Here’s a link to the results of the Impressionist auction at Sotheby’s. This was for the day auction, the really big auction was at night.
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotResultsDetailList.jsp?event_id=28859&sale_number=N08438both
I attended all of the auctions, and came home a little poorer. I will post some pictures of what I bought as soon as the check clears. All in all, a good time was to be had. I just wish Denise were here to have enjoyed the event with me.
Jeff
I love everything about this surf flick, ever since it was released in 1972. I remember when it first came out on VHS back in the late 80’s and thought I died and went to heaven. The footage shown in this clip shows Pipeline (a top surf break on the North Shore at Oahu) at it’s best. This video passes the test of time. The Beach Boys tune isn’t half bad either.
Enjoy,
Jeff
This seminal surf flick by Bill Delaney in 1977 changed surfing forever. I wax nostalgic for those days when I was landlocked, and had to make monthly surf trips to the coast to get wet. Back then, we didn’t have videos to satisfy our cravings, and had to live vicariously from the pages of Surfer Magazine. Sometimes, the old days were better.
Enjoy
Jeff
I went to the auctions at Sotheby’s today, and ended up winning one piece. I’ll post it as soon as the check clears 
The auction houses are a tough market, and they are as much of a market as any exchange floor. I did notice that pieces seemed to fetch better prices then I thought….perhaps the market is not as soft as I estimated it to be. It was nice to hob nob with the glitterati, and the private party they hosted was interesting….to say the least.
After a couple of days here, I know that I could never live in NYC.
Tomorrow, a visit to the NYMEX with an old trading buddy, then a nice liquid lunch.
Jeff
I finally managed to get all of my journals digitized, and the files are on my portable hard drive. Now, I’m going to work on my outline, and start the massive rewrite and edit job. Some generous readers provided me with a good source for a self publisher, and I already contacted them, and got several rough quotes. Yesterday, I managed to bang out a small book review over on Daily Speculations on Frank Harris “My Life and Loves.” I’ve been re-reading that book every couple of years ever since I was 14 years old. Simply put, that book offers some of the best lessons on speculation I’ve ever read. Plus, Harris spins a pretty good yarn. Read it and learn.
Tomorrow, I’m off to NYC for the auction and some R&R, then to New Haven to help John pack up. I’m expecting my sister to show up at our house in an hour or so. She’s going to camp out here for most of the summer, and will telecommute.
I’ve been throwing myself into my projects at a feverish pace, trying to give my heavy heart some temporary relief. So far, it’s not really working, but I’ll keep on trying.
I’ll post during my travels.
Jeff
I’ve almost succeded in scanning and digitizing all of my old journals from the 1970’s-1980’s. I couldn’t believe how much material I had, and how long it’s taken. I have been working non-stop for three days and have only a couple of spiral notebooks left unfinished. These journals have been a diary of my life, from when I started them on December 16, 1969 to the present. I made separate journals for my prop betting, early trading, and poker playing. I even have a surf journal, describing the individual surf sessions and trips I took over the years. A journal that probably won’t get any attention is my failed proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem. I plan on combining all of these journals, and writing a book. My book will be unlike any investing or trading book out there, that’s for sure. Actually, I have material for two books, with one being solely on prop betting….but I haven’t decided whether to do one big one, or two separate books. Drawing heavily from anecdotal experiences, my book will chronicle the ups and downs of the life of a guy who trades by his own hook, an autobiography of sorts. Since most of the writing and leg work has been already done, the outline and edit job are the most important hurdles I face. I’m going to self publish the book, so if anybody stopping by here knows of a decent self-publisher, please let me know. I want to print about 500 copies of the book, hardbound, and will give a copy free to anyone who wants it. This book is going to be written in the spirit of Livermore, with a heavy dash of Niederhoffer thrown in.
I’m leaving in a couple of days for NYC, and will be immersed in the art world for a week. Hopefully, I’ll come home with a couple of trophies in my bag. After New York, an overdue trip to Colorado is planned, then on to San Blas, Mexico for an indeterminate stay. Luckily, my sister is staying at my house for the summer, and I’ve arranged for our art collection to be stored away. John is pretty excited about trashing out in Mexico, but he’s busy right now with translations, papers, and getting ready for finals. He expects his grades to be OK, which is good considering what he’s been through.
Time to get back to burning out my scanner.
Jeff
It’s interesting to watch the unwinding of the short dollar/long commodities spread. The commodities markets are getting hammered, and the dollar has firmed very nicely. It will be interesting to see if this holds. It has come to my attention from friends in the trade that the corn crop might be a tad bit smaller than last year due to a multitude of reasons. Actually, that tad might be about 5% smaller. While corn prices should be strong, with the uncertainty of the dollar, prudence would dictate that an outright long or short position would be a risky play. However, there are a lot of possible spread plays in the grains. It looks like some of the corn might be planted late, and the farmers might have to substitute beans. Then, there’s the fertilizer shortage…..it should prove to be an interesting growing season. My sugar trade is dead in the water, and I’m guaranteed about a thousand bucks profit on it. However, I have a free long until July, and a lot can happen between now and then. I have been watching this gold market implode, and have been watching the gold/platinum spread very closely. Something in my mind has triggered me to think that there might be some volatility in the silver market, volatility of the order of the early 1980’s. I think I’ll avoid silver like the plague.
For now, I’ll remain content to scan and digitize all my old journals, and reminisce about the wonderful life I had with Denise. Although I’m maintaining an outright calm exterior, I’m going through a real bitter phase right now. Maybe this upcoming trip will lift my spirits….
Sometimes, I feel like just chucking it all and pulling a Gauguin. I can certainly afford it.
Jeff
This surfer is nuts.
http://break.com/index/surfing-with-a-great-white-shark.html
It speaks for itself
Jeff
I was a classic example of Peck’s Bad boy when I was a kid. I’ve been going through old journals and found a real classic. This is unedited, and was copied out of my journal just as is and is 35 years old, so pardon the grammar.:
Every neighborhood has an asshole neighbor, and ours was no exception. We were living in a small enclave next to Winnetka known as Kenilworth which is right on Lake Michigan. Our neighbor was a middle aged man who had a wife we never saw. Every time we walked across his yard, he would come out and yell at us. He’d sic his German Shepard on us for the smallest reason. He would call the police if we were out in the street playing or just hanging out. Something needed to be done,and I was the guy to do it.
This guy and his family would leave every summer for a month long vacation. They would completely shutter the house and no one would go check on it. He would have the lawn mowed by some service, but that was it.
In 1973, after having had the police called for the 85th. time, I decided that there needed to be some action. It took my cousin who was staying with us and I a couple of weeks to come up with a plan, but it was a classic. My cousin had worked in a pet store and knew of this place in Louisville KY that wholesaled lab animals. We made the 5 hour drive down there one day and bought 3000 laboratory mice for about $135. They came in 10 large boxes which filled up the back of his van. When we got home, we stashed the boxes in the garage and proceeded to the second part of the plan. We built a funnel out of a large heavy plastic sheet that had a 2 inch diameter small end perfect for fitting into small places.
Since our neighbor had just left and his house was closed we waited until dark to enact the rest of our plan. We moved all of the boxes of mice to his bushes right by the front door. I put the small end of the funnel into the mail slot and we literally poured 3000 mice into his house. The whole operation took about an hour as it’s no easy task getting mice to fall down a funnel. Having done that, we destroyed the boxes and put them into a dumster behind the Winnetka Sweet Shop. Now, our friend had a slight mouse problem and wouldn’t be back for a month. After about a week, I started feeling guilty as I worried that the mice inside the walls would start chewing on the wires and burn the place down, so I went over there and turned off the power breaker at the pole.
When they came back to town a month later, ther were in for a total suprise. The mice ate their house. I mean it was totally destroyed. The mice were in the walls, furnature, chewing on everything. This prank made it to the TV and newspaper. Of course, every kid in the neighborhood was hauled into the police station for questioning, but only my cousin and I knew the truth….and we weren’t talking. The neighbors all thought that it was pretty funny as no one got along with this guy at all. I only wish I had taken pictures of the prank. The guy ended up having his house fumigated and the clean up bill was many thousands…..I wonder what his insurance adjuster said. They moved shortly after.
I thought I’d share this tale with you for your entertainment…….Besides, the statute of limitations has passed.
.
