a99kitten's Musings

I’m sorry but if you know your daughter has ANY type of heart issue, you do NOT let her drink a lot of caffeine. And if you know you have a heart issue, you do not drink a lot of caffeine. And sure, the doctor probably should point out that high levels of caffeine are not good.

But you know whose fault it’s NOT? The company that sells the drinks to a gazillion people without heart problems who drink them with no issue. But of course that’s who gets blamed. Because people are simply not responsible for their own condition anymore. It’s always someone else’s fault.

I have SVT. It’s a heart thing. Not a serious one. Not a big deal. I cannot die from it unless I don’t lie down when it happens causing me to get dizzy, pass out and crack my head open and bleed out on the sidewalk. But guess what? I limit my caffeine. And I can tell when I’ve had too much and know to stop having it and drink more water. I also can’t use DayQuil or any cold/allergy product containing ephedrine. Oh well. Pretty simple. And guess what? No doctor has ever actually told me that. I figured it out all on my own. Magic.

This lawsuit against Monster Beverage is gross. In my opinion, the below quote says ‘we knew my daughter had a problem and didn’t care to protect her nor did she care to protect herself. Our doctor didn’t tell us but still we should have known but are complete idiots’ *real quote* “A lawyer for her family, Kevin Goldberg, said that the 14-year-old had been aware she had an underlying condition but added that her doctors had not told her to restrict her physical activities or her caffeine use.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/business/fda-receives-death-reports-citing-monster-energy-a-high-caffeine-drink.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Caffeine is WELL known as a stimulant. The more you have, the more your body is stimulated. That’s why you are probably drinking it. So how do you NOT know that’s bad for you with an underlying heart condition? And if, at 14, you are claiming you are too stupid to know this then your parents should have.

It’s awful that this girl died. Of course it is. But it’s her and her family’s fault. Monster Beverage is marketed VERY clearly as a highly-caffeinated beverage. Not like they snuck it in on you.

It’s called common sense people. If you don’t have it, don’t go outside and ruin it for the rest of us.

Yesterday I placed an order on Amazon. My first since the California sales tax BS for Amazon that went into effect mid-September. It wasn’t a huge order but a few hundred dollars so tacking on another 8.25% tax on that was annoying. I do not blame Amazon for this. They fought this as long as they could.

I already pay WAY MORE in income tax than is my “fair share”. So to then have to pay even more tax to spend the same *leftover* money is so beyond annoying it’s ridiculous. California is so mismanaged it’s criminal. The amount of money wasted in this state is criminal.

A large portion of people do not pay income taxes. Some of those do pay payroll taxes, but a big chunk of that is Social Security and medicare (which is matched by employers – actually more than matched currently thanks to the tax holiday still in place for employees but not employers). But beyond that, they are able to not pay additional income taxes and, in fact, get refunds each year.

In my opinion, everyone should pay the same percentage. You make $100, you pay $10. You make $1,000,000 then you pay $100,000. The “rich” will then be paying more *as they already do* than the non-rich. Or some set percentage that is across the board.

I work a lot. I have worked a lot since I was like..14 years old. I am decently financially successful now. But we have had to worry about our company being successful, making payroll, pay our bills, make deals to keep income coming in, work on holidays and nights and stress when things go bad. So how is that the same as some person who works a 9-5 job who punches a time clock and collects their check and demands a lifetime pension and medical benefits? And has none of those worries or concerns. I should be penalized for working hard? How is this fair? How does this make sense to ANYONE??? France just imposed a 75% tax on millionaires. 75%. How does anyone but a complete psychopath think that is fair?

I could go on and on about how this is so pathetic and unfair and gross. But I won’t, You either already know this and agree. Or you disagree. If you disagree – please move to Russia, Cuba or China and see how awesome those places are.

I love the state of California for its natural beauty. And if my taxes supported the parks, beaches, and border patrol – I wouldn’t mind. But it doesn’t. 2 of those 3 are the first things cut and the last is a constant political football. Don’t even get me started about what it does pay for.

I pay high federal income taxes. I pay high state income taxes. I pay property tax. I pay sales tax every time I go to a store. And now every time I order online? FU California politicians.

Already seeing the typical Labor Day tweets and Facebook posts from people saying how you can thank Big Labor and unions for your day off. Or to feel free to work on Labor Day if you are against unions.

You know who Big Labor can thank though? The entrepreneurs who starts companies that grow and employ a lot of people. Or maybe just 5 at your local corner store. Or the CEOs and executives who make sure employees receive good benefits, salaries and a good work environment. But you never see anyone thanking them. IN FACT, the current administration wants you to not like them at all. After all, they didn’t build anything anyway.

I’ve worked for myself or for a company that I’ve been part owner of, since 1999. Before then, I worked for a family-owned and run hedge fund that rewarded their employees greatly whenever they could. Grossly so really. And grew up with my father owning his own business and always bonusing out to employees whenever it could be afforded. But they are evil in today’s climate. Undoubtedly cheating on their taxes and ruining the lives of their employees or cheating them in some way.

I worked yesterday. I have worked today and will do more later. And I will also work tomorrow. But I would not have it any other way. Have I thought how nice it would be to never have to think about work when I left my desk at 5pm? Sure. Absolutely. But in the end – not me.

So no – I do not thank big labor for anything. Or unions. Or Obama. Or the government. I thank the people I have worked for. And myself. For working hard. And that’s it.

…and BAM – instant anger!

I can’t believe this is even a question: http://news.yahoo.com/australia-surfer-killed-shark-032637135.html

Yes, the Great White should retain its protected status if its population is dwindling (mostly due to humans.) A kid got killed. That is awful. Beyond awful for him and his family and friends. No doubt. No question.

BUT – he knew the risk of surfing in what is considered the most dangerous area due to sharks. People had even seen the shark there over the past few days. So really, whose fault is that? When I hike deep into the woods, I know that I can run into a bear. I try not to (well, that’s not entirely true) but I am fully aware it can happen. And have told my husband & friends that if by some bizarre chance I am mauled by a bear – it was not the bear’s fault and to make that clear to everyone. I went walking into his house. I was aware.

Humans can’t keep manhandling the planet and expect it to survive. Man hates the fact that there are equally (and let’s be real without guns more so) powerful predators who are on the top of the food chain. They tend to stay away from humans unless confronted. Humans tend to search them out to hunt and agitate. And love to destroy them. Humans kill for pleasure. Animals to survive. Who is more highly evolved again?

Humans really needs to knock that crap off.

As a kid, I loved everything British. Total Anglophile. I wished I was born English.

I only studied European history and thought American history was boring and lame.

Then when I was 22, I went to Europe. Plenty of cool, old things to see. To VISIT. But when I got back I was so happy to be American and to live in America. I started appreciating the things I took for granted. And I have never, ever, ever again wished I was born anywhere else but America. Ever.

Sadly, our government is trying its best to turn this country into a depressed, Socialized mess like so many other places. It’s not just the healthcare decision from today, although that is a huge one. Taxes and taxes and taxes and punish the successful to pay for the unsuccessful. More and more and more government workers to run the ever increasing government programs and committees and studies and more and more regulations. Heck – pretty soon you won’t be able to buy a large soda, or possibly even fatty food because the government must tell you how to eat because you fatty are obviously too stupid to know any better.

The government is not supposed to run your life. But that’s what it is doing. This is a very sad thing. Some people will celebrate today’s decision. Including the President. Although I would argue, since the law is a fairly unpopular one, it could backfire on him during election time. But who knows. If the average person who supports this actually read all of the people who get exempted from this law, maybe then they would realize they are getting stuck with it, and not blessed by it.

But the people that celebrate this also want to the government to support them, and tell them what to do. And manage their lives so they can go and get their Prozac cheaply, watch reality TV and wander through life with no real personal responsibility. That’s what we are taught right? You aren’t responsible for a lot of crimes because you were beaten as a kid, abused, yelled at, not allowed to play soccer because you sucked. Or maybe you have 1 of one trillion disorders recognized by the AMA or APA so you can commit heinous crimes but be told you aren’t really responsible – here take these pills. You can get government OK to get out of your underwater mortgage that you took out knowing full well you couldn’t pay it off. Because that was all the evil bank’s fault. I could go on and on but won’t.

That’s not the America I love. And that’s very sad.

Yesterday Maria Bartiromo interviewed the CEO of Morgan Stanley on CNBC – mostly about the Facebook IPO. One of the questions was about the people who bought it at the IPO price $38 but who were now down on it. His response was a fair one – those people that bought into the IPO hoping for the quick pop to make money off it were being naive or not buying it for the right reasons. I’m sure he meant they were being greedy day-trading bastards but used naive instead. And he went on to explain you want to see the buyers getting in on IPOs being long-term investors who believe in the long term outlook and value of the company. Which I agree with. I ranted…errr…blogged…about the people whining about their lack of lotto-style riches the Saturday after the IPO.

So now on Friday afternoon Maria plays that clip with his answer and then says something like “he had less than sympathetic words for people taking a bath on Facebook.”

Really Maria? Is THAT what he said? No…notsomuch.

Media…

It’s Karl Faberge’s birthday today. Ever since I was young child I have wanted a Faberge egg (a real one not a replica from Franklin Mint!) Sigh…

Google put this up on their homepage today. Pretty…

Fabergé, also known as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé, was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia on May 30, 1846, to a Baltic German jeweler Gustav Fabergé and his Danish wife Charlotte Jungstedt.

Although there’s not much information on Fabergé’s educational background, some reports say that he might have undertaken a course at the Dresden Arts and Crafts School. He was even believed to have taken lessons from well-known goldsmiths of his time in France, Germany and England. Peter Carl was also guided by his father’s workmaster Hiskias Pendin for many years.

In 1882, Pendin died and the entire responsibility of running the family business fell upon Peter Carl’s shoulders. Because of his brilliant work, he was awarded the title Master Goldsmith that let him use his own hallmark in his work along with that of the firm.

Peter Carl quickly built a reputation as a master designer of exquisite jeweled objects, including the Easter egg designs, which made him world famous. He won a gold medal and the St. Stanisias Medal at the Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882.

In 1885, he was appointed as the court jeweler of the Romanov dynasty. Tsar Alexander III gave the House of Fabergé the title, “Goldsmith by special appointment to the Imperial Crown.” The Tsar also commissioned the company to make an Easter egg as a gift for his wife.

Apart from Imperial Easter eggs, the House of Fabergé also made other objects ranging from silver tableware to fine jewelry. The company gradually became the largest business in Russia with branches in Moscow, Odessa, Kiev and London. It produced some 150,000 to 200,000 objects from 1882 until 1917.

In 1916, the House of Fabergé became a joint-stock company with a capital of 3 million rubles. But in the following year just before the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia, a Committee of the Employees of the Company K Fabergé took over the business. The House of Fabergé was nationalized by the Bolsheviks in 1918.

The next two years of Peter Carl’s life were spent in exile. He died in Switzerland on Sept. 24, 1920. According to his family, he died of a broken heart.

Socialists should be throat-punched.  Take over (aka STEAL) a man’s company after you unionize and then exile him. How did Communism work out for you scumbags? Only worked to line the pockets of the politicians…funny how that it is….

I particularly hate the Bolsheviks because they killed a lot of Siberian Huskies because they were a sign of wealth.  Triple throat punch.

A Faberge egg with a husky theme inside would be THE BEST! :)

http://www.google.com/search?q=faberge+egg&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=71Q&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvnsu&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=ADjGT8OUJurs2QWhydnSAw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CGcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1608&bih=879

Yet another example of why I truly dislike government and lawyers. (Also see: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/19/Exclusive-9th-Circuit-Takes-Another-Plush-Maui-Vacation-At-Taxpayer-Expense-As-Others-Cut-Back  There is NO damn reason in the world ANY tax dollars should EVER be spent on a “convention” or “workshop” in Hawaii for public officials. EVER. Get to work jerks.)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/17/INAT1MO106.DTL

Are you SERIOUSLY telling me a bunch of people ran out and bought Sketchers because they thought they would immediately transform into Kim Kardashian? Which in itself is a poor life goal choice. Her ass is not one to be coveted or shown as an example of a great exercise regimen. #threesizestoobig But I digress…

People have turned into whiny babies. It’s ridiculous. Do you know how you get thinner and more in shape? Watch what you eat, eat less of it and exercise daily. That’s how. No magic pills. No magic shoes.

Sketchers (and Reebok) claimed to have toning shoes. Well, if you were like me and read about them, you knew that they were basically supposed to imitate the imbalance of walking in sand or loose dirt so that your muscles worked a little more AS YOU EXERCISED. And they did do that actually. I have some of the Reebok Easy Tones and know they do. But I walk in the sand or dirt every day.

But if you bought them to walk to and from your refrigerator or walk to and from your car…well…that’s not going to work. The exercise part – the 1-2 hours you spent wearing them as you exercised was still the main driver of any real success in your weight loss/toning goal. The shoe was going to maybe add  a little extra to the workout. But if you were so disappointed by your purchase and felt hoodwinked by the companies, do you also feel that way if you buy Nikes and can’t jump as high as Michael Jordan? Or your boobs aren’t magically transformed into Victoria’s Secret model boobs? Or women aren’t hunting you down after spraying on Axe body spray?

Come on people – it’s an ad. It’s to get you INTERESTED in the product. Use the damn common sense you were allegedly given at birth to figure this stuff out.

As far as the lawyers, State AGs and the FTC who took this on – shame on you. You disgust me. This was a blatant shakedown. Most especially you Kamala Harris.   Go spend time prosecuting actual criminals. Like the cop killers you like to go easy on.

Just read today’s NY Post story “Zuckers”. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/zuck_laughin_in_their_faces_YuKorcZA7fIl8DKPLksIhK

Honestly, the IPO did what it should do. How many times have I heard “it’s not fair that only insiders get the shares at such a low price before the huge pop when it IPOs.”? Or some such statements. This one didn’t pop 50% or 100%. That’s actually a good thing for the retail investor. The same ones who constantly complain that only the “big boys” on Wall Street make any money. Now you can follow the stock and decide on a good entry point if you are so inclined. Or were able to buy on the day of IPO at basically the same price.

The idea is you are buying the IPO stock to INVEST in the company. Do you think Facebook execs or bankers wanted a bunch of day traders scalping the stock all day? The point of an IPO is to generate cash for the company. Not you pal. So when it opens up 50%, that is money the company left on the table. And a poorly priced IPO. This is not 1998-1999. We don’t want that tech IPO bubble.

Should FB have left it at $34? Probably. But they looked at the interest and raised the price based on that. You can look for all sorts of nefarious, greedy banker (or Zuckerberg) motives but the fact is – that’s what you do. That’s your job as a banker working for the company. Get the best price for the company.

And the main street investors who are getting “cheated”? I’m sorry but comments like…

Retired nurse Teresa Ryan, who lives in Tudor City, bought 4,920 shares at $40.50, noting she made a killing on Apple stock. “I’m very psychic when it comes to stocks, I really am,” said Ryan. “I have no retirement, I have no pension, so I try to make money on the market.”

Queens chauffeur Thomas Gardner, whose home was just foreclosed on, could only afford $89 for two shares, which he hoped would eventually send his 9/11-born son to St. John’s University. “This is a good start,” Thomas said, beaming as he came out of a Midtown Charles Schwab office. “Everybody is hoping for something, so I’m jumping on this wagon. I have a good feeling.”

…are indicative of the hype built up by the media, which was off the charts. I mean seriously. You cannot blame Wall Street bankers or Facebook for the non-stop 24/7 coverage not only by the financial news stations (looking at you CNBC) but also just the normal news. Heard comments on the news like ” I wanted to sell it this morning and make enough to buy a car.” Umm. Yeah.

Will the same bankers have to prop the price up like it seems they did at day’s end Friday? Perhaps. That’s also their job. But to be fair to FB and the bankers, this was a crap time to come out to market. And everyone hoping the Facebook IPO would cure all the market woes were sniffing glue.

I’m willing to bet it goes down but that it will recover and go up from it’s IPO price. In fact, I did bet that. I bought 100 little shares for my 401k. At $38.25. Didn’t get the IPO price, but close enough. Do I think it might go down a few points? Sure. Do I think it will go to $20? No. But I was willing to chance the 100 shares and let it sit in my 401k. Not in my trading account. And if it goes down under $30 – would probably add.

If you believe in the company’s ability to grow and be worth more, buy the stock on the day of the IPO (when it reacts like this and not +50%) and let it sit there and grow and not worry about it’s daily price movements. You are an investor.

But if your sole intention is to flip shares for easy cash, and the price movement doesn’t go your way, that’s on you. That’s like blaming the dice roller you follow on at the craps table when you put all your chips on his/her rolls when he/she rolls snake eyes. Dude – you’re not only not rolling, you didn’t even get to blow on the dice. So you are gambling. Pure and simple. Quite your whining, take your lumps and walk away.

So waaaay back in April 2012, Herbalife $HLF was trading in the 70s after a great run-up since December (really been on a nice trend up for years.) Now, I don’t know anything about Herballife other than they sell vitamins or supplements or something and they have large building in SoCal that I see when I am down there. But I recall it has been around for quite some time and I have never heard anything bad about it.

Then on their latest earning conference call, David Einhorn asked some questions. And the stock tanks 20-25 points instantly because everyone thinks he is short it. Then it turns out, apparently, that he is actually NOT short the stock but a different stock completely unrelated to HLF based on his presentation at the Ira Sohn Investment Conference yesterday. The stock went up following his presentation, but not nearly as much as it got driven down. Driven down not on fundamentals. But on innuendo.

I don’t like to short stocks. Which is funny because I “grew up” in the stock market working for a very big bear. But they looked for companies that were involved in funny business. And found quite a few with “creative accounting”. But the idea of shorting companies simply because they are down that day (see assclowns that shorted airline companies after 9/11) is not for me. I know things run up for no reason and taking advantage of the downturn is logical. But as a generally positive person, unless contemplating humanity that is, I like to look for things going up, not down.

I’m not supporting HLF. And they might have questionable multi-level marketing schemes. Like I said, I know nothing about them. But I find it gross that a company’s stock price can be basically manipulated that much to the downside based on innuendo and rumor due to a well-known short seller simply asking questions on their conference call. Also, see Bear Stearns.

Not OK.