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I am starting to second guess my choice of BP (BP) for my energy stock… green power is looking like a better long term investment.

First Solar, Inc. (FSLR) is shaping up to be my first choice. First Solar is using an alternative method to create solar panels. Thin film processing greatly reduces the cost, is nearly as efficient as the alternative, and is recyclable when the life of the panel has been met.

Okay, I’ll be honest. Writing this article talked me into it.

I bought this stock today.

Well I did it - I bought shares of AT&T (T) for 35.00 on March 17, and sold them for 39.25 on April 2. AT&T may go higher, but I wanted my first trade to be “anything less than a disaster,” so I tried to hold back greed. A 12.14% gain in a couple of weeks in definitely better than expected…

Unfortunately I don’t have enough free funds to go out and buy my ideal diversified portfolio tomorrow. My current plan is to buy equal positions in four best-of-breed stocks. This may take me a little time to build up. Once that’s taken care of, then I will venture back into short term trading.

I think the first best-of-breed will be BP PLC(BP). We’ll see how this one goes.

Seriously… how?

Woman Goes for Leg Operation, Gets New Anus Instead

For the past 15 years of my life I have been working for the man, and getting by pretty well. I work hard, and I am well compensated for it. I have a great house, couple of cars, and (judging by my waistline) all the food I need to survive. I can’t complain.

Now don’t get me wrong here - it’s not with lack of appreciation that I make my next statement, but more with optimism. Here it is: I can’t get rich working my day job. I know this isn’t an earth-shattering revelation for most; It’s not even news to me. But, lately my intellectual knowledge of this statement has been morphing into understanding.

Sarah and I went to Hawaii in June of 2007 to celebrate our ten year anniversary. We both agreed that it was the best trip either of us have taken. We spent a day hiking in Haleakala National Park; half a day snorkeling at Molokini; drove the Road to Hana; and spent a few days soaking up the vitamin D. While laying on the beach I went down the following path (neurologically speaking):

1. I love Hawaii and want to come here every year.
2. Many people DO spend time in Hawaii every year.
3. What do those people have in common?
4. What do I have to do to become one of those people?

Here is my answer… investments. I have a 401k through my employer to take care of retirement. These investments will be for things I want in life that my day job can’t provide. My plan is to invest until I have enough of a base that I can scrape from the top, and not significantly impact the investments. I don’t actually have the details here, and I know this won’t happen over night, but it’s possible. It may take years, but it’s possible. It’s possible, right?

Sarah and I went on an excursion to New Hampshire this past weekend; A friend of Sarah’s from high school was getting married. It was a great wedding performed on the front lawn of the Brass Heart Inn. While we were there, we took a long walk down a country road at the foot of Mt. Chocorua.

We also took a drive up to White Mountain National Forest. The one thing I wanted to do most on the trip was to drive to the top of Mt. Washington, but unfortunately the Mt. Washington Auto Road was closed due to ice. Since we weren’t able to make the trip up to the top, we had a little extra time on our trip back. We stopped in this little pub in North Conway, NH named Horsefeathers. The vibe was good, the chowder was good, nice place all around.

All in all, it was a great weekend for Sarah and I to hang out, talk, and reconnect. - something we have needed for a long time…

So today I saw a video clip by John Bresland called “The Seinfeld Analog,” about the genocide in Rawanda.

Before you click the link, be warned - this video has very graphic shots of dead people. I wouldn’t normally link something so graphic, but this video falls in line with what has been rolling around in my head for quite some time… the notion that I, and much of the world, spend what free time we have looking for ways to shut off our minds and still our hands by entertaining ourselves.

I am tired of wasting my life entertaining myself. I want to do something with my time. I have no idea what it is. I want to do it.

I am going to do something.

The link, if you have the stomach for it: The Seinfeld Analog

When I was growing up, my dad and I spent a lot of time angry with each other. Not because he was a bad father, I have the best parents anyone can wish for, but because I was a kid. And dumb.

My dad was a Journeyman Machine Repairman for Ford Motor Company. He fixed the custom machinery on the lines. He brought these skills home. When something around the house needed fixing, he was right there to tear it apart and make it work again. Being his only son, I was always hijacked into helping.

This usually resulted in an argument. He would think the problem through, analyze the symptoms, asses the solution, and carefully replace the parts that needed to be replaced. I, being a kid, wanted to buy a new one so I could get back to terrorizing the neighborhood.

Toward the end of my career as a child, at around 22, I started to respect and understand what he was trying to teach me. Never rush through a problem. Take your time. There is a certain honor in doing things well, and it is to be respected.

That is one of the many things my dad taught me. It has treated me well in my life, given me the career I have today. What lessons do I want to teach Emma? What lessons are worth teaching even when she is pissed, and just wants to go IM her friends?

I thought of one instantly. I want her to know how a man should treat a woman. I want her to know that a man is to speak to a woman with respect, and I want her to see that in the way I speak to her mother. I want her to know that a man should stand up for her even if it’s her own kid being disrespectful. I want her to know that it isn’t okay to be disrespectful to her mother.

Hopefully, she will remember that when she is finding someone to spend her life with - someone who will treat her with respect.

Well, it’s time for me to write my one blog entry for the month. I really had hoped I would write more, but topics always seem to hit me at non-opportune times. Like when I am on the can. Sure. I could write them on my blackberry, but that would aggravate my chronic thumbulitis. No one wants that…

Every day at work, a group of co-workers (and I use the term ‘worker’ loosely) and I end up in a group chat session. This is where most of my bright ideas for blogs come from. Most of them are either inappropriate for mixed company, or too directly related to my method of feeding my family.

To be honest, I don’t think anyone reads this anyway. Except my Russian friend. I think he even has an RSS feed. Then again… he looks like this:

Wanker.

I have come to several realizations in the past 30 minutes. To frame the coming remarks, know that I have been sitting on the phone with “tech support” for the last 20 minutes. All I want is for them to replace the pizza-box sized boat anchor holding my desk down with a device that works. Seems simple enough, right?

Relizations follow.

• Employers are consumers of work. They want as much as they can get, and want to pay as little as possible for it.
• India is the Walmart of the employment market.

Ah, I feel better. Thanks for listening…

Before Sarah had Emma (yes I was involved, but let’s be honest - she did all the work), I didn’t understand all that sentimental stuff parents said about their kids. I didn’t understand why the guy that worked for me would bring in a single hard boiled egg each day, rather than spend the money on a lunch. I didn’t understand how getting up at 3am to clean up the stew-like diaper could be anything less than demoralizing. I didn’t understand why people were so ga-ga over babies.

Yesterday, when I walked in the door from work, Emma screamed so loud my dog’s tail dropped and her bug-like eyeballs crossed. Emma started wriggling her legs stared at me, waiting for me to pick her up. After dropping my jacket and work garb, I reached down and grabbed her. She wouldn’t let me put her down for a while.

That moment reminded me how much different life is now. How much better it is. And I haven’t been demoralized by recycled peas a single time in the past 10 months and 15 days.