A self-described "spectacularly beautiful" 25-year old woman is drawing some flack for an ad she placed on Craigslist looking for a man earning at least half-a-million per year because "$250,000 won't get me to Central Park West."

Today's New York Times follows the story of the ad's provenance and the scandal that it has stirred. But being the helpful type, I am going to provide this damsel in distress (assuming it wasn't a prank) with some ideas on how to find the man of her avaricious dreams.

Money's Marlys Harris caused quite a stir a few months back when he published a piece called How to Marry a Billionaire. To infiltrate the world of the super-rich, you must be attractive, classy, cultured and have the right job: rich people, almost by definition, work extremely hard, and frequently meet their future spouses at work.

By making yourself the type of person who will be attractive to a billionaire, you are likely to make yourself the type of person would be attractive to anyone.

I first became interested in the stock markets by reading dog-eared, coffee-stained copies of the Kiplinger News Letter that my dad and step mom would leave on the end tables next to their leather upholstered recliners. I'd prop up my feet, give lap sanctuary to a poodle or two and read about the world according to Kiplinger. Much of what I read I had limited understanding of in regard to the markets and the intricate internal financial clockworks of big businesses. I did, however, and still do, gain a good solid grasp of Kiplinger's projections of overall economic direction and health. I have strong respect for Kiplinger's. I have high regard for the information it provides. Since 1947 Kiplinger's has been providing solid, unbiased financial strategies for families, businesses and individuals.

An excellent column by Jeffrey R. Kosnett, on the Kiplinger website, gives pause for us to think about those particular stocks that people seem to fall in love with and refuse to let go of. The article, Stocks to Love Forever, is not an admonishment of the practice of buying and holding special stocks that are or become dear to our hearts. In fact, Mr. Kosnett makes clear that there are indeed stocks that deserve to be held for a lifetime, or nearly so. The article describes five particular companies whose stock has been worth holding. I'd like to add a few names to that love-stocks portfolio. Remember, for me these names aren't specifically just about making money. This is about companies that, for various reasons, I'd like a piece of. Some of these names may surprise you if you know a bit about my history with them, but let it not be said that I'm narrow-minded or a stick in the mud.