Book, Thanksgiving
Finished A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel (except mine's the 8th edition - that link is the 9th). This took me a while to read, because it actually requires thought, unlike most of the books I've read recently. (They both have their place in my reading, in case that sounded biased.)
I think a lot of people have read this book. Malkiel basically discusses some investing history and then explains why the average investor can't beat the market on average, once you include transaction costs. He discusses some of the theories of people who disagree with him and gives some tips on purchasing individual stocks if you absolutely feel that you have to. He thinks the best investment strategy for the average investor is to buy shares in a broad, diversified index and then hold them as long as possible. This was interesting, but I definitely need fluff in between my economics books.
Our Thanksgiving was nice. We went over to our friend's place to have dinner with four friends, three mothers, and one mother's boyfriend. I brought a pear tart. I cut the pears differently than they did in the picture because I'd forgotten how the picture looked by the time I got to the cutting step - theirs looks much prettier, but I think mine probably gave a more even pear to tart distribution throughout the tart. (Mine looked sort of like, um, this, although that is not my picture.)
I also brought my mother's patented cranberry date relish - this was my first year making it, and it turned out really well. I did end up making a batch and a half to use up the cranberries I'd bought (two 12 oz packages), but I should have just made a 0.75 batch instead.
Saturday, we went out to dinner with some friends who have recently announced that they're moving to Alabama at a local pizza place I love, and I got to have an Italian soda, so I was happy. Afterwards, we played Phase 10 (fun - Brian kicked our butts) and drank hot chocolate. It sounds like our friends might stay with us for a couple of days after they're packed up and before they make the cross-country drive.
This year, I'm thankful for my sweet husband, my family, a good job that I like on most days, coworkers who I consider friends, and my friends. My goal is to show all of those people how much I appreciate them in the coming year.
I think a lot of people have read this book. Malkiel basically discusses some investing history and then explains why the average investor can't beat the market on average, once you include transaction costs. He discusses some of the theories of people who disagree with him and gives some tips on purchasing individual stocks if you absolutely feel that you have to. He thinks the best investment strategy for the average investor is to buy shares in a broad, diversified index and then hold them as long as possible. This was interesting, but I definitely need fluff in between my economics books.
Our Thanksgiving was nice. We went over to our friend's place to have dinner with four friends, three mothers, and one mother's boyfriend. I brought a pear tart. I cut the pears differently than they did in the picture because I'd forgotten how the picture looked by the time I got to the cutting step - theirs looks much prettier, but I think mine probably gave a more even pear to tart distribution throughout the tart. (Mine looked sort of like, um, this, although that is not my picture.)
I also brought my mother's patented cranberry date relish - this was my first year making it, and it turned out really well. I did end up making a batch and a half to use up the cranberries I'd bought (two 12 oz packages), but I should have just made a 0.75 batch instead.
Saturday, we went out to dinner with some friends who have recently announced that they're moving to Alabama at a local pizza place I love, and I got to have an Italian soda, so I was happy. Afterwards, we played Phase 10 (fun - Brian kicked our butts) and drank hot chocolate. It sounds like our friends might stay with us for a couple of days after they're packed up and before they make the cross-country drive.
This year, I'm thankful for my sweet husband, my family, a good job that I like on most days, coworkers who I consider friends, and my friends. My goal is to show all of those people how much I appreciate them in the coming year.