March 09, 2004
Why I hated being a stockbroker
The hot tip was Arkansas Valley Industries This was back in the late 60's when any decent human being of consciousness was out demonstrating against the war in Vietnam. I was trading Arkansas Valley over-the-counter market at a tiny brokerage house. I like to think I have evolved.
Arkansas Valley was named something more down home, like Turkey Trot, but they changed it's name when they changed it's imperial ambitions. It was going to be the first turkey corporation, using agribusiness techniques down on the turkey farm. A visionary plan. Everybody wanted some of the action.
Just about September, close to Thanksgiving, the poor turkeys came down with some blight, maybe mites. The corporation sprayed the cages where the poor turkeys were confined-- pioneers off the free range. The spray was toxic, turkeys fainted all over the place. Eventually, all of the turkeys had to be destroyed. Arkansas Valley couldn't even sell the turkey corpses to Kennel Ration, it was so bad.
Not a hot tip after all.
Posted by Dakota at March 9, 2004 06:52 AM