Time to Stop Being a Wimp

That is, about the oppression of women in many cultures. The year is 2008, not 1008. The Republicans just nominated an assertive, accomplished lady to be Vice President of the US. Why does the US and the "West" stay silent when some cultures oppress their women as near slaves ? I read a BBC online news story about oppression of women in Egypt. Here is the link => http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7593765.stm

Men assault women on the streets of Cairo and nothing is done. In my "primitive" thinking, those Egyptian guys need a 1-2 double knuckle sandwich and a left hook to the jaw. If the men leading those nations and cultures treat their women like slaves, we need to treat them like the jerks they are. The US gives Egypt billions in aid every year. Time to tell them to grow up and "Get thee into the 21st century."

Markets

The news was fine, but all the beefers who were tentatively trying some longs got scared by a rattlesnake or something and bailed all at once in a selling stampede. Or like some no-chin stuffed shirts caught in a speakeasy when the cops hit the door, they were climbing out the windows to save there "name", which in this case means the few profits they've grabbed in the recent rally. I think the spark was the ECB and BOE stupidity in not cutting rates. The selling began early and started in Europe.

The problem with markets is the trillions the dumb rich have stuffed into "trading" hedge funds seeking a free lunch of riskless profits. That money have to be ground out and invested in "real" investments. This will happen over time. Patience.

I am adding a lot to Mrs. B's Sky Fund - her performance is rather good - she is kicking my Alpha Funds butt. ... ugh. Her style is stocks like PG, MCD, XOM, AAPL, etc., plus some mutual funds plus some municipal bonds - steady, long term "real" investments. So she will be buying a lot in the next few weeks and getting great prices. And so she will probably continue to kick my butt this year.

Krypto Fund in total is doing better than her Sky Fund in isolation, by the way, so its not all bad for me. For overall consistent management, I incorporate her Sky Fund into Krypto Fund for its asset class allocations

Word of the Day

"Cognate" - adjective [$10] and noun [$10]
Cognate means (adjective) 1. related to or descended from a common ancestor; 2. (Philology, of a word) having the same linguistic family or derivation (as another) representing the same original word or root; (noun) a relative, 2. (philology) a cognate word.
Sentence: As a reformer and maverick, Big John McCain seems to be a political cognate to the great Teddy Roosevelt. His heroic military background fits TR, too.

Bonus Word

"Philology" - noun [$10]
Philology means 1. historical linguistics; 2. literary or classical scholarship.
Sentence: Having some interest in philology helps one connect disparate European historical cultures as many terms and words are borrowed in interesting ways. The word, "latifundium" is a perfect example.