SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC: But what a Cool Wedding Gift!!!
As my first post, I hope the TA masters will grant me a little slack on this one. In the future I'll to try to be a little more relevant and brief. And try not have too much fun on this threadÑalthough I tend to be a little "right-brained" in my investment strategy, as well as work and play.
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Well "Puna" my little brother, thanks to you, here's my first post on S.I.
And as you know, today is exactly one month from our garden wedding (July 25th). We'll just pass out umbrellas for the out-of-towners if it rains.
(And BLUE, is this considered a "grub" to have my first post, on day the 2:1 split pays, and exactly I month before I marry my best friend and soulmate. Perhaps I'll get a good post number to top it all off).
You're sure full of surprises you rascal. Heck, I was sort of enjoying being an S.I. "lurker" for all these many months. That way I could stay out of all the little GNET "family" tiffs. A lot like a normal family I guess, (especially when the stock price drops, and a few posters get a little touchy).
Not only did you give me a lifetime membership to Silicon Investor as a wedding present, but you stayed up almost all night on the thread with Susan and a few other crazy GNET night owlsÑand got a place reserved for me in the top 50 of the "longs" list.
Thank you Susan (and Grace who resumed the "keeper-of-the-list" duties in the morning). Susan and/or Grace you can now replace "Puna's Brother" with my name "Roger Sherman" (named after a distant relative who wrote the first draft of our "Bill of Rights" and a signer the U.S. Constitution). It's a good thing to celebrate and have a little fun once in a while. You know what they say about about all work and now play, it can make you a little cranky.
Also my thanks to BLUE for seconding Puna's request. And Blue, you were absolutely right as you wrote in your post it, "What a great wedding gift. Sure beats all that crystal stuff you always get and never use." I'm sure it'll be the very best wedding gift we'll receive. And heck, we already have all the "stuff" we need. And I'm sure that Susan and Grace will honor your request (as "the original GNET long") to reserve #7777 for youÑalthough I don't know if Puna's "GNET Party Wing" on the new home he's planning to build in Hawaii will hold quite that many. He'll probably just send us all down to the local "clothing-optional" sun-bathing beach. And to viotrader, I think I'll keep #49 if you don't mind (as my brother went to so much trouble to get it), and besides if you hold your GNET stock until your age matches your "long" number, I don't think you'll be sorry!
I guess I won't be getting a welcome to the thread "wav" post from Josef until the banner thing gets worked out to his satisfaction. I hope it does, as I have enjoyed reading his many great contributions to this thread the over the past months. He seems to be able to find a link to just about anything on the web.
As you know, we started getting heavily into GNET back in January, after researching and watching it move up for over a year. With several excellent articles in the Seatle newspapers giving it "strong buy" recommendations for some time, and several rumors that the company was as prime candidate for acquisition by (and/or merge with) a "major" portal. I started buying at around 29/share (post splits) in January, and have kept buying on the dips (and rises) all the way up to 172 (pre-split).
By the way I don't think it's been mentioned by anyone reporting on the 6/17 stockholder's meeting (excellent summary reports by Dick Enersen post #7541, as well as Kevin Rogers post #7888), but among the many interesting little tidbits, I'm sure I heard Russell say that YAHOO (and others) had approached management about acquiring Go2Net. I believe he also said that Allen/Vulcan approached them (not the other way around). Just thinkÑif we'd lost the war, and Allen hadn't come alongÑwe might have all been "yahoos" today. Sort of a scary thought, huh?
And as I told Russell during the meeting, "I've got all my relatives heavily invested in GNET, and for those who got in at 199 (none of us really did get in that high), what encouragement can you give them?" His 10-15 minute answer to that and some follow-up questions just blew me away. And how "long" am I on GNET now? Well, as I also told Russell during the meeting, " I've now put my entire IRA into GNET, and plan to leave it there at least 20 yearsÑso you guys have plenty of time until I retire." Russ's answer, "I hope it doesn't take that long." His answer really didn't sink in until I got homeÑas I had been taking pages of notes during the meeting, writing as fast I could (as you know from my nine page meeting report that I emailed you). Russell is amazing! One of the smartest people I've ever seen or heard. Reminds me of a young Bill Gates. . . only smarter. With him at the helm of GNET (and only 33 yrs. old), I've moved my retirement plan up about 10 years or so. Not to mention the co-founder and President John Keister (runs the in-house day-to-day operations) who is also one smart cookieÑlooking a little bit like John F. Kennedy Jr.
Perhaps we'll pick up a few acres with a nice beach or two over there in the islands in a few years. What I didn't tell Russell is that I finally dumped the last of my MSFTÑputting it all into GNET. And that's where it'll stay for a long time. I'm getting "longer" by the days! I don't think there will be a bad time to get into this stock in the next few years, although I sure would have liked to have picked up a few shares at $2/share (double split-adjusted) when the company first came onto my radar screenÑand when I first started seriously tracking it's business plan and other fundamentals. As you know, I was an earlier investor in MSFT, and it has been a very nice ride, but I just felt it was time to invest in another little Seattle area startup that's on a fast-track growth plan.
Heck, billionaires are growing like trees way up here in the SILICON MOUNTAINS (did just I just coin that phase). And start-ups are springing up everywhere: like GNET, AMZN, RNWK, INFOSEEKÑnot to mention a few earlier previous little start-ups that have done pretty well (Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, REI, Eddie Bauer, and hopefully the Seahawks this yearÑthanks to Paul buying the team). And I guessÑaccording to recent reportsÑwe'll be able to claim the world's first trillionaire in the next few years. That kid Billy-the-kid just keeps on-a-ticking. But I expect Russell and a few others at GNET to be on the Forbes list before too long. Sooner rather than later, as they say.
And remember all you longs. Just one year ago today (6/25/98) the stock price of GNET closed at 6 7/8 (adjusted for the two 2:1 splits this year). And through yesterday's close of 69 11/16 (split-adjusted) was an almost 1014% profit increase in one year, and although well below the stock's high of 199 (99.5 split-adjusted), "IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR." $100,000 invested in GNET exactly one year ago, would have made a person a millionaire by today. It is my humble opinion (as Josef would say), based on everything I've been able to find out about this company, that beyond a shadow-of-a-doubt for those of us who stay long "YOU AIN'T SEEN NUTTIN YET" !!!
I apologize for the length of this first post. In all of the thrill of this S.I. Membership wedding present, I just got a little carried away with enthusiasm. I promise to try be briefer in the future. TA's not my thing and, although daily chart tracking can is quite intoxicating, I invest (not trade) based what I believe are the "fundamentals" of a company, and with a certain feeling in my gut. It works for me (it sure worked with MSFT).
Perhaps I'll be able to make some small contributions to dialogue on this thread in the months and years ahead. The local Seattle papers cover GNET and Allen's "Wired World" plans very well.
And another day, they'll be another party.
I believe we Go2Netters will have many celebrations
in the months and years to come.
And remember longs:
A few "short" ones may come and go,
dropping-in for brief visits to the GNET family, and then moving on.
But they help add a little stimulating flavor and variety to the soup we're making.
But IMHO (see I'm already learning the jargon)
the longs will have much less stress to deal with,
will most likely retire earlier, happier, more at peace . . .
and will be much richer for it!
As I told the rest of the family,
"Just check the stock price once each year,
and I think it'll you'll be very happy."
Thanks again bro for the wonderful wedding gift!
My best to you,
and to all fellow Go2Netters!!!
Gotta get back to the drawing board.
Roger |
