Coming Clean ...

NPR's Opinion Page had a recent piece on how bloggers need to come clean just as professional journos do. While I certainly don't have the audience to have companies send me free products to review (although I am available for anything free!), I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to review any conflicts of interest I may have.

First off, politics. I was a Communist growing up, and it's only when possibilities arose when India opened up did I realize how screwed up leftist ideologies are, and the potential markets have to unleash individual creativity. I have definitely moved far to the right, but I'm still a tree-hugging, pro-immigration (duh!) conservative who tends to be a social moderate who wants government out of people's lives, except when they need to be there. Hmm, this isn't going so good...

I think the real estate market is due for a crash, and worry about the common man and about friends. At the same time, I have recommended home ownership to some people based on their particular circumstances, and I myself wouldn't mind finding a bargain.

I think the stock market is overvalued, but I own my share of stocks and mutual funds. I have recently exited positions in mutual funds in small caps, emerging markets and some fixed-income, but I still have investments in the market.

I am not sure global warming is a crisis, but I think we can't afford to wait to find out. But I still drive a car (it's a fuel-friendly Honda Accord!) I invest in companies that are proactive in global warming such as Duke Energy, but also in those that aren't, including Ford and oil & gas companies.

I think people eat too much crap, and I sure rant about nutrition, but I eat a bowl of ice-cream every day. And if something is free, I'll eat it. Unless it's a doughnut ... I don't do doughnuts!

I'm sure there are others I can't think of now, but let's just say, my disclaimer policy is ... "do as I say, not as I do!"