How can pets influence our emotional and physical health? Let’s use dogs as an example, regarding mental health and focusing on the condition of depression.

I guarantee, except in rare cases, that raising a dog the right way will decrease feelings of loneliness, being unwanted, useless and the self-absorbed daze that often takes over. I’m not advocating a puppy over Prozac. However, when you have a dog cuddling up against you and trying to lick your face, it’s a lot harder to be down.

I know people who are over-the-top about pets – I’m not one of them. However, as a practicing psychotherapist, I realize the therapeutic value of having an animal.

The statistics are convincing. People suffering from heart problems, hypertension, strokes, different types of dementia and certainly psychological illness, can measurably benefit from being able to touch a dog, cat and other two- and four-legged boarders. What is it that makes this work for so many folks?

First, let’s talk about touch. While it may be preferable and more practical to exchange touching with a spouse or other family member, the effects of touching a loving animal can be a major positive.

If you’ve ever seen the chemistry between a nursing home patient and a dog or cat that nuzzles up and cuddles with him or her, the response is often immediate and positive.

Having a pet may also cause you to feel needed. In fact, it makes many of us feel really good – being unconditionally loved and appreciated.

Dogs need exercise and so do people, in order to feel good and be physically healthier. Dogs need socialization. So do most of us, if we’re going to feel whole and non-neurotic.

Like all relationships, owning a pet comes with responsibilities. It can be time-consuming and occasionally hard work. As a dog owner, I’m aware that in tough financial times, caring for even a healthy pet can be expensive, with just vet and food bills alone.

Keeping pets can also be restrictive – what to do when you want to travel for extended periods of time. Both cost and care can become issues.

Although some dogs seem to display affection even when they’re mistreated, a mutually affectionate, caring relationship is the way to go. With proper training, (they are not humans) which takes practice and knowledge, the pet and owner do better together.

Let me also mention the value of humor that comes with having “Fido.” If you’ve ever been to a dog park and watched their social play in small canine groups, you understand the smile it creates as it makes your day brighter.

From my point of view, the major problem with emotional and physical disorders is the resulting inability to function normally. I’m not saying that dogs can tell when you’re lazy or crazy, but rather that they help normalize many of us.

They often provide a connection with caring and positive thinking, which, in turn, makes us feel better. Incidentally, trained dogs have been used in therapy with young children with great success.

Bob Howat is a licensed marriage and family therapist who lives and practices in Fernandina Beach.

When the economy and the job market got tough the smart got – smarter.

While Americans face an unrelenting battle of lost jobs, reduced wages, and eroded retirement saving many, are returning to schools. Americans of all ages are hitting the books to be educated, re-educated or purse graduate degrees in the hope of better positioning themselves in the job market. Finding a job, even with exceptional experience, has become a bloodsport almost resembling Gladiators in the coliseum.

The problem is, with everyone returning to school to become “better positioned” they join the masses and become the new educated group of specialized people who still can not find a job.

The key to success is simple, gain experience, education and diversify your skills as professional – avoid the pitfalls of being a one hit wonder.

App-ortunities are everywhere!

Technology has provided great advancement, yet it has made our lives so full of information yet we get overloaded. We should take this technological opportunity and use it to our advantage. This idea hit me months back while using my iPhone to watch and listen to an accounting presentation for one of my MBA courses while in route to the beach. Even now I write this from my iPhone in an empty waiting room at my local auto center. I’m using this App-ortunity to share how technology has for me, and can for you, change your life.

Whether you need to work but also need to take you dog to he vet, or the long subway/train commute to work acts as your “email break” prior to starting your day. The possibilities for improved function and life freedom via technology is near endless.

Some of you must be thinking I am paid by Apple for all the promotion I do regarding their stock and my love for the iPhone. The truth is, this company and product ROCK!

Here are some examples of how I worked efficiently with my iPhone:

- Wrote a graduate level paper in the car on a roadtrip.
- Reviewed exam material while walking to class.
- Work on financials for a clients business plan while at a friends house pre-gaming*. (*note: this may cause drunk f(x) in Excel….LOL)
- Check emails and reply while walking the dog
- The list goes on and on…

Warning! This does not mean work all the time; it means work smart so you can be efficient in your work life and benefit in your home life.

Micro-business is well know as a charitable method of helping impoversed countries build and develop their economy. Most people who own a small business in the United States are wrapped up in it 100% of the time. With a major group of the baby boomers exiting the full-time workforce they are looking for hobbies that bring in extra money.

An example would be an artist by heart and a teacher by trade who retires and dives into his passion to full-force. He soon finds his hobby has developed into a Baby-Business or micro-business that brings in some money yet never feels like work.

Not to condone tax evasion but many of these baby-businesses can avoid the incorporation mess and “business” feel by simply being paid by check or cash without all the headaches.

Checkout this website for more useful information: http://www.microbusinessnewsbriefs.com/

Dear parents other old people,

Facebook is an amazing social tool utilized by students and younger adults to communicate and stay up to date on what their peers are doing throughout the day. Though we added you as friends on Facebook you need to understand there is a social network etiquette that needs to be followed. Please use the following list as a Guide to Better Facebook Etiquette.

FACEBOOK – PARENTAL GUIDELINES:

1.  If a message is urgent, CALL ME! Facebook is not intended as an online 911.

2.  If a message is private, personal or otherwise not intended for the world to see email me or send a private message. Facebook Walls are, sadly, the same as the bathroom wall – put your marker away.

3.  Comments on photos, status updates and others replies are intended for me or between us. Leave parental remarks out of your messages please.

4.  Many of our Facebook friends are just friends we know through someone else or over the years and do not talk to daily. Just because they are my “friend” does not mean you need to add them as your friend.

5.  Avoid using names unless you are completely sure. This is a new age of dating and relationships saying “Hope you and Sarah had a great weekend.” It’s not ok when I was out of town with Megan.

Note: We can delete you, block you, or add you to the “Black List” which will limit your ability to share in our wonderful Facebook experience. Please comply with the above guidelines.

Thank you

President Obama has marked $30 Billion for small business lending.

The concern on the street is banks and lenders holding this money too close to the chest or lending to their own subsidiaries instead of lending to the Mom-&-Pop business that are needed to create local jobs and boost the economy. Read more on the by USA Today at http://tinyurl.com/y9ys8w2

Is the old notion of getting married, opening joint bank accounts and moving all your money and investments nearly over? It should have been over a long time ago!

Too many couples face the problem, sooner or later, who is in charge of whos money? Whether one person spends more, or someone is better at financial management than the other there is always a problem over money concerns. A friend of mine got married and immediatly had to put everything he had into a joint account with his wife. This was forced on him by his family and by hers. On one hand I understand the seriousness of marriage and how it is the joining of two people both spritually and legally. On the other hand it is not 1832 anymore and people get divorced more then they stay together.

Personal safety is a must in todays worlds of on again and off again relationships and marriages. Making sure your future and family are cared for is not selfish, it’s smart. Keeping a safety net of funds in another bank or investment is not bad and you can even have it automatically turned over to your spouse in the chance you die or become unable to care for yourself. The truth is, in marriage, family and business you are only as strong as the weakest link. Couples can hid from the truth or focus their abilities on strengths.

Divided-Diversification is a term I coined meaning – diversified joint funds in a seperate location and management. If you take a married couple divide there assets equally or not and then diversify the investments in accordance with their natural investment styles you have a strong chance capital preservation. If the wife is a financial analyst and knows the ins and outs of the stock and bond markets and the husband is a real estate agent split the investment responsiblity accordingly.

Using a around number, $1,000,000 (common joint value of investable capital – 401k, stock accounts, etc) here is an example of how this can be achieved.

The wife being an educated financial analyst might be better positioned to manage $600k through stocks, bonds, and cash accounts. The husband being a real estate agent should know the local market and thus is better suited to make investments on behalf of the family in tangible assets such as rental property, land and a second home up to the remaining $400k.

With the economy “in recovery” and investments climbing higher on a magic carpet that no body can figure out how it’s flying, we come to a question; how do we invest in this situation?

Investing is not as complex as people make it out to be. Remember, I said Investing not day trading or picking stocks because those are different beast all together. Investing is the means in which a person or group (investment club, orgainization, etc. ) purchases assets which produce security and growth over time.

Over a long investment horizon all financial advisor suggest someone be invested in equities more heavily than other assets. The point financial advisor do not understand is equity mean ownership in something, not just stocks on an exchange. Stocks are liquid most of the time making them quick in and quick out but there are other investments to be had as an equity asset.

Here is a list of some equity assets:

• Real property (land, real estate, water rights, etc.)
• ownership in private companies (sounds like you need a million dollars for this type of investment doesn’t it? Well you don’t have to have lots of money. You can invest as a business lender to a friend or local business wanting to expand by offering cash for ownership rights – ex: $10,000 for 5% ownership and profit.)
• Foreign property – though this is identical to the above you can avoid paying hefty property tax, etc. by owning land or a home in another country.
• Invest in your company. If you own something you rent, or do consulting, etc. you can create a company and write off expenses associated with that company***. (*** be sure to consult an attorney or CPA for specific advice)

The holidays are a time of family and friends, good food and high debt. The only thing that seems to remain after the holidays are over is HIGH DEBT (and sometimes the weight gained depending on how much you eat). But one thing we can do to ease the wallet strain is to find great deals.

Here are some ideas for that perfect gift that everyone wants!

OPEN BOX – Open box items are those that are either low on stock, returned without problems, maybe they are missing something simple like a cable or part of the item has a small chip or crack. Most of the time open box items are perfectly fine to use and take some serious looking over before the flaw can be found. Best Buy, HHGREGG, Sears, Walmart, etc. all have open box and discount item deals. The key to finding these deal is to check the stores. These items are usually short lived and go fast because they are a great deal so make sure you’re prepared to buy if you find the right deal.

WINDOW SHOP THEN BUY ONLINE – Sorry local retailers but the truth is your service sucks and the deals you have, for the most part, are NOT deals. A great way to shop anytime, especially during the holiday season, is go shopping but make a list while out. Return home and check online for deals. Even if you want to purchase the item locally retailers such as Walmart and BestBuy have lower online prices and free shipping to the store. And if the purchase is big buying online will (in most cases) save you money no only on the initial price but by not paying sales tax which can be nearly 10%!

HAPPY SHOPPING AND MERRY….holiday season?!

Hedge funds are not some mystical creature that only the rich can see. Investopedia has a definition of Hedge Fund for those of you wondering.

“For the most part, hedge funds (unlike mutual funds) are unregulated because they cater to sophisticated investors. In the U.S., laws require that the majority of investors in the fund be accredited. They are similar to mutual funds in that investments are pooled and professionally managed, but differ in that the fund has far more flexibility in its investment strategies.” (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hedgefund.asp)

The truth is, any intelligent investor has the opportunity to create their own hedges against loss and market risk. Another word people do not seem to understand is “investor”. An investor is not always someone who owns stocks and bonds. You can go to college as an investment in your future, you can purchase a classic car and hold it as an investment, even loan friends money with a predetermined amount in addition to the amount loaned (thats how bonds pay) and you are an INVESTOR.

Tips to hedge your investments:

• Listen to financial advisors, but do not take their opinions as fact. They work for a paycheck not your best interest; I know this because I have worked as a financial advisor and quit because of this. They are knowledgeable in their product line but that is about all.
• Do your homework via the internet, there are tons of great sites with great advice.
• Think outside of the box with potential investments.

Here are some great investment ideas:

1. Go old school and buy stocks – remember owning stock is owning part of a company.
2. Mutual Funds – extremely lame and you have no control over the holdings.
3. Online Peer-to-peer lending – these investments earn an average of 7%!
4. Real Estate – an old house you can rent near a college, maybe few trailers you can rent.
5. Collectibles – this can be everything from baseball cards to classic cars.
6. Local businesses – become a partial owner with a local business in need of capital for expansion.
7. Franchise – some are not too expensive, considering buying one of these.

Drunk or sober Tiger Woods is facing the firestorm of news and media with his possible DUI this past Friday.

Earlier in the morning this past Friday (27 Nov 2009) Tiger Woods crashed his SUV near his home in Florida. Florida Highway Patrol confirmed Woods’ continues stonewalling the investigation into Friday morning’s scandal-plagued crash, saying the golf pro’s lawyer had handed over the basics—license, proof of insurance, etc., but offered absolutely nothing more, least of all, any face time with investigators.

Contrary to various media reports, the Florida Highway Patrol has not made any comments regarding the details of the ongoing crash investigation involving Tiger Woods as it related to medical information, or any other aspect of this investigation. “The crash investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.”

As for what, exactly, those pending charges may be—we can only hope Tiger is sitting down for this…

High-profile Florida criminal attorney Jose Baez told E! News that Woods’ seeming refusal to speak with Florida Highway Patrol troopers could result in several misdemeanor charges, including obstruction of justice, resisting arrest without violence, criminal mischief and possibly even driving under the influence. While authorities initially said that there was no sign of alcohol or drugs at the scene, with no one talking and the investigation still open, nothing has been officially ruled out.

And for all those concerned, sports-loving citizens thinking that list seems like overkill, well, blame the finer points of Florida law. Per Baez, citizens are not allowed to invoke their right to counsel during a traffic accident investigation, hence the possible obstruction of justice charge.

Tiger Woods a man worth nearly $1 Billion might think he has some “get out of jail free” card, but he is no different than any other citizen who has to deal with the bullshit like anyone else.

More on Tiger Woods and his wealth — http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/17/top-earning-athletes-business-sports-top-earning-athletes.html

A business plan is the pickup line you want to get right

A successful business plan is like a perfect pickup line, they both lead you to the numbers.

Picking up women is an art, you need the right look, right lines and the ability to finesse the situation to your favor; the same is true in business. Anyone can approach a woman with a “plan” and anyone can approach a bank or investor with a business plan, but there is guarantee you will get the number weather it be a phone number of dollar number.

Your business plan needs to be short and sweet; containing all the information needed without additional fluff. Like a pickup line at the bar all your business plan needs is enough to seal the deal, anything extra might end in you stepping on your own toes.

A business plan is a pitch used to intrigue a lender/investor to believe in and back a business idea. This is true in any area where additional capital is needed to proceed. Do your homework by using sites such as http://score.org/ and http://SBA.gov to research tips, tricks and templates. Ask experts through local entrepreneurial clubs and organization for assistance in the development of your business plan. To fill in the gaps hire an expert, like the guy who wrote this article. They can be found locally or via online freelance and consulting sites such athttp://guru.com.

If you have a question or need some help contact CustomerService@assetjunkie.com and myself or one of the other business consultants withPrivateer Global Consulting will assist you.

Good luck and I hope you score!

Time For Marijuana Legalization?…

…I think so!

Most people have tried Marijuana at some point in their life, if you inhaled or not. The topic of legalizing marijuana is one of both political and social concern.FDR spent his first few days in office fixing the banks, and then he legalized beer. President Obama has buoyed the banks; what about legalizing marijuana?

For decades, Keith Stroup, the attorney who founded the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in 1970, has argued that legalizing pot would produce mega tax windfalls. Now, officials of states zonked out by the fiscal crisis—Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania—are asking Stroup for the 411 on ganja green. “As smokers,” he adds, “we’re raising our hands and saying: ‘Tax us!’ ”

Marijuana is a highly used substance in the United States and has only received harsh treatment because it was illegal not because it is bad. Nobody ever gets high and beats their wife or smokes so much they get marijuana poisioning. Legalizing marijuana is an untapped tax revenue powerhouse we need to initiate now.

To find out more please read this article  http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/25/opinion/courtwatch/main4828659.shtml

Inflation, by definition, is the “A persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money…” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inflation).

There is a great amount of discussion in the media and through academia about the potential for an inflationary period to hit the United States eventually. Wake up smart-people, inflation is here. When credit locks up, the value of the US dollar declines and the cost of goods to American consumers increases that is INFLATION.

Inflation has been exacerbated by the loss of jobs, continually tighter lending standards and the global decline in the value and security of the dollar. This inflationary period has been here and will continue to get worse. The best way to stay ahead of the curve is to consider hedging your dollar value against other currencies through Forex trading or Forex ETFs. If you do not have the money or knowledge to hedge against the declining dollar be wiser with your money. If you want to buy something, find the best deal. Even consider trading services if you are a professional, an example would be doing a dentists taxes for free cleanings.

Bernie Madoff is in the news yet again but this time it’s to tear through his belonging like a yardsale on crack. On the block are millions of dollars worth of watches, art, and jewelry. Below is a picture of just one watch expected to bring in nearly $100,000 !

http://miniurl.org/Cxt

At 10.2% jobless in the United States and the worst job market since the early 1980’s nearly everyone is feeling the crunch. Even if you are presently employed chances are you know someone, or multiple people who are actively seeking a position.

The jobless rate is based on the number of people in the united states who are actively seeking employment. It does not account for those who have settled on part time work, gave up entirely or those that have decided to further their education in lieu of looking for more jobs that are not there. This, sadly, moves the U.S. jobless rate closer to 20% than to 10%.

The business cycle and economic correction has pros and cons. The pro is our economy needed a shock to get set back in reality and reduce the credit risk and expose everyone seemed to be taking. It also has increased the number of qualified works that can be had at a fraction of previous rates by employers. Cons, well I dont think I need to go into that, we have all felt the crunch to some extent or another be-it the loss of a home, a job or deminishing returns on investments.

The world is one large economy now and will grow even larger with fewer boundries, if we as a country do not take steps to embrace this change and stay ahead of the curve we will be left behind.

Happy Job Hunting!

So much for Thursday’s rally. After Thursday saw the biggest gain in three months, Friday’s tumble erased any and all elation. The Dow plummeted 2.5% (down 250 points) while the S&P fell 2.8% (30 points) to levels of 9,713 and 1,036, respectively. The media is surely pointing its finger at various data and comments by investors as the reason for the falls:

• CIT likely to file for pre-packaged bankruptcy after making deals with Icahn and Goldman Sachs. Icahn said it will likely supply a $1bn loan for bankruptcy financing while Goldman will keep open a credit line for potential court protection. Honestly, this news wasn’t a huge surprise. Even so, any ‘bankruptcy’ headlines will always unnerve investors, especially when related to financials.
• U. of Michigan Confidence dropped to 70.6 from 73.5 last month. Though skepticism of the recent rally is growing, it is important to emphasize that confidence is still well above the 50’s and 60’s readings we saw earlier in the year.
• Personal Spending fell 0.5% versus a gain of 1.4% the prior month. Keep in mind that ‘Cash for Clunkers’ undoubtedly boosted last month’s number; excluding Cash for Clunkers, the number actually picked up, albeit very slightly

To give my 2 cents on the above, while certainly not good news, it is nothing unexpected. As I mentioned on Thursday, profit-taking is going to be a big theme driving the market in the next two months and especially as year-end draws closer. Yesterday’s sell-off was indeed furthered by investors cashing out of positions after Thursday’s rally. Keep your eyes peeled for further signs of increased profit-taking and risk-aversion as these are common themes this time of year.

By Ava E. Williams

After four consecutive declines, U.S. equity markets got a huge boost today, surging 2%+ to mark the biggest rally in three months. Upon close, the Dow stood up 200 points at 9963, the S&P up 23 points at 1066. Today’s moves come after a robust Q3 GDP print (+3.5%) and official end to the recession rekindled investor confidence and risk-seeking sentiment alike. But will this rally last?

In my humble opinion, the foundation of the recent rally will primarily depend on labor and housing. Despite many signs of economic recovery, the labor market is struggling to keep up. The unemployment rate continues to tick up (now at 9.8%, forecasted to be 9.9% next week), and while Nonfarm Payrolls are increasing they are still negative, indicating further jobless losses throughout the nation. In addition to labor, the upward momentum in US economic data has stalled; September housing growth essentially came to a standstill. As the housing industry is a huge producer of income and jobs in our economy, a freeze in its recovery will only further dampen confidence (and thus equity investment).

Not to be the pessimist (I know I’m being a pessimist), but a few other factors point towards a correction:

1) Risk Aversion: In general, speculators take less risk into year end. We can expect many to opt out of equity purchases come November and December.

2) Profit Taking: Equities have come a long way since the Bear Stearns fiasco in March. In accordance with the above, investors will want to cash out before year end, taking profits where they can.

3) Treasury Purchase Program On Halt: The Fed plans to pause buying Treasuries soon which will cause Treasury prices to fall. Lower prices (and thus higher yields) will attract investors, causing them to exit equities and pile cash into these safer assets.

By Ava E. Williams

It is official. The recession is over. This morning’s prelimiary Q3 GDP report came out and hoots and hollers filled the trading floor. Cries of “It’s over!” and “Sucks to be you, Goldman!” rang like joyful wedding bells. GDP came out a whopping +3.5%, stronger than the market consensus and most importantly positive, signalling an end to an ugly economic era.  The upturn in GDP primarily reflected increases in personal consumption, private inventory investments, imports/exports and residential fixed investments. Growing personal consumption is a huge and somewhat unexpected positive for our economy, as the waning labor market has caused many a concern that fewer employed must mean fewer purchases. As for the Goldman slander, Goldman’s reputable economists hastily lowered their Q3 GDP forecast yesterday, citing weaker shipments and durable goods of late as reasons why GDP would miss it’s >3% target.  As potent as Goldman is, we’re incredibly relieved their forecast was off.  Though this is only the first Q3 GDP reading (we still have two more readings to go), will let out a big sigh of relief in the meantime.  And perhaps…just for fun…let out one more blissful “Sucks to be you, Goldman!”

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are costing UK businesses over £1.38 billion ($2.25 billion) per year in lost productivity, research from IT services company Morse stated Monday.

complete story here: http://www.cnbc.com/id/33479023

A woman was recently robbed of $27,000 after flashing her cash in a bar and bragging about her insurance settlement. This was a stupid move no matter what the state of the economy might be. Live and learn …

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) – Massachusetts police say they are searching for two men suspected of robbing a woman of $27,000 after she flashed the cash in a Springfield bar. Sgt. John Delaney said on Friday that the 22-year-old woman was robbed Monday night by two men wearing dark clothing and bandannas, one armed with what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun.

According to police, the woman bragged in the bar of receiving the $27,000 from an insurance claim. Police say she was later robbed after she left the bar with a male friend.

Delaney said the woman should have put her cash settlement in a bank.

Oh, Raj.

You tell us you’re one of the best players of the equity long/short strategy in the market. Well, guess what. If I had the information you do when you trade, I could do it too, while eating an apple, relieving myself, and singing a song, all at once. Oh, and, I have a belly button.

Letter to Shareholders of Galleon Group, from Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam (Courtesy of USA Today):

October 21, 2009

Dear Galleon Employees, Clients and Friends,

I have decided that it is now in the best interest of our investors and employees to conduct an orderly wind down of Galleon’s funds while we explore various alternatives for our business. At this important time, I want to reassure investors of the liquidity of our funds and assure Galleon employees that we are seeking the best way to keep together what I believe is the best long / short equity team in the business.

As many of you know, we have built our business on the fundamental belief in rigorous investment analysis combined with active trading around core positions. We have encouraged and invited our investors to attend our daily research morning meetings. Many of you have done so and got a first hand look at our process. This research process is the core of our investment and trading strategy.

The privilege of managing investors’ capital is a responsibility that I have always taken very seriously. I want to reiterate that I am innocent of all charges and will defend myself against these accusations with the same intensity and focus I have brought to managing our investors’ capital.

For those who have been my partners and supporters over the last 17 years, I sincerely thank you. I also want to thank you for the innumerable expressions of support I have received from you over the past few days.

Sincerely

Raj Rajaratnam

Rajaratnam, 52, and a couple of his cohorts have been accused of trading on (according to authorities) Sun Microsystems, Google and Hilton, among others, with material, non-public information. This is called insider trading and is illegal. Therefore, it is against the law. Do not try it. It is unlawful. Apparently Raj missed the last part(s) there.

Investigators allege that the perpetrators profited in this scheme to the tune of more than $25,000,000.00.

In years past, the month of October has been an incurable disease, a degenerative virus on our portfolios. Three weeks through October this year, 2009 will likely turn out to be mild.

The flirtaciously inverse relationship between the dollar and gold this month have witnessed the Dow (^DJI) test itself. Much to participants’ surprise, we’ve watched it test the waters north of 10,000 already, just 7 months or so after the year’s lows on/around 09 March, when the Dow closed at 6,547.49. We have closed up 52.3% from this fearful day. Now only roughly 41.1% to go to to the, ironically all-time-high of 14,093 on 08 October 2007.

If you haven’t heard the ridiculous, yet hilarious story, of the ever-so-foolish, and naive, Jeffrey Chiang, you must have been hiding under a fricken rock for the last couple days.

This clown tried to fake a job offer–which he failed to proofread, evidently–in order to further the likelihood of receiving another, however, he apparently underestimated the wit and judgement of the latter interviewer, and subsequently got caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar, or should I say, completely screwed. Do yourself a hugely-enteraining favor and please read.

Sucks to be this guy.

For all you gossip-hungry, celebrity-worshippers out there, interested in learning about a movie more than six months prior to its release, wanted to keep you apprised as to the progress of our generation’s hollywood-finance hit: a sequel to the 1987 Academy-Award-winning hit, Wall Street.

Gekko emerges from his troublesome 20-year sentence to be welcomed by the ominous signs of what will be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Unfortunately, since his reputaion has been drug through the mud, people simply write him off as a two-bit whack-job.  When the finance world turns their back on him, the movie takes strange turns towards the repair of what increasingly appears to be the now-protagonist’s life (Gekko), wherein he’s been disowned by his [now estranged] daughter (“Winnie”), whose fiancee (LeBouf/Moore) looks for help in avenging the death of a mentor. I’m confused.

The epic story began with the tale of a determined (albeit deeply-indebted graduate of NYU) young man, rising from a blue-class family to become the right-hand man of a high-flying finance king. The king being the infamous Gordon Gekko (largely resembling the character of the mid-80’s junk-bond king, Michael Milken), played appropriately by none other than the studly Michael Douglas himself. The story of the April 2010 flick apparently follows where the ‘87 film left off – trouble.

Regardless, we’re thrilled about this film, and have already set aside $12.50 in April 2010 dollars for the ticket, and you should, too.

http://dealbreaker.com/2009/10/im-at-mit-sloan-racking-up-the.php

In a recently published article by Isla Whitcroft in The Daily Telegraph in the UK, Liam Baker a 25-year-old, fixed-income trader at a British-based bank, sheds some light, to dispel the long-standing stereotypes associated with the pursuit of a career in trading, especially in a period of economic uncertainty, low-morale, and doubtful sentiment, wrought with hardship and slow growth.

Stats of recent interviews with global banks such as Morgan Stanley, RBS, and Macquarie Capital, show that banks are looking to hire again, perhaps as many as several hundred interns and graduates.

Deadlines for these positions will be open until about mid-November thru early December.

BUILD A TREE HOUSE…

… In the DOLLAR TREE!

The low cost retailer Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) reports a greater than expected increase in earnings and has spurred a near 5 percent increase in the share price.

The retailer, Dollar Tree Inc., who sells its good for $1or less announced August 26^th, 2009 that diluted earnings per share to $0.63 up a tremendous 50 percent from the previous year.

“Our sales continue to grow across a wide range of merchandise categories,” said President and CEO Bob Sasser. “Now more than ever, customers are relying on Dollar Tree for high value basic products including Health and Beauty Care, Household Supplies and Food, in addition to discretionary items including party goods, floral, toys, books and a variety merchandise for all seasons.”

The Dollar Tree had cash at the quarter-end of $358 million which was more than three times what was held at the end of their 2008 fiscal year. Furthermore Dollar Tree repurchased 1 million shares of common stock for $42.5 million at the end of the second quarter 2009.

Any Fool should know a company’s repurchase of shares of stock is a key indicator the company feels the stock is undervalued in the market. Doing such a repurchase during economic turmoil is another gauge that internally the company feels it has strong financials and a positive outlook on the market potential.

Dollar Tree is not alone in the market of low cost goods to consumers. Retailers such as Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO) and Dollar General (privately held company) are direct competitors of Dollar Tree. Family Dollar will release earning October 7^th, 2009; however, the street is looking good for Family Dollar and a possible IPO is underway for Dollar General, as mentioned on their investor relations page on the website.

The economy sucks, stocks are down and unemployment is up. I know that does not brighten your day, but keep in mind during every economic cycle, deals can be had and money can be made. Keep your eyes open for your next fix, because a junkie needs his asset fix.