Can I make a non-raging against the antipope or gubmint post? I hope it will recharge the batteries.

This used to be a fairly chipper, if not exactly upbeat, site.  Barnhardt.biz, for those of you who might be new on the scene, launched in ARSH 2003 wherein I posted daily cattle and grain market commentary – yes, even before I opened Barnhardt Capital Management.  That was in ARSH 2006.  I discerned very quickly that emailing clients and contacts in general was both annoying and ineffective. It is much better to have people come to you, and consume your product by their own free choice. And, if you have a good product, people will do just that. Barnhardt.biz gathered a large following quickly in the cattle industry precisely because I would post music, specifically classic country music, back in those days.  Also, my market commentary was witty and the prose was lively, so… it was just a TOUCH different in illo tempore.

It was largely the music posts that drew people in and built a good-sized audience such that when I launched Barnhardt Capital Management, I was opening accounts almost daily, and was opening new accounts up until the end.  The last account I opened was one of the last people to successfully transfer out of MF Global, so that tells you.  Cattlemen knew that if absolutely nothing else, I had darn fine taste in music.  I wasn’t one of these “fake cowboys” listening to Tupac. I never tried to pass myself off as a “cowgirl”.  I was always just, “Ann”, and just exactly as now, everyone understands that that is “just Ann”, and “she’s different, but she’s pretty cool, and she wears cool hats, and digs Hank Snow.” And I know all about arbitraging cash cattle.

I remember well my very first music post back in October of ARSH 2003.  It was Hank Snow’s “It Don’t Hurt Anymore”.  I think the cattle markets were either limit-up, or close to it that day, so I tied the music in with the markets.  I remember the sheer delight upon the first time posting the music file (in the background – remember that??) and opening it, and hearing Hank Snow pour out of the speakers.  My office mate Bob and I were laughing and rejoicing – just because I made Hank Snow come out of the innerwebz.

So, since this has to be pretty close to the anniversary of the launch date of Barnhardt.biz fourteen years ago, and in gratitude to God Almighty for extracting me from the Futures and Options business when He did, and for everything that has happened in the interim, for good or for ill, but all in accord with the Divine Providence, here is Hank Snow with “It Don’t Hurt Anymore”.  Enjoy.