Before you jump out of your window, have a donut

Dear Members and Constituents,

It seems one would have to go to a desert island to altogether avoid the stories circulating the financial news media. While I have intentionally tried to tune some of it out, I have noticed a few things.

Our stock price has been sliced in half, despite being in one of the industries that should be considered the most shielded from current events. I think this is yet another case-in-point to indicate the stock market is driven more by irrational mood swings (fears at times, exuberance at others) than by efficiency. I consider myself a long-term investor, so I have vowed not to look at my next 401k statement and hope once the panic has settled, people will realize the fundamentals are strong.
The government is trying to spend money in hopes it will help. Someone forwarded me an article that looks at the $700 Billion stimulus package as a "cost per homes passed" (which I think is a particularly useful way of thinking of it). If you look at it this way, according to Light Reading, the government is planning to invest $6,250 per Home Passed -- enough to bring fiber optic broadband to every home ($600/HHP) plus solar power to 50% of U.S. homes. Any way you slice it, that's a lot of money (and it better not end-up in the pockets of banking executives collecting "performance bonuses")
Gas prices are down. Lowered expectations on economic growth have lowered upwards price pressures on oil. Something good had to come out of all of this.
Life goes on. Still eating 3 times a day. Still driving for 25 minutes to get to and from work. Still happy to get home at night and see the wife and kids.

At the end of the day, these are all things I cannot control. Whether I worry and fret about housing prices or enjoy and am grateful for the good things I have. Whether I stress or relax. Whether I glue myself to the TV and watch the blow-by-blow action or tune it out and spend time with my kids. I cannot change the economy or make it better. I can only live my life, do the right things, contribute my grain of sand and hope that in the long-run things will work themselves out.

And so it is with this attitude I go to my first meeting of the day without grabbing my first donut of the morning (Shaun Andrews hired TimeWise --he is off today-- and they are a little late). I expect any minute now there will be 60 beautifully laid-out treats at my desk. Give them a few more minutes and then come on down and do those things you can control. Grab a donut, and don't worry that there will only be 59 donuts (or less) left by the time you get here.

Happy Friday!

Comments

Donut Doodle Dandy

Dear Members and Constituents, In trying to figure-out Wednesday’s cool-looking Google Doodle ( Jorge Luis Borges’ 112 th birthday ), I stumbled across a list of Google Doodles you’ll never see. This, and a Rockies game later that day, were sufficient inspiration to get my head spinning around what other doodles Google might never noodle? I’m sure you’ll probably have a few ideas of your own, but I was able to come-up with a couple. How about a former Colorado Rockies player whose unfortunate encounter with a moth put him in the news this week? The Matt Holliday doodle might look something like this… Another item which, surprisingly enough, has not been made into a doodle are donuts. Although I was slightly taken aback to find this delicious pastry has not been featured, after the initial disappointment, I decided to take matters into my own hands and take a stab at one (perhaps Google can use it next year for national donut day )… or to celebrate Greek police having “ blown a ho

Donut Hole Alignment

Friends, My predawn attempts to watch the planetary alignment have thus far been met with cloudy skies. The weather forecast through the end of the cosmic event suggests I shall not witness it. And yet, my futile attempts have been rewarded in other ways. The chorus of birds, frogs and insects singing in anticipation of the sun’s glorious rising complement the river’s steady churning. The crisp, fresh air in a desolate town whose citizens are still bidding Morpheus “adieu” caresses my skin while the sweet aroma of petrichor fills my lounges. Deep shadows of centenarian eucalyptus trees slowly recede and give way to the imperceptible progress of the brightening skies. Sure, witnessing those tiny bright spots lined-up in the sky would be pretty cool —like sprinkles on a donut. Speaking of donuts, if you’re ever in Cuenca around the feast of Corpus Christi (which ended yesterday) you need to try the Huevos Chilenos (Chilean Eggs) —think of them as less sweet donut holes. And, if like me t

Donuts Without Borders

Friends, I believe going anywhere in the world (so long as you abide by the local laws) should be a human right. People should be allowed to wander freely (or vote with their feet whenever a government alienates them). In this, I fully support Doctors Without Borders’ decision to no longer accept funding from the EU due to their immigration policies. Good for them! That said borders can be useful. Take, for instance national sports teams. If there were no borders, events like the summer and winter Olympiads would not exist. Closer to home, those of you who follow soccer are probably tuning-in to the hundredth edition of Copa America , currently under way. Last night the quarter final opener featured both of the teams for which I've been rooting. Who do you cheer for when you know only one of your teams will advance? You can't root for both or you risk becoming a dispassionate observer, so, you either pick one or choose to narrate the game in English (i.e. no 100 MPH narra

Friday Donuts

Search This Blog