It's All In The Name

* Driving in, I hear that support for Social Security Reform is so-so, but really falls among Democrats and those in the middle when it's titled "President Bush's Social Security Plan." If the GOP is listening, it seems as all is needed to get this by the Democrats is a name change. I suggest "The Arnold Schwarzenegger Social Security Plan." It'd have widespread appeal, and Arnold could go on tour as "The Retirenator."

* Who let the dogs out on Biogen? Check out that ticker today, BIIB; they had an MS drug recalled. Semiconductors doing well again, even if the market index numbers are a little wobbly. Lets see if the market catches a bid in the normal monthly strengh period as paychecks and automatic 401k feeds hit.

* No surprise that Million Dollar Baby had a great night at the Oscars. Note, though, that I didn't see any of the nominated movies. I'm kind of a Netflix guy. I'll see them later.

* Not only that, but I didn't realize that the Academy Awards show was on so early. By the time I hunkered down to watch it, all that's left was some Sunday Night Movie.

* Did you see the movie High Fidelity with John Cusak? Do I listen to music because I'm miserable? Or, am I miserable because I listen to music?

* I get a a bunch of emails daily because I ordered merchandise from a golf company. So it seems like every golf company in the world now sends me emails. "Read what Greg Norman says about hitting it out of the bunker." That kind of thing. I can't opt out, because that's just asking for even more emails. So, I just keep adding addresses to my spam filter. But it's just a pain.

* Forbes has a poll out on Yahoo, a stock that I own. Asking, what is their greatest achievement? Of their choices, I think they've become the portal standard. They've done a great job as an aggregator of all things. Stocks, sports, email, and news. A bunch of other companies try to do the same thing, but I still stay with Yahoo.

* Sometimes you go to Yahoo to check your stock tickers, and you can't figure out why your stock suddenly dropped for no reason. Check the ex-dividend date. Aha. They should print those stocks in blue or something on the page.

* I like dividend paying stocks. Over the years, I've tried to add enough in so that every month, somebody is pinging me with dividends. I take the dividends and throw them into mutual funds.

* Clint Eastwood is quite the talent, huh? . He's done all kinds of things - and done them well!

* I was reading some message board that cinnamin is supposed to be good for your blood sugar. I don't know if this is the latest fad or what the medical research is behind this. I wonder if the public reads that kind of thing, and that's an excuse to get one of those massive cinnamin rolls at Cinnabon? And how would researchers ever figure out that cinnamin is good for blood sugar anyways? Seems like cinnamin is in desserts and snacks, and not much else. Ah, the other thing the public might do is order the steak sandwich and fries, "but sprinkle some cinnamin on it."

* The best way of hitting the golf ball out of the bunker? "Daniel-san, Mr. Miyagi say the best way to hit the golf ball out of the bunker, is not to hit the golf ball in the bunker in the first place."