F. J. Taylor

Verizon Launches Direct Ad Attack Against the iPhone

Ho-hum. When will they ever learn?

First of all, this "commentator" is just regurgitating flak he read elsewhere, or is paid to shill for Verizon.

Android, while a neat step in the right direction, will NOT be the "iPhone killer" - any more than Zune and scores of others were "iPod killers."

As usual, the sad, lame, wannabee "competition" is skating to where the puck was - while Jobs, like Gretsky, skates to where the puck will be.

Most of iPhone's few "faults" have already been cured, and the rest soon will be. "No keyboard"? Who cares? Most of us who use the iPhone have already adapted to the new tech. "Keyboards" are clunky, VERY old (125 years) tech. Only dinosaur type users think they "need" them - and dinosaurs are, in case you hadn't noticed, going extinct at a rapid rate...

Also, Droid will almost certainly not interface as smoothly with the Apple OS as the iPhone does - it remains to be seen if it will even interface with Windoze as well as the iPhone already does. This is of importance because although Windoze is still the largest OS, their Vista cost them a LOT of business - which, along with those enamored of Apple by iPod and later the iPhone, have migrated to Apple platforms - and once there users tend to NEVER want to mess with buggy, slow, clunky Windoze again. (I know I won't! I refuse to even help friends still mired in Windoze these days - I send them to the local computer shop. I'd rather stick sharpened pencis in my eyes than return to Windoze!)

With China about to open to iPhone (already popular there using jail-broken copies), global sales should do well.

No, I will be using my iPhone for a very long time. While I would love to go back to Verizon, who I was with since they were Airtouch, I hope I have made it very clear to them that I will never return unless they have the REAL iPhone, not some sad wannabee version.

Death Comes to Wal-Mart China

The main thread here and in some of the comments seems to be that a "brand" lost "reputation" - not that a gang of company goons beat a woman to death. This seems yet more proof of what its opponents have always alleged about capitalism - that its overwhelming motivator and driver is greed, and that human life or well-being is not even a consideration.

@ tedster98 - there was not even any proof that the woman had shoplifted - she apparently was concerned about whether the people pursuing her were actually security, as they were not in uniform

In any case, whatever she did or didn't do, even if she had taken goods, we don't know what or why, or what her personal situation was. Maybe she is one of the many who have lost their jobs in the downturn in China, and was stealing (IF she was stealing!) to feed herself or her family. Again, even if she was stealing, she couldn't have had a lot on her - and since when is a human life valued in terms of a few dollars worth of merchandise? Oh, right! Capitalism at its best, again...

Tedster98, IMO, you need to look in a mirror if you want to see a soulless dirtbag...

Back to School on the Cheap: Another Round of Mac vs. PC

Folks, just ignore jack dweeb (sorry! dee!) - he is obviously clueless, and has no knowledge of the background of the two companies, their relative health, etc. (FYI, jack, in the "earlies" Apple was the Big Dog with something like 55% of the world market - obviously a lot smaller market then than now, but the point is the same).

MS gained market share when it hooked up with IBM (then "Deep Pockets") and licensed the lame DOS OS Bill and Paul (mainly the latter) had bought and re-worked. Nothing to do with performance or quality.
By this means (along with some pretty sharp dealing and later monopolistic gangstering) later it became the new Big Dog.

However, they did put out some OK apps along the way, like Word (And jack, did you know that Word was originally developed by MS for Apple?)

However, in this much more sophisticated market, people are now twigging to the many superior aspects of the Apple OS X and software, and the word is getting around. I was a long-time DOS and Windoze user (by job necessity), and ran both Windows and Apple LANs. That was how I came to learn the superiority of Mac, and I switched completely when I left that job. Our house is entirely Mac now, and I have a lot of friends in engineering and programming, etc., who are switching as well. (Especially after the Vista debacle.)

However, some people (like you) will never figure out what real quality and value is - and you will end up using and backing Microsuck forever (or until their ultimate demise). And that's fine - for you. However, for those of us whose lobotomies have healed, we will continue to use and buy Apple, which now also runs Windows - and runs it better than Windows-specific machines. I have a copy of XP on my wife's Macbook for a Windows-specific program she needs. It loads faster, better, and runs more stably on her Macbook than on a comparable Dell, Acer, or HP. No Windows boxes can do that.

So stick with MSFT - I can also recommend some other premium buys, like Ace Buggy Whips and the Gaslamp Mantle Manufacturing Co.

Long on Apple - and proud of it!

(And BTW, jack - I bought it low and have since sold off some when high, and already made three times my investment back - with some "house money" left over for fun - . Can you say that about your MSFT?)

AT&T: The (Apple) Brand Destroyer

This article was totally bizarre!!

@JeffDB - AT&T has "radical left wing politics"???? What color is the sky on your planet? AT&T has been a far-far-right org almost since its inception. These are the same guys who called for the overthrow of Allende in Chile when he nationalized their holdings there - and got it, along with having him assassinated, and lots of other nasty actis in South America and elsewhere.

They were mega-donors to Dubya and his Dad, and Ronnie Ray-gun before them, and they never saw a right-wing politician or cause they didn't like.

Not sure what their policy towards homosexuals is, and don't really care, as a person's gender or preference is of minus zero interest to me, and none of my business, though I think they should have the same rights as anyone else. Same for abortions - the last worst form of birth control, but preferable in many case to unwanted kids being born - or even wanted, but to the WRONG parents. (I worked in Juvenile Halls and the Neglected and Abused Home for some time, and BELIEVE ME, there are a lot of folks who should NEVER have kids - or even be near them... and there are kids who would have been far better off never having been born than being born into the places they were.) It is also none of my business (or the govt.'s, or yours for that matter) what other people do.

Not sure how a person can have "Christian values" and be an investor anyway - did you ever consider the harm many of the companies do to the planet and the people of the world? As I recall, Yehoshua said something about "sell all you have, give the money to the poor, and follow me." and his comment about how it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Unless the Bible on your planet is as different as the AT&T.)

He did NOT say (to the best of my knowledge), "Yea, verily invest in ye great trans-national mega-corps, and give unto them your gold, for they shall multiply it many times, even as the loaves and fishes, (unless they lose the bundle in their maneuverings and chicanery and with the mega-bonuses they pay unto their CEOs) and despite the damage they do unto tose in the Third World, be thou not vexed, because that exploitation of men, women, and children will gain thee many gold ducats, and they are only sons of the cursed Ham anyway, so piddle upon them." (Nothing personal - we are all just as bad here - I just don't pretend I have Christian (or any other religious) "values" - which (historically speaking) usually means you have to hate and / or kill someone else who believes differently...

As to AT&T - I can understand some of these comments - AT&T as a corporation sucks. Most corporations suck. Even Apple has its suck moments, and I have been an Apple fan for years.

Their tech and customer service personnel have improved greatly in recent years, but they remain hard to actually get to, and yes, AT&T has done damage in some respects to the iPhone, especially in the buying aspects and the "one size fits all" data plan.

As to the dropped calls - I have had pretty good luck with them, and I just found out an interesting factoid - if you are on speaker and you forget or want it more private and hold it to your ear, your ear can cause the mute to go on, seeming to be a dropped call.

Other than that, their coverage is great.

Verizon (who I had for many years, and only left for iPhone) had good coverage and GREAT service - and if they go with iPhone in the future, I may look at them again.

Meantime, Apple is a GREAT product and stock.

(Full disclosure: Bought when it was 86, sold half at more than twice that, still have shares, long on Apple.)

Apple Upgrade on 'Mac Surge'

If Techtrader 10 had ever owned an Apple, he would understand why Apple users are also enthusiasts. For his info, since the Mac now runs Windows as well as OS X (and it loads faster and runs better than on a Dell, Acer, Compaq, or HP - I have tested it against them), he should seriously consider one for his replacement - if he buys another Windows box, he will only continue to get Windows problems. He can run whatever proprietary Windows programs he wants, and still have the best OS for his E, Net, and other functions. On top of that, he can start enjoying computing, with the best OS, programs, and support in the industry.

(And just BTW, I have made a killing on Apple stock, buying low, selling off half wehen it was near its peak, and holding the rest - I am playing on "house money" now, and am long on Apple.)

Apple Asks Microsoft to 'Quit Running Those Laptop Hunters Ads'

I have owned and run MS Os and products since DOS 3.0 (on an IBM XT), all the way through NT and XP. I have taught computers, and was a sys admin working with both PC and Apple LANs, and I have used other platforms incl. UNIX, and all major apps for the relevant platforms.

Since the intro of the Mac, I have grown to consider Apple to be the more advanced and better software and (esp. in the days when they made all their own peripherals,) the best in hardware, hands down. However, I had to use DOS (and later Windows) for my work.

Just before I retired in 2002, I switched to Apple and have never once looked back or regretted it - except for not switching sooner.

Now, with the Intel architecture, if you need Windows for work or some other reason, it will run Windows - and it loads faster, and runs more stably on the Mac.

I cannot imagine what kind of PC or version of Vista Joe K is talking about, or what version of Apple OS - or for that matter, what color the sky is on his home planet...

As for the people who are complaining about Apple users' responses, I challenge you to find any comparable dedicated group of Windows fans - especially after Vista - best thing MS ever put out - to boost Mac sales.

Palm: Who Needs iTunes? How About PalmTunes!

Pre loses a chunk of what little chance it had to become a player (let alone an "iPhone killer"). PalmTunes - what a joke! Eric, you are always good for a laugh...

The New Palm Is Gonna Bomb

hello CGP!

My bet is that he won't be eating anything. The Palm pre, while it is a big improvement in their line, is too little, too late - to paraphrase the Gretzsky / Jobs strategy, Palm and the rest are skating to where the puck was - instead of where it is going to be, as Apple does.

Meanwhile, Apple continues to grab raves and market share, because it is tied to the best OS, the biggest App store (hardly "over-hyped" with over 30,000 choices and a billion sold ), and the slickest design and marketing in the business.

The Pre will be what all the rest of the touted iPod and iPhone "killers" to date have been - copy-cat would-be clones, put out by clueless dweebs who can't or won't do the innovative design and tech that Apple has mastered. (Note that Pre's slick design was courtesy of Jon Rubinstein, the former Apple exec?)

However, I must say that the Pre and a handful of the others are steps in the right direction, and I wish them some success - pressure from competition will keep Apple honest and innovative, and should force AT&T and others to make their plans more competitive, which I, for one, would appreciate.

I can't speak for the author, but I DO have an "iBias" - for the best of reasons. I started on an IBM XT running DOS 3.0 (lo, these many years ago!), and went on through NT and 98, also learning Unix and playing with Linux and other platforms along the road. I long ago decided Apple was the most smooth-running and well-crafted, and that their hardware and software worked seamlessly (especially in the days when they still made all their own peripherals).

I taught computers, and ran a Windows LAN and a Mac LAN. When I retired, I switched completely to Apple - and then OS X came out and blew even me away! I would NEVER voluntarily go back to Windoze of any flavor (I'd sooner stick sharpened pencils in my eyes), and if it became critical to do so, the Macs now run Windows faster and better than Dell or other Windows-specific boxes. (I tested XP on one of our MacBooks against two similarly equipped laptops.)

They also have the best and most comprehensive support systems in the industry, with the option of extending the 1 year warranty through the purchase of Apple Care - a GREAT program!!

We are a totally Apple / Mac family (3 MacBooks, 1 MacBook Pro, and the iMac I write from), and 4 iPhones. My step-son is a talented computer tech / programmer, who works for a high-tech firm in San Francisco. His personal choice, after years of Windoze, was Mac. Many of my computer skilled friends are now also making that switch. (Vista helped a lot! That sold more Macs than the cute ads! Thanks, MS!)

I hold Apple stock (long), and have made more than twice what I paid for the entire lot by selling some off when it was high. I am sitting on the rest, and if it goes low again, I will certainly buy more and hold it!

Cheers!

Are Microsoft's Anti-Apple Ads Actually Working?

Let me see... MS has to PAY people a GRAND apiece to buy their dreck in order to get "satisfied" customers?? While Apple, who admittedly has a higher price point, is selling them out the door... and yet MS's "ads" are having an impact? Help me with this...

I don't know who BrandIndex and AdAge are, but my guess is they are on MicroSuck's payroll. I don't know ANYONE who has bought a computer based on MS's schlock ads.

As for the paid shills in the MS ads, let's see how they view their purchase 6 months down the line, when they are tired of slow, crappy, buggy, underperforming software, and hardware that can't even interface with its own brand. (Ever try to get an HP running Windows Anything to interface with an HP printer or scanner? It isn't pretty...)

I was a sys admin for a PC network and a Mac network, and I ran DOS from 3.0 forward to NT and a bit of XP (not bad for MS, but still not great). Then I switched to Mac myself - and was only sorry I hadn't done it years earlier. I would sooner stick sharpened pencils in my eyes then ever use Windows again...

I think you will find my experience echoed in most of those who have switched (terminal masochists not included). "Once Mac, never back."

This "story" seems to me to be just one more attempt by MicroSuck and their allies (and shareholders!) to manipulate market perceptions, and lower Apple value.

Apple is a great company that produces the best software in the business, and the best hardware. They are typically two to three years ahead of the "competition" - as witness the iPod, iPhone, and all the rest the others are trying (and failing) to catch.

Ads, Schmads - whatever MicroSuck does isn't going to be enough - unless they miraculously start turning out cool, designer hardware (Zune?) and software that isn't bloated, buggy and crash-prone (Vista?). Not bloody likely. Even though Monkey Boy has told the drones that they have to start being like Apple, there is no way they can change the entire corporate culture they have been developing for years. MS is a huge, terminally dysfunctional giant, rather like Gulliver, bound in the toils of the Lilliputians...

Does RIM See The Gap in iPhone’s Defenses?

Don't know what this author has been smoking - maybe too much Crackberry weed...

I loved Verizon too, and had been with them since the Airtouch days. I would have stayed with them if they had the iPhone. However, I recently switched to AT&T to get my iPhone, and guess what? The service is fine - and I live in a remote coastal / rural area, where my Verizon service is spotty. I also bought my daughter one (she is in Arcata, CA, an area even more notorious for poor reception!), and it works just fine. My son was the first to get one in our family, so no need to get him one! And both switched to Macs after years as Windows users, as has my brother [who also has just switched from Verizon and gotten an iPhone], so we are just one big happy Mac family now! When my wife's contract runs out, I am getting her one - she can't wait!

As to the Storm - even my Crackberry addict pals think they sucked, and still do. In fact, some switched to iPhone in frustration - and are glad they did!

As to enterprise - iPhones (and Macs) are gaining by leaps and bounds, because the people in the firms - from office boys to CEOs - are getting them, and the big boys are pushing their tech to support them. My brother is an executive in one such firm, Carhartt industrial clothing, an old and respected national brand still in the same family - and their tech now supports iPhones. He is very happy with his iPhone and service.

The idea that BB's rather weak launch of the aptly named Storm (an obvious iPhone clone attempt) and an equally lame apps store (ditto), are, like most copy-cat ideas (such as the other iPhone and earlier iPod "killers"), just poor imitations of the real thing - and will likely go about as far as the Zune and other junk.

While BB was a great phone in its day, that day is over. I don't think they (or Palm) have what it takes to catch up, let alone supplant, the iPhone - and even if they do catch up, by then Apple will have released another wonder.

I am not sure where the author is getting these ideas, or coming from (unless deliberately trying to manipulate the stocks in question), but she is obviously not in touch with the real world.

(For the record, I am not only a very happy Apple product user, but am long on Apple - because I like, use and believe in their products and company, and think they have one of the best marketing programs and brand recognition in the entire industry.)

AT&T Tops Verizon - But Which Customers Are More Satisfied?

I was a Verizon customer for many years - in fact, since the early '90s when they were Airtouch in our area. Great service, great staff - but they finally made one big mistake - turning down the iPhone.

I recently (reluctantly) switched to AT&T, and now have 2 of my 4 lines of service with them. I will soon be switching the remaining lines as the other contracts roll off. Why? Because of the iPhone, mainly, but the service and reception are excellent - in fact, locally better than Verizon. Dropped calls? So far, none.

Stockwatchah and RDiddy are wrong on several major counts.

First, iPhone is hardly AT&T's only choice - they have a large inventory of other phones - including the vaunted Blackberry - although iPhone is outselling them all by 25% or better... however, for those with slender budgets, or those who don't need or want much in a device, there are plenty of choices.

AT&T doesn't take a "$400 hit" on every iPhone - they subsidize about half the cost - we pay the rest. My 16 GB cost me $199 - plus a two year contract. Over the term of that contract, they make approx. $1400 per phone for the basic package, plus extra charges for features like texting. That is pretty good ROI.

More importantly, they have also gained MANY new customers they wouldn't have seen otherwise - like me and my entire family - my stepson was the first to get one of the first gen, then I did (after waiting a LONG time for various reasons), and I also got one for my stepdaughter. My wife is next. Meantime, my brother has bought one, and his company (Carhartt) supports them, so he is using it for his main phone and e-mail system when traveling.

As far as running out and buying something else - I didn't buy it because it was the latest "fad" - I have been asking Apple for a PDA / phone for years. Now they have exceeded even my expectations and their own usual brilliant design and execution, with the world's first true hand-held MID (Mobile Internet Device). It is as amazing as it looks, running a modified mobile version of the great OS X, instead of the Windows Mobile or one of those other laughably poor so-called "platforms." (Stockwatchah, like many others who obviously don't understand the device, seems unaware of the difference between a "smartphone" and a MID.)

It is simply the best phone I have ever used, bar none - and I will NEVER use another - unless Apple comes out with an even more amazing one. Everyone I know who owns one feels the same way - even my brother, who was a big Motorola and Windows user until last year. (He now has a desktop iMac as well.)

It also seems to be repeating the "halo effect" of the iPod - that is, it is drawing a lot of new users to Apple from Windows.

So I am rather dubious that their assumptions (most of which seem to be based on lack of knowledge of the product and / or the market) are useful in gauging either the iPhone or AT&T's market share. The ONLY area where AT&T is actually shining now is in wireless (where everything is headed anyway) - and that is driven primarily by iPhone sales.

(BTW, Verizon is still kicking itself over their remarkably stupid decision to turn down the iPhone, according to some insiders I know... Speaking just for myself, I am very sorry to have been forced from the Verizon fold - but they made the wrong move - and I have told them so.)

I imagine that if and when Apple opens up the opportunity, there will be a rush of other service providers to jump on. Apple has succeeded in not only producing the first true MID, and making it wildly successful, but in breaking the mold of the wireless service provider business model - where the SPs are calling the shots. Apple will probably provide the iPhone in future to those companies who agree to Apple's terms - a share of the proceeds - instead of joining Motorola and the rest in a race to the bottom to build cheaper and crappier throw-away handsets.

Trade Apple Like a Fool

Mr. Bass is right about the state of the market in general, and the deteriorating economy being unfavorable for any non-essentials.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Apple continues to slide during this market - but not because it is over-valued or any of the other usual reasons.

However, if it slides, it will mainly be because "the market" seems to be composed of manic-depressives who practice voodoo instead of looking at fundamentals, and because of articles slighting Apple stock, not because of any weakness in the company or products.

Obviously the market is down, and we are in a depression IMO (which, BTW, I saw coming over two years ago and cashed out of a lot of my holdings while they were high - except for half my Apple, which I kept -and so I am now playing with "house money")

However, Mikey is incorrect to state that the iPhone is a "trinket" of "jewelry" - while its usual superb Apple styling may give it that appearance, it is actually one of the most remarkable electronic devices in modern times - far from being a mere "smart-phone" or glorified MP3 player (which it is), it is the first true MID (Mobile Internet Device) - and a hell of a lot more besides. With the native apps, and the burgeoning third-party apps, it has an enormous amount of potential to become one of the greatest mind-tools ever developed.

It is truly astonishing - so much so, that even I, a long-time Apple user and booster, was amazed when I finally got my 3G recently - I knew of some of its capabilities, but was blown away when I finally got into the workings!! I don't have time to detail the device and all its capabilities here, but go to the Apple site and take the tour - or better yet, walk into an Apple or AT&T store (or your local Walmart or Best Buy) and get a demo.

I have also purchased one for my step-daughter (my step-son got one of the first ones), and am planning to get one for my wife shortly as well. I will be switching our lines to AT&T from my long-time favorite Verizon (albeit reluctantly, as I have been with them for over 12 years), and that means AT&T (and Apple) will be getting monthly income of about $125 for two years. I am not the only one I know who is doing this.

Apple has enormous potential to revolutionize the entire phone AND computer industry (they are already inspiring iPhone wannabees from all the major and many minor players) - and I believe they will.

While I agree not everyone will be able to afford one, especially now, that has always been the case with Apple products - though I personally wish everyone could have them - they are such a pleasure to use!!

And of course, these are only one product - there also are the iPods (especially the brilliant Touch, which was my "gateway drug" into iPhones), Air, the MacBook line, the iTunes music and video business, and all the marvelous hardware and software they are so justly famed for - far easier to use, superbly styled, and with killer customer service and support - and a lot more besides!

My own intention is to hold my remaining Apple stock - and buy more when I think it has hit bottom. Of course, this is only my take and strategy - everyone should think for themselves and do what you need to for your individual circumstances.

As to the economy and society in general - I hope we will all be around to see a better time and place than that which is currently shaping - but knowing people and history, I am always a bit dubious. Good luck to you all.

Palm's Pre Goes a Step Further Than the iPhone

Ho-Hum! Yet another would-be "iPhone killer" - YAWN!

This device, while it has some positive features, is nothing new or different or game-changing (unlike iPhone). It is merely another wannabee "skating to where the puck is" and owes any of its virtues to Rubenstein (formerly Apple, as noted), whereas Jobs and Apple follow Gretsky's maxim of "skating to where the puck is going to be."

I wouldn't be bothered with a Palm device, even if I didn't LOVE my iPhone so much. I have had minus zero interest in them since they bought out Treo and quit developing it for Mac. I had a Tungsten for a while and was NOT impressed. I ended up giving it away.

Chinese Youth Will Propel Economic and Political Changes

What a load of cobblers. China is going down because her main trading partners (us and the EU) are going down.

What we are seeing was the inevitable result of years of wastrel living in the West following WW II. Many of us have spent all our money, poisoned our environment, and lived lavish, conspicuously consumptive lifestyles in our greedy pursuit of ever more wealth, huge SUVs, McMansions, etc.

Now it is time to pay the piper - in terms of off-shored jobs (themselves now collapsing due to lack of demand), people drowning in debt who are losing their foreclosed houses (crammed to the seams with tons of useless shite that nobody really needed, much of it bearing labels stating "made in China"), and grossly obese people with major health issues, and many other problems - and yet you are suggesting we and / or the Chinese youth can and should spend our way out of it to sally forth into a brave new world of yet more spending on useless gew-gaws? Are you all stark raving mad? - wait a minute, this IS an investment site - so many here are the same people who helped create the monster... even me, who has led a relatively simple life, has invested a few bob (although I have tried earnestly to do so in a socially and environmentally responsible fashion).

mollytjm - get used to gloomy scenarios, because that is what is and will be transpiring - and you and all of us had better pray (or whatever you do in lieu thereof) that it won't come down to a REAL "doomsday" scenario - which is all too possible - history is rife with examples, easily discernible to those of us who read more than the Financial section of the papers and look beyond the end of Q4.

Most of you folks have minus zero idea of how close to the edge "civilization" is all the time, never mind in times like these, or how easily it can and has been toppled.

As to those who, like the author, believe that it is a good thing that Chinese youth adopt our profligate lifestyle and that they can propel "good" political change thereby (by which one assumes that they will establish a capitalist so-called "free market" and "democratic" government), I would say that it is more likely that they will spend their parent's hard-earned savings (as some of the others here have mentioned) and that if they try to make any substantive changes, they will meet with the same iron fist that was unleashed in Tienamen Square.

Summary? Dream on... but don't be surprised when reality hits you between the eyes...

Cash Position Best for Apple Investor

Well, I hate to say it but Zach is right in some ways about this.

Despite Apple's excellent products and position, this market is tanking big time - as I figured it had to some years since. The only things keeping it afloat were the housing bubble (which I also saw coming and sold up while the getting was good) and of course, Greenspan's "irrational exuberance." (Oh yeah - and the M-I complex's war profiteering outfits...)

The Street is rather like a bipolar case off their meds at the best of times, and in this situation and economy, more so.

However, as Baron Rothschild is said to have remarked; "Buy when the blood is running in the streets." (One hopes he was being metaphorical, and that it doesn't actually come to that...)

However, my bet long term remains on Apple. I sold off half my shares when they were high. As I had bought low, they paid for the lot, with a few bucks profit, so its "house money" now - and I plan to keep what I have, and when I think it has bottomed out, get more.

If you can't stand the heat, then by all means get out of the kitchen - all these amateurs and day-traders have helped create the havoc in the market (along with some corporate greed-heads at various levels and their political accomplices).

Like Zach, I don't anticipate any speedy recovery from this, so don't bet your bottom dollar on ANY stock - unless you can afford to lose it. Remember, the market is just like Vegas - a gamble - but if you have done your homework and due diligence, AND are lucky... you may come out on the other side (whenever and wherever it is) in one piece.

As to the notion that cash is somehow "safer" - don't forget what "cash" is - paper - with NOTHING behind it anymore. So as to gold and silver, own some (the real thing, not "shares"). Same goes with food - own some (real) food, not just shares. If the foreign investor trends continue, and any more oil producers yank the petrodollar, be aware that the BIG crash will come sooner rather than later, as all the US has left as a real ace in the hole is its military machine...

Meantime, good luck to all of you.