I AM MAX HARDING

Lonelygirl15 and Debra LaFave... Pedophiles of the World Unite!

2006-09-15T06:16:02+01:00

Give me a fuckin break! What the fuck is going on? Have we just all totally lost it?

What a grand friggin day for all the pedophiliacs of the world!

First, in America, they devote hours upon hours of prime television time to idolize and pop-icononize a teacher (Deb LaFave) who has admitted to statutorily raping a young teenage student.

Then the world can't get enough of a scam (Lonelygirl15) by a bunch of Hollywood fuckin wannabes, who decide that they will ride the latest wave of pedophilia gripping the world, and exploit the hell out of it for their Hollywood fuckin resumes.

It isn't enough that the world had to sit through the depraved psycho babble of the screwed up pedophile, John Mark Karr. I can't even describe how I feel about that pile of satanic feces.

Now we have to put up with this! How can an institution like NBC, use pedophilia to sell ratings. Have they sunk so low into the depth of fuckin Hades? Does Matt Lauer think this is journlism? He might as well have just friggin sodomized Debra LaFave while he was at it. Why the fuck not? Why split hairs about proriety when you are licking the bottom of Lucifer's sandals for a few rating points. I fuckin hate these guys!

And then, you have a trio of shitholes who think they are being "so creative". There is nothing creative or artistic about exploiting children for profit. I am known in my circles as a total hard-ass, greedy-as-they-come bastard. But even I know evil when I see it.

If I can figure out how to screw over those three assholes: Ramesh Flinders, Miles Beckett and Greg Goodried, as well as all the scum sucking whores at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), I'd do it in a minute. In fact, let me spend some time and money trying to figure out how.

I'm sure Hollywood will be busy falling over one another trying to figure out how to reward these assholes. I know Jessica Rose's, aka Bree's, phone is ringing off the hook by casting directors from Hollywood. But all this doesn't make it right. I'm not a religious man, or even a good man, by any stretch of the imagination, but I know the dark side when I see it.

We have real fucking problems in the world, and we spend our collective energies, imaginations, and resources on this pedophilia bullshit. We have asshole nations trying to get their hands on atomic weapons. We have idiotic leaders like Blair and Bush, killing our young boys and girls in a stupid war, never having an iota of understanding of what they would wreak. We have genocides, epidemics, biblical warfare, economic morass all happening around the world... and we give our attention to these assholes?

Shame on us! Fuckin shame on us!

Ain't divorce a bitch, or... "U remind me of a girl, that I once knew"

2006-09-14T08:55:35+01:00

I got a call today from my Ex, Emily. This is actually a daily occurence. We've now been officially divorced for over five years... but I hear from her almost each and every day. She has now been in half a dozen relationships since our parting of ways, but she still feels the need to hear my voice and to bitch to me about me. Why do I take the call? I ask myself that everyday. I'm not someone who suffers fools gladly... so what does it say about me that I am willing to take this daily dose of verbal slashing? Nothing good I'd guess.

The love of my life is wonderful Sedra. I care for her a great deal. When we are together... well it's hard to describe how it feels. Let me see... at the risk of sounding like a total putz... It's like the first bite of a great chocolate truffle... But what is a pisser is that it feels vaguely familiar... a sort of an emotional déjà vu. I can't remember anymore after all the numbing crap... but I think I felt this way once about Emily. So am I perpetually doomed? Hmmmm... On second thought, life is a bitch!

The Morning After

2006-09-12T13:07:17+01:00

Well, what a few days for the metals!

There are so many why's floating out there: from CBs selling to get in under the Washington Accord deadline, to easing of tension ("bullshit") with Iran, to god knows what else.

Lot of blokes got caught looking the wrong way, positioned way too long for the "September Takeoff" in gold. The only problem is, when everyone is leaning one way, the market rarely obliges.

But now it gets interesting, this is where we separate the men from the boys!!! Most dabblers who entered last week have large been flushed out. And so the fun begins. And my friends from Mumbai can begin their deeds in earnest somewhere around here.

We had an expected bump up in UK inflation. Now we see what "profligacy" really means when US trade numbers print. We'll catch you on the other side of that.

Now get out there and friggin do something with your life!

Best Chardonnay?

2006-09-12T12:25:35+01:00

I am a bit of a white wine snob. I love my white wines... but I've always given the nod to the great burgundy chards as the best of the best. How can you seek to do better than a Bâtard-Montrachet, Montrachet and even the odd Meursault.

And I've always derided the California chards... as having one solution for everything... "Oak It!"

But this weekend, I tasted a California chardonnay that is just out of this world. And yes... maybe it gives those great whites of Bourgogne a run for their money.

The irony is... I was introduced to this California charmer in Paris!

It is a boutique wine from the coast of California called Talbott. Now from what I'm told, Talbott makes several labels. But the very best is the Diamond T. If you can find a bottle... do give it a try!

If you have your own ideas on the best Chard out there, would love to hear back from you. Cheers!

Apple Computer and the Infinite Stupidity of Hollywood

2006-09-11T14:06:15+01:00

Hollywood... here's an industry that has resisted, tooth and nail, every innovation... talking pictures, colour movies, television, colour television, cable television, the VCR, the CD, the DVD, DVRs, and of course... the internet. At every introduction of technology, the powers that be in Hollywood have fought, resisted, folded, and have gone on to make gobs of money on the new technology despite their bottomless stupidty.

Once again, they are mounting a futile resistance to the march of time. They want to restrain, hinder, and shackle the possibilities created by the digital media and the universal reach of the web.

Any other industry, presented with an opportunity to distribute its goods to every nether region of the world, costlessly and effortlessly, would embrace and rejoice in the development. It would be seen as the greatest gift from the gods, and would be pushed forward for all it was worth. But not Hollywood... oh no!

These people who populate Hollywood must have descended from the genetic stock of those Neanderthals who argued against the first use of fire!

How can such unbridled and unrelenting stupidity continue to be rewarded? Any other industry would have long vanished. The merciless winds of change, present in other industries would surely have insured their evolutinary downfall and elimination. But amazingly that hasn't happened to Hollywood. The reality is that they have had one thing on their side, and that is... content is still king. And no matter how efficient, seamless, cost-effective the channels of distribution, without killer content, everything is moot.

And as long as they can keep control, physically, technologically or legally, over the desired content, and keep us the consumer under their yoke and chain, all is well in Hollywood.

Well maybe not this time... look at the music industry. They thought they had stemmed the tides of time when they killed Napster. But since that time, the value of the music industry has nose-dived and continue to do so. Mind you, this is not the value of music produced or the value of music consumed, but the value of music packaged and controlled by the "music industry" of old. To paraphrase George C. Scott as Patton, "closed systems are a monument to the stupidity of man... if Microsoft (MSFT) and Intel (INTC) can be overcome... anything created by Hollywood can be overcome."

Imagine if all the control was yanked away from the greedy palms of the shucksters in Hollywood and rightfully placed with the end consumer, and with the real creators of content. Then we'd really have something. Well that utopia is still some time away... but we'll get there. Hollywood is just an intermediary. And no matter how much glitz and glam they ensconce themselves in, they are basically car salesmen. In the end, all intermediation is disintermediated!

The irony is that, for the moment, our champion in this glorious battle is none other than Mr. Jobs. Who nearly sunk his beloved company, Apple Computer (AAPL), the first time around by insisting on the toddler strategy: "That's mine! I don't share!"

Well maybe time does give wisdom. Maybe, it's just the rebel in him... that always wants to be fighting "the Man" from the outside... even as he has become "the Man" and the ultimate insider sitting on the Board of Disney (DIS) as it's biggest shareholder. Or maybe Mr. Jobs stumbled on his insight by happy happenstance. Whatever the case may be... "the enemy of mine enemy is my friend". So he is our champion for the time being, in thwarting the mind-numbing stupidity of Hollywood. And Mr. Jobs does make cool stuff!

On Tuesday (Sept. 12), Mr. Jobs will make his "Showtime" announcement. You know it will be something big. Last week, Apple unveiled their update of the Mac-mini as well as their iMac line, including the introduction of a brand new 24" iMac. Now why would a consumate showman like Mr. Jobs release these major updates with no fanfare whatsoever, the week before he takes stage? You have to bet it's because he thinks he's got some doozies that he doesn't want upstaged. The bet is that it will include the new Apple iTunes Movie Store, at minimum. Let's hope he hasn't been forced by Hollywood to dumb-down the offering to such an extent that it is a non-event. But I somehow doubt it. Jobs is at the top of his game, at least for the moment. And he will continue to have the wind at his back. So let's hope we can continue to ride Jobs' tailcoat for a bit longer. But never underestimate those sad souls who work in Hollywood, and their ability to destroy value.

As for those Hollywood powers... Your days at the top of the food chain are numbered. Enjoy it while you can. And if you are asking us... "Do you really think you have a chance against us?" I'd like to quote from one of your own memorable movies... "Yippee-Kai-Yay, motherf***er!"

iPod, iTunes and the Importance of Being Simple

2006-09-11T10:42:17+01:00

There is this big misconception in the business world that somehow what consumers really want are choices... more choices. Yet the chronicles of the business world is chock full of examples that make it clear that what consumers crave most is simplicity.

A grand exmaple is the modern day TV remote. The latest models must have 100 buttons if not more. Now would you really care if they put another 20 or 30 or 40 features on that remote... I don't think so. 99% of the time, most of us use just 5 buttons... On/Off, Volume UP, Volume DOWN, Channel UP and Channel DOWN. That's it!

The power of the iPod and even more importantly, the iTunes, is not it's functionality, capability, or any of the other technical whiz bang perfromance spec. It is all about one thing... Simplicity.

It took all the gobbledygook that was the world of digital downloads, and made it simple... damn simple. And the world followed.

So I don't give a piss about all these announcements from cell phone companies, Microsoft (MFST), Sony (SNE), Samsung, Amazon (AMZN) or whoever... until they make it simpler... nothings gonna change.

So as we await the big "Showtime" annoucement from Apple Computer (APPL), we have one request for Mr. Jobs... "Keep It Simple!"

Calling All Gold Bulls...

2006-09-11T07:00:27+01:00

For all gold bulls out there... these are the days that try men's souls. You get a seeming "breakout", only to have your heart ripped out from your chest.

Well to all the gold bulls... I have a message... Keep the Faith!

These theatrical volatility is the work of "fast gunslingers" of the financial world... the hedge fund managers... like Moi! All we know is the fast kill. And we are damn good at it.

But even we can't kill the long term realities.

There is only one thing that will stop the long term gold bull-run. That is a return to responsibility by the American Federal Reserve, the American Treasury, the American Congress and the American administration. And that ain't happening any time soon!

As long as they keep printing dollars by the truckloads, or more accurately shiploads (bound for China), dollar debasement continues... and gold will run higher.

So just watch the London Fix... not the hourly goings on in "paper gold"... when push comes to shove... the physical market is buying!

Now get out there and friggin do something with your life!

Best Hotel in the World

2006-09-10T07:01:00+01:00

There was a time when I thought the best hotel in the world was the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong... then possibly Valley Wing of the Shangri-La Singapore... and then I thought the Park Hyatt Tokyo was the top dog.

But no longer...

The best hotel in the world is the George V Paris. As I sit here in my jammies, on my balcony... looking out at the 7 ème arrondissement... a hot cup of coffee in my hand... with the streets still quiet on a Sudnay morn... it's pretty darn close to heaven.

Yesterday is a blur. Mad dash to Waterloo... fighting through the metal detectors... one, two, three glasses of bubbly... finding Henri (our driver) at Gare du Nord... settling into the back seat... looking out the window at the usual sights of activity along the Seine... then your realize... you are back in the civilzed world.

Flawless check-in (merci Marie-Anne)... a quick swim at the pool...

then my usual seat by the piano at La Galerie for a quick drink... or two... or three...

followed by dinner for two at Le Cinq...

it don't get no better!

When a man is tired of London... there's always Paris

2006-09-10T06:47:00+01:00

I love London. But sometimes a man just needs something different. For me, that's Paris.

Thank god for the Eurostar. A couple of hours, a glass of whatever... and voilà... there you are in Paris. Like magic.

It's my fix. I need Paris!

Hell is the Impossibility of Reason

2006-09-08T17:42:18+01:00

So all out of the blue, Lennar (LEN) becomes the fourth major American homebuilder in a week to announce that they are "shocked and floored" that their business is rapidly deteriorating. Give me friggin break, you lying bastards. If you are so "surprised" why have all you insdiers been selling your own stock like there's no tomorrow... for the past year!!!

Beazer (BZH), KB Homes (KBH), Hovnavian (HOV) and now Lennar (LEN)... all lying, cheating bastards. Don't you think they've been staring at the writing on the wall every day for a long long time. All the while suckering the poor bastard on the street to keep buying their crock of sh** and their fast becoming worthless stock. And what were those jerks on Wall Street doing, keeping on their "Buy" ratings. So the poor bastard on Main Street wouldn't bail out too soon, at least not until their big institutional clients made a clean getaway. This is why, when a used-car salesman tells you "this one's a beauty!" you don't believe it. This is why when a Wall Street analyst tells you "it's a Buy" when the CEO is selling his own shares... you don't believe it!

It's just common sense! It's just reason!

Come on folks... think for yourself!

I made gobs and gobs of money over the last twelve months shorting the bejesus out of these American homebuilders. Now I'm moving on...

They tell you it will be a soft landing in America. Don't you believe it! It will be a hardass landing as they come. And all those slimey bastards who've been pumping out all the fancy ARMs will finally get their comeuppance.

So don't you get caught believing that the Fed will manage a "soft landing". They won't. I for one am betting hard that all the lenders and bankers will get their head bashed in before this is all over. They always do. This time ain't gonna be no different!