Lew Wallace the author of Ben Hur.

On this Easter Sunday one thinks(which usually leads to headaches)of great books written since time in-memorial about Christianities beginnings and that time of Christ crucifixion and his resurrection and how spurred from old religion of Judaism to new faith of Christianity and how the world would never be the same forevermore.
Of course,one these great books was Ben Hur written by Lew Wallace.And of course,two great movie were made from book one starting Charlton Heston.In a way,Wallace was man for all season:Soldier,Politician and diplomatic.Strangely Wallace got idea for Ben Hur from the great Agnostic of that time Robert Green Ingersoll.He was like Christopher Hitchens of our times,but maybe more dynamic certainly he had more political punch,for Ingersoll was power in Republican Party and give one most famous nominating speech for James Blame called "plumed knight."But like Hitchens Ingersoll was full charm,eloquence and irreverent wit and people including many Christians love him for draw large audience,although it must be said,he never ran for office because of his region(or lack of) beliefs.Henry Ward Beecher said of Ingersoll he is  the most brilliant speaker of English tongue of all the men on the globe.
So you to man like Wallace Ingersoll would guilty of high treason of sorts,but they both Republicans and served in the Union Army.One day Wallace was sitting next to Ingersoll on a train and Ingersoll started challenging Wallace Christian beliefs and Wallace realize how little he knew about Christianity,hence,it inspired him to do research and spurred the idea of writing Ben Hur.
Wallace was very much of America stock,his grandfather was frontiers man from Western Pennsylvania,a tavern owner of Scots-Irish decent.Wallace father moved to Indiana were he become ally of William Henry Harrison,who become President of U.S Wallace's father himself would become Governor of Indiana.Wallace would a general in Union Army during the Civil War.He would be involve in controversial in battle of Shiloh.Later he would become Territory Governor of New Mexico during the period of Lincoln County Wars.Were much Western lore comes from Billy the Kid and all of that much legend and in a way the making of America West.Latter he severed as our minister to turkey,were his wife try improve the situation for woman.Also Wallace wrote many other books beside Ben Hur.

Brian Williams rained on my parade.

Brian Williams rained on my parade.Here I was having a very enjoyable day,watching an baseball exhibition game between the Yankees and Army.No it wasn't the civil war(although I like declare war on William not Ted but Brian the news reader)but New York Yanks playing at beautiful,historic West Point,the place where are heroes made a nation owns so much to brave young people who call of serve to the nation.But watching this wonderful game,at such a great sight ad voice demon past to grievances against,a man cruel,who portrays he's soul and is driven by dark forces.Brian Williams is not good man,he puts on this act for career he does nothing out kindness of his heart.For he is heartless cold,mean and cruel.He give BS reason he was there,his son wants to be sport journalist so goes to YES broadcast booth plays nice guy hoping to aid son,who had been intern with the radio sport station ESPN local,in New York, on Michael Kay's show.It was Michael Kay and Al Leiter broadcasting the game,Williams mention much had watch YES-what a such ass!
Williams in real life is bully,many years ago he mock me greatly for having dyslexia.I just hope someday people know what phony and creep Brian Williams is and pay the price picking person who knew could never harm,indeed,he be wrong!

Baseball season will start soon and all seems right with life.

Baseball season will start soon(on Sunday in Texas,Monday for the rest)and somehow all seems right with the world.It's like the sun also risen and things start anew,hope spring eternal.The youthful sprite within our raggedy souls lives on with baseball.For game is timeless,no time clocks,just nine innings in a diamond that hope never stops,this is why game is sport for writers.Writers like David Halberstam,best know for his book," the Brightest and Best" telling of the story of arrogance the elicit Ivy League, Kennedy men, who got us into Vietnam.But he also" wrote,Summer of 49" about the New York Yankees winning season of 1949 and start of dynasty(the New York Yankees would be the world champions from 1949 to 1953)great book,,wonderful read.Also Richard Ben Cramer wrote two baseball books one about Ted Williams another Joe DiMaggio both for what it's worth(and to me not much)men win Pulitzer Prizes but both are great writers.
The game it's self seems live on forevermore,indeed,generations come and go but game goes on even in today cynical world there is boy's enlightenment in seeing his hero,and oh yes today they are flawed,but still there magic to great accomplishments.And us older folks,who are bin long in tooth,dream our youth were we the fields glory were beckoning us to great deeds only to see these dream vanish with father time,the master of us all.

Was Pink Floyd right?

Was Pink Floyd right when he song,"We don't want no education.Teacher we don't want thought control?" Well this week two example(reported one wonders how many are unreported) of Teacher trying thought control.One Florida in collage,where a teacher made students write the name Jesus on piece of paper,then put ground stump on it,however,one man conscrious(a rare commodity in life)refused to obey teacher and was discipline,until word got out then school back track and Governor wants investigation which his roundly criticized by the media but Governor is right.
Then in Texas a school test corect answer why 9/11 it's America fault.When a parent complain the answer was change but video that went with which very slick anti-American propaganda.Now if this B.S is in Texas and Florida one can imagine it's many other states like my home state of New Jersey.
Corn production is down should good for Monsanto,a stock I like very much both short and long term.Short term because supply of corn is down the price should go up and Monsanto is tie to commodity prices.Long term because it will take companies like Monsanto to feed the world.Like as people want a better life it will take more developed land,hence,less land for Agriculture,hence,the land still used for Agriculture will have to yield more,plus as people get wealth they diets are more complex,hence,people will demand more from less land.Now environmentalists don't like companies like Monsanto because environmentalists are people who have benefit from capitalism systems they hate and don't want other people to have better standard of living,of course,they wrap themselves up in phony morality very self-righteous people.the problem is the environmentalists received an education,hence,they fall victim to thought control.

I been working on the railroad or somebody has

I been working on the railroad or somebody has for seem to be boom in long forgotten industry.Indeed,today's "Wall Street Journal" has front page story with headline,"Boom Times on the Tracks:Rail Capacity Spending Soar." It seem demand for rail freight has created demand for rail equipment.In a way,it makes sense but there is kicker,the sense is dollar and cents rail is often much cheaper then truck with greater capacity the kicker is biggest product shipped by rail is coal and of course coal is losing stream to natural gas as source for electricity.I mean coal industry,which Obama hates,is hurting;however,railroads are regional oligopolies,for example in Eastern United States there mainly only two railroads:Norfolk Southern and CSX(I stock I own and like it's only one industries that believe is shareholder friendly,pays a nice dividend and price is right,in twenties largely because recently there was 3 to 1 split.I really like business model for Kansas City Southern(although I don't believe it's shareholder friendly company)it system spines up and down the Mississippi River and goes into Mexico and believe it's railway that operates both in U.S and Mexico.Also like is USX,although these are tough times for steel industry,I like few years they bought a steel company in Texas with railroad spur that lead to Mexico.
This morning on Bloomberg T.V was money manage who controls more 2 billion in funds and he recommend Ford(I think a good company and good stock buy for long term)he said very strong possible expansion in China and India for Ford.He didn't like the energy sector thinks oil will drop in price.
J.C Penney what mess,heard an analysis said it might not survive-Ron Johnson has screw up big why hired only god knows.I mean,ran Apple stores not same customers who go Penney the board must be make up of idiots.

Will Cyprus make us all Joe DiMaggio's?

Will Cyprus make us all Joe DiMaggio's? What am I talking about? Am I saying Cyprus will make us great baseball players? Hardly,but according to Richard Ben Cramer's(who recently passed away in Jan.,of this year, and we lose of a great talent- but more on him later) book "Joe DiMaggio:The Hero's Life" in 1989 when had Bay World Series and earthquake cancel a game,one of the first to leave the stadium,with police escort was Joe DiMaggio,he rushed  home and took out Hefty Bags,big black plastic bags) full of 600,000 thousand dollar,that's cash money,I guess he didn't trust banks,kind of ironic since for many years he did commercials for Bowery Saving Bank.Today after Cyprus people might start putting cash in Hefty Bags instead of Banks.
By the way,I was familiar with Bowery Saving Bank for my grandfather open account for me at they main Branch,which was near Grand Central Station.Beautiful building,today I think it's fancy restaurant,it was old fashion bank building impressive in scope,hugh and it had cages one got feeling your money was safe,but turn out it wasn't I think it was swallowed up in Saving Loans crisis of 1980's,not sure but was brought out by other financial instruction.
Richard Ben Cramer was great writer and was sad to learn today he had just died in Jan. of this year.I first become familiar with his work with his book,"What it takes" dealing with Presidential race of 1988.Some might be impressed that he win a Pulitzer Prizes.I am not,because prizes are too often given politics,not merritt.Look Obama was President no more then month and win the Nobel Prize for Peace,while other hand,Ronald Regan win war without firing a bullet and he ignored by these fools.And of course maybe worse journalist history Walter Duranty win a Pulitzer.Duranty a reporter from New York Times,in 1930's reporting from the Soviet Union used his poison pen to serve the interested of Joseph Stalin.

Doug Ramsey says don't fight the bull market.

Doug Ramsey says don't fight the bull market.Who is Doug Ramsey? I don't know but appear on Bloomberg T.V this morning and they said he manages more then billion in asset.He sounds like technician to me,in other words,I think he saying don't go against the tape and trend is your friend.Anyway,he didn't recommended any individual stocks just sectors.The sector he like was transportation(I own and like CSX that my pick),Regional Banks,and health care,but felt drug companies had ran but might come back.He can't like the material sector,Caterpillar(which lot people like but stock seems in downward drift) and Joy Global when ask about those stock he give thumb down.