Sunday, December 19, 2010

12/19/10 The Smartphone Six-Gun Debate

Our Verizon contract is up and we've made the decision to switch to smartphones. Does anyone here have an opinion as to which offers the better trading platform? I'm referring to literally trading from the hip. The speed with which one receives alerts and opens/closes positions can certainly provide an edge. We've always used VZ for connection reliability (probably an even more important consideration)- so the iPhone is not an option.

For instance, the opening scene below is exactly how one needs to trade outlaw ETFs like TZA/UNG/VXX. You would have to stride in confidently, strike before they know what's going on, splash a little beer on their faces, and close the positions before they have a chance to regroup and take you out.

http://tinyurl.com/2aozjl9

108 comments:

  1. 2nd- Your Fidelity, right. I'm looking at the app on my phone right now. Let me know if that's your broker and I'll down load it and give it a whirl. The reviews seem good. One guys commented he can see all 6 of his accounts at once. Schwab doesn't have one yet for me. TD/Etrade also do.

    As far as speed /performance, Android hands down.

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  2. (Of course, I have other considerations also- one of my part-time businesses depends on email networking/downloading resumes/reading contracts- so being able to type quickly and accurately is also a factor.)

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  3. I do miss my "buttons" for typing, but they have one with a slide out button type pad. I probably should have gotten that one. As for viewing attachments, it's great. Much faster and can move around/edit in place etc. I download a ton of drawings and it's much better. Text is easy. email networking is easy.

    Fido- I can't get really far without an account, but the home page has streaming news/accounts/watchlist/trades/Quotes. For trading you can place bracket orders, which is nice. Option chains are also available. Real time prices, but I can't tell if they are streaming right now, obviously. Looks pretty nice. Took about 2 seconds for the app. to fire up.

    Any questions?

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  4. The acid test will be when we test-drive the models in the store. I'll let you know which one I decide on.

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  5. Re: Smartphone six-gun debate: Blackberry v Droid newSubmitted by 2nd_ave (5069 comments) on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 13:32 #76280 (in reply to #76279)
    Great feedback, Fox1- thanks. I agree wireless is not necessarily to best way to day trade, but I can't count the number of times I've been stuck in a waiting room, at the airport, or on the freeway in commute traffic wishing I could open/close a position or access information. Telebroker doesn't quite do it for me- it's cumbersome, commissions are high, and information is limited.

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  6. This korean mess is not good from what im reading

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  7. And a 12 gun salute for the old dumb phone!

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  8. Let's have a 12 gun salute for Kim Jung Il while we're at it!

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  9. Oh man, the market hyperthymesiacs are out in force tonight!

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  10. Wikipedia

    Hyperthymesia also known as piking or hyperthymestic syndrome is a condition where the affected individual has a superior[1] autobiographical memory. "Thymesia" comes from the Greek word θύμησις, thymesis meaning "memory". As first described in a 2006 Neurocase article entitled "A case of unusual autobiographical remembering," the two defining characteristics of hyperthymesia are "1) the person spends an abnormally large amount of time thinking about his or her personal past, and 2) the person has an extraordinary capacity to recall specific events from his or her personal past".[2]

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  11. haha...i like this from CNBC's Global Financial Headlines:

    Europe Hit by Snow; Flights, Lady Gaga Show Canceled

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  12. Yeah, it's cold, it's freekin' winter....!

    Check out tonight's 60 minutes show, about people who have seemingly endless memory capacity.

    It's actually possible for anyone I think... I used to do memory exercises by lying in bed at night and going over everything I'd done that day so I could improve my retention, although most of the stuff was only retained for a few years, I may have been able to retain those memories longer if I'd kept at it?

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  13. Those Europeans should fly to Cancun if they're tired of the snow...

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  14. cpookie,

    interesting point but I am not sure how good for the marriage falling asleep to memory exercises is ......


    isn't there a pill ?

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  15. Sick of it, I say, sick of it! WTF? I pay these crazy home prices to live in CALIFORNIA! This rainy crap make me itchy, twitchy and bitchy! I feel like a friggin prisoner in my over priced home.

    OK, I did get 3 "dry" hours of practice on the soccer field with my kids today, but come on!

    ENOUGH already.

    End of rant...Unless this continues.

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  16. markie

    rain rain and more rain it making me crazy too.

    enough

    vb

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  17. vb/Mark- I don't mind the rain as much, being mainly an indoors person. Movies, books, music. Had dinner at one of the neighbor's homes, where we met even more neighbors- all Asian. There are some amazing people in this town, a few with even more amazing histories. That's one thing about living here: I never feel like a minority- b/c I'm not. I'm in the majority.

    Speaking of Asia, I spoke with one guy who has a business that includes manufacturing facilities in 'Nam. That country could be worth investing in.

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  18. hi 2nd,

    Put Nam on the map

    just for some fun,

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1mh9qhbaRU&feature=player_embedded

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  19. 2nd_ave -- since you were talking about movies today, I thought that maybe I'll share a great movie I've recently seen: "The White Ribbon." It has a nice list of awards, including Golden Palm at Cannes:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149362/awards

    The film definitely deserves to be richly awarded. It is about the relationship between fathers and children...

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  20. BGU off pre market at $69.5 that I bought on Friday at $68.8.

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  21. I see my bitching about the rain worked. Now it's literally pouring buckets.

    2nd- I know what you mean, but kinda on the other side of the stick. I work in an industry that is dominated by Hispanics and so is soccer. Kendra is playing on an indoor team now and she is one of 2 "white" girls. It's really funny. When the parents are cheering, I have no friggin idea what they hell they are saying. But they all go out of their way to talk to me and make Kendra feel welcome. Which is good because she is basically a shy kid.

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  22. Mark - Nope, sold MMYT too early in the 26's.

    By the way, it's official. I'm sick to my stomach looking at ADES. I was this close to going heavy into the stock at $5 just a few weeks ago. I posted about it and said it looks way too undervalued. Well, now it's trading at almost $11/share and some analyst put a $21 price target on the stock. That could have been a life changer. Arghhhhh back to the grind.

    BTW Mark - I really like RAS now. I'm thinking of slowly building a position in it. I think it makes its way back to 1 x book value, which is about $8/share.

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  23. TOF- Yep, I remember your ADES idea. Just WAY to thin for me back then to put any "real" dollars into it.

    RAS- We F'ed up that one as well. I keep looking for a pull back...Nada.

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  24. I'd sure like to see BAC hold the top off the 100 here.

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  25. Rain - Nothing to complain about when you know in advance it stops completely by April 15th and doesn't rain at all again until Thanksgiving!

    QCOM - Remember when this one was trading @ $34?

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  26. Mark - I think the market is setting up for a downside move here so I'm content with waiting for my entry points. Having said that, RAS looks awfully good on a weekly chart. And if you look at the move it made in April, it came off a base of $1.00. How many people were willing to buy the stock at $1.70 after a 70% move? I think buyers now will be rewarded despite what looks like heightened risk after a "big" move.

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  27. CADC - I suppose we'll finf out soon it that's an H&S, but it looks like maybe it's not.

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  28. ATNI - I won't add if this one doesn't retest it's recent low, I'm not a chaser.

    If TOF's right about the market selling off, this one might retest it's low?

    I'm still waiting to add to something, sports fans!

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  29. Asia - I see they were down considerably across the board last night, I presume over concerns about North Korea.

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  30. PKX - Maybe the skirmish in Korea will escalate prior to calming down and I'll be forced to buy one of the largest Stainless steel makers in Asia.

    I really don't like having so many positions though...

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  31. PMI - Back to lower trend line, which way does she go?

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  32. FTWR - Near lower trend line here...

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  33. Added to BGZ at $9.11.

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  34. David- Thanks for the recommendation. I see it's available for instant download on NFLX, so I may watch it tonight.

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  35. Okay, so we're on hold for now...

    "North Korea criticized South Korea but then said they didn't feel the need to retaliate. "

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  36. Sitting This One Out newSubmitted by 2nd_ave (5071 comments) on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 12:29 #76306
    Benched for making bad calls during last Friday's game.

    100% cash + zero conviction.

    edit reply Bookmark this

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  37. IMAX - This one's really been kickin' it over that last two months.

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  38. CEU - Rotten egg for sure.
    GEDU - I think this one's got a chance.

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  39. CBPO - Missed that one entirely, but I'm no bio-tech wizard...

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  40. GMO - Keeps bouncing off $5.30, coulda made a bundle if I weren't buy and hold?

    Who the heck knows which way these things are going in the short term, it must be a maddening task to trade daily...

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  41. Ha! You're killing me complaining about rain.
    You ain't seen nuthin'!
    What you are experiencing is a little drool.
    You want to see rain, I can show you rain.

    Last week we got 2" in a day, then overnight another 3". THAT is rain. A few years back I lived on the West fork of the Satsop river and we got 10" in 24 hours. It washed enough logs down river to start a log jam at the bridge which was shuddering under the load (concrete).

    We BUILD here when it's raining, we don't melt like the wicked witch of the west! There's no calling in saying we aren't working because it's raining. I've also framed in snow. Now THAT is fun. That was before all these new-fangled gloves we use now. It did give me a new appreciation for post and beam where we could get a roof up and work in the dry.

    Blue arrow still pointing up. Same for the port. Anything can happen and probably will!

    FF

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  42. Rain or not, not much outdoor work aside from essentials gets done around here once temps drop under 50* in late fall.

    Yes, rain comes on it's own schedule here so it's something we have to always take into account b/c I refuse to work on projects with rain falling on my head. ;)

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  43. Added last piece to BGZ at $9.00. I was thinking we could get to 1,250 back in August and voila...here we are. I'm betting on yet another disappointment for retail investors that are buying here.

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  44. MMR cleared R2 today. Nice :)

    FF- Yeah, we work regardless. Actually I don't care about the weather for work. It's the friggin weekends trapped inside the house with the kids. Normally we are out of the house and running by 8:00 am.

    Nice turn around in WTIC.

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  45. Remember we were looking at HERO @ 2.30ish about 3 weeks ago? 3.30ish today

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  46. TOF- SOH has an interesting take on an ANF short.

    Looks like a good entry to me, but I don't want to go into margin to do it.

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  47. There are only a few flies in the ointment that I see (in order of importance):

    *Overly bullish sentiment as measured by Hulbert's readings, and Smart/Dumb Money Indices
    *CDS Spreads in Europe still really high
    *Tensions in Korea ain't dying down despite what North Korea is saying
    *Municipal bond market crashing lately
    *China markets are weak
    *Ted Spread is starting to rise
    *Baltic Dry Index has been going down for several weeks now with no bounce
    *Every time we have gotten near 4% on the 10 year the market has fallen over the past 2 years.

    Given the Hussman's chart that compares valuation with future 10 year performance saying that its definitely NOT a good time to buy and given it's historical accuracy, I think it's prudent to move to cash and even try shorting the market. I have done both. I currently don't have any long positions.

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  48. TOF - Great list! So if several or all of those issues are resolved somehow, we move higher, right?

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  49. Your number one item has me the most worried by far TOF. That's why I pulled my SSO in the trading account. I suspect a shift out of the high flyers and into the shit I hold :)

    Still have SSO in the IRA's. Might take those off tomorrow in this slow period as I lose those $'s for a few days until the trades settle.

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  50. Chicken - I personally think valuation dictates that longer term returns going forward will be subpar. Take a look at Hussman's charts on valuation versus future 10 year returns...it's crazy how accurate it has been in forecasting future returns. Right now it's projecting returns below any point in history with the exception of 1999-2000 and 2007.

    You have to keep in mind that margins are at all time highs (as in higher than at any point over the past 100+ years) and given how the business cycle works, its safe to say that margins should eventually go down and the prospects for ever increasing earnings will go down as well. As such, analysts forecasting earnings growth of 10%+ for the next several years will most likely be wrong.

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  51. TOF - Yes, sub-par earnings growth forecasts are what I've been hearing about as well, but are you referring for the most part to large caps? This is why I'm concentrating on small growth stocks, I figure they've got further to run.?!?!

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  52. SD - Damn, another great opportunity that slipped away...

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  53. Hey Mark - That rain you're getting? Well take a look at southern Cali, all that is headed my way and should be here Christmas eve, they're saying we could get a real heavy accumulation from this one.

    Guess I'd better dig out from this last storm and go load up on vittles ahead of the next one!!!

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  54. Goldman’s Massive Bonuses ‘Totally Deserved,’ Says Satan
    Prince of Darkness Praises Wall Street Colleagues

    NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) – The gargantuan year-end bonuses paid out to Goldman Sachs executives have received howls of protests from the banking giant’s legion of critics, but not from its most ardent defender: Satan.

    In a rare press conference, the usually reclusive Prince of Darkness defended Goldman’s bonuses today, welcoming reporters at his apartment in New York’s Trump Tower.

    “I don’t doubt for a minute that my friends at Goldman deserved those bonuses,” Satan said, adding that “buying their souls was the best investment I ever made.”

    “It really is the gift that keeps on giving,” he chuckled.

    The Evil One said that the bloated Goldman bonuses were “just the cherry on top” of what has been “one of my best years ever.”

    “From Mel Gibson to Tony Hayward to the gang at Goldman, 2010 has had more than its share of heroes,” he said. “I salute them all.”

    Satan added that his banner year was even going out with a bang: “Just when I thought this year couldn’t get any better, this weekend I saw Yogi Bear.”

    The Lord of Misrule said he was looking forward to the holiday season, a time when some of “the greatest evil against humanity” is perpetrated: “Every time someone puts on a Christmas sweater, I give myself a high five.”

    Elsewhere, President Obama praised the New York Giants for compromising with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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  55. Chicken - no, I'm saying that analysts expect the S&P 500 earnings to grow over 10% for the next couple of years, but I highly doubt how that will happen with margins at all time highs.

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  56. CHN - Back to lower trend line support, let's see if it falls through.

    I bet it holds...

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  57. That satan guy baffles me but FWIW, it's nice knowing I'm not the only one hoping the worst is behind us.

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  58. TOF - I wouldn't put any faith in what analysts have to say, they have motives that aren't necessarily aligned with my needs.

    I'm expecting an extended roller coaster ride more than anything else, with an upward trend. It's too early to say anything about earnings except there are some pretty strong head winds?

    I've given up plenty of profits by not taking gains, but then again nearly every time I've taken gains it's been too early. ;)

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  59. Chicken - That's exactly my point I guess. Many people are listening to analysts with price targets of 1,500 for next year based on continuining growth in earnings. Yet those analysts fail to mention what their valuation methodology is based on (and how accurate it is) and they don't give any mention of margins being at all time highs. In looking at prior market moves, any time you get this large of a move higher coupled with a dramatically lower VIX (and a VIX substantially below its 200 DMA) along with all of the things I mentioned above, the odds of at least a 5% downturn are pretty high. I'd rather try to game this move by having at least some money in on the short side. I still have a lot in cash waiting for the drop but I like having money at risk.

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  60. Winding Down with an Xmas Rally
    By Barry Ritholtz - December 20th, 2010, 7:15AM
    Here we are beginning the final 2 weeks of the year.

    The economy continues to limp along, improving, albeit rather slowly. “Recession fatigue” is likely to make this holiday consumption spree appreciably better than the past 2 years.

    Markets have looked a bit tired — and yet — every opportunity to see big whackage has been met by liquidity driven buying. The bid beneath equities remains firm. The bias remains firmly to the upside.

    With this year all but over, traders are starting to turn their attention to 2011. Corporate profits appear to be strong, but headwinds include unemployment and real estate. I continue to expect further contraction in RE prices, and my participation in the Case Shiller survey reflects that.

    Rotation out of bonds is a major source buying buyer, following 18 months of main street preferences for fixed income products. It is ironic that mom and pop were Treasury buyers during what is likely to be the last gasps of a 30 year bull market in bonds.

    Talk about late to the party!

    History shows us that the public tends to be the last in. From the shoeshine boy in the roaring 1920s, to buyers of the Nifty-Fifty in the Sixties, then dot com stocks in the 1990s, and once again with bonds in the 2000s, main street joins Wall Street when their greed overwhelms their better sense. It is sad but don’t blame me, I am only pointing out this truth.

    Don’t be surprised if the public’s rush into commodities marks that as a top, as well — including Gold.

    This is a holiday shortened week — markets closed Friday for Christmas — so we could see some interesting action. The week after are little more than rookies manning the terminals, thin trading, and last minute position closings.

    Around this time of year, I like to ask traders and investors the following: What is your plan for next year? What have you learned from your mistakes, what did you do right? (The 2009 Investing Mea Culpas were well received; Look for my 2010 mea culpas next month)

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  61. http://rsi-trader.blogspot.com/

    Look at that list of overbought stocks. This isn't an exact science but we have all seen this list at highs and lows and its usually a good short term indicator of overbought/oversold conditions.

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  62. HD - Damn, another one that's been kickin' it!

    Now I'm pissed, my longs have been flat at best over the last month...

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  63. TOF - All I can say is I feel comfortable with my longs that haven't really lifted to the lofty heights other stocks have, I'd be selling otherwise.

    Heck, maybe money will come rushing over to my not so overbought stocks from those way overbought ones...

    And how are those dividend stocks doing? I'm twice shy of those b/c I was bitten during the collapse, but what do you think's gonna happen when BAC announces a nice dividend? I think folks will run the price up further.

    I'd rather make money holding something lesser known that has a chance to grow into something much larger in a relatively short period of time, those are a better fit for my personality style.

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  64. Okay, due to the fact that I abhor the milking machine that I'm trying to heat my house with, I figured I'd look into a newer digital thermostat and since I thought I might find one at HD, I go to their web page and what do I find?

    NADA! One mechanical unit that's non-programmable. How the hell does this mis-managed company with insignificant web presence even stay in business???

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  65. Okay, just for the record here I'll say it more plainly...

    1) I think the analysts are full of crap and will say whatever they're paid to say.

    2) I doubt they even know very much about to properly value a company b/c if they did, their calls would be much better than they are.

    3) Refer to #1)

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  66. My new methodology:
    Fundamentals don't matter.
    PE's don't matter.
    Analysts don't matter.
    News doesn't matter.

    Stocks, commodities and bonds trade on emotions.
    IE: Greed and fear.
    Therefore I trade prices and emotions as represented on charts....period.

    FF

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  67. CSCO - I don't want to hear any bitching or complaining from any jackwagons when this one's 20% higher before the end of February...!!!

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  68. Heavy Duty Class III Receiver hitches - If anybody's looking for an excellent deal on a class II hitch for their truck mid 90's to mid 2000's, these stout beauties are on clearance sale and not easy to find. I bought two of these and I've never seen a better built hitch at any price:

    http://stores.ebay.com/Tool-Shed-of-America

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  69. I meant class III, not a whimpy class II...

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  70. "General Moly Closes First $40 Million Equity Tranche with Hanlong"

    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/General-Moly-Closes-First-40-bw-2805654874.html?x=0&.v=1

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  71. Its amazing how well the market is tracking the market from back in late 1998. After breaking above resistance in late Nov/early Dec, it pulled back, and then the market went on a powerful rally that lasted 16 sessions before pulling back about 5 or 6% quickly in 4 sessions. The current market pattern is very similar. We ran up to resistance at 1220, then pulled back and have since gone on a 14 session tear. If the analogy holds true then we're due for a pullback soon. Then again, maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part as I'm about 40% short and 60% in cash, waiting for a pullback.

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  72. Just got back from an indoor game for Kendra. Looks like I'm a wimp. Class II only :)

    Great comments. My only take is, what's the harder thing to do here? Go short @ 1250, an obvious level, of pressing the pedal to the medal?

    I always go with the path of most resistance on the up side.

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  73. TOF- Just getting up to speed here. What is a "session".

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  74. It's okay Mark, my wife says size doesn't matter.

    I've got the stock class IV and a 12' 10,000lbs dump trailer, but according to my wife I don't know how to use it.

    Session: Therapy.

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  75. Man, I hope like hell we mirror 1998. Then we can look forward to a killer run up to Y2012K and get out in January before the cliff dive.

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  76. I think it's fair to say that we should all be encouraged that gay's can now openly serve in the military. BRAVO!....

    FF- I hear your bro :)!

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  77. Man, how much more crap can they through BAC's way? I might need to get checked into the local delousing station.

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  78. Session - It's what perma-bears need to schedule with their psycho-analysts.

    1252 - Ding, ding, ding!

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  79. FRO - Back to a $25 handle, BDI has taken it's toll there.

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  80. Guys - Check out this article uoting the founder of REDF...dude says their revenues would be 20 times higher than they currently are if broadband penetration reached 20 million users in India. I don't know how he comes to that math but definitely makes you wonder if we should just be buying REDF and stowing it away no?

    http://www.medianama.com/2010/12/223-we-need-more-websites-from-india-says-ajit-balakrishnan-suggests-broadband-pricing-plans/

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  81. TZA/VXX @ 15.60/36.72 newSubmitted by 2nd_ave (5072 comments) on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 10:04 #76347
    Opening @ 20% of allocations.

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  82. What's good for retailers and bad for banks? The ATM swipe fee limit of $0.12, legislation as proposed by the Federal Reserve.

    A $20B revenue stream differential.

    I don't know the status, has this legislation passed into law?

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  83. 2nd - While we may go higher longer term, I gotta wonder how else is left to buy the market. I haven't heard a single analyst come out with a negative outlook on stocks. Fed buying + improving economic fundamentals + strong earnings = no brainer according to them.

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  84. "Coral Reefs Thrive in Higher CO2, New Study Reports"

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  85. CP- The .12 swipe fee is the proposal so far from the fed. Open for public comment right now.

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  86. RTH - Seems like retailers have been kickin' it, aside from a few like BBY?

    I hear late shoppers are SOL on last minute bargains this year, shelves are empty.

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  87. Where's this "study"?

    Higher CO2 acidifies salt water and dissolves calcium carbonate.

    I used to own a coral farm. This is the basis for calcium reactors used to maintain pH and calcium levels. The CO2 is fed into a tube of calcium carbonate containing shells, materials, dissolves the shells (the basis of all food critters in our oceans) blows off the CO2 before it goes into tanks, and leaves the calcium/pH at higher levels. BUT, you have to blow off the CO2 or it drives DOWN pH and dissolves corals, shells of animals like clams, and small shelled animals used for food by fish and corals.

    So I'm wondering what bought off bunch of ass hats came out with this study and I'd love to read it.

    FF

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  88. Coral reefs - Here's a link to the announcement:

    http://www.heartland.org/full/28993/Coral_Reefs_Thrive_in_Higher_CO2_New_Study_Reports.html

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  89. Like the rebound in AXP over the past day and a half. Not so much in MA.

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  90. Inflation through limited availability of consumer products?

    I wonder, is this coming to a theater near us?

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  91. This guy's name is Craig. FF, is that you?

    "The study, which contradicts alarmist assertions that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels threaten coral reefs, is summarized by Dr. Craig Idso in the current edition of NIPCC Update."

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  92. Looks like MMR is going to bend it's upper BB here and looks good till 17.80 ish.

    CO2...I like clams/mussels/scallops. Little wine, butter and garlic.

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  93. ATNI - Guess I shoulda' doubled down @ $32, oh well!

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  94. still long RBY.

    Great pr this am, should move it back to retest $6's

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  95. Give me some tiny lobsters(shrimp) steamed in Old Bay along with an ice cold hefferveisen and I'm set. ;)

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  96. Okay, I've read both of these idiotic "reports".

    These clowns have an agenda and apparently have never looked into simple basic water chemistry.
    The "Heartland" study is from the "Heartland" group which is nothing more than an ultra right wing political action committee of free market wing dings with a bought off study.
    The second link is another whack job that pulls conclusions out of his ass based on inconsequential "observations" to support his bullshit agenda.

    I worked for Bob Fenner's "Wet Web Media" for several years and had several thousand gallons of reef farm in my basement. I answered water chemistry questions of people trying to keep contained aquatic systems, including questions from farmers and those who make their living keeping and maintaining closed aquatic systems.

    The chemistry involved in our gigantic closed system oceans and what happens in every size closed aquatic system is identical. We especially know about what happens in nutrient loaded systems sited in the second link and I BEG TO DIFFER with this idiot on systems thriving with increased nutrient load.
    Not only does added nutrient and CO2 slow and kill corals, the result can be seen by anyone that dives in coral systems close to cities as we see in Florida, where the corals are covered in algae and dying.
    I live in the richest clam and oyster beds in the world here in the Puget Sound. We haven't had natural spawning of wild clams and oysters for a decade now because the small shells are dissolved due to acid conditions caused by high CO2. If you love shellfish, clams, abalone, oysters this should be a big concern to you.
    The growers are forced to pump surface water in the late day hours into bays and beds to utilize the higher pH at these times to grow young shellfish. This is in direct conflict with this idiot in the second study and his ridiculous "observations". The pH rises during the day due to photosynthesis in algae (about a half a pH point) due to algae emitting, like all plants, oxygen, and the growers then pump this higher pH water in an attempt to keep very small shellfish from dissolving. These little shellfish and smaller arthropods cannot survive and they are the basis of all larger shellfish, corals and larger fish we depend on for food.

    This is not complicated, it is simple elementary chemistry. Yet this is what this whacko writes:

    "What is the most important thing I learnt in 40 years?
    "Nothing in the sea works as expected:
    its physics, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, biology and ecology do not work as thought; truth is often opposite to intuition.
    The sea is weirder than we can possibly imagine.
    To learn about the sea, forget what you were taught at school, open your mind and begin from scratch."

    There is still a lot to be learned about the sea, but basic chemistry isn't one of those things. We understand quite well the carbonate system and the nitrogen system. That is what makes it possible to keep complex closed aquatic displays and systems in aquariums and homes and makes aquaculture possible. I was constantly blown away by things revealed by actual sea animals, but it was water chemistry that made that possible. For example, I laughed when there was the big scare about cloning. Cloning happens on a gigantic scale every day in our oceans. It's the natural process of reproduction for thousands of animals. Those kinds of discoveries we can learn about.
    We certainly know what kills these systems and is unhealthy. THAT is easy to find out. I dealt with thousands and thousands of people who had a hard time understanding basic water chemistry and lost thousands and thousands of dollars and countless little sea creature lives as a result. We absolutely know how to kill stuff with ignorance and arrogance.
    to say that CO2 and reduced pH is not a problem or is good is beyond ignorant.

    FF
    PS: Craig is my first name, no relation to these chuckle heads.

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  97. THIS (?) is good?

    "Washington comes up a winner in Census, will get 10th Congressional seat

    This morning, the Census Bureau unveiled state population counts from the 2010 Census and accompanying Congressional reapportionment scheme. Washington grew enough - up 14.1 percent from 2000 - to pick up another Congressional seat and the clout that comes with it."


    Just when I was hoping for a Congress virus that selectively immobilized lawyers and Congresspersons. (Being that they are identical). It's a tragedy we have to let the existing ones live and we pay them. Now they're reproducing? Crap.

    FF

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  98. LEH: Its All Good Now!
    By Barry Ritholtz - December 21st, 2010, 10:35AM

    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/12/leh-its-all-good-now/

    Now that we have gotten that little Lehman thingie behind us, we can concentrate on what really matters: Bonuses!

    You see, we only like free markets when they go up. We hate government intervention during those periods. But when these excesses cause market problems, that’s when we want the government to intervene, to spread their socialist love to bankers , to swing that BSD federal largesse. We love the warm embrace of the taxpayers during times of crisis.

    The rest of the time, keep your damned interventionist noses out of our business. You are killing confidence and destroying jobs.

    ReplyDelete