Update Hodgepodge

Waiting around for some tests to run to completion here at work, so I guess I have a little bit of time to post up a few updates on various topics.

Let's see... let's start with life. Okay, so last Saturday, Barber, a co-worker of mine and his roommate, and I attended the 25th Annual San Francisco Beer Festival. Tickets were $60 apiece, but with the promise of 3 hours of unlimited beer and a bunch of snacks, we felt it was worth it.

Well, none of us had ever been before, and so we didn't really know what to expect when it came to food, so before the event, Barber and I ate a big ass pizza. We figured we had better stuff ourselves with bread so we could try a lot of different beers. It turned out that we didn't have to eat at all. There was plenty of food there. There was no shortage at all, and so pigging out was totally possible (except for those who stuffed themselves with pizza already).

The food ranged from the mundane (corn dogs, mini-sandwiches) to the more upscale (oysters on the half-shell). It all tasted pretty good too for the most part. We all got to try out a lot of different beers (they had unlimited power drinks and other refreshments available, too), eat a good amount of food, and also win random prizes (I won 2 movie passes for Saving Sarah Marshall).

Anyway, we all had a great time and I'd definitely want to do it again next year.

Okay, so that was last weekend... Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV for the XBox360. You've already heard all about this game unless you've been living in a cave. CNBC even talked quite a bit about it since its release played a part in the ongoing takeover battle between Electronic Arts (ERTS) and Take Two Interactive (TTWO). The game has gotten sick reviews so far.

So far, I've only played it for a couple of hours, and it looks really good. The start seems a bit slow, but I guess there's a fair bit of storyline and character development. And, to all the people that truly believe that games like this will lead to the moral corruption of our society, you are all nuts.

What else? I guess we can talk a little about stocks... my tests are almost done running so I won't say too much.

Manitowoc (MTW) announced estimate-beating earnings, but came in just a little light on revenues. Their guidance for the next year was re-affirmed, but the report was generally lukewarm. That said, I think that the dip to the 37's presents a buying opportunity to folks with a longer-term horizon.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP) came out with a strong earnings report last Friday, and the stock is up a quick 12% since my entry. I certainly did not expect any strong move resulting from the earnings release, but I don't mind being pleasantly surprised.

Wet Seal (WTSLA) keeps chugging along, and is once again near the highs since my position was established. It sits just under 3.50. I will go ahead and reiterate... I won't be selling any shares until we get much closer to $4. And, then I'll likely sell 20-25% of my position.

Glatfelter (GLT) also came out with earnings this week. Shares are trading lower since the report, but my opinion is that all was fine. Certainly nothing in it that changes anything with respect to my position. I'll patiently wait for their acquisitions to really start paying off. I'm in no rush.

Okay, that's all for now.