The Rebel Yell!

When I was a kid, I rode on what was touted as the biggest, baddest, fastest, scariest roller coaster of the time - The Rebel Yell - at the Kings Dominion theme park in Doswell, Virginia. What a thrill..... I remember racing off the the ride and running to get back in line to ride it over and over again. Yes, I found the speed and the sheer terror of the seemingly endless drop purely exhilarating. The twisting and turning just added to my excitement. It didn't matter if I had a stomach full of Carmel candy, M & M's, and soda, I just powered through the day from arrival time to departure time. Never thinking about the chance of getting sick to my stomach. The summer heat and humidity - merely a minor inconvenience. It was all about the adrenalin rush. The possibility of injury or death never entered my head. It was just fun. Those were great years.


(The years 1974-1980 saw the most roller coasters built in the United States since the 1920's.)


It was all the rage! My friends and I stood around and discussed theme parks and described the adventures in great detail; second by second as others looked on. And when the season ended and the parks closed, we thirsted for summertime so that we could do it all again. Those were the days!

The Rebel Yell - Kings Dominion

This week I lived the antithesis of those good old days. I rode the mother of all financial roller coasters without as much as a seat belt. Each twist slammed my head into the side rail leaving me bloodied. The reverse turn leaving me choking and gagging in my own serum. The upside downs and ins and outs making me scream and cry like a child. When the ride was over I didn't race to the line but stood still and vomited on my shoes! I crawled to sit down on a lonely bench and clung to it praying for my headache to cease. I watched the experts - baffled, discombobulated, stupefied staring at the stars looking for answers. Every analyst offering a simplified answer to this very fragile yet erratic market. I listened to Presidential candidate John McCain praise the strength of our economy - blunder - recount - and then blunder again! Instilling confidence ------ I witnessed our national infrastructure stuff billions of dollars into the leaky holes in the dyke. I played two rounds of golf, enjoyed a lovely dinner with some friends, watched some classic westerns and longed for the careless days of my youth and the thrill of the Rebel Yell!

This weekend I'll be practicing my pibroch and working on a battle cry of my own. And Monday morning, I'll be leading the charge with my sabre in hand! Slashing the Dow, Ripping the NASDAQ, and Mangling the S&P. Wish me Luck! (And do the prudent thing - protect your savings!)





Cause that's how I roll!


Have a great weekend!