I was out with Jim Koch last night. I was pleasantly surprised with the guy's modesty, sense of humor, people skills, and intelligent insights about his business and his company. Learned that he has a JD and MBA from Harvard, but walked out of the consulting business to become a brewer and a beer salesman. Turns out his ancestors are brewers in an unbroken line from 1840 to him. The line is still intact, as Jim loves to make beer, had a 6 pack with him, and he opened a bottle, poured it into the Sam signature glass, and drank a frosty while he was interviewed at the BPL last night.

SAM went public at $15.00 in 1995.

http://quotes.nasdaq.com/asp/SummaryQuote.asp?symbol=SAM&selected=SAM

This is a Boston company with a national presence, through and through. There aren't many left.

The guy is always selling. He told the crowd that the stock took a 4% hit yesterday b/c he disclosed on the "earnings call" that profits will take an incremental hit next year. To improve beer quality, he's going make beer only a week before it is sold, (instead of 5-7 weeks now), and keep it refrigerated at all times in the supply chain. He's all about growing his 0.9% market share.

http://www.samueladams.com/

Jim has the "sole voting power" over 4,585,008 shares of SAM. There are 9,000,000 shares outstanding. What Jim says, goes. Beer has been very, very good to him. And, the beer is good.

Here is another brewer, gone bad:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/02/10/coroner_buschs_girlfriend_overdosed_on_oxycodone/?camp=obnetwork

tax.com: Call Their Bluff, Mr. President

tax.com: Call Their Bluff, Mr. President

You know, the President did not call the Repubs bluff, and now 51,000,000 taxpayers are paying more taxes. That's right, that many people got a tax hike, not a tax cut, by extending the Bush tas cuts on the basis put forward by the Repubs. Don't you take my word for it; go straight to the article, and learn.

The Boston Tree Party

The Boston Tree Party

Snows of Aspinwall Hill

Along in drear nighted December, the snows are often not too heavy nor frequent. Yet we now are in the last week of January, 2011. Snow is a constant. The slipperyness, the gelid cold, the smoke puffing from the chimney across the road, well...winter is a month old.

We stop at these times and think, well, what if our mittens were to get lost? If the door were locked and we neglected to take our key? Should the heat fail us, and the pipes freeze?

At thest times we eye the NY Times travel section of course. There are tens of millions of Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Martians enjoying sunny, wonderful weather, the kind of weather that does not defeat human life. And then we wonder...why is it we are not there, with them, comfortable.

I don't have an answer, just the question.

Cold January

Busted pipes, snow, ice, drifts, wind, extra blankets, anti-freeze, scarfs, cocoa, soup, snow-pants, plows, school cancellations, brilliant stars, the wolf moon, heated car seats, windshield washer fluid, roundup of the homeless, radiator steam vents whistling, weatherstripping, and icicles. Hello January 2011.

What is the state of our union with winter? In bucolic Brookline, the temperatures go below zero for the first time in 6 years. Snow is piled in places where once we strolled unimpeded. Now we take smaller, more deliberate steps on the snow and ice maintaining balance and uprightness. The warmest room in the house is the boiler room and laundry.

Hot and spicy food is the order of the day. We think of how nice it would have been to have canned fresh vegetables at the ready....and ever more spaghetti sauce, chili, and cinnamon rolls to snack on. What should we make today? Pickles? Yogurt cheese? Lentil soup? Sourdough bread?

Let's keep it simple...it's cold out.

Twitter / Home

Twitter / Home: "Madoff was just sentenced to 150 years. Applause in courtroom."

Knee update

So, I have learned by Jane Fonda's own twittering that her knee is now newly replaced. Well, Tiger Woods did not share with me any real data on his leg repair. Yet, Jane has gone all in with photographs.

What could JRM mean?

Just Replace Me?

Jane....work out!