Friday, June 18, 2010

6/19/10 She Talks To Angels



She paints those eyes as black as night now
She pulls those shades down tight
Oh yeah, there's a smile when the pain comes,
The pain gonna make everything alright


This one takes me back to the early nineties, when I moved back to the Bay Area after twenty years in the Midwest. I was driving a silver '84 silver Tercel, and would explore a different exit off the freeway almost every night. First the East Bay: I80, followed by 580, then 880. The Peninula: 101 and 280. The South Bay. North Bay and Marin County. I ran that car into the ground, to the point where the radiator overheated on a regular basis. My 'remedy' was always the same- turn the heat on full blast and hope for the best. I was stuck in east-bound traffic on the Bay Bridge one afternoon when it overheated again, with the temperature outside in the high seventies. I prayed blasting the heater would keep things together until I made it off the decline, and it did. I pulled over, a CHP officer pulled up next to me and asked if I needed help. I thought I'd be OK, and he left. A few minutes later, a service truck pulled up and asked if I needed water- I said 'No, but thanks.'

A week later I drove down to Seaside and traded it in for a new '91 Camry.

Day trading this market feels a little like driving that Tercel. I need to trade it in for a new strategy.

58 comments:

  1. http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109848/little-dog-large-estate

    The rich are indeed not like you and me, and it's not just the fact that they have more money.

    Or, as Bill is fond of saying- When it comes to money, people are funny.

    I actually hope I never accumulate wealth to the point where it becomes a psychological disorder.

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  2. I consider SIMAGA to have been a successful strategy this week.

    Not enough to break out the Nadurra, but I am on my second tumbler of the 12-year-old Glenlivet.

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  3. man, 2nd, that's a sick family, those posners. i'd like to think i'd be more thoughtful with my money if i was filthy rich, like waste it on a triple inverse etf of the market when it's in an uptrend.

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  4. Yeah, it's hard to say which of the two displays greater mental illness;)

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  5. Let's be fair, however. Even seasoned 'pros' have had little to offer the past 18 months. Almost anything they print makes them eligible for John Walsh's 15 seconds of shame. Bill timed his remarks on gold prices selling off perfectly- for someone inclined to fade his remarks. I have more than once timed my remarks on a gap up/down perfectly also- for someone inclined to fade my calls. There's almost no way to win in this market.

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  6. Well, it's official. I'm a senior citizen.

    I have noticed that yellow corn is never available at my local market. I finally asked the produce guy today why, because I like it better than white.

    "No body wants it. Only the old people ask for it", he said.

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  7. Are you saying maize is going the way of the cassette tape?

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  8. Mark- I have a question for you, on the off chance you may know the answer.

    We have an overhead lamp (original) in our home that uses a halogen bulb. The one that burned out is a 'frosted' bulb. When I took it in to OSH for a replacement, the guy told me, 'Well we don't have any frosted ones.' He took a look and asked 'Do you know if it's a 120V or a 12V?' No. I bought one of each, and neither one works. Any suggestions?

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  9. Coulda put a radiator in the Tercel, those were great cars. 1/2 hour job maybe and around $100 these days.

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  10. Wonder what the little people are doing tonight?

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  11. Mark - I knew you were senior when you admitted to listening to AM radio.

    Overhead lamp fixture - Don't those have a thermal limit switch mounted somewhere on the body? Perhaps the bulb didn't fail but the thermal switch did? Test the old and new bulb in a known good fixture to eliminate the bulb variable. I used to have an overhead that if I installed the wrong bulb(too large probably) would run for 1/2 hour then start cycling on and off every 10 minutes or so...

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  12. Is the bulb a "screw in type"? Like an old fashioned light bulb? By overhead lamp, buy you mean it's plugged in like a lamp, or a light fixture on a ceiling?

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  13. I love AM. Oh well...better to know :)

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  14. Oh, so is the fixture 12V or 120? You didn't say, I assumed it was 120V (newer types could be 12V I suppose).

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  15. I did back into a tree in my driveway yesterday....Damn.

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  16. Speaking of light bulbs(LED type), CREE and VECO kicked butt this week...

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  17. Can we please not talk about CREE. I bought it @ 18 and sold it @ 24.

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  18. Backed into a tree in your own driveway? That's rough, you must've been distracted.

    I don't usually back out of my normal parking spot, I back in. I figure it lowers my carbon footprint slightly.

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  19. CREE - Hey, I sold TCK around $6 if I remember correctly...

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  20. CP- I'll raise you CE. Bought at 7 and sold at 17.

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  21. It's an overhead fixture, and the bulb plugs in.

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  22. Yep, we missed out on some huge moves but $7 to $17 was a damn good trade!

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  23. plug in bulb - Could be 12V or 120V, I've seen both. If 12V, you've got a 120:12VAC transformer mounted somewhere along with the secondary low voltage wiring.

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  24. Bulb: there is a number on the bulb that denotes style (shape, frosted, voltage) they all have it.
    https://1000bulbs.com/category/halogen-light-bulbs/

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  25. Interesting article, Tuscany anyone?

    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/be-careful-for-what-you-wish/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheBigPicture+(The+Big+Picture)

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  26. Coconuts for Sharkie and harder, deeper and faster. LOL

    http://www.zerohedge.com/article/michelle-c-squared-goes-deeper-harder-faster?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+zerohedge/feed+(zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline,+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero)

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  27. 2nd- It's most likely 12V. Take a picture of it and e-mail it to me.

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  28. BTW, if it is low voltage, the transformer might be shot. Actually, you might want to take a picture of the fixture also.

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  29. Hey Guys,

    First of all, "She Talks to Angels" is one kick-ass song. This retro band was really good during that final period in the music business, the "post-metal" era of the early 90's. In a totally different vein check out Elliot Smith....."Coming Up Roses" is my fave, with "Ms. Misery" being his big hit. This guy was so goshdarn good it's not funny. Before he stabbed himself in the heart with a steak knife..."Methinks I feels too much":)

    "There Will Be Blood" with D.D. Lewis is the best metaphor I've found to what we're trying to do. The man is an inspiration to me...His toughness, his ballsiness, his genetic inability to quit and hang it up. Watch this movie!

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  30. BTW Telestar...You live in Hawaii right? Do you know my friend Harry Donenfeld and his brother Ben?

    That guy's blog is really funny...reminds me of my blog if I had a blog:)

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  31. Seems the message is pretty clear that economic indicators have rolled over...

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  32. HEAT - Take a look at this one folks, a potential winner?

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  33. Craig/Mark- Thanks for the input. Wife seems to have misplaced the original bulb, but when we find it I'll look for printing on the bulb. But it could in fact turn out to be the transformer.

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  34. In case we all lose our jobs and/or lose it all gambling in the casino, I'll meet you guys at one of these locations:

    http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/109847/places-to-retire-on-social-security-alone?mod=fidelity-readytoretire

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  35. Shark, cannot say that I do know them.

    Looked at Panama and Boquete a few years ago. If memory serves it is a very small mountain community. Panama has really good medical services from what I have read.

    My friend Ben, prefers Ecuador.

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  36. In case you don't read the Eclectica newsletter, I found the opening page pretty interesting from the May newsletter. Here is a link to the newsletter:

    http://rghost.net/1664817?r=1811

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  37. my messages do not post automatically anymore, am I on restriction? again?

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  38. 2nd, I'm all over the ex-pat idea.

    A very small house with solar panels and garden and you could get it close to nothing.

    If it's China I'm going to need language tutoring which would probably be a good idea anyway.

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  39. Transformers are pretty reliable. I'd unplug the fixture and check the socket contacts (sometimes they get hot and s--- happens, and see if the switch has continuity.

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  40. vb - Since you asked, this one's for you:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFpfureaCVs&a=LUN97TIfnGs&playnext_from=ML

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  41. A 120 volt bulb won't work in a 12V fixture, a 12V bulb in a 120volt fixture will work for less than a second b/c it will be quickly damaged (wear eye protection or stand far away b/c the quartz envelope may shatter).

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  42. If you have a multi-tester you can check the socket to see if it's hot.
    Use the 120V range on the multi-tester. If it's 12V it will register low, if it's 120V it will tell you that too.

    Touch the red electrode jigger on the middle contact of the socket and the black ground electrode to the outside threaded ground part of the socket. Don't electrocute yourself!

    You can't test halogen bulbs with continuity because they don't use a filament but instead use a charge through halogen gases inside an arc tube that produces light when excited.

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  43. Panama

    http://www.panamarealestate.cc/whypanama.html

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  44. "You can't test halogen bulbs with continuity because they don't use a filament"

    Sure you can! Halogen lamps use a quartz envelope though, b/c of the higher temperatures.

    "A halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp in which a tungsten filament is sealed into a compact transparent envelope filled with an inert gas and a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine. The combination of the halogen gas and the tungsten filament produces a chemical reaction known as a halogen cycle (see below) that increases the lifetime of the bulb and prevents its darkening by redepositing tungsten from the inside of the bulb back onto the filament. The halogen lamp can operate its filament at a higher temperature than a standard gas filled lamp of similar power without loss of operating life."

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  45. i am making some very good connections.. other options Might include holland and denmark - more soon

    vb

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  46. What!? No one is going to take a shot at the reaction to the Yuan news (non-news?)?? :)

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  47. What do you guys make of the Chinese cureency news.....what will be the effect on U.S. stocks?

    It should be bullish, no?

    Any ideas?

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  48. I'm probably done discussing the yuan, there just hasn't been much interest in the subject.

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  49. vb, I'd like to go to Holland, wooden shoe? Actually, I like Italy most, of all the European countries I've been to. Mombasa Kenya is nice too, but Italy is more interesting in terms of human history.

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  50. cp,

    I love italy and fell in love there at the spendido resort in portofino

    http://www.hotelsplendido.com/web/ospl/hotel_splendido.jsp

    well, that was husband number 2

    hey, i am not ready to retire YET, and holland sounds intriguing to me

    vb

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  51. Holland is pretty cool, Archimedes screw! So is Belgium (more so, for me) but I'd still take Italy.

    Baby Louie "peep-doodle" duck is cryin' gotta go (I'm playing momma to an orphan for at least the remainder of the month).

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  52. yes, I love brooges..

    go be a good daddy to the peep doodle

    happy fathers day mark 2nd craig and all the others.

    lv

    vb

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  53. ahhhh looks like i'm going to get the old sausage tomorrow. well, i'm glad i didn't short individual stocks as my risk would be a lot higher. that's what happens when you short against a trend. better to wait for the trend to change.

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  54. CP- I know you have been all over the Yuan issue. I for one would really like your take as to the long tern implications of this change.

    Thank you.

    Respectfully submitted,
    Mark W. Barry

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  55. Yuan - China: "We had to protect our economy." Sure, for nearly 2 decades! The second largest economy on the planet and the currency doesn't trade in the free market.. Duh!

    Alright then, lately there's been concern within China about inflation, apparently food prices have risen appreciably and real estate for sure (which I think is limited to luxury housing, the public housing projects are (or may be) price-fixed)

    Positive points (from our perspective):

    1) If inflation in China is a real concern then an appreciated yuan would relieve that pressure.
    2) China is working on a massive build-out, the plan is to move huge numbers of the population into cities by 2020 or something like that (can anybody guess why?, I've got some ideas) They're going to need massive quantities of commodities to pull off the task, an appreciated yuan helps.
    3) Global trade should feel some relief.

    Negative points

    1) Chinese exports will probably slow, stronger currency effect. (aside: wouldn't it be nice if we looked back 5 years from now to find the trade imbalance peaked in 2007/2008?)
    2) USD won't be as strong, so energy and commodities will be more expensive in terms of U$D (we consume too much anyway).


    It's the responsible thing to do, makes perfect sense to me and is coming way too late if you ask me.

    I'm sure you guys can add to the list of bullets.

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