she looks at me and I am staring down at her, saying "WEE WEE" sternly. She walks over to the other side of the house where she can hide from my view. So I walk over there and stand next to her, saying "WEE WEE" again. Does she think she is hiding from me? She thinks I can't see her. After a few minutes of this, she runs to the back door. I let her in, for the time being. Twenty minutes later, we are back outside and she runs to her "hiding place", which I am standing next to, telling her to "WEE WEE". Finally (after a few more unnecessary minutes of standing in the rain), she climbs up the hill and poops. REALLY. If she just went outside and did everything quickly, we would not have to draw this out to ten minutes of standing in the cold or rain. And I will be standing in the cold/rain EVERY MORNING, making sure that she uses the potty, for the rest of this winter, whether it takes 5, 10 or 20 minutes. I will win this battle.

Posted by megabeth at 09:06 AM | Comments (1)

November 21, 2007

One British pound can now be exchanged for two U.S. dollars. That's great for the British. They can visit the U.S. and live high on the hog, buying everything for cheap. That's not so good for us. I remember visiting the Czech Republic and Hungary, and thinking how wonderful it was that I could get a massage for five bucks or a complete meal at a restaurant for three. We thought it was fun to leave a 100% tip for the waiter. And the people? They were poor. Where does that leave Americans? Something isn't right here. Economic predictions, however, are generally positive. I don't understand how the dollar can be so devalued, yet we are not in a severe economic depression. Does it have something to do with other currencies (particularly Asian) being pegged to the dollar? I don't know. I have been studying the economy diligently for the past few months, but it is so hard to understand.

Posted by megabeth at 08:54 AM | Comments (5)

November 20, 2007

I found a chili recipe that uses fresh jalapeno peppers, so I thought I'd try it. My garden this summer had a very productive pepper plant, and I have been stowing them away in the freezer. I made the chili and threw in five (chopped) peppers, but forgot about "jalapeno hands". I did not wear gloves, so I suffered from burning hands for a few hours. This made me think the chili would be too spicy to eat. This is where you might think I am going to write about gastric distress. And this is where I am glad to say that there was none, because the chili was spicy, but perfectly so.

Posted by megabeth at 07:05 PM | Comments (0)

November 19, 2007

If you drive a road-hogging Suburban, you shouldn't honk at cyclists... you know the old saying "people who live in glass houses should not throw stones". The only occasion I can think of in which someone actually needed a Suburban was when I visited the King's Ranch (a foster home for children). Thus, a Suburban is just as discretionary as a bike. Also, it would take me a few hours to count the number of times in which, as a car driver, my view was blocked by a huge Suburban or other 4-ton SUV in front of me.

Posted by megabeth at 08:51 AM | Comments (2)

November 16, 2007

Voters in the city of Birmingham elected a guy for mayor who built an amusement park in the boonies which went bankrupt and was sold to a private company for a significant loss. He's also being investigated for corrupt business practices. And he doesn't even live in the city of Birmingham (he rents a loft condo, but his primary residence is a house in Fairfield). But voters elected Langford because they wanted some more useless tourist attractions that cost taxpayers a bundle and eventually fall into financial straits. Langford's proposal was a bit of a relief for me because he isn't raising occupational taxes. He does, however, want to raise sales tax from 9 to 10 percent and double the cost of a business license within city limits.

That is the stupidest thing he could possibly do.

Civic leaders are working hard to convince people to open businesses downtown. The downtown area has been a wasteland for two decades, but people have been buying loft condos and moving downtown in recent years. What would it take to fully transform Birmingham's downtown into a vibrant area? Definitely NOT punishing people for opening businesses and spending money inside city limits.

The tax increase would be more easily digested if the money were being spent on infrastructure, transportation and education. However, as I mentioned, Langford likes to build things we don't need and won't use. This time, it will be a domed stadium to host yet another pro football team (the previous teams did not make it) in a city that is mad about college football.

Another thing that is ridiculous about this sales tax increase. Sales tax is a regressive tax that benefits the wealthy and hurts the poor. So he just proposed a tax increase on the very people who voted him into office. But of course, a domed stadium is more important than being able to afford groceries! Didn't you know?

I'd rather have a do-nothing mayor like Kincaid than a do-the-wrong-expensive-thing mayor like Langford.

Maybe he'll redeem himself with some useful improvements, like paying the police what they deserve, reducing crime, and improving schools. And also getting those buses off the road that have capacity for a hundred people, take up two lanes, and carry three people. They do make smaller buses.

Posted by megabeth at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)

November 14, 2007

I have two papers and one group presentation remaining before I graduate. I have been writing papers early because I fear that I may slack off at the end. The strategy class requires a dozen papers (about one per week). It sucks.

What will I do with the extra free time? I think about this often - it is similar to the feeling you get when anticipating a vacation. First of all, I will be able to pour my full intellectual energy into my job. And I will ride my bike more often, play the piano, and start some new home improvement projects.

Also I will update my iPod, since I haven't done that since the BeeGees were topping the charts.

Posted by megabeth at 08:31 AM | Comments (7)

November 13, 2007

In Venezuela, gasoline is 6.3 cents per gallon. Six new Hummer dealerships are opening in the country in early 2008. They also use oil to generate electricity. A third of V's oil production is consumed domestically (at 6 cents/gallon, obviously production costs are subsidized) or given away to other countries, such as Cuba, in exchange for skilled medical professionals. (Did you know that Cuba has a highly effective state-funded education system?)

The rest of V's oil production is mainly sold to the U.S. So Chavez can't hate us too much, hmm? Here's why: The rig count in Venezuela is not sufficient and production volumes are dwindling. There is a global shortage of oil rigs due to demand, but also, because Chavez was such an a-hole to the multinational oil companies (like Chevron), contractors don't want to pursue opportunities on Venezuelan soil. Too much political risk, and taxes are too high. So I think Your Highness is going to make some compromises, eventually.

addendum: Gasoline in producing countries is usually dirt cheap (same situation in the Middle East). It's causing problems for the long-term because conservation is not even a blip on the radar, and if consumption continues at high rates, the imminent scarcity of cheaply available oil is going to hurt all of us.

Posted by megabeth at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)

The economy is slowing down. I don't need to read anything to know this; since I remember numbers well, I have observed that prices for everything are going up. The subprime mortgage issues did not affect my spending habits, but I am still feeling the crunch. Stagnating wages + rising prices = economic slowdown. Look for it in 2008.

Posted by megabeth at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

November 11, 2007

Ruby had a reaction to flea bites this summer - her skin became very itchy and flaky. She spent quite a bit of time rubbing her back on the carpet or pavement trying to get some relief. And she had baths with various shampoos to help her skin get better. I also tried cortisone ointment, but that made her fur greasy. So I bought a fish oil supplement and have been mixing it in food every day. She loves the way it tastes (her mantra: "The stinkier, the better!") and it has definitely given her some relief from the itching. I no longer catch her upside down, flailing around like a dying cockroach.

So now that I have started feeding her once a day in the evening, I have made some observations about her (uh, stop here if you don't like scatalogical discussions) pooping. Since it is cold outside in the mornings, she doesn't like to go outside to do her business. Every morning before work, I have to go outside with her and MAKE her pee and poop. She'll usually do one and then try to run inside without doing the other. That's when I point at her and say, WEEWEE! in a forceful tone, and she runs back out to finish her job. Battle of wills? I WILL win this battle. Rest assured.

What I've discovered now that she is eating once a day at the same time every day, is that (1) more poop comes out than food goes in, and (2) she poops twice a day, on one meal a day. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE????

Posted by megabeth at 07:29 PM | Comments (3)

Is that he may win the Dem's primary because voters could be racist or sexist. Hillary or Obama, either one, would be far better than having a socialist government. Hillary, for one, is fiscally conservative and like her husband, is a Republican masquerading as a Democrat. Obama's proposed policies often make more sense than Hillary's. The more I think about this, the more I think Edwards is going to be running for Prez. That scares me to death. We don't need a buddy of the trial lawyers association and clearly corrupt man (already. at least wait until he becomes Prez.) at the helm of this country. We already have an idiot at the helm. Let's not have that happen again.

I may vote in AL's democratic primary in an attempt to help Hillary or Obama beat Edwards.

As for the Repubs, I like Romney and Thompson but it's too hard to tell what is going to happen there. I do not like Giuliani at all.

Posted by megabeth at 07:52 AM | Comments (5)

November 08, 2007

One of the vendors at work invited us to an iron chef competition at one of those places that offer cooking classes. I thought we were going to a class and then would come home with some meals ready to freeze. But when we got there, we were assigned to two teams (iron chef-style) and given an hour and a half to make an Italian meal from the ingredients provided. There were two people in my group with cooking experience and one of them was myself. The other guy volunteered to make the sauce, so I supervised everything else. Well, the first thing I did was go outside to harvest some herbs, because dried herbs aren't as good as fresh ones. Throughout the game, I scurried from station to station directing people and making decisions on which ingredients to use. They did give us recipes but suggested that we not follow them and be more creative. I created fillings for a sundried tomato and red pepper cheese ravioli and an artichoke and basil cheese ravioli. The last ten minutes were a mad scramble to get the bread, bruschetta and croutons ready, and present the dishes as if they were from a nice restaurant.

The judges took samples of everything and disappeared so we could not see their reactions. Some of the food (from both teams) wasn't that great.

Then we tried our food and the other team's food. I wasn't sure who would win it. Their dishes were much more creative than my team's, but we had more refined dishes following a more traditional Italian menu. We won the iron chef competition because our food tasted better (yeah!) and because the team collaborated and communicated well.

So it was a nice confidence booster for me, because I was consulted as the 'expert' and managed to stay on top of three cooking stations. The new cooking skill I learned was how to coddle an egg. Being a chef would be an exhausting career, but I think I would enjoy working amidst chaos. Perhaps the office environment is too sanguine. It's just a fleeting thought, a brief daydream while I'm locked down with golden handcuffs. When I have done volunteer work in the past, I'm happiest when insanely busy.

Posted by megabeth at 06:26 PM | Comments (3)

November 07, 2007

Argh! My biggest grammar pet peeve happens all the time. It's when apostrophes are misused. I just read a student's work that stated: "Advice for new grad's". New grad's what? New grad's inability to use apostrophes correctly?

The sky is blue. Thus, it's blue. If its blue, then it owns blue. How can a sky own blue? It can't.

The dog has a red ball. Its ball is red. It's ball is NOT red. That would be saying, It is ball is not red. Doesn't make sense.

More advice here. I want to meet that student's high school English teacher and ask her: WHY did you not teach this simple lesson? Let's (also known as 'let us') not perpetuate bad stereotypes in Alabama.

Posted by megabeth at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2007

Benefits of fixed gear riding - I disagree with him on something. In a perfect world, it's nice to have your crank arm length the same on every bike you own. But on a track bike, the crank arm length HAS to be shorter due to the banked nature of the track.

Urban bike polo gaining popularity - Looks like fun. When do we start playing?

Posted by megabeth at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2007

I am stupid.

The only nugget (ha) of goodness I can glean from my mistake (other than not losing money) is that I have learned an unforgettable lesson about patience.

Posted by megabeth at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)

This quiz is pretty good at comparing your personal beliefs to the candidates' beliefs in certain campaign issues.

As expected, on my quiz results, Edwards came in dead last, since I can't stand him or socialism.

However, a quiz like this misses something important: the subjective side of making a decision.

Posted by megabeth at 01:04 PM | Comments (1)

November 04, 2007

The girls I ride with were busy doing other things today, like cross racing, traveling, being sick, etc., so I decided to try the fixed gear ride with the guys, was pretty sure that I would get dropped, and yes, I was. But they were nice enough to wait on me and a couple of other stragglers a few times. I get dropped on long climbs but these guys are strong so I can't be critical, though I would like to keep up with them.

Since I started riding the fixie, I've been going on fairly slow rides and getting used to riding the bike. This was the first time I went really hard, and it hurt REALLY BAD. Ouch. During the climbs my legs were burning like they were on fire. I took a bath in epsom salts when I got home, but regardless I am very sore.

The funny part of a fixed gear ride is going down a hill behind a group of cyclists, because their legs are spinning as fast as they can go and it looks funny to see multiple sets of spastically spinning legs.

I'm a little concerned about the health of my knees doing this kind of ride so I think I will get an easier gear ring for the back.

The weather was spectacular this weekend. On Saturday morning I left my house and rode (instead of taking my car) to meet some folks for a ride, and we stopped and lollygagged here and there. I feel as if I have more freedom on a bike as opposed to a car. I'm not sure why that is, other than not having the need to put gas in a tank or find a parking space.

Posted by megabeth at 07:32 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2007

I found this on someone's wedding registry.

It's a $65 salt and pepper shaker set, on sale for $50. I'll hold off on my aesthetic opinion of this product. However, I can't help but note that it seems ridiculous to spend $65 on a salt and pepper shaker. I do have an engineering personality, so that colors my opinions. There is no need for carbon to reduce the weight or add tensile strength, nor is there a need for insulatory material to protect it from harsh weather conditions. All it has to do is hold and distribute pepper and salt. Last time I checked, a store like Target or Linens n' Things had something like this for $10-15. If I were going to ask for a gift at that price range, I'd choose something that was worth that value, such as a melon baller. (Hehe. Just kidding.)

Posted by megabeth at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)