TXCO

We first bought this tiny domestic oil and gas exploration company at $4.50 four years ago.  It closed last night at $14.72 (having touched $15.30 mid-day).  I’m holding mine, but I want you to sell a third of yours so that from now on “you’re playing with house money.”  If only I had had the sense to suggest the same with FMD ($13.26 last night) when it hit $56.

ACAI

Not a stock, a berry.  I don’t own any Bolthouse Farms (a private company?) but I sure drink a lot of their juice.  The “vedge” variety is great – a cross between tomato and V8.  The two new acai varieties, one with pomegranate and one with mangosteen, are terrific.  I don’t see those two on the Bolthouse website, so maybe they’re still in test markets only.  But if you find them, try them.  (Like a guy: straight out of the container.)

CZAR PUTIN

How sad to see democracy snuffed out in Russia.  Frontline tells the story.  If you have 21 minutes, take a look.  If nothing else, it reminds us never to take our freedom of speech, or of the press, for granted.  And to be fearful of the decline in hard-hitting journalism.  Where was our press these past seven years?

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY, JR.

There was so much I thought he was wrong about; but what a man he was.  Frighteningly intellectual, prolific, consequential, mischievous – and gracious.  Father to a wonderful son.  And a eulogist at the funeral a quarter century ago of Al Lowenstein, who was as brilliantly liberal as Buckley was brilliantly conservative . . . a eulogy that spoke well of them both.  May he rest in peace.