VALUE INVESTING! Benjamin Graham & Warren Buffett.

It used to be that I could watch the stock market market and
pick out cyclincal stocks when they were on their down cycle and sell them again when they went back up. However, now it aint happening that way and I have decided a new strategy is in order.

At coffee the other morning I was lecturing Johnny Flowers about stock market investing and informing him that I had decided a new method of approach to it was in order: buying stocks of good companies that were undervalued one way or the other. Johnny hasn't bought a share of stock in his life but he made the comment that buying deals like that seemed the smart way to go.

That same night we were watching Bill Gates and Warren Buffett on CNBC at Columbia Business School discussing investing, Keeping America Great!,.
Johny loves his computer and doesn't like Bill Gates at all. Kamaroh thinks Bill Gates leans closer to being a .... than not; but, though Warren Buffett was positive on America, and is the lesser scallywag of the pair, he won't make Karoh's Hero List.

Freshly fired up about the stock market, within days I was reading the little book "The Oracle of Omaha." In it I learned that Buffett studied under Benjamin Graham at Columbia; then worked for Graham's Investment partnership for two years until Graham shut it down. Buffett credited him with his ability to invest wisely.
But latter developed his own guidlines.

It then seemed a good idea to learn moreabout Benjamin Graham and so I bought this little book on Ebay and it turned out to be a very interesting biography of a very wise gentleman which is extremely enlightening and written in an engaging format. I recomend it totally.

DRAGONS AND ROSES

A business partner left this Rhino with me when he left San Francisco to return to Thailand to live for the next six months with his girl friend . She is an attractive and seemingly competent young woman of thirty. Barney is one year younger than Kamaroh. I don't envy him anything; he is not near as cool as is Kamaroh. But, what I do envy is that he helped design and paid for her to build herself a nice Thai house on land she owned and he did this for cash. She bought materials and supervised construction while he spent his mandatory six months here in the States sending her money to build on and looking at the pictures she sent him of the progress. Now he is back there with her and her parents and daughter and they are moving out of some sort of livable substructure into their big new home. I always savor imagining how delightful it must be to have the means to express ones creativity full bore!

What does the Rhino and the Title to this piece have to do with anything I have written here. Probably it has nothing to do with it, they just seem to fit with how how I feel lately; dragons and roses are mostly always about when I am yearning for the lady who is the real life personification of my muse..

I have been focused on this rhino quite a bit since I discovered it in a box of Barney's things he left for me. And, I started thinking why could it not be my new totem. Why I have the two birds tattooed on my chest that happened when I was a young man in the Marine Corps I don't know. One person suggested that perhaps birds were my totem. I haven't thought about that in a long time; but given the changes I am, and have gone through in my life, and the toes my relatives believe I have stepped on along the way; as it stands, I am pretty sure the rhino is the time relevant totem for big-footed Kamaroh.

KAMAROH'S ROLLING SNIPPETS:NO ONE KNOWS KAY BOYLE EXCEPT INTELLECTUALS

(7)Today still raining this Sunday a.m.. Went downtown to La Primavera for menudo for breakfast with Johnny Flowers. That was very good. The pine tree at the side of the house sheds a lot and then on a rainy day such as today the seedy vegetation from it washes down the street and then seems to hang out in front of Ossie's house. Ossie is a senior Italian gentleman, and Johnny Flowers is also Italian and they are friends; so, out of respect, Johnny Flowers, who can be oblivious to mess sometimes, makes an effort to keep the seedy droppings from the massive tree cleaned up so as it doesn't flow down in front of Ossie's house. Anyhow, when we returned from breakfast, we were sweeping up that stuff from the sidewalk and out of the curb while he rain continued on; then Johnny Flowers left to get out of the rain as he actually did not have a coat on, just a heavy Carhartt shirt and so I finished sweeping up the mess in the rain--I didn't mind. I used to own green plant nurseries, I know about working outside in the rain.

The lady who lives in the house next door came outside and I spoke to her, "Hello Christine,. What's shaking?" "I'm doing Christmas shopping on line. It is that time of the year." "How about you, Kamaroh, what are you up to?" "Well me and Johnny Flowers were sweeping up some of the pine tree stuff," and I motioned in front of her house down towards Ossie's . I got to get back in the house soon and complete my contract with myself for today." "What is that," Christine asked, pulling closed the ends of her sweater sleeves that seemed very long for her arms so that they covered her hands. "Is that your sweater?" I asked. She giggled, "Yes." "Well," I continued. " I am getting a hand-picked Christmas card and a note together to send to the Special Collections Librarian at the University of Delaware with whom I have been friends with on a professional level for several years. I had a friend who was a famous authoress, Kay Boyle. They have some of letters and cards from her and copies of some of my manuscripts that Kay had edited and so we have established a friendship around that.

Actually, first I was a graduate, directed-writing student of Kay's and then eventually we became good friends." "Cool!" smiled Christine as her feet began to move towards her house and out of the now occurring drizzle. Christine must be in her forties and seems very independent and does all her own work around her house including the big ladder stuff; except a Portuguese maid comes once in awhile and cleans for her. She once told Ossie when he proposed to her, that she doesn't date men older than her father. She and I are always very nice to one another but each of us seems to know when to stop--probably her more than me.

Johnny Flowers and I were latter talking about Kay Boyle and I said, "Yes," that I wanted to keep in contact with the Special Collections of the University of Delaware Library touch with the source of folks researching her because I said, mostly joking, maybe someday they would make a movie about Kay Boyle and I might get called in. "Why would they make a movies about Kay Boyle, " he snorted? "No knows about Kay Boyle except intellectuals? Although they just made a movies about Juia Childs but then everyone Julia Childs! Kay Boyle was just an academic novelist." "She was more than that, she was a political activist." I said. " She and Joan Baez and Joan Baez's mom were all cronies and hung out at protests together." "We don't care about Joan Baez," Johnny Flowers snorted. "Well, I do, " I said. "She is just one year younger than I am and at one time owned a half interest in some large orchards in Brentwood and I always found that to be an interesting investment on her part."

(1)I have concluded that it is unfortunate that Osama bin Laden is an al-Quaida monster mind instead of being a member of the coalition trying to find him because he is obviously smarter than they are.

(2)Gavin Newsom was a hero of mine for about a minute a few years ago; and, then, one night during a parade he was walking along the edge of the route & when he got to where I was standing, he shook hands with people his own age on either side of me and kept walking.

(3) Reportedly, when Gavin returned to San Francisco after ending his pursuit of the Governor's chair, he was in absentia most of the time and apparently in a pouty miff; folks were concerned about his withdrawal and the consensus seemed to be that he should just "get over it" and move on to running TheCity. One of his issues was, as I read about it, that the press had given him a bad shake during his now defunct gubernatorial campaign and so! his aim was to avoid all press and therefore provide reporters with nothing to bad shake him about. Well, I got bored with reading repeatedly about it.

So, I put reading the Chronicle down for awhile and now that I have picked it up again, it sounds as though Gavin has stopped sulking about his stopped ambition, and has got back to work running TheCity . (That is not a typing error; if MicroSoft is now run together; then what is more appropriate than that to run together than TheCity, correct?) I read that a lot of new happenings are happening with the SF Muni and that reportedly Gavin has resurfaced and is at the helm of it all. Great!, I'm thinking, then, wouldn't it be cool, now, if the new 311 number the Muni Drivers give you today when you don't know how in the world to get where you want to go, is the freshly accessible Gavin's personal new ...11 number! Maybe he can be governor....

(4) Qualified by the fact that Muirsville is located in the San Francisco East Bay Area and not the central states, by our standards, it has been really cold here. From my rear deck I am able to see snow on Mt. Muir and her siblings; therefore, today when I go to TheCity today for lunch at Vietnam II on Larkin at the corner of Ellis, then I will stop at Kaplan's on Market Street and attempt to acquire some gloves--if anyone in the Bay Area has a reasonable selection of men's gloves, it will be Kaplan's.

(5) I found gloves at Kaplan's--lots of them, however everything God gave Kamaroh is big, from his feet upward and there were none that were large enough to fit all the way down to fit down to the joints of my fingers at the palms and so I bought a pair of fingerless gloves and and a second pair of fingerless gloves that convert into mittens. Any man who owns a pickup ought to shop at Kaplans, it is Bay Area urban macho and has leather coats and P jackets that are manufactured in the USA. They are pricey but I own two and but wish I had 5 more. Nothing feels better, especially these days than to wear a good coat and know that you look prosperous.
The ladies notice a man who wears a sports coat in the summer and a good leather coat in the winter, Kamaroh can attest to that: "You look nice today; You looked handsome at the Ribbon Cutting; I like that jacket (one of the two I have that have all the USMC stuff on them)!" I have finally figgured it out that handsome actually means style because I was thinking this morning, can there actually be anything such as a handsome naked man!
(6) This morning for breakfast I ground and brewed myself French Roast Coffee; then I put a big slice of the fresh Sweet French bread I bought at the Upscale Mart yesterday which I spread with sweet unsalted butter and homeade guacamole--isn't it cool that I can enjoy a repast like that without supervision; frequently I feel down because I don't have Ms. San Francisco China Town 1981 to share my repasts with ... but probably not this quiet rainy Saturday am in my favorite city in the East Bay, Muirsvillle, CA.

NOW IS THE TIME TO HARVEST POMEGRANATES

It seemed to me that I had Asiana placed way back to my rear burner--I saw a few clips of her on YouTube and one of them was a lyrical, kite-flying, piece that someone had dedicated to her and I suspect she is divorced and has returned to having men fall in love with her as she did when I met her; and, the YouTube clips turned my motors off for quite awhile. Then, yesterday I heard someone singing a song that I seldom hear but suddenly I remembered that Asiana had sang it at one of her concerts and my heart became warm and I began the deep glow inside with the stuff I feel when I think of her. I have said this earlier, but I will say it again, that if there is a next time, I will not do as I did when I met Asiana but that I will listen to my friends' advice and I will break and run away from myself.

There is a pomegranate tree in the garden behind the garage and this time of the year it is bursting with fruit that explodes with ripeness. I have passed some fruit out to Asian ladies I know, have a big bag full in the trunk of my car, and still they are bursting on the tree and the birds are feasting. It is my bond with nature and my strong need to be oriented with it that holds me together here in Muirsville and though not totally my love of a beautiful and unavailable women such as Asiana; but, you know, I've had it going both ways at the same time in the past and that has been when the wind blows hard here in Muirsville and when my life really rocks!

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

THANKSGIVING IN A MASCULINIST LIFE

Johnny Flowers bought a frozen turkey again this year because of price!
Each year that bugs me but he has an exacting patient mind when it comes to cooking projects and this being his 6th turkey, I was amazed and delighted when he carved it, that it turned out steaming moist, tasty, and just totally good. I had a really mellow Thanksgiving and I am blessed.

I hear folks wishing each other Happy Thanksgiving! just as they would wish each other a Happy Christmas and me and Kamaroh think that is inappropriate. If they can't recall the history of the holiday, I am tempted to prompt them to Wikapedia the event! Most certainly it is is a day hopefully of felicity and contentment with family, sure, but more aptly isn't it the day for celebrating the Provider's abundance and for gratitude and the time for putting *one's blessings on the table along with the Thanksgiving meal.

You may substitute this word for the other if you wish, I didn't as I am very cautious that I do not use the *G.. word just to add thunder, resonance, and echo to my thoughts. I am determined that there be two sets of footprints in the sand of this blog.

Deepak Chopra Hearts San Francisco

I struggle always to describe the way I feel about San Francisco and the reason that I am compelled always to find reasons why I must take day trips from Muirsville and visit her on a regular basis. The motivator of mine I once wrote about that I like the best is that I must go to the City to see how she is feeling and to check her pulse. It is much deeper than that for me but that is about all I am able to reach; that's about as lyrical as I can manage; I just don't know what more there is too freshly say about the lure and the charm of the city by the bay.... and that is the reason that I decided to write about what Deepok Chopra had recently to say about San Francisco when he was here.

...This is from a piece written by Ceilie Millner that I read the Sunday, Nov. 1, Chronicle in the Style section of the paper and is his responce, in Kamarohs parlance, when asked what his opinion of San Francisco is: Not too many cities have a soul. A city must have some rough edges in orde to have a soul and SF has one that is Bohemian, relaxed and friendly. It is a generous place and you can spot that by how it treats its homeless.

...It struck me, after I read the complete article that, given I know how difficult it is to articulate one's sentiments about her majesty San Francisco, Deepak Chopra has done a good job of saying how he felt about the The City and that I would like to write about it in my blog. He has written a new book called Reinventing The Body, Resurecting the Soul: How To Create A New You. I believe I will buy a copy if the seller of it will take Pay Pal.

THE ANNUAL PUMPKIN CARVIN' AT JOHNNY FLOWER'S

Since she moved out two years ago and now lives on her own with

her new husband--he's the younger guy with the long neck--Johnny Flower's daughter Graciella arrives on Halloween with pumpkins and decorations and does the front porch and then we all carve pumpkins.

Johnny Flowers is a tough city guy from Rochester New York but when his daughter arrives he mellows out and smiles a lot and goes right along with the activities. Me, I don't particulary like the interuption from my normal evening routine but my hunch is that it is probably healthy psychologically for me to do so and I go along with it to some extent. Anyhow, it is par for the course with Johnny Flowers: he has relentlessly intruded into my aloneness for all the past 15 years that we have been friends. My pumpkin looked pretty good for minimal effort. Graciella bought me a green one in Half Moon Bay but by the time Halloween arrived, it was orange as were the others.It was the only one with ears which probably has something to do with the fact that I wear hearing aids.

MUSING IN SAN JOSE

When Asiana got fired from her singing gig at Casino San Geranimo--her band was receiving $2,000 a night to entertain and then when the smoking ban took effect and business fell dramatically, the casino felt it could no longer afford her and suddenly she was gone and I did not have a clue where she was and I was tweaked. Finally, a security guard at the Casino whom I had helped with some of his communication issues, told me to try calling his marketing office, which I immediately did: joy! the marketing manager said Asiana was singing at the Bay 101 Club in San Jose.

LAST WEEK I was in San Jose on business and I stopped by the Bay 101 Club and relived poignant memories of nine years ago.

The area where Asiana sang, talked to me, and danced with me--and I was blissfully and naively happy with that not knowing then that she was at that moment taking permanent residence in a room in my soul that will apparently be topsy turvey and unfinished for the rest of my life--has been converted into an extension of the restaurant. Bay 101 did not have a cabaret license; I was told that as the result of these, largely Vietnamese dances, there were fights and trouble and some years ago the City Fathers shut the dances down.

SO WHEN I FOUND OUT where Asiana was singing I went to San Jose to see her. The first attempt was a total bust: I got horribly lost and she was not there but at a special gig in Santa Cruz; However, the next one was succesful--I walked into the room she was on stage singing, "How good it is to see you." Asiana had not seen me for three months. And, when she spotted me, she waved and blew kisses and man did I feel good. It felt as though I was in a movie.