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Playing the Market
September 29, 2006I finally took the big jump. I'm investing in the stock market.
I ran into a little bit of money, and I figured "rich people invest and get richer."
It's either boom or bust to me, but hopefully I can succeed.
The most important aspect of investing is research.
Don't invest in a company until you know the inside and out of that company.
Penny stocks don't make much sense to me, but that's just me.
I, by no means, have any expertise in the stock market, Standard & Poor's, Dow, NASDAQ.
They all seem so foreign, but in time, I hope I know them like I know the salary cap for every NFL team.
I have a kid on the way, so why not be smart with my money.
I have some in savings, but I haven't started a 401K at work yet. I haven't been here a year yet, so I guess I'll wait a little longer.
But the more important question for me is, what stock do I invest in.
I only put $500 in my online account, so I have to start somewhere.
Do you look for general appeal, how much do I trust other people's words when investing.
It seems like everyone is a seller in the stock market.
I'm currently looking at Apple Computers, Microsoft and Google.
Where do I start though. For stocks, they look to be pretty solid investments, but purchasing just one Google stock would eat up 90 percent of the money I want to invest.
What to do, what to do??
Posted by Clayton Hein at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
$1 million dollar lotto
September 28, 2006Congratulations John Beard.
In the paper today, we ran a story of a night pressman, Beard, who won a million dollars through a scratch ticket lottery.
Congratulations...it sounded like he and his wife, and their three grandchildren really needed them.
I don't really know where to say, but $1 million - holy crap. That's a one with six zeroes. What would you do with a million bucks???
I have no idea, but I'm offering some advice for Beard and his family.
1. You have to start by paying yourself. You deserve it the most. You won, have a ball - but don't go too crazy.
2. Invest in yourself. You say you won't change, but how could you not. You are going to live longer, because that stress of making ends meet is gone. Stress wears us down one day at a time, kiss stress goodbye. Take a vacation, you and your wife, and find each other again.
3. Put the grandkids through college.
It's one of the best investments for your family's future generations that you can make.
4. You said in the story you are going to keep coming to work everyday. I admire that, but I recommend working for you.
There is nothing better than taking orders from you. Opening a business can be done, and your future may seem brighter for it.
Think of the time you will be able to spend with your grandkids with the extra time. At first you will have to work even harder to get the business off the ground, but after that, if the plan works, it will be clear sailing.
And last but not least, buy your wife something wonderful. I'm sure you've already have done it, but just in case.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pray for T.O.
September 27, 2006Terrell Owens tried to kill himself on painkillers, according to Dallas Police Reports.
Past the ego, past the game of football, Owens is a human being.
I was stunned when I heard the news Wednesday morning.
The people with the biggest egos usually have the biggest self doubts.
He appears invincible at times. But his actions scream for helps at times.
After taking something like 35 pain pills you have to gasp.
You shouldn't wish that on anyone.
At times T.O. was a pain in the ass, but in personal life, he has to be a lost soul.
So pray for Terrell Owens tonight, keep him in your thoughts.
Instead of hating the ego, embrace the man.
After football, this is probably going to fall on deaf ears. It should be filed under the United States of Amnesia.
Everything is forgotten, but Owens has to continue on with his life.
Wide Receivers are the divas of the league. Maybe the NFL needs to do more; maybe the NCAA needs to do more.
Superstars aren't invincible, everyone has problems - Terrell Owens is the newest in a long line of teachers of that fact.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Top 100 Employers for Moms
September 26, 2006The company Working Mother released its annual "top 100 places for moms to work" list, and no companies from Texas, or many based in the south, were on the list.
It's a little surprising that none on the list were from Texas.
Do Texans still expect their working women to working women and their moms to be moms.
Maybe its a southern thing.
"Chained to the stove, pregnant and close to sink is how I like 'em."
That must be a statment that stands out from all the white, male business owners in Texas, who like things the way they used to be.
My wife's maternity leave is crappy. Six whole weeks to recuperate and enjoy those first precious moments with a newborn. And they are all unpaid.
When I asked my HR director if Scripps Howard, the newspapers parent company, offered paternal leave, she chuckled.
What kind of 21st century do we live in.
You don't really know the roadblocks of a person's situation until you're there. You never really plan for everything, so some stuff is going to smack you in the kisser.
I read in the report from Working Mother that IBM offers mother up to 144 weeks of maternal leave. HOLY COW!!!!
That's one heck of a vaction. Way to Go IBM. I wonder if that offered leave is paid?
Posted by Clayton Hein at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The dreaded curse
September 25, 2006The Madden Curse continues.
Shaun Alexander, the cover boy for Madden 07 is out for a while with a broken foot.
Stop putting people on the cover of that freakin game.
The news has basically ruined the fantasy seasons of 8,000,222,113 people. Or something in tha ballpark.
He had a broken something or another in his foot, so no he will sit, probably for, like, 8 weeks.
On another note, Chris Simms is one tough S.O.B.
He just entered the "Ronnie Lott" category of tough guys in football as far as I'm concerned.
Simms injured his freakin' spleen in a game Sunday, left early before halftime, and game back to almost steal the victory from the Panthers.
I still remember the lore of Lott deciding to sever his pinky finger just to continue playing the season.
Simms injured the spleen, had it removed after the game, and the doctors said he suffered internal bleeding.
As a sports fan how could you not appreciate the heart it took Simms to do that?
Posted by Clayton Hein at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Customer Service
It’s that time again.
Everyone has to do it about every three to four years, depending on reliability and cheapness. But it's my wife and my turn to jump in the car-buying business.
No one really wants to do it, especially if there are the "factors" affecting your decision.
1. you are trying to budget in your "potential" car payment,
2. you are, possibly, upside down on you trade-in,
3. you don't have much to spare for a down payment, and
4. you really have no clue what car is going to fit you situation.
I fit into all four categories.
I don't want to go over $350 on the payment, I have no idea what these car dealerships will give me on my wife's Jeep, I can come up with about $1,000 for a downpayment and I have a kid on the way a long with my other baby, my 120 lb. great dane.
It's the new stuck between a rock and a hard place decision.
You don't want to get screwed, but you also want a car that will last.
But you also have to establish some type of value.
By spending $20,000 you think you should get a car that will run, optimally, for more than 100,000 miles before the "big" things need replacing.
But what car is "right" for my situation. (man, I apologize for the multiple use of quotes - I'm up to, like, eight, or something like that)
The car is going to be the family car. But it's going to be my wife's ride. She wants a 4-door sedan, I want her to get something sporty, so we know we are paying for something we enjoy. She wants a practical car, I want speed when we need it. PO-TAT-O, PA-TAT-O.
We've looked at Jettas, G6s, Malibus and Chargers. What to do what to do?????
I guess that's why God made car salesmen. They should be able to look at my list and tell me what I want to hear.
But is it what they really want to say?
Posted by Clayton Hein at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sweet Home Chicago
September 21, 2006That song by Robert Johnson couldn't sum it up quick enough.
My dad lived in the Chicago area growing up, and then he joined the military. Last week my dad and I returned to his old stomping grounds to (1) see the Cubbies and (2) hang out with my dad’s brother.
Here are a few random thoughts concerning the "Windy City:"
1. The Cubs suck, but the lore of Wrigley Field has a way to transform the north side of Chicago into Yankee Stadium. You're either a die-hard cubs fan, or you're from out of town up there. There are only a few "sacred" baseball stadiums and Wrigley is up there.
2. The public transit system up there is quite an experience. The Red Line, the Blue Line, the Pink Line....it feels like you are trying to jump on the Underground Dr. Seuss Subway.
3. The food is heavy. Any type of meat you want you can get. It seemed like the Chicago area beats Texas at its own game - portions. But the price you had to pay was ungodly. Think Matlock's, downtown by the library, but everywhere up there.
4. Traffic is awful. Unlike one of the biggest cities I think I've been to, Dallas-Ft. Worth, you can't just pass through Chicago. If you are going that way, you can't keep going. Everyone's trying to get to the same spot, so traffic - although I was on the train - looked like it sucked.
5. Driving through Oklahoma past sundown is the pits. The signs creep up on you and before you know it, you're in the wrong lane. There are too many tolls and the roads are bumpy as hell. (I know it was thoughts of Chi-town, but I couldn't help it)
6. Even the port-a-potties are nice. I went to a place called Governor's and they had an outdoor concert. The john's had everything except a high-speed internet connection. Hand sanitizer, toilet seat cleanser, a motion sensor light....and air freshener.
7. The real estate market is next to ridiculous. For $200,000 you too can have a downtown Chicago apartment/condo. My uncles said people are resorting to moving into them in groups, just to make the mortgage payment.
8. As a journalist/writer I love reading. So I was awstruck to see the New York Times on newstands. Holy Cow. Top Notch stuff. Starbucks and the New York Times should join together to put that paper in every coffee house.
All in all, I had a blast. I waited too long to write this sucker, so if anything pops up before next time, I'll be sure to let you know about it.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
It's a BOY!!!
September 20, 2006Sorry, I just got back from vacation and I forgot how to access this site while I was on the road.
I found out last Monday that I'm having a little boy.
That's right, my wife and I saw "turtle" on the sonogram screen.
Man what a day.
I know you’re supposed to want a healthy baby, but a boy was my natural preference.
Now I get to do all the things my dad did with me
For instance, how about a trip to Chicago we just finished embarking upon.
What a blast.
I mean, how many times can you take a family member to a sacred ground and relive the memories of the past.
Honestly?
I know I can do all those things with a girl, hopefully we will be blessed with that gift next time, but I'm going to soak it all up right now.
The first kid is the one you screw up the most, and I figured I don't want to mess up with a girl this day in age.
Girls are supposed to be angels, boys are supposed to be little hoodlums.
I was.
But during the whole time I've been questioning my potential as a father.
But today I realized I haven't even been questioning any similar feelings my wife may be experiencing.
I'm guessing its just confidence in her.
Women at some point turn into mothers. Its in there blood. Anybody can be a father, but not everyone can be a dad.
I've heard that line numerous times, but when my dad told me that this weekend it had a more profound impact.
His real dad left his mom - and two kids - when my dad was two. When stuff like that enters your mind its hard to shake, but you just have to remember to put the kid first.
I wouldn't have had my last name if someone wouldn't have been there to provide for my dad's family.
I didn't go to the funeral when my grandpa died. I was younger than four-years old, and my family lived in Sicily, Italy at the time.
My parents just got back from my mom's dad's funeral, and they couldn't afford to take the whole family back to the States.
I saw my grandpa's grave for the first time.
Love you grandpa, James Milton Hein......
Posted by Clayton Hein at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Coach attack
September 8, 2006In Stockton, California a coach did the unthinkable.
After a late hit on one of the team's players (not that late) a coach came out of nowhere and just hammered this young kid on the football field.
What a supped-upped idiot.
Maybe this is why we have events like players going into the stands.
I guess this coach didn't get enough hugs as a little boy from his father. What the heck could he have been thinking?
I have no idea what I would do if some idiot ran onto the football field to hit a little kid.
Shoot him.
Why not...if he's got the cojones to run onto the field — when a Pop Warner game is going on, I say go for it.
Assault a kid is crazy enough, but doing it because a kid put a late hit on another hit is ridiculous.
This is why stuff like the Ron Artest incident at the Palace a while back happens. Guys like this didn't get enough glory on the fields when they played, so they take it out on the next person...it just so happened to be a little kid.
They kid did have his pads on, so the injuries probably weren't there, it will be the shock that will stick with him.
Advice - Parents, get involved, but know where to draw the line. Don't yell at the coaches, don't yell at the refs, and don’t yell at the kids. Encourage everyone. It's not your future you're scaring.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Your sister's a _______ (obscene word here)
September 6, 2006
Fill that sentence in and you too could get Zinadine Zidane to freak the heck out.
I'm just going to tell you now that I have no idea how to correctly spell these soccer players names, and I'm too lazy to check them.
Matturazi, of the championship Azzuri team, said he'd prefer Zidane's sister over the ceremonial jersey soccer players exchange after the game.
Good one Matturazi. I don't how it worked, but it did.
I remember on the playground the only thing that made me come out of my shoes were the momma comments.
But times have changed.
Obviously Zidane couldn't handle the deadly "sister" comment, so he decided not to throw a fist in rage, but he head butted a guy instead.
I'm sure Matturazi took somewhat of a dive, but who cares now.
I don't have a sister, thank God, so the sister comment didn't work.
But anything thrown my way usually didn't work. Kids are dull, and they have dull comments to try and put someone down.
Grownups usually think of something harsher to say, but I guess Italians don't start teaching playground momma jokes until college.
I'm still not sure how Matturazi did it.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Lost Dog
I think my heart is too big.
Monday night after getting back from dinner a little dog - Jack Russell mix - comes running up to me.
I like dogs, so my first instinct is to pet it. I had a doggy bag in one hand, so I'm sure it was looking for some food.
I really didn't know what to do.
There are a couple of dogs in my neighborhood that run the streets, and I hate the heck out of the owners who let them do it, but I've never seen this dog before. The damn thing didn't even have a collar. I'm madder at the owner than anything else.
What to do, what to do?
I ask my wife what to do.
There are two important factors in this equation.
One - we have Great Dane. Two - with a baby on the way, I can't see trying to open my doors for another dog.
So I try to do the right thing. I'm not just going to let the little thing loose and see if he can survive. I take him for a ride around the block and ask if anyone had seen the dog before, or if they knew where it lived.
No Luck.
I'm thinking I'm screwed now.
I got to Wal-Mart and get all the "emergency" stuff you need for a stray and I sleep with it on the couch.
But the past two days my dog has been mopping around the house like I abandoned it.
Are they still dogs, or is my dog really depressed.
I put an ad in the paper and we'll see if anyone gives me a call.
I sure don't want to hang onto a dog when there's a little girl crying her eyes out at night because her dog ran away.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
U.S.A.
September 1, 2006
The U.S.A. basketball team lost to Greece.
Am I shocked? Not really.
Growing up, I'm only 24, the U.S. ran the table. But a couple of years ago something happened. I'm not exactly sure what happened between those times, but something happened.
The final score was U.S.'s 95, to Greece's 101.
It's not a big loss for the U.S., but I'm guessing it’s a big win for Greece. I, much like the men of "Pardon the Interruption," can't name a single Greek player.
Why is that?
I guess I have a narrow-minded view of every professional sport - except soccer - that's not played in the U.S.
Here's my run down.
Baseball, nope (It’s still technically played in some type of "America). Football, nope. Hockey, not really. Basketball, why would I?
Back to "what happened over the years."
I blame And 1.
For those who don't know, And 1 is a basketball shoe that developed a video a number of years back that glorified street basketball.
Real "street basketball" is basketball played to how best humiliate the opponent. Who really cares if the game is won or lost as long as the crowd was excited.
Kids in the U.S. basketball organization are in direct relationship to that culture.
It's more about getting to the hoop then settling for the outside jump shot. Last time I check a 3 was worth more than a 2.
Maybe I'm ranting because I can't dunk. Maybe I'm ranting because I've enjoyed the And 1 culture and think it needs to stop.
It was fun at first, with Skip to My Lou (he's a basketball player) but how many times can you dribble through your legs and around the opposing team with flare?
It basically shows a lack of fundamentals. That’s why the Spurs, Pistons and other well coached teams win in the NBA. The Heat's championship was a fluke. Dwayne Wade is amazing and nobody on the Mavs could stop him.
The U.S. had hope. The team is highly skilled, but can't shoot outside, or from the foul line very well.
No surprise here.
My advice, get rid of And 1.
Posted by Clayton Hein at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
