by Sammy the Chatting Chimp
"After leaving the circus to make a better life for himself, Sammy the Chatting Chimp started his own exotic pet business and made a fortune. Now he wants to share the many facts and secrets he's learned, not only about business, but life in general." Dear Mr. Chimp: The stock market has been setting new records almost every day, but I often hear about 'corrections' that are supposed to take place. What does that mean?
--Larry Johnson, Fairfield, Conn.
Dear Larry: A correction is a quick drop of roughly ten percent in the stock market, usually in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It's often caused by disasters, an adverse geopolitical event or gloomy earnings reports from major corporations or the housing market. Though a correction is not an entirely good thing, it can be a great opportunity. Since many people sell stocks during a correction — fearing the prices will go even lower — it's a good time to buy at lower rates. Wise investors know that the value will go up again and can make quite a profit. That's one secure thing about living in the jungle. Commodities such as food and shelter never drop in value.
Dear Mr. Chimp: This isn’t about money, but you lived in the jungle so I figure you might be able to help me. I'm thinking of getting into gardening and wondering why weeds are so harmful.
--Abby Melon, Providence, R.I.
Dear Abby: Weeds inhibit the growth of other plants by blocking sunlight and robbing them of nutrients in the soil. They also spread pathogens that can damage surrounding vegetation. On top of that, they grow quickly and aggressively and also look pretty ugly. Where I grew up we had plenty of them — vines such as 'old man's beard' and wild kiwifruit. There are even weeds, called ‘transformers’ that can change an ecosystem's soil chemistry by drawing too much water or adding salt to the soil. They’re like E.T.s: they push out the native plants and allow more weeds to encroach. As a result, animals also disappear because their food sources have been suppressed. Since birds and insects are among the displaced animals, there is a loss of pollination and seed dispersal. Though the weed vines made tree climbing a lot easier, it’s pretty scary what one weed type can do!