One of the things I liked about my collaborative blog with my brother Phil, was the way you could look at it and know what you were going to read about. I want to give that a test run here. Random Thoughts Tuesday is now Aye Wonder Tuesday (AWT) and if you see the icon to the left, you’ll know what you’re getting. I’m thinking of adding some other things that will appear on a scheduled basis. If it becomes too cumbersome or routine for me, it will disappear faster than Whitey Bulger at a Milan street fair. Your comments, both supportive and critical, are always welcomed. And without further adieu, your first AWT.

☞I am against the stringent limitations on executive salaries for the now partially government owned financial companies. There is no doubt that $500,000 is a lot of money but it won’t go far if you are expected to bring the bank big business through your social acquaintances and friendships. I think compensation should be tied to a multiple of average employee wages. That way management does well if its employees do well. And the only way that the employees do well is if the financial institution does well. And repeat. We want these banks to be profitable so that we can get our money back from the rescue plan but do we want to attract low quality management because compensation isn’t competitive?

☞In the summer of 1962, two weeks before the Beatles recorded their first single, Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, told Pete Best that he was being replaced on drums by Ringo Starr. While Best wasn’t happy about his dismissal, he was being fired from a “basement” band not the rock and roll superstars that the Beatles would become. Best continued to play drums for bands around the Liverpool area and sporadically recorded. This September, at age 68, Best “recorded” a Beatles album. It is not a Beatles album from their early days when Best was involved but rather a psychdelic pop album that reminds one of the Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour days. It’s an uneven effort but it is so Beatles-like, I am willing to overlook its spottiness. Have a listen to Best’s Everything I Want and the Beatles’ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. They sound like they are from the same album.

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☞I love reading about technology that is working its way into the mainstream. Recently, I read about “Buckypaper” a carbon based material that is as thin as tissue paper but when stacked is 500 times stronger than steel. It also disperses heat like brass or steel and conducts electricity like silicon. This material may ultimately show up in aerospace, automobiles, integrated circuits and a host of other applications. Here’s more on Buckypaper.

☞A fortnight remains before the election and I am gobsmacked by how divisive it has become. John McCain and (especially) Sarah Palin have done everything they can to drive a wedge between the red states and blue states despite their protestations to the contrary. I said in my letter to America that we are fighting another civil war in this great country albeit without munitions. It gets worse daily. Why can’t we all get on the same page? Partisanship is killing us.

☞In professional sports, if you have outlived your usefulness, measured by the sport’s appropriate benchmarks, you are exiled. I think Jason Varitek, the Boston Red Sox catcher may fall into this category. He is a tremendous leader and knows how to handle a pitching staff but the post-season American League Championship Series was not his finest moment. Varitek had 1 hit in 20 at bats leaving 17 men on the bases. It is difficult to overlook a shortcoming like this when hitting is a very important attribute in baseball. Here’s the Captain barely able to face reporters after the Red Sox game 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

☞As a former mutual and hedge fund manager, I have to say Andrew Lahde’s farewell to the business was um….different. Lahde wrote a scathing farewell letter where he dismissed his rivals as over-privileged “idiots” and traders as “stupid.” It’s quite an extraordinary goodbye to a business that made Lahde millions. He closes his letter with an out of context appeal for the legalisation of marijuana. Read the entire letter here.

☞The above story reminds me of Aye Wonder’s quote of the week without the admonishment.

I have made noise enough in the world already, perhaps too much, and am now getting old, and want retirement. ~Napoleon Bonaparte

☞Starting tomorrow and every Wednesday thereafter, I am going post a single photo that struck me in some way over the past seven days. As a lead in to that, take a peak at this one. It’s Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin holding a baby chick at an agricultual fair. To me, this screams out, “I need a caption.” Would you be so kind?

☞Anyone read any good books lately?

☞This may come as no surprise to you, the Environmental Working Group (odd name)  released a report that said tap water is at least as good if not better than most bottled water. I think they are likely to be right. Want to save some money and save all those plastic bottles from the landfill? Buy a tap filter.

☞And finally, last Friday another great RnB icon passed away. Levi Stubbs, the lead singer of the Four Tops, finally succumbed to cancer after an eight year illness. Stubbs was remarkable in that he checked his ego at the door and kept the Four Tops’ lineup intact for 44 years. I am not sure any other band can say that. Stubbs’ baritone voice will be remembered forever. Here’s my favorite Four Tops song. RIP Levi Stubbs.

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Aye Wonder.

And so should you.

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