Hundreds of People Made Gifts of Stock With Great Timing

From the Wall Street Journal

I like to give stocks for the Season,

And here is the very good reason:

The duds that I gift

Will usually shift

Way down to a swift fiscal treason.

Paper Planners in the Digital Age: Why We’re Still Addicted

From the Wall Street Journal

I keep a daily planner upon my messy desk;

I find it very useful, and also picturesque.

The tactile turn of pages gives me a sense of worth;

Although to my cruel children it is a thing of mirth.

A digital reminder is what they recommend;

But I will not be pressured by any passing trend.

An old dog can learn new tricks, but this backward canine

Is comfortable with planners that never go online.

from the Minneapolis Star Tribune

A Minnesota Christmas is as cold as cold can be;

Thermometers stop working and the icicles go “Whee!”

The blue jays freeze to branches and the sidewalks turn to ice;

And when a frost heave trips me I do not use words too nice.

Even old Kris Kringle finds the weather something hard;

The reindeer must be bribed to fly here with some sweet Swiss chard.

I’d move away forever if the ice fishing weren’t great.

Even so, I’m using ice cubes right now for my bait!