I live in the USA and I am concerned about the future. I created this blog to share my thoughts on the economy and anything else that might catch my attention.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Open Thread
Feel free to comment here on any topic that interests you.
I'm officially in hibernation mode as I await the next big surprise that our economy has in store for us.
Here's one: I sold almost all my profitable stocks/mutual funds Monday... so far I am regretting it but it's simply too risky AFAIK. I'm waiting for Dow 9500.
The market will do fine as long as everyone remains calm and nobody panics.
Where are we headed? UP you idiot! Look at improvement in leverage in the business.
You know me. I love leverage. Can't get enough of it. That was said on July 26th. CALM's adjusted closing price was $32.88. It now trades at $30.29. 8% loss even counting the recent dividend! The big boys must be manipulating it. There's no way it could be down!
Just look at those rear view mirror earnings based on lower rear view mirror feed costs though! Only an idiot would pass on that!
Nothing bad can ever happen in the egg industry! Eggs are a staple. Like the rest of agriculture, the egg industry is cyclical, alternating between periods of boom and bust, Brown said. The years 1995 to 1998 were marked by good prices, spurring overproduction that sent prices plummeting.
Eggs are cyclical? Who knew? Holy crap! Learn something new every day. Maybe I should invest in Twinkies instead. That's got to be a sure thing. It's the best of all worlds. Twinkies are not only food, but they are also full of rocks and oil. That's perfect!!
Wisdom of the Day: Every thread is an open thread. It's just that some threads are more open than others.
I'm basing it on the wisdom I was told when I quit my job.
Of course employees are our #1 priority. It's just that other things are more important right now.
They must be words of wisdom. I can still remember them!
As for Borderlands, I believe I extracted every last ounce of fun out of that game. Waste not, want not. On a dollars per hour basis, that game ended up being one of the cheapest games I ever played. I couldn't even give you a decent ballpark estimate without looking up electricity costs and trying to factor in hardware depreciation, lol.
Massive deflation. It wasn't easy work but somebody had to do it. No way I'm shipping that fun off to China. Keeping that 30 cents per hour right here in the USA! Woohoo!
I've been following cepr.net since 2006 when they were talking about the housing bubble... a great site in my opinion. They have been great at predicting trends.
With the end of the inventory cycle, a huge wave of state and local cutbacks and further declines in house prices on the way, the situation looks bleak for the second half of 2010.
I just want to go on record as saying the situation looked bleak as of 2004. I was about 4 years too late to the bleak party, but better late than never! ;)
How about that new $1000 down mortgage program from the FHA? The FHA wouldn't think of doing something like that unless there was a housing recovery already happening, would they?
I hope you've stored up plenty of thread for clothing repairs in the hard years to come. What we need is a thrad thread.
ReplyDeleteOh bugger! I meant a "thread thread".
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could yarn about yarns, too.
Here's one:
ReplyDeleteI sold almost all my profitable stocks/mutual funds Monday... so far I am regretting it but it's simply too risky AFAIK. I'm waiting for Dow 9500.
dearieme,
ReplyDeleteLOL!
In the honor of puns, perhaps I should have named this post Open Screw Thread.
There's no point having a thread if something doesn't get screwed.
I think that is the point of my entire blog, lol.
remy,
ReplyDeleteGood grief! What are you thinking?
You aren't one of those "buy low, sell higher" investors are you? I thought they were extinct!! ;)
That's right. I always say, buy high and sell higher. - Suze Orman, April 2000
Stag, that implies I know what high is and what low is... I simply rely on instinct or the opposite of what MSM tries to sell us.
ReplyDeleteIf the DJI is up, is it because UPP is down?
ReplyDeletepun intended...
if so then nothing changed. nothing changed in the last 5-days:
http://tinyurl.com/25bb7br
you won't believe this but the verification word is "downe"!!
Does this mean we can bring up any kind of crazy s*** that comes to mind?!
ReplyDeleteIn that case I think we should start a letter writing campaign and demand a Borderlands 2 before this winter!!!
Holy crap, I just googled it and if they are correct, Borderlands 2 will be released 11-21-10
ReplyDeleteWoohoo!
remy,
ReplyDeleteThe market will do fine as long as everyone remains calm and nobody panics.
Where are we headed? UP you idiot! Look at improvement in leverage in the business.
You know me. I love leverage. Can't get enough of it. That was said on July 26th. CALM's adjusted closing price was $32.88. It now trades at $30.29. 8% loss even counting the recent dividend! The big boys must be manipulating it. There's no way it could be down!
Just look at those rear view mirror earnings based on lower rear view mirror feed costs though! Only an idiot would pass on that!
Nothing bad can ever happen in the egg industry! Eggs are a staple. Like the rest of agriculture, the egg industry is cyclical, alternating between periods of boom and bust, Brown said. The years 1995 to 1998 were marked by good prices, spurring overproduction that sent prices plummeting.
Eggs are cyclical? Who knew? Holy crap! Learn something new every day. Maybe I should invest in Twinkies instead. That's got to be a sure thing. It's the best of all worlds. Twinkies are not only food, but they are also full of rocks and oil. That's perfect!!
Hostess Brands
On September 22, 2004, Interstate Bakeries filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Oh the humanity! Is nothing sacred?!
watchtower,
ReplyDeleteWisdom of the Day: Every thread is an open thread. It's just that some threads are more open than others.
I'm basing it on the wisdom I was told when I quit my job.
Of course employees are our #1 priority. It's just that other things are more important right now.
They must be words of wisdom. I can still remember them!
As for Borderlands, I believe I extracted every last ounce of fun out of that game. Waste not, want not. On a dollars per hour basis, that game ended up being one of the cheapest games I ever played. I couldn't even give you a decent ballpark estimate without looking up electricity costs and trying to factor in hardware depreciation, lol.
Massive deflation. It wasn't easy work but somebody had to do it. No way I'm shipping that fun off to China. Keeping that 30 cents per hour right here in the USA! Woohoo!
Mark,
ReplyDeletefrom your earnings link:
<>
relatively high and volatile... sounds like Adams knew better than to invest in CALM.
remy,
ReplyDeleteChairman and CEO Fred Adams Jr. said... [INSERT SOMETHING GOOD HERE]
...but Adams said... [INSERT SOMETHING BAD HERE]
Why am I reminded of the following?
If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas!
I've always liked that one.
review of the unemployment data
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cepr.net/index.php/data-bytes/jobs-bytes/jobs-2010-08
I've been following cepr.net since 2006 when they were talking about the housing bubble... a great site in my opinion. They have been great at predicting trends.
remy,
ReplyDeleteFrom your link...
With the end of the inventory cycle, a huge wave of state and local cutbacks and further declines in house prices on the way, the situation looks bleak for the second half of 2010.
I just want to go on record as saying the situation looked bleak as of 2004. I was about 4 years too late to the bleak party, but better late than never! ;)
Citibleak
Mark,
ReplyDeleteHow about that new $1000 down mortgage program from the FHA? The FHA wouldn't think of doing something like that unless there was a housing recovery already happening, would they?
So what's the next black swan event that will boost or sink the economy... here are some ideas:
ReplyDelete1. Obama announces 5-trillion dollar stimulus.
2. Both principal and interest real estate payments on new homes become tax deductible.
3. US bankrupts South Korea by selling it weapons for new civil war with NK.
4. China bubble collapses
5. Euro drops again on new fears of unemployment/solvency, this in turn props up USD and drops DJI.
Credit Is Financial Crack Cocaine
ReplyDeleteCharles Kiting,
ReplyDeleteA $1000 down payment program is just $2000 away from a $1000 rebate program. Woohoo!
Just picture it. Buy a house and "win" a grand! It could be offered with scratch tickets.
1. Win 50 $20 bills.
2. Win 20 $50 bills.
3. Win 25 $20s AND 10 $50s!
Everyone is a winner! Thanks for playing!
remy,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to bet on 4 with just a hint of 5. What's the current payoff on 4.2? I don't need black swan odds though. 5-1 would be sufficient, lol. Sigh.
Ken,
ReplyDeleteYou knew I'd love that analogy and you were right. However, not all agree.
The Crack Cocaine of Economics?
"Protectionism is the crack cocaine of economics," Fisher told C-Span television in an interview for its "Washington Journal" program.