“Be brave
As difficult as it is right now, following the “this too will pass” philosophy really does work. No matter how bad it gets, things will eventually recover. Those brave enough to dive in when no one else dares to touch stocks are the ones who end up scoring the multibagger returns.

Need proof? Think about the best times you could have bought stocks in the past: after the economy recovered from oil shocks in the ’70s, after the magnificent market crash of 1987, after global financial markets seized up in 1998, and after the 9/11 attacks that shook markets to the core. As plainly obvious as it is in hindsight, the best buying opportunities come when investors are scared out of their wits and threaten to give up on markets altogether.”

I am not suggesting anyone take any course of action.  My opinions are my own and not affiliated with Motley Fool or anyone who knows anything about investment strategies.  I am basically a gambler at heart who is looking for the hail-mary to lifes riches.

I’m buying in.  The way I see it, if I loose any additional investments in the market, it would essentially amount to damaged rims on a totalled Maybach.  Can you really get pissed at that point?

Though exhausted, I decided to go out and have a meal with a former colleague. We went to Sushi Grove in Russian Hill. It was nice. Its a warmly colored, hip Japanese restaurant, which has a café-like atmosphere. Perhaps it was the jet lag and sake but I was feeling the room full of stylish folks. I suggest the toro – everyday but Sundays; oh and having a beer and sake can’t hurt.

Who says you can’t have fun in a down economy? We did our part to stimulate the local economy.

Does this qualify as an “American” car?
We’ve heard a lot lately about the “Buy American” provisions being debated in the economic stimulus bill, and that made me think about how increasingly difficult, and increasingly meaningless, it is to even determine what “Buy American” really means in an increasingly globalized world economy. Consider automobiles – how do you tell the difference any more between “American cars” and “foreign cars.”

1. Here’s a list of 8 “American-made” vehicles produced by American UAW workers, in American factories, but for foreign-based car companies. If you purchased one of these vehicles, would that count as “buying American”?

American-made UAW vehicles:
Mazda 6
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mitsubishi Galant
Toyota Corolla
Isuzu i-Series Truck
Mazda B-series Truck
Mitsubishi Raider Truck
Toyota Tacoma Truck

Visit Mark J. Perry at Carpe Diem for more examples of Automobiles