The Riley Factor
Fort Plain, NY
December 2 2011, Issue No. 113
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit-to-print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)
Fort Plain, NY
December 2 2011, Issue No. 113
(All the Rock Creek Farm news that's fit to print, along with unfit-to-print rumors, prognostications & bloviations.)
Riley and the Littles -- Riley and Gabby have begun fighting to the death at the beginning of each of their twice daily runs. They are playing, sort of, but it does become serious fairly often. Although both dogs are extremely friendly, they do have those giant canine teeth, and love to hook onto each others; collars and fling the opponent for the take-down. All complete with plenty of growling and totally ignoring any pleas from the humans.
Over Thanksgiving, we added a fourth (I know, don't say it) cat to the fold. Izzy, the daughter of our Maine Coon Cats Stryder and Arwen, made the journey from Hopkinton, where she was being lost in the fold, west to Middle-of-Nowhere. She is about three years old, extremely calm, and craves petting. Looks just like her mother size and physique-wise and is colored just like her father. Her first encounter with AJ, our semi-civilized barn cat turned house cat, did not go well. She is still adjusting to life in our zoo, and has not yet had the requisite face-to-face with Riley or Gabby.
Plowing and Planting -- No plowing. No planting. No growing. Just fall expiring and winter approaching.
And They're Off -- Rio and Lady have been especially friendly lately, frequently wandering over to the fence rail near the pond for some TLC. They still make their daily arguments for apples, which are dwindling down to the final few. The winter switchover to carrots is looming. They still both roll in the mud whenever it is available. Does not make for a pretty picture at day's end.
The Herd of Four -- Alack and alas, the Herd of four will soon be reduced to the Herd of Two. December 14 is D-Day.
Mowings, Musings and the Woods -- Great weather this fall for wandering around out back in the trails and woods. Must keep the orange on until deer season completes its run on December 11. And there is nothing better than spending a sunny afternoon splitting some firewood.
Fowl Weather -- Our lone remaining French Guinea Hen has bonded with the four largest White Broad-breasted American Turkeys and formed a posse that roams daily in search of whatever it is that bird posses search for. The Flock of Five is very friendly and is overjoyed at having survived the Thanksgiving Season. They approach whoever is out in the yard or driveway to get in on any barnyard action (of which there is frequently none).
Visitors -- Thanksgiving week filled the house with Stevie and Scott. CJ elected to stay home in Hopkinton, as he had to work Friday and had weekend plans to furniture shop, in anticipation of his move into his new apartment in Weymouth on December 10. The day after Thanksgiving, we dragged Stevie and Scott to the Annual Amish Christmas Auction in Fort Plain - always a thriller. Stevie got to hold some live rabbits and pet some piglets and miniature horses.
Blog -- The Riley Factor's official blog site is located at http://the-riley-factor.
Quotes of the Month --
Economically speaking, America is the prettiest horse in the glue factory. -- Stuart Varney
It’s better to burn out than to fade away. -- Neil Young
The future is now. -- George Allen
Hope dictates effort. -- Michael Irvin
Action is eloquent. -- William Shakespeare
Two traits make a great President, intelligence and character. -- Henry Kissinger
Face today with more enthusiasm than anyone else on earth. -- Jack Harbaugh
As a former Democrat, I tell you this - the Democrat Party wants there to be one class of poor people at the bottom, each identifying with one another, and voting Democrat as a block. The Democrats want that block of poor people to be as large as possible, relying on the government to provide everything. That is their objective. -- Dick Morris
Fact of the Month --
Today, there is more computing power in a cell phone than there was in Apollo 11.
Oil has recently been trading at around $100 per barrel. All-in, it costs less than $5 per barrel to find oil, drill the oil wells and extract oil from the ground. The rest? Profit to OPEC and the other oil producing nations.
Bumper Sticker of the Month --
Occupy a Job
Commentaries of the Month --
Very slow growth 2012, then long bear to 2020
The house always wins at Wall Street’s casino, gets rich. While America loses. Jack Bogle called Wall Street a croupier skimming a third of Main Street profits off the top. In both bull and bear markets. Not once but twice during the decade, the Wall Street casino lost over 45% of your money, trillions of your retirement assets: through the dot-com crash, a 30-month recession, the credit meltdown of 2008, a recent recession, and now today a national economic disaster caused by self-destructive partisan political wars.So don’t kid yourself folks, recent economic and market “ugliness and violence” not only won’t end soon, it’ll get meaner and meaner for years after 2012 elections … no matter who wins. Only a fool would believe that a new bull market will take off in 2013. Ain’t going to happen. That’s a Wall Street fantasy. Fall for that, and you’re delusional.
In fact, you better plan on a very long secular bear the next decade through 2020. With the European banks, credit and currency on the edge of a global financial meltdown, there’s a high probability that a black swan virus, a contagion will sweep the world, making all investing “uglier” and more “violent” for Americans in 2013, indeed for the rest of the decade.-- Paul Farrell, MarketWatch
Commodities
I'm long commodities and currencies, because if the world gets better, the shortages in commodities will make sure I make money; if the world economy doesn't get better, I'd rather own commodities because they're going to print money. -- Jim Rogers
Investing
The minute anyone selling an investment can’t or won’t answer your questions or can’t give an explanation in plain English, it’s time the savvy investor should dig deeper and the average guy should walk away. Remember, too, that if someone won’t answer all of your questions and ease your mind before they get your money, things aren’t likely to improve once they have your cash. -- Chuck Jaffee, MarketWatch
Government in Industry
Whenever the government gets involved in the market, the price goes up for consumers. In the end, that’s what causes the industry to collapse. Let industry succeed or fail by their own merits, based on what consumers choose. -- Lance Dutton, Maine Heritage Policy FoundationNFL --
September 8 ... Green Bay Packers 42, New Orleans Saints 34 / Patriots 38, Dolphins 24
18 ... Green Bay Packers 30, Carolina Panthers 23 / Patriots 35, Chargers 21
25 ... Green Bay Packers 27, Da Bears 17 / Bills 34, Patriots 31
October 2 ... Green Bay Packers 49, Denver Broncos 23 / Patriots 31, Raiders 19
9 ... Green Bay Packers 25, Atlanta Falcons 14 / Patriots 30, Jets 21
16 ... Green Bay Packers 24, St. Louis Rams 3 / Patriots 20, Cowboys 16
(And then there was one)
23 ... Green Bay Packers 33, Minnesota Vikings 27 / Patriots (bye week)
30 ... Green Bay Packers (bye week) / Steelers 25, Patriots 17
November 6 ... Green Bay Packers 45, San Diego Chargers 38 / Giants 24, Patriots 20
13 ... Green Bay Packers 45, Vikings 7 / Patriots 37, Jets 16
20 ... Green Bay Packers 35, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26 / Patriots 34, Chiefs 3
24 ... Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 15 / Patriots 38, Eagles 20
And then there's this --
Five Ways We Ruined the Occupy Wall Street Generation
5. Making You Ashamed to Take Manual Labor Jobs4. Implying That College Would Guarantee You a Good Job
3. Adding Seven More Years to Being a Teenager 2. Creating the Idea that Entertainment Has No Monetary Value (it's OK to steal music, movies, games)
1. Taking Away Every Reason To Go Outside
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