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8:30 AM EST Tuesday, January 15, 2008: Friends in real estate are struggling with the virtual shutdown of bank lending. All are mulling the idea of using investor monies instead of bank monies. Now is the time to tell your local successful real estate developer of your interest. Don't dismiss this idea because "all real estate is in the shitter." It's not. Real estate is two things: 1. The price you buy it. 2. The place it is, i.e. location, location, location.

Great read. Great listen: He can write clean, understandable English. It's engrossing. It has great relevance to investing. I'm listening to Greenspan's book. You can buy the audiobook at the iTunes store for $21.95 or the hardcover book for $21 at Amazon.

To me, the best part of the book is the broad extent of Greenspan's research. He's been analyzing global economies for over 50 years. It shows.

File under "I don't understand." I am about to receive a prospectus for "a structured equity blind pool." I don't make this stuff up. What is it?

"Hope your well" is not English. If you're trying to impress clients, you WILL check your emails for spelling mistakes and lousy grammar.
You're welcome. It's a great day, not its a great day.

Bloomberg Still Deciding Whether to Buy the Presidency. This is a joke. It's funny:

Price Remains Sticking Point, Aides Say

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is “still trying to decide” whether to buy the U.S. presidency, aides to Mr. Bloomberg confirmed today, with the sticking point reportedly being the steep price of such an acquisition.

In recent weeks, Mr. Bloomberg had been sending out positive signals about his interest in buying the highest office in the land, raising hopes among supporters that he might be preparing to throw his wallet in the ring.

In a speech in Oklahoma last week, for example, the mayor told an enthralled crowd, “In these divisive times, I believe that the American people are yearning for the leadership of a whiny billionaire.”

Mr. Bloomberg even floated a possible campaign slogan: “Vote For Me and I’ll Give you $10,000.”

Aides close to the mayor indicated that there were other positive signs as well, noting that Mr. Bloomberg had recently transferred $2 billion into his day-to-day checking account.

"With that kind of money, you could either buy the White House or ten Mitt Romneys,” said one aide familiar with the cash transfer.

But according to one of Mr. Bloomberg’s advisers who spoke on condition of anonymity, falling real estate prices in the U.S. may have given the mayor cold feet about buying the presidency.

“At this point, buying the United States isn’t looking like such a good investment,” the adviser said. “At the end of the day, Mike might be better off buying Canada.”

The world's best four-line phone system: I have had the earlier two gig version for several years. It has worked flawlessly. You can "attach" up to eight "extensions." They're wireless. I have them located in odd places, including two in bathroom closets. There's nothing you can't do with this thing that can do with a expensive, cumbersome PBX, including answer calls, transfer calls, see callerID, take messages, etc. I use all four lines -- two for landlines and two for VoIP lines that go via my cable modem.

For $449 you get the main desk set and one extension. Click here. Each handset costs $89.99. Click here.

The Australian Tennis Open is on. Roger Federer , Marcos Baghdatis, David Nalbandian, James Blake, Venus and Serena Williams and all the usual suspects are playing. Hence my focus is more likely to be on tennis than on investing.

The lack of idiots.
A father, who worked away from home all week, always made a special effort with his family on the weekends. Every Sunday morning he would take his 7-year old daughter out for a drive in the car for some bonding time.

One particular Sunday however, he had a bad cold and he really didn't feel like being up at all. Luckily, his wife came to the rescue and said that she would take their daughter out.

When they returned, the little girl anxiously ran upstairs to see her father.

"Well," the father asked, "Did you enjoy your ride with mommy?"

"Oh yes, Daddy" the girl replied, "And do you know what? We didn't see a single dumb bastard or lousy shit head!"

This column is about my personal search for the perfect investment. I don't give investment advice. For that you have to be registered with regulatory authorities, which I am not. I am a reporter and an investor. I make my daily column -- Monday through Friday -- freely available for three reasons: Writing is good for sorting things out in my brain. Second, the column is research for a book I'm writing called "In Search of the Perfect Investment." Third, I encourage my readers to send me their ideas, concerns and experiences. That way we can all learn together. My email address is . You can't click on my email address. You have to re-type it . This protects me from software scanning the Internet for email addresses to spam. I have no role in choosing the Google ads on this site. Thus I cannot endorse, though some look interesting. If you click on a link, Google may send me money. Please note I'm not suggesting you do. That money, if there is any, may help pay Michael's business school tuition. Read more about Google AdSense, click here and here.
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