a fetish demystified

Some guys are breast men...some leg men...other men are men of the feet...

The foot fetish...

I often wondered why the female foot is an object of such admiration and beauty to some of us...then it hit me...I squandered one of my few epiphanies in life on why men like women's feet (at least cute ones...)...oh well...

men have evolved to pay attention to women with healthy...that is cute or sexy...feet because no matter how great a women is, if she can't move she's useless...she can't outrun predators, she can't forage for food and she can't protect offspring effectively...

I always thought a man created the high heel. But apparently the Catherine de'Medici was dimunitive and wanted to gain stature...not just in the social sense. So men...relax...enjoy the feet and the high heels, for there is not guilt here...blame Catherine.

(for insights into the high heels effect on the body click here)

apocolypse later

SELL THE HOUSE
SELL THE CAR
SELL THE KIDS
FIND SOMEONE ELSE
FORGET IT
I'M NEVER COMING BACK
FORGET IT

A great scene in a great movie. I focus on the 'sell the car' part...which i did.

Have you seen oil prices?

The gasoline powered automobile is going the way of the music cd. the high tech wonder that was replaced with the barely had it's 15 minutes when it was shown the eject button....

I remember selling a bunch of my music cds...realizing they were on the way out. downloaded music now outsells cds...and cd sales are declining...i suppose i over-anticipated the fade out of the cd, and i probably overshot the mark with selling my car (it's almost a year i've been car free) but it's a matter of time before there is a glut of cars on the market...

and a lot of other things on the market as well...

"golf clubs anyone?"

i often thought that you would have to be really lucky (or unlucky) to live during a time of a major realignment or shift in the 'system'. but i'm starting to think that it's not that unusual. things happen really, really, really fast...especially when some momentum gets going. look how quickly the soviet union fell...enron evaporated overnight...and us...the american empire...is it unwinding?

i'd say the latest in cia torture protocols sums it up...

i'm not overly sympathetic with humanitarians, or too soft or leaning too far to the left...but i think just logically, a person only takes drastic measures, like torture, when they sees no other avenue left...when possiblities are running out...when they are getting desperate...

so i think we are really experiencing somthing here.. something big actually...

so you'd be wise to listen to kurtz...and sell the car...sell the house...but instead of selling the kids...buy something of real worth...

funny @!#^@#

a friend recommended this on the "o crap that funny" factor...

one more reason...

when you think about it, the amount of time we hold to be the historic norm through our personal experiences and those we've read about is actually very short. So, while gold prices seem to be very expensive, i ask, "In comparison to what?" in comparison to 5 years ago, 20 years ago? I don't know...

But I do know, this is one more reason that our past looks less like our future, however, if you go back far enough, gold has held value far before the dollar was even an idea...

enjoying what you don't understand

believe it or not, Natasja Saad, is singing in enlish in the song below. Listen a few times, enjoy the song and try and guess what she is saying...after you give up...here are the lyrics...to me the song is great and you can't help but move to it...enjoy it. Enjoy it even though you have no idea what she's saying...but you want to learn what she's saying...

phase change

this is a great opportunity to watch as the tide turns. remember these moments, b/c in 10 years you'll be thinking, "how did we get here?":

bearly there

Been out of the loop for a while...got back from the relaxing world of Trini...got the flu...realized i still had to work for a living...

it took bear stearns overnight evaporation to spur me into actually posting something again...posting something lazily, becuase this is all i'm going to write about it...i'm a bit concerned about the speed of the collapse which makes me wonder how solid the foundation is of this mortgaged house of cards...but read for yourself...

on d edge

Greenspan thinks we are 'on the edge of a recession'. He thinks housing has to hit bottom.

Here's what's going to happen:

The fed will contiue to aggressively cut interest rates. the thinking is, as long as housing prices are falling, then inflation is not a concern. once housing does bottom out and shows signs of stabilizing (maybe within 2 to 3 years) then the fed will fight a fight it knows how to fight...the inflationary fight.

The Fed will clamp down on credit availability in an effort to snuff out inflation. This will require a major tick up in the interest rates.

An increase in inflation from primarily food and fuel, and the corresponding increase in interest rates will solve the problem of excess liquidity (too many dollars floating around) as well provided those holding dollars with a greater return on their dollar holdings (China).

In this scenario, inflation is the fed's friend, and it will do nice work of bringing the the higher costs of house ownership down.

It should play out relatively painlessly for most. However, here are potential pitfalls:

• large holders of dollars stand to lose through the loss of purchasing power (prices are going up but collecting less on your cash position). Have some cash to be flexible. Cash is essentially stored energy which you have to put to use. If you are counting on cash as a source of income you may want to consider a part time job.
• Hold some commodities to offset the loss of purchasing power of your dollars. commodities have had quite a run, and i would be hesitant to buy more at these levels, that is unless you have none...then buy slowly
• Be mindful of your job-casualties of the impending recession through job loss will be in a precarious possition. if this is the case, another reason to hold some cash.
• holders of credit card debt (CCD) will get hurt when interest rates start cranking up. If possible, pay down CCD and/or lock into a fixed rate if at all possible.
• stay flexible nobody knows for sure how this thing will play out. Although a smooth recovery is likely, it is not a sure thing and there are to be sure some bumps in the road to recovery.
• For stocks, stick with companies with little or now debt, good dividends, industries which will be supported by consumers and/or governement spending.

a stock to drink too

a while back i mentioned I was interested in Diageo (DEO) which is the largest maker of spirits in the world (and they own Guiness beer which is how I found out about the company) and here is an update...I think think the logic that in "good times people party and drink. and in bad times they cry and drink...even more..." may work itself out...plus it pays a nice dividend. which is another bonus in hard times.

i think the most interesting thing with stock markets and financial markets is you can participate in trends that span the glode...you can join the game...

in d trini

So I am travelling in Trinidad and Tobago and just got back from Tobago...the resort and undeveloped island of this two island nation....and it was d best!

so much great food...something called 'bake and shark' is delightful...

it's nice to travel outside of the 'developed world' again...it's always refreshing to get a change of perspective.

The author's note

So the author of 'Gone and Back Again' wrote me back and he's a really nice guy as well as immensely talented. Which makes me appreciate his work even more...humility is definitely a value I value. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the book since it's about people finding (or not finding) their values in life.


Anyway, here's what he wrote:


Thanks for the kind words. Really. I feel so much for Caley, it's nice to hear when someone else does to. I agree that what he doesn't know about himself is that he is tough. In fact, he so frequently thinks the opposite.


And I'd love to write another book. I've even got the title and storyline.


As for Bilbo's tale, yeah, his is a journey not unlike Bilbo's, so there're numerous references, some obvious, some less so, throughout the book. If you ever get the gumption, please write up a little review for Amazon, because it really does help other readers understand what the books about, especially when it comes from people just like them.


No matter what, though, you were very, very kind to write and I'm just so glad that my book interested you.


Thanks so much... Jonathon

Writing the Author

From time to time I write somebody famous and sometimes I hear back. I've written Jim Rogers, whose famous for calling the boom in commodity markets and writing books with word play in the titles...as in "Investment Biker" and "Adventure Capitalist". The only thing I remember from emailing him was him writing, "Unbelieveable..."

I wrote to the Author of "Gone and Back Again". Here's what I wrote:

Mr. Fuqua,

I just finished your latest book and thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a rare book that I pick up and actually get past the first few pages. But yours captured me and had me enthralled to the last page...thank you for writing it.

I'm sorry, but have to ask you a few questions/comments if you have time to respond:

• I like the title's reference to Bilbo's tale, "There and Back Again". Would I be pushing things to think of other references to The Hobbit?
• I am hoping you consider additional novels following Caley through his life. I'd be sad indeed if this is the end of the line. Cay, although he didn't realize it, was a tough kid. I'd like to see how he grows up.

Once again, thank you. Congratulations on the book!

And he wrote back! which was cool of him...he didn't have to do that...

gone and back again

Sorry for the hiatus...but I'm on holiday in the Caribbean. Very relaxing. It's nice to have time again. time to read. Just finished a great book: Gone and Back Again by Jonathon Scott Fuqua.

I recommend it highly. consider it added to the reading list. the reading list is actually a reminder to myself of books to reread, since I find books I can actually get through a tough thing. Any Dan Brown book I find atrocious. I tried Digital Fortress and 'the angel' books...and even the davinci code...but all were a slog...a slog for the first 3o pages!

I used to feel bad 99% of books I put down after 30 pages, then 20 pages and now 2 sentences...but now I see it saves me a lot of time...

I consumer

I just about fell over out of my chair this morning with laughter about the state of the economy (yes, only i find this stuff funny...) when i saw an advertisement from Circuit City for 36 months of no interest on TV purchases.

That's THREE years of no interest!

The American consumer is being subsidized (i.e. cheap credit and tax refunds of $600) to buy just as farmers or the sugar industry are subsidized. [I always heard (whether true or not) that farmers were subsidized to grow or not grow certain crops.]

WE, the consumers of America, are living in a golden age of free stuff my friends...so buy like there's no tomorrow...run, don't walk to you nearest Best Buy, Circuit City and other purveyors of hi-tech junk!

I suggest you maximize the use of 'consumer subsidies' for wealth generation and lifestyle enhancement...and why not...the world is counting on you! It is essentially your role...your job...in this global economy to consume.

Just be prepared for the fallout...and then you can sit back, relax and watch the whole thing play out on your interest-free credit purchased HDTV...

bigger body

In high school i was on the swim team and weighted 185 lbs. For the past 10 years i've been trying to lose weight and become a lightweight. Always counting calories. Always trying to run.

I think body physiques are just as trendy as hem lines, and I was caught in the body type hype. "Thin is in", as opposed to the bulking up body building physiques that were more en vogue when I was in high school.

I've recently, however, been doing at least 100 push ups a day along with dips and pull ups. I've notice my muscle mass increasing. It feels good. The feeling of 'Feeling more solid'. I've been running but only about 15 minutes a day along with a little biking to and from work. I've also noticed my weight stabilizing without me having to count calories!

So i've realized the natural trajectory of my body is to put on muscle rather than lose fat. I've been struggling against my body's natural inclination for the past 10 years...it's amazing, how hard it is to change our perception on something once we get an idea in our heads.

And now i have the idea in my head to get a cheap weight bench on craigslist...i'm excited to get bigger...

defensible position

i have had a lot of thoughts about what to break my 'radio silence' with, but i suppose preparing for the coming recessionary storm (which is very timely given we are experiencing some pretty intense weather storms as well) is the most important...this article is a good place to start.

grab your booties...

it seems the chill of stagflation is in the air...

"okay Santa...what i want for Christmas is...well let me just show you...

I was just reading in the NY Times that a fashion executive was traveling in Morocco and gave a street beggar a crumpled up $1.00 bill. She looked at the crushed piece of paper, threw it back at the American exclaiming, "What is this? This is worth nothing!"

If that doesn't say buy gold I don't know what does!

If we are going to survive...we're going to have to get a little crazy...

a look back at the evolution of dance

I just read in businessweek about a move toward professionally produced videos for the internet now. Which is a move away from the amateur based productions. Which goes hand in hand with my latest behavior which has been watching the show 'lost'. We've been renting it on netlfix but the newest episode does not come out on DVD until Dec 11. It is available for free, however, on ABC. So it seems content owners will be putting forth their own content without the need for special distributors...it's great...the internet really has shaken things up...

but the article talked about a great video which was popular about a year ago. I never saw it...yes, i'm slow...if haven't seen it yet...check it out: