IAC / Interactive Corp: Added Slightly to Small Position

I continue to think this media property looks cheap. I had a below the market limit order from weeks ago that was executed today at $28.23. This brings my position in IACI to a timid 40% of maximum weighting*. I'll leave that here unless something really compelling** like a price happens to valuation. * Maximum Weighting = for personal risk management purposes the maximum amount of unhedged cost basis I will buy or short of a single stock issuer (non fund, non index).**Compelling change in valuation = price move in stock or change in underlying business prospects.Disclosure: ...

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Bronx Prep Fundraiser Event at Housing Works Bookstore

Dear Friends: I don't know if I told you I was teaching at a school in the Bronx last semester but I was. Now I am on the Bronx Prep Council, a group dedicated to advancing the goals of the Bronx Preparatory Charter School, and I am writing to invite you to our fundraising event on May 11th in Soho. If you are in New York it would be wonderful if you could come. Please click on this link to view the invitation and to purchase tickets: www.bronxprep.org/invite. Bronx Prep ...

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Indicators Talking Inflation: The Yield Curve Is Not Listening

The rising prices of Gold, Silver, Copper, Housing, Taxi Fares, Gasoline, Oil, Natural Gas, Firewood, Contractor Salaries, Scrap Metal, The US Dollar Foreign Exchange rates all say that inflation is here. However US Treasuries 5, 10 and 30 year bonds have similar the same yields. Usually, those longest term bond yields go far above intermediate term bonds when there are fears of inflation. It would seem to me that someone is going to be wrong. ...

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Fed Rate Increases Not Near Done - Inflation is Here Now.

March releases from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) www.bls.gov show that inflation is here. At 3.4% year over year and a March monthly rate of 0.6% (that’s 7.2% annualized) inflation is really going now and we are not near the last interest rate increase in this series by the Fed. I think there are many more to come. There may be a pause in the steady stream of rate increases but the fact is that if this Fed pays attention to inflation, rate rises have to continue. Take a ...

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Rebirth Brass Band at Howlin' Wolf New Orleans - Review

The Rebirth Brass Band took the stage late at Howlin' Wolf. This Warehouse District venue moved to a new larger location. I found it eay to get to the bars and see the stage well from anywhere. Rebirth had a great show that ended when they invited every woman in the audience on to the stage. ...

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Rescue Inspector Markings

Click on photo to see what each part of these post hurricane/flood inspection markers mean. It's really morbid. It put a lump in my throat to imagine the government official on boats looking through houses for bodies.To see the rest of my photos of post Katrina damage click hereTo see all my flickr photos from this New Orleans trip click here ...

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Words of Wisdom

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez ...

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T-Shirt Wisdom - Make Levees Not War

This just about sums of the attitude of New Orleans Locals I've spoken to. For a link to my constantly updating New Orleans Jazzfest 2006 Photos click here: ...

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Cafe Du Monde and Polystrene: A Review

Cafe Du Monde at 1039 Decatur in the French Quarter is a New Orleans icon but I don't ever remember it being a nice place to hang out nor do I ever remember disliking it. Of course, I'd never been there sober or during the day until today.I ordered a large cafe au lait (half black coffee half milk), decided to skip the beignets (translation: french fried dough covered in powdered sugar) after last night's eating festival and too many Red Hots Candy from the free machine that the W Hotel cruelly put in my room. ...

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Procter and Gamble (PG) partial unwind

This is a partial follow up of last weeks trade where I bought PG strangles. PG earnings did come out and the stock got hit. It's down 4.6% to 55.45 as I write this. Though I don't think the earnings did anything to hurt the long term prospects of PG. Missing sales estimates did spook some analysts and investors into selling. The strangles I bought last week have served their purpose and while the calls are basically worthless I did managed to sell out 20% of the puts for $0.50. I'm offering out another ...

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