June 10, 2009: The More Things Change.....

After a hectic week of surgery and business in between, I took time to prune overripe files. Just as I enjoy reading old financial publications to see the multitude of wrong, really wrong and Bozo the Clown wrong predictions from most experts, reviewing and pitching stock transaction slips from the 1990s was good for a few chuckles. A humbling experience it was, indeed.

Here are a few of my slips. Perhaps you will enjoy this trip down memory lane.

1998
Nippon Telephone and Telegraph @46
US-China Industrial Exchange @2.75

1997
Oxford Health @26.75
Grand Metropolitan @ 36.50
Ocwen Asset Investments @20.75
Newell @32.75
Hoechst @38.75
Easco @14.12
Pool Energy Services @23
Authentic Specialty Foods @14.50
Asia Pulp and Paper @12.50
Espirit Telecom @13
Yasuda Trust and Banking @22.25
Broughton Foods @16.25
Hungarian Telephone and Cable @8
Hurricane Hydrocarbons @7
Life USA Holdings @15.75
Legend Holdings @6.25
Syntel @11.62

A few. I have many more from that period back through the early 70s. Now in the dustbin of history, I think the cumulative effects were lessons learned. The above were some stinkers.Overall my record was profitable - without instant television access, talking heads and 24/7 market sources via the computer.

Am I a better investor today than yesterday? Probably, yes. One learns something new every day,as in other aspects of life.