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8:30 AM EST, Thursday, September 20, 2007: The Fed's interest rate cut "saved" the stockmarket -- temporarily. But it's having serious bad affects elsewhere -- the dollar is cratering. It's over $1.40 against the Euro. The pound sterling is over $2. And the Canadian dollar is within micro-inches of trading at par. It's 99.42 cents. The Australian dollar is 86.34 cents.

What most people don't understand is that the Fed really doesn't control interest rates. Yes, it reduced interst rates by 50 basis points (i.e. 1/2%) but that only applied to short-term rates. Long-term rates are a function of supply and demand. In fact since the Fed cut rates, bond yields and mortgage rates have risen.

Now add all this to a rising world-wide inflation and slowing economies -- FedEx this morning called the U.S. economy "sluggish" -- and you could easily conclude that this stockmarket rally won't last much longer. Taking a few profits off the table would not be a bad idea.

Technology stocks I've bought recently: Anadigics (ANAD), BioMarin Pharmaceuticals (BMRN), EMC, Riverbed (RVBD), Shutterfly (SFLY), Starent Networks (STAR) and Synchronoss Technologies (SNCR).

Presentations I've sat through. CEOs need training on how to make presentations. I sat through one yesterday in which the CEO:

1. Chewed gum while he presented. (I kid you not.)
2. Mumbled, letting the ends of his sentences dribble off into oblivion, so I couldn't hear.
3. Read his PowerPoints off the screen, rather than talking to the audience.
4. Crammed too much information onto each slide, making them confusing.
5. Put incomprehensible jargon and unknown acronyms on the slides.

You get the message. It was awful. The sad part is the CEO is talented and has good products.

Progress hits New York -- finally: All 277 underground stations (but not the tunnels) in New York's subway system are to be wired for cell phone use. It will only take six years to build the system -- about the same time frame that it's taking to add another set of stairs to my local subway station -- Columbus Circle.

British Airways lost a million bags in the past year or so. Other airlines are not much better. Please avoid checking your bags. Or send them ahead with UPS or FedEx.

Reason enough to attack Iran (?)
September 14, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Since the creation of the Islamic republic in Iran in 1979, the acceptability of dog ownership has been debated by the authorities. Iranian officials say that according to Islam, dogs are considered to be dirty animals, and people who own dogs are viewed as being under Western influence. Some conservative clerics have denounced dog ownership as "morally depraved" and say it should be banned.

Friday prayer leader Hojatoleslam Gholamreza Hassani, who is known for his hard-line stances, was quoted a few years ago as saying that all dog owners and their dogs should be arrested.

In the past, dog owners have received warnings or were forced to pay fines for having a pet dog. Despite such harassment, dog ownership has increased over the years, especially among young people in Tehran.

One of them is 23-year-old Banafshe, whose dog was recently detained in Tehran for 48 hours and then released on bail. Banafshe says she was walking her young puppy, Jessica, when Iranian police snatched the dog and took her to a dog "jail." The dog's crime was "walking in public."

Banafshe claims the police insulted her, but out of fear for her dog, she didn't protest. She said she told the police that Allah says in the Koran that nothing bad has been created in this world.

Answers to age-old questions.
Q: Where can women over the age of 60+ find young, sexy men, who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore under fiction

Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live.

Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.

Q: Why should 60+ year old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.

Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

Q: Where do 60+ year olds look for fashionable glasses?
A: Their foreheads.

Q: What is the most common remark made by 60+ year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: "I remember these."

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. Thus I cannot endorse any, though some look mighty 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 Claire's law school tuition. Read more about Google AdSense, click here and here.
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