Two years ago last August the shingles did a number on my eighth nerve (runs between my brain and my left ear)… Unfortunately (it would seem), a quarter-decade has passed and that nerve just ain’t healing – the ear rings constantly…

But, like I said, this would only seem unfortunate… As it turns out, my hellacious bout with the shingles has left me with a barometer; when I get 8 hours sleep, the ringing ‘virtually’ goes away… When I get 4, my left ear rings like a grammar school fire alarm (imagine the annoyance)… And I suspect it was my formerly-typical 3-4 hours sleep that laid open my immune system to begin with… So what do I do? I (more often) sleep like a normal person… And, from what I’ve been told, healthy sleep habits lead to greater longevity… So maybe I live longer having suffered the 2009 shingles…

The CEO who suffered the 2008 recession hears a ringing every time a politician proposes tighter regs or higher taxes… He therefore sleeps under a pristine balance sheet laced with enough cash that, were he inspired to put it to work, would surely push GDP, as well as the market, to substantially higher digits… He’s simply not willing to venture beyond his safety net while fearing he could catch the Washington flu at any moment…

Bottom line; whether we’re talking cash on corporate balance sheets or excess reserves in the banking system, today’s money is smart money… It will ultimately be put to work, I assure you, but only when it makes good sense… And I wouldn’t have it any other way…