Archive for June, 2008
Everclear Performs at The Stars & Stripes Festival 2008
Jun 29th
This weekend I went to see the band Everclear perform at the Stars & Stripes Festival in downtown Mt. Clemens, Michigan. I opted for a VIP ticket, despite it being a free concert and was able to get up close to the stage, have access to a VIP bar and bleacher seating as well some other nice perks.
The previous act, The Romantics, went long and pushed the Everclear show back about a half hour and they took the stage at 9:15pm. The weather was great for the show and only a few sprinkles dropped at the very end of their set.
The band performed songs from all of their records and the performance was outstanding. This was my first Everclear show and I had heard that the live performances are a disappointment compared to the studio recordings, but this concert was great in every way. I was seated in the fourth row and had a great view and the sound was awesome.
There were a couple of microphone issues, but Art and the band improvised very well and didn’t miss a beat. There was also an incident of a girl up front getting on stage and dancing in front of Art, at which he stopped the show and made her get off the stage before continuing. After that song the band left the stage, but came back for two more.
After the show, the band signed autographs at Biggby Coffee in downtown Mt Clemens. I managed to get a good spot in line but they had already sold out of t-shirts and CD’s after the first 20 or so people went through. I got to talk to Art for a min and he’s a really nice guy that genuinely wanted to know what I thought of the show after I told him it was my first time. All in all I had a great time and am really glad I made the trip. I will definitely be looking to go to more Everclear shows in the future.
Technorati Tags: everclear, mt clemens, art alexakis, stars and stripes, shaun carter, sparkle and fade, so much for the afterglow, songs from an american movie, drama king, concert, michigan
Bill Gates Says Goodbye To Microsoft
Jun 27th
Today is Bill Gates’ last day working at Microsoft, the company he founded in 1975 as a Harvard drop out that now dominates the computer operating system market worldwide. Gates has been at or near the top of the list of world’s richest people for over a decade and will be leaving the day-to-day tasks of overseeing the Windows empire to devote his full attention to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which is focused on global health issues.
Since Microsoft’s founding, over 10,000 employees have been turned into millionaires because of their stock options. Microsoft went public in 1986 at a split adjusted 8 cents per share, and now trades at around $28 per share – 35,000% return on investment!
Bill will be retaining the title of non-executive chairman and will presumably have a part in all major Microsoft projects in the future, but will now begin the task of spreading his wealth around the world.
It will be interesting to see what effect this change will have on Microsoft’s stock price, which has been depressed since the failed acquisition of Yahoo was permanently scuttled recently.
Technorati Tags: microsoft, bill gates, steve ballmer, paul allen, shaun carter, technology, windows, vista, xp, foundation, charity, retirement
Both McCain and Obama Lost My Vote
Jun 22nd
Before the Republican and Democratic nominees have even been announced, both assumed winners John McCain and Barack Obama have lost my vote. I consider myself a liberal-leaning independent and the rash of flip-flops coming from both candidates in recent days makes me feel a vote for either will be utterly pointless. Fact is, the candidate I vote for in November may end up changing his position in January!
Obama’s decision to bypass public campaign financing after ferociously advocating his belief in it has undermined his credibility to the point that I can’t stand to think of the other issues he holds dear to his heart that he will switch tomorrow. The massive influx of money into his campaign has changed his beliefs… so how much more would it take to sway him in other areas?
John McCain never really had a chance for my vote because of his support of the Iraq occupation and Iran situation. His belief that lowering taxes on the wealthiest Americans will benefit the economy is not inline with my own opinions and will only lead to further federal budget deficits. Tax cuts are an issue that McCain flipped on when he became the Republican front-runner, as he previously did not support tax cuts to the chagrin of his Senate Republican brethren. McCain’s declaration that the US is a “Christian Nation” also disturbs me as do his views against gay marriage, abortion and affirmative action.
So, the political season will pass me by because I believe both candidates represent the status quo of politics in Washington and I can’t support either one for President of the United States of America. We might as well endure another four years of George W. Bush.
Technorati Tags: politics, election, republican, democrat, barack obama, john mccain, george bush, shaun carter, gay marriage, religion, christian, abortion, affirmative action, united states, america, taxes, campaign, finance, reform
Why I Don't Like The InBev Deal
Jun 18th
First and foremost, I am not a beer drinker. I think the stuff tastes really bad, but I do want to make a case for Anheuser-Busch (BUD) staying a US company and resisting the takeover attempt by InBev.
InBev is a Belgian brewer and is offering a staggering $46.3 Billion cash takeover of the St. Louis based maker of Budweiser and other brands. Anheuser-Busch commands a whopping 48.5% of the US beer market and owns one of the most recognized American brands of all time.
InBev is able to capitalize on the falling dollar to make the deal even cheaper for them. Now that Warren Buffet , the second largest shareholder of BUD, has come out and endorsed the deal it is only seen as a formality to get it done.
But I believe there is more at stake here than just getting the most value for your shares of stock. This deal could potentially cost thousands of American jobs and ship all those profits overseas and out of our struggling economy.
In light of our current economic conditions I have been more conscious of my purchases and taking a look at the bigger picture when it comes to buying something made in the USA versus overseas. I think taking the America out of Budweiser would be a grave mistake and many others think so as well. It is too bad that America is being split up and sold piece by piece to other companies in the form of sovereign wealth fund investments and outright takeovers.
Soon, we won’t have anything of our own and America will be owned and managed by the rest of the world.
Technorati Tags: Budweiser, Anheuser-busch, inbev, shaun carter, merger, beer, bud, america, corporate, warren buffet, stocks, investing, bonds, takeover, outsourcing
Microsoft and Yahoo End Talks For Good
Jun 13th
I applaud Microsoft for standing firm on their earlier announcement that they would not continue negotiating with Yahoo after their offer deadline had passed. Jerry Yang’s own ego got in the way of what was in the best interest of the shareholders and his days at Yahoo are surely numbered, despite the fact he is a company founder.
Yahoo is now at the mercy of a proposed deal with Google that will further cannibalize their own business. Obviously the news is good for Google as it will increase their share of the Internet search market, provided the deal will pass regulatory approval. But it is very unusual that a company would seek out a competitor to essentially bid out on the job of providing their core service. It would be like Buy.com becoming an Amazon.com affiliate rather than selling it’s own goods.
Technorati Tags: yahoo, jerry yang, shaun carter, microsoft, steve ballmer, bill gates, google, internet, search
Watches For Everyone
Jun 12th
I recently came across a site dedicated to watches. My watch recently died and I’ve been in the market for a new one for quite a while, but just been too busy to go out and look for one. That is until I found BlueDial.com, which is offering free sizing and 2nd day delivery along with a satisfaction guarantee.
I have chosen a Seiko watch for it’s very sharp looking exterior and great price. I’ve always preferred wearing formal dress watches all the time versus those fancy digital or chronograph versions. I like the Gold Plated Dress Watch as well as the Titanium Blue Dial.
Not only does Blue Dial offer watches from Seiko, but Citizen, Movado, ESQ, Bulova, Swiss Army, Gucci and more. They make it easy to browse by brand or type of watch and also have a special/clearance section where you can pick up some great deals.
If you prefer not to order online, you can also call their 800 number and place an order 24 hours a day using any major credit card.
$400 Million Worth of Marijuana Destroyed
Jun 12th
The largest drug haul in history (by weight) has recently been destroyed in Afghanistan by two British bombers. The marijuana weighed a staggering 237 tons and was too large to move.
A loss of $400 Million worth of drugs will surely have an effect on the Afghan drug lords who are believed to be funding weapon purchases for the Taliban with the drug profits.
The find contains enough pot to roll over 240,000,000 joints. Looking at this situation from an economics standpoint would seem to give way to a rise in street prices of marijuana should this seizure create any supply disruptions. I’m sure that if several million barrels of oil were destroyed, the price would rocket toward $200 overnight.
Technorati Tags: marijuana, hashish, pot, Afghanistan, britian, shaun carter, joint, economics, drugs, taliban
Win Some Free Stuff!
Jun 11th
John Chow is giving away a bag of goodies from Market Leverage. The bag will be filled with:
- Market Leverage T-Shirt
- Golf Shirt
- Jacket
- Hat
- Flip Video Camera
- $200 Market Leverage Amex Card
- USB Pen Drive
- iPod Nano
To get your entries into the contest for over $500 worth of stuff, just write a post like this one here for five free entries, or you can just comment on the post at John Chow’s blog to get one free entry.
Hurry up, you only have until June 20 to get your entries in.
Technorati Tags: contest, giveaway, john chow, market leverage, shaun carter, ipod, nano, amex, gift card, pen drive, video camera, free
Run Your Car On Water
Jun 7th
I’ve come across a few interesting websites touting the benefits of adding an HHO generator (water based) to the engine of your car in order to increase fuel economy and considerably decrease your gasoline purchases.
Some of the benefits that can be gained by converting your car to run on water and gasoline include:
- Increased fuel economy of 50-75% or more! This could save you thousands in gasoline!
- Tax deduction of $2,000 – $50,000 for clean burning fuel cars and trucks
- Does not void car warranty – system is easily removed
- Easy Installation
- Reduce Our Dependency on Foreign Oil!
- Reduce Pollution
Drive With Water Fuel – Only $49 gets you all the information and steps you need to make your own water to hydrogen conversion kit for your car. The parts themselves will cost less than $50 from your local hardware and auto parts store. Money back guarantee is standard here and the price is set to go back up soon. Reports show you can save about $2,400 per year by implementing their system on your own vehicles. Not bad for less than $100 for the how-to guide and parts!
Run Your Car With Water – $49.97 guide similar to the others showing you how to take ordinary tap water and use it to power your regular unleaded or diesel car and truck. Regularly priced at $297, but going for under $50 for a limited time, you can make your purchase with all major credit cards and PayPal.
Water 4 Gas – This site offers a $97 two e-book package with detailed instructions on “How to save tons of fuel with your hydrogen-on-demand system” and “Modify your car to save gas using water”. The purchase comes with a 60 day money back guarantee and includes free updates for life.
Technorati Tags: gas, oil, water fuel, water car, shaun carter, run you car with water, water gas, hydrogen, tax deduction, clean, fuel economy
Unemployment Numbers and Oil Prices Spike
Jun 6th
National unemployment numbers were released this morning and the monthly increase in unemployment was the largest in 22 years, signaling the economy continues to slip.
Crude oil futures also spiked 5% first thing in the morning to about $134/barrel. The trend of oil had been moving downward over the last few trading days, but has quickly reversed amid rumors surrounding production issues in the Middle East.
With unemployment hitting 5.5% nationally, although much higher in my home state of Michigan, and crude oil rising – it is only a matter of time before we begin to see the effects of a severe economic crisis.
Technorati Tags: crude oil, gas, unemployment, shaun carter, economy, stock market, investing, michigan
