2008 February 23 | sockparade

This is part of a contest hosted by SnapShots to showcase all of their different preview shots. I’ve gotten some ugly comments from SnapShot haters but I personally like them so I that’s why I still use them here on sockparade. Basically all the links in this post will utilize a SnapShot.

Some people are writing stories to enter the contest but I’m not really trying to win so I’ll just post a list of my favorites in each SnapShot category.

1. Favorite Stock - SHERF.PK. Introducing Sherritt International Corporation. We bought this stock in June 2007 off of a Motley Fool tip. This was the first and only time I’ve ever taken Motley Fool advice and it was only because I was already on the look out for a Cuba-related stock. What sparked my interest was an infotainment story on NPR about a Miami Fund that was investing in hopes of a imminent end to the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba. The story was about how they had a Carribean basic fund that invested in cruise and shipping companies and that the fund managers had noticed a correlation in the fund’s performance and in Fidel Castro’s health. When Castro’s health improved, the performance went down and vice versa. I found this immensely amusing. But then I started thinking about the possibilities for growth if the embargo is lifted and I liked betting against a cruel man’s dictatorship. I was looking for stocks of companies that invested in Cuba related businesses and that’s when I came across this Motley Fool article that persuaded me to buy Sherritt’s stock. Here’s what sold me:

“While Sherritt is not a pure Cuba play (roughly 40% of its 2006 revenues were Cuban-based), it has more exposure there than just about any other established company I have seen. It’s also producing strong results; in its May 2 quarterly earnings report, Sherritt announced a 150% profit jump on strong nickel prices. For all of 2006, earnings roughly doubled.

Investing in Sherritt today gets you established coal and gas interests in Canada, the full range of operations in Cuba, plus growing worldwide metals exposure. At less than 12 times trailing earnings and less than 8 times 2007 EPS estimates, Sherritt looks cheap to this Fool.”

This stock was 13.09 in June and today it traded at 15.71. Nothing spectacular (about a 20% gain), but pretty decent given the fact that the embargo is still alive and well– even with Fidel’s recent resignation. Now we just have to wait for Raul to keel over. I’m kidding, I don’t want anyone to die. I just want Cuba to have a chance to be free. As a side note, I am really opposed to people investing in single stocks as an investment strategy. The husband and I very rarely will buy a single stock and I advise everyone against it unless it’s company stock and you get a discounted purchase plan. For us, investing in single stocks is the equivalent to a weekend in Vegas.

2. Favorite YouTube Video - Japanese TV Extreme Baseball. I posted this a few days ago and it reigns supreme on my list of great YouTube videos. The best part is when the girl is in a backwards crabwalk hanging on for dear life and the merciless “pitchers” unleash the biggest baseball. Comedic genius. I don’t know how the Japanese come up with this stuff. Another Japanese TV favorite would have to be Human Tetris. And I’ll probably regret this but who could leave out a sentimental plug for carefree youth and lots and lots of free time.

3. Favorite Google Map - My original favorite Google Map was taken down awhile back– it was the one that instructed you to swim across the Atlantic from the United States to Europe. They’ve taken it done. I also recently came across an interesting website called Google Sightseeing that is a pretty extensive collection of notable Google Maps photos. Here’s my new favorite Google Map - Niagara Falls (satellite view).

4. Favorite World of Warcraft Item - Cabbage Kimchi. I don’t play War of Warcraft but I love me some Kimchi.

5. Favorite MySpace Page - This is a toss-up between Def Poets Black Ice and Georgia Me.

6. Favorite Blog with RSS Feed - The Blog of Tim Ferriss (author of The 4-Hour Work Week). Ignore the goofy pose.

7. Favorite Flickrstream - Simon Pais-Thomas. No introduction necessary, his amazing photos speak for themselves. And no, he’s not my favorite because he’s hot. A close second would be diastema.