Jingle, Jangle, Jungle.

Today's Tids Issue 2,954
Opening Stuff:
Happy November everybody...or should I say Merry Christmas! I just heard that today is the official beginning of that holy season. In the minds of the ACLU it rings clear that it must be those religious nuts pushing baby Jesus on us. But it's about commercialism. The good lord above would have liked seeing his creations celebrating the birth of his son by putting themselves in debt trying to out do each other with gifts. And he would be particularly excited to know that they only thing publicly acceptable at this time of year is anything that has no relevance to that sacred day in the manger in Bethlehem. So here we are, in a Month known best for ending with Thanksgiving, the perfect holiday of love and friendship and giving from the heart. The same month that begins the wars about the true meaning of Christmas that tear good people apart. Isn't it becoming sad that in that month when we are so thankful, so loving, we find so many who are resentful. Frankly, I'll never get it.

I see where the President has decided not to attend the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg, which is surprising because the celebration is also about the famous speech of one of his most admired predecessors. Maybe it's becasue he doesn't want to draw attention to the comparison between himself and "Honest Abe".

People outside of New England who buy lobsters are often shell shucked when the see the price.

The Question:
Chasing record high stocks is probably becoming less of a great investment strategy. Name today's five record high stocks with the highest dollar value.

The Headlines:
--Bi Investors Breathing Easier As October Passes Without Setbacks.
--Federal Court Reinstates Texas Abortion Restrictions.
--New Emails From Lois Learner Indicates There Was Something More Systematic To The Tea Party Blocking Story Than Originally Framed As A Couple Of Cincinnati Rogue Operatives.
--China Security Chief Says Islamist Separatist Group Uighar Was Behind Tiananmen Tragedy.
--Israel Bombs Syria.
--The Power Goes Out In Gaza.
--New Report Shows That the First Official Day Of ObamaCare Enrolled Six.

Just in case you're keeping score, there were five times more murders by knife than by those so-called "deadly assault rifles."

The worst saying in the American lexicon, is "I have the right". It's a statement that enables the misinformed to do stupid, irresponsible and inconsiderate things.

Why has Christmas become less of a shining star,
Now more a call to battle, for some to start a war
Has Herod finally sent the wise men astray,
And left a season, less about the magnificent day.

The reversal of the "Stop and Frisk" ruling could be a milestone case in US law. The latest ruling wasn't about whether or not Stop and Frisk was constitutional, but about how judges can flagrantly use their power for myopic ideological objectives. This is a victory for common sense. At least, for now.

In the real world when two people make diametrically opposed statements of fact, it is obvious that somebody is lying. And then there is politics, where the science is about engineering untrue statements so as to appear plausible.

Corporations are often copycats, changing their ways to emulate the success of others. So I'm wondering how many CEO's and HR departments will look upon the Boston Red Sox victory, based on good chemistry among teammates and management, and think that maybe a good heart is more effective than statistics and management cliches.

Reading between the Lines Movie Reviews:
--While we're talking cliches, how about Last Vegas,  the latest vehicle for aging stars, which will probably contain every senior, bathroom, sex and memory joke regularly passed around in emails. I'm not a big fan of superstar vehicles in general, and will pass on this movie that is about friends since childhood old guys reawakening from dismal lonely lives going to Vegas to celebrate their only bachelor pal's pending marriage to a 30 year old. It's "Hangover" in a walker.
--I'd be more apt to see Ender's Game, set in the future when families are limited to 2 kids. The Earth is also threatened by a hostile alien race. The Government snags the best and brightest kids and trians them as the last hope for the future of the planet. One of them is the shy but brilliant 13 or so year old Ender Wiggen excels, earns respect of peers and oldsters and is quickly elevated into the position to lead the Earth in an epic battle. Yowsers!

The Answer:
New highs are occurring so rapidly right now, that the list is ever changing. The Highest dollar stock near a record high is Google at 1,030 (High 1041). Next is Chipolte Mexican Grill at 526 (Thank God for continued illegal immigration), Newmarket Corp (311), Alliance Data Systems (237), Allsource Portfolio Solutions (157), McKesson (156), Actavis (154), Canadian Pacific Railway (143 and of all things Buffalo Wild Wings (142). Chicken wings are driving America!
Here's the entire list of all time higghs for you perusal:
http://www.barchart.com/stocks/athigh.php

I love Christmas and enjoy the music and the intrinsic values that still remain within me from my starry eyed youth. In fact the adversary news is better today as we begin the trek to the big day. The Hallmark company was soundly trounced for putting a out a new version of Deck the Halls, changing "Don our 'gay' apparel" to "Don our fun apparel" They changed it back to the wonderful original and apologized profusely. How insane are we going to get?

Despite my rants, enjoy the first big weekend of Christmas shopping.