BLOG STOCK CHALLENGE: 7October2013

The stock market is down today.  My blog stock challenge began almost five years ago on 4November2008, with Ford added in March of 2009.  As of yesterday, my portfolio showed an increased value of 3.40, or 340% of my original investment.  Am I a stock market genius?  Nope, I just happened to begin this challenge when the market was down (Dow Jones Industrial Average from late 2008 to Friday, where the Dow closed at 15,073):

But notice that the market only almost doubled, so I did something else right.  What?  I'm not sure.

I've had some big losers in the past (not part of this stock challenge):  United Airlines and Enron, both going bankrupt.  There were a few amazing winners:  also not part of this challenge, but I bought Amazon at $16.64, and it closed on Friday at $319.04, an increase of 1795%.  The story of SIRI (Sirius SM Radio), also not involved with this challenge, is worthy of retelling:

• In that March 2009 period when the market reached a recent low, I learned that General Motors might go bankrupt or not.  To balance my Ford shares, I bought some GM.  The company did go under, so I thought I lost everything.  

• Not so.  In a few days, GM became GMX, and I still had my money in it.  Two weeks later the value jumped 20%, so I sold.  Thus, in a few weeks, I made 20% on GMX.  

• As this was "free" money, I decided to re-invest in three stocks that were also in dire trouble:  Sirius Radio, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  To make a long story short, FMCC and FNMA have both doubled and SIRI has jumped by 1028%.

While you can't depend on it, luck helps.  GM was, actually, part of my blog stock challenge, but I thought I'd wash it out without that 20% gain.  What I really should do is to insert FMCC, FNMA and SIRI, so my current portfolio should show a gain greater than 340%.

Of course, if you're retired, the weekend does not end on Sunday.  I bought a bento plate of shoyu pork and chicken curry at Don Quixote, with an appropriate set of drinks, and went to Magic Island:

My close friend, Honu, came by and said hi:

I then had a Cuban and gazed above:

I'm more and more convinced that I already live in Heaven.  On the way back to my car, I took a photo of the latest newly married couple from Japan:

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Typhoon Danas, now a Category 4 at 140 MPH, just passed through the islands of Okinawa, missing Naha, and appears to have a projected track along the west coast (Sea of Japan) of Kyushu and Honshu, with Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Matsue to be affected:

Matsue is particularly vulnerable, for typhoons normally don't go there and everything seems to be near sea level.  Here is a blog site from that city you can follow, and a weather guide, as Danas approaches.  I once gave a lecture to the employees of Komatsu Electric Industry in that fine city.  Best to Akio Komatsu.

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