Captain's Blog, stardate 4/26/07

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- MARKS: Happy Dow breaking 13,000 to you! Happy Dow breaking 13,000 to you! You look like a short seller, and you weep like one too! Just one for instance: AP reports that, "Apple (Charts, Fortune 500) blew past Wall Street expectations Wednesday, posting quarterly profits that jumped 88%, fueled by strong sales of its iPod players and Macintosh computers." And remember that's coming off strong comps! Yep. As Shawn Tully calls it: "A perfect calm."

FORTUNE 500 ISSUE: Sorry I wasn't able to write last week, just crazy busy on the road, see below. Whew! So much has happened in the past two weeks---most notably the new FORTUNE 500 issue. Yeah baby! We are really proud of it over here. It is simply a great BUSINESS magazine! Hope you enjoy it. The response to David Whitford's story on homeless business guru Ram Charan has been amazing and global. Jennifer Reingold's story on Gap (Charts, Fortune 500) and the Fisher family has also brought us kudos. I love the product spreads (great company facts), and the picture portfolio. (Believe me it was sooo tough to pick those photos. We have a zillion great ones in our archives. Hmmm)...Coming up next issue? Well, Alec Baldwin figures in the mix, as does Kurzweil Music Systems, and the Clintons! Oh and Jeff Immelt. See you in the magazine!

TRAVELS: Whew! (one more time) I've been everywhere man! Started in Clarksville, TN where I went to see them print FORTUNE at our plant. Soooo cool to see $30 million German precision presses whipping the pages along. Thanks to all at Quebecor!...Then up to Maine during that horrendous nor'easter. Was in Freeport and couldn't sleep. Walked over to LL Bean in the middle of the night. SUCH a cool store, but they really need some help in their merchandizing when it comes to clothes. Weather was so bad I had to drive out. (My aunt and cousin had over 50 trees down on their adjacent properties. One tree guy says he couldn't come out until JANUARY he has so much work.)....On to Detroit, where we had a blast with folks from the Big Three (in separate meetings of course...) Capped it off with an awesome dinner at Flemings! Heavy partying with some folks from Caddie! Thanks to Kevin, LT and everyone else...Then to Washington and a dinner with Ambassador Ronen Sen of India at his residence. Truly a charming evening. Thank you Mr. Ambassador!....Then back to NYC for the Tickled Pink party (see below), and the next day up to Columbia University to deliver the keynote speech at the Journalism School's reunion weekend. I got to sit next to Helen Gurley Brown and David Brown. (So cool!) Thanks Dean (Nick!) Lemann.....Then back to DC for the White House Correspondent's Dinner with Mrs. Streetlife. I'm sure you've read about this ad naseum, but yes Rich Little (who I loved as a kid) was bad. Chatted and/or said hi to Jamie McIntyre, George Stephanopoulos, Mitt Romney, Fred Barnes, Steve Schwarzman, Matt Winkler, Gov. Deval Patrick, Larry Hackett, Sen. Susan Collins, Bill (Hemdawg) Hemmer, Ambassador Abdulwahab Abdulla AL-Hajjri of Yemen, Jon Klein, Michelle Kwan. Oh and Sanjaya!!! (John Jacobs of NASDAQ too!) Thanks Nina and Lisa D!!! (Hey Bill D.)

LOOSE CHANGE: Okay, my new favorite NBA team is the Nuggets. (Mc'Nuggies!) Even if they didn't beat the Spurs!.....Was at the Tickled Pink benefit in NYC with my family (Hi Emmy!) last Friday night. This is an event sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation specifically aimed at teens. A wonderful and moving evening and it was nice to chat with the likes of Donnie Deutsch and Laura Blankfein....Speaking of sightings, you know when I walked by San Pietro (in midtown Manhattan), I just knew I would see the guy who runs (hedge fund) Bridger Management. As I told your tablemates Roberto, you love that funky food! (Hi Allison!).....Speaking of eating, was at Del Posto in NYC the other night. How was? I have to say just okay....And finally people you have to go to Stanley Bing's amazing website unt blog! Did I tell you how amazing it is? Anyway. You really should put this in your pipe and smoke it. K?