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Musings
of a Senior Scribe
Vanity
Goes To Market
By Mona Lease
Hi,
all!
As usual, I have questions. So here goes
- On November 30, 2012, the New
York Stock Exchange concluded business thusly: (1) Bank of America (2)
Advanced
Micro Devices (3) Ford Motor Company (4) Sprint Nextel (5) Nokia (6)
Yum
Brands, Inc. [food for Kentucky Fried, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut] (7)
Citi Group
(8) Pfizer, Inc [human/animal small molecule vaccines] (9) ATT (10)
Teva
Pharmaceuticals [generics].
The
most widely traded stocks are: Apple,
Facebook, Nokia, RIM, ZNGA, Google, Microsoft, GE, Yahoo, Arena
Pharmaceuticals
["novel" drugs..weight control, anti-inflammatory, etc.]'
So,
the "Top 10" on the market are: 3
credit card companies, 1 auto company, 2 pharmacies, 1 fast food
supplier, 2
cell phone/communications providers, and 1 game provider (for the
previous 9).
These companies are worldwide. Which brings on this question: I thought
the
"government money" that GM and Chrysler took was the "sainted
answer." They usually inhabit the 16-25th sector, now. Why?
Next
question would be: What kind of
"stabilizers, preservatives, etc." are in this food? Is it possible
for "pizza toppings" to get shipped to Bangkok only to be stamped
"we no sell no more" and I am lucky enough to get it on my
"Friday night raid?" Or maybe Superbowl munchies?
I
spoke with a Wal Mart employee- a
"kid" - maybe 17. The conversation moved to Facebook. Wal Mart is
"in business" with them. They advertise daily on Facebook. I've
monitored it. Facebook warned, on the site, that if you post pictures
there,
they become property of Facebook. The kid asks why. Again, Facebook is
around
the world. Wal Mart (doing business with FB) could use a "cute baby
picture" and make a boat load of the "idolized" money. You, of
course, do not make anything. Now the kid understands why the posters
are in
the break room asking people to get "online"… socialize on Facebook,
etc.
And
we have Arena Pharmaceuticals; who largely
produce "novel" drugs… weight control, anti-inflammatory, etc. Which
brings me to our "much revered" insurance. For a fact, United Health
Care demands that their policyholders submit to yearly testing. They
"set
up shop" at companies to conduct blood & urine tests… to
determine
drugs, alcohol usage. Cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, etc. are
tested.
If you smoke and decline their offer of a program to quit -
noncompliance!! and
they add $10 - $20 to your premiums. If you decline any of these tests
-
noncompliance and more "fines" are added. They are not clear if it is
fines per all refused tests as a whole, or $ per refusal. (Loop hole?).
They
will help pay the smoking cessation - again, how many times?
Am
I the only one who sees our vanities
(hobbies) are OK if it makes the stockholders money? That I can pay
outrageous
premiums and it's still OK, until I want a return on my "investment."
(They invest my premium money in the New York Stock Exchange and AMEX).
Trace
it. Why do I feel that my "life" (money/SSN#) are only worth
something when I am on a "vanity buying spree?" I did not see any
stock concerning Charmin or Preparation H in the "Top 10."
The
picture is of the USS George
Washington (ID#
3018). It was under the
German Flag, in commercial service. The US seized her at Hoboken, New
Jersey
Harbor and converted her to a troop ship. Before the conversion, she
held 2,700
passengers. Her maiden voyage was early December of 1917. She ferried
some
48,000 troops and the "flu" to Europe. After the Armistice was signed
November 11,1918; she returned some 34,000 soldiers to our shores. They
set
foot on our homeland soil wounded, battered, and with a new
understanding of
"humanity."
And
my final question (for now) is: Is the
"Vanity to Market" craziness for what they fought and died?"
Remember
the kiddies and our service people. Be
good to the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy.
See ya
next time! Ever Toodles!! MONA
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