Mario's Story: My Highest Recommendation

Mario's Story (2007): "[E]ventually good triumphs, but before it triumphs, a lot of people have to suffer."

I highly recommend Mario's Story, about Mario Rocha, a man who was wrongfully imprisoned for murder.

Equinox Flower

From the Japanese film, Equinox Flower: "Then everyone's inconsistent. Everyone but God. Life is absurd. We're not all perfect. As a scholar said, 'The sum total of inconsistencies is life.'"

Reminds me of Walt Whitman:

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

Immigration

Interesting piece on immigration, both legal and non-legal:

http://www.windypundit.com/archives/2010/05/so_what_if_its_illegal.html

Interesting Rankings of States and Countries

I can't believe I didn't discover these links sooner:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/20/global-debt-bomb-business-wall-street-debt-10_land.html

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/44/debt-10_Global-Debt-Crisis_Rank.html

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/11/taxes-employment-government-business-beltway-tax-burdens.html

Beautiful statistics. And congrats to Utah for its fiscal responsibility.

Notes from a Legal Seminar

Some notes from a recent legal seminar:

Judge: "[Court] Trials are civilized combat."

An example of an opening statement to a jury: you've got the facts, the law, and your common sense.

Judge Conrad Rushing on CMCs:

1) Make every appearance count; and

2) Don't continue it out. [i.e., avoid continuances.]

California has a 95% settlement rate, i.e., 95% of cases in the state do not go to trial.

In mediation, if there is an impasse, ask the side that is refusing to budge the following questions:

1. What do you think the case is worth?

2. If they offered that much, how much would you counter with?

Not My Stock Picks

Apparently some other website--without my permission--took a list of stocks it believed I had, and created a list with performance numbers. See below:

NVDA +0.36% since 08/12/08
JMBA +140.61% since 08/04/08
GRMN -9.46% since 07/30/08
SO -7.16% since 07/30/08

For the record, I am not recommending any of the stocks mentioned above. As a rule, I do not recommend any stocks or stock market actions, so if you run across a stock list related to me, ignore it. I used to publicize some of my own stock purchases for informational purposes only, but I stopped doing it when I realized I was becoming too focused on short-term gains and losses.

The information on this site is provided for discussion purposes only. Under no circumstances do any statements here represent a recommendation to buy or sell securities or make any kind of an investment. You are responsible for your own due diligence. To summarize, I do not provide investment advice, nor do I make any claims or promises that any information here will lead to a profit, loss, or any other result.

Rumi's Poetry

However long your patience, I will shred it.

If you sleep, I'll steal the dreams from your eyes.
Stand like a mountain, I'll melt you in fire;
Be the sea, and I'll drink your water dry.

More from Rumi HERE.