Rolled, Hedging, Fitness

Going to Israel, 1970, lay over in N.Y., get drunk, pick up hooker, pass out, no sex, get rolled....didn't miss a beat. Go to Israel next day but not feeling too swift or too smart (aka really stupid). Flew El Al, First Class, sat next to the head of Mossad. Not much conversation. Drinks served in very small glasses. Being a high velocity drinker I asked for my third drink within 10 minutes of taking off, the flight attendant looked at me and asked with that Israeli intonation, "Another one?"(emphasis on "another"). It took me 13 months of shuttling to Israel, while trying to promote seriously wealthy U.S. Jews, to conclude that Moses had made a significant error. He should have turned right instead of left and the Jews would have the oil - though in past years there was a huge off shore Israel natural gas discovery (in those days there were more Jews in New York City than Jews in Israel). In the beginning I went through several months of trying to connect with someone in the Israeli bureaucracy with zero success. So one night (my time) I phoned Golda Meir, the Israeli Prime Minister, spoke with someone in her office who put me in touch with Zvi Dinstein, the Israeli Energy Minister. Trying to raise money to drill for oil in Israel was a great ride. I grew to love unbelievably bureaucratic Israel and it’s over the top rude people. I have always contended that if you combine the rudeness of a New Yorker with the rudeness of a Parisian, you have an Israeli. But I loved them for what they were and are- a relentlessly creative and imaginative culture, rudeness and all. A word to the wise… Hedging oil and or gas prices ain't for neophytes or the weak of stomach. Check the airlines with their fancy computer driven models - lost reams of money playing the hedging game. "Sleep is one of the most vital workouts". Stay optimistic, stay fit (walk a lot) and laugh a lot for a long life.

Sharon, Natural Gas, Fitness

Sharon was her name. I met her on a flight to Midland, Texas having been summoned from London by my oil and gas patroon. Great looking, bright gal on her way to Albuquerque on some kind of business. While I had never, in my life, seen her before the flight I felt that sitting next to her for two hours gave me the necessary insight to invite Sharon to London as my guest. Bright, good looking, big boobs gave Sharon the aura for me of a perfect soul mate. Couldn't beat that image with a stick... A few weeks later, on a first class flight with a guarantee of her own room at Claridge's, in came Sharon who I welcomed at Heathrow with a car and driver. Very big time showing off... Sharon immediately proved herself to be a sincere wine drinker who loved to smoke dope. I did neither. All I wanted was good company and at least the prospect of sex. Not very complicated and I was getting neither. So I sat Sharon's sorry ass down in my suite and said, "Sharon, your meter has expired. Your time is up and it is time for you to go home." I felt foolish for having invited her but smart for sending her home - cut my losses short. For all of you prospective natural gas investors...just bear in mind that "cheap" natural gas is going to become a lot more expensive and a lot less attractive as environmental costs start rising exponentially, which I believe will happen as sure as night follows day. Fitness tip of the week...Good balance, good range of motion and flexibility will keep you looking and acting younger than your chronological years. Yoga, Pilate's and plain ordinary walking helps a lot.