While I'm borrowing stuff from Cody, let me say I agree with his take on AU Optronics (NYSE:AUO). It's the only pure play that I can find on flat-panel TVs and LCD monitors. I expect that large LCDs will overtake Plasma screens in all but the very largest sizes within 12-18 months. AU Optronics is well positioned to take advantage of this, even as the actual setmakers, ranging from Sony (NYSE:SNE) to Dell (NasdaqNM:DELL) beat each other down to the point of no margin at all on the final product.

Gov. to Be Paid $8 Million by Fitness Magazines
Two days before he was sworn into office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted a consulting job paying an estimated $8 million over five years to "further the business objectives" of a national publisher of health and bodybuilding magazines.
The contract pays Schwarzenegger 1% of the magazines' advertising revenue, much of which comes from makers of nutritional supplements. Last year, the governor vetoed legislation that would have imposed government regulations on the supplement industry.
And is anybody really surprised that the "outsider" who was going to "clean things up" turns to be just as much of a self-serving crook as everybody else who enters politics?

And I've got to say it again. Sadly, I've said it so often I used to have a form letter to say it with:
Dear applicant,
Thank you for your resume.
I am a strong believer in letting people rise to the top, fill in for others when appropriate and ultimately receive full credit for their ideas. Those who work for me can expect to have many opportunities to showcase their talents to others.
As such, I can only hire people who are presentable to others in the organization, including the upper management. Applications from individuals who are not capable of expressing themselves using concise, grammatically correct and properly spelled businesslike language cannot be considered. I strongly suggest that if you plan to be successful in business you make greater effort to improve your written communication skills.

I have been known to return resumes and cover letters with the errors circled in red.

Last night's Scarborough Country on MSNBC featured a segment questioning whether the networks really needed to resort to the most lurid possible sexual content in order to compete with offerings like The Sopranos and Entourage on HBO. The answer is no, they don't. What's appealing about those shows is that they're well written, have compelling characters and great plotlines. The violence and sex is perhaps a necessary element given the subject matter, but it isn't what makes those shows great. What the networks need to do is encourage strong shows, not to do schedule lineup by committee.

And on that note, much the same is true of movie theaters. During last week's hand-wringing over declining movie attendance, it occured to me that I'm probably spending more on the movies now than I was a few years ago. I'm happy to spend fourteen bucks a ticket to go to the Arclight in Hollywood where I get an assigned seat, a bar in the lobby, a well-appointed theater, no discounted/free infant tickets (and thus, no crying babies) and convenient parking. Oh yeah, also a membership club that works kind of like a frequent-flyer program and also offers special deals and screenings. Without that stuff, one of those big new AU Optronics screens and a cheap home theater setup seem really compelling.