Wez

Cutting Back Commercial REIT Shorts, Again

Hey Mark,

It seems to me the market is due for a bullshit rally. We are still down 15% on the SnP for 09. Coming off a 20% rally from 666.

From here the mrkt either goes up or down. A straddle seems the best way to go. Happy Hunting......

Traditional Retailers Return Dismal Online Search Results

I had a gift certificate at Toys-R-Us and wanted a specific item for my son. After spending 15 mins on their website and on the phone with them, I ended up buying the item from Amazon because they came up with exactly what I was looking for when I did a search and had a much larger selection. We bought diapers at Toys-R-Us and have no intention of every stepping foot in their stores again.

The brick and mortars are just dumb.

In Praise of Suze Orman

On Feb 11 03:59 PM kellyj wrote:

> Jees Felix, wake up. Dollar cost averaging? Dollar cost averaging
> in an obviously declining market is suicide. If this market declines
> further (and it will) then settles into a long, painful and lingering
> "L" recovery (and it will), those misinformed dollar cost averagers
> will be the last ones employing desperation selling. No one sensible
> condones DCA in this kind of market.

This is probably the worst "advice" I've heard so far. Your statements imply a certainty that nobody has. Sure, I think we're headed for a Depression and things will get worse, but would I bet the farm on that opinion? For those who don't have the time to read Seeking Alpha and countless other sites, DCA is a perfectly acceptable investment strategy.

It's better than telling an unsophisticated person to stay in cash and assume they will somehow know when the perfect time is to put that money back to work. Knowledge neither you, I or anybody on this site has.

DCA, kinda like Asset Allocation and MPT are designed to take emotion and guesswork out of the picture. It's a method of investing where you admit you don't know when things will get better, so you start investing a little bit over time rather than foolishly think you can time the market perfectly and the market will somehow let you know when it's safe to get back in. The news will be the very worst when it's time to get back in, which is a perfect case for DCA.

How CNBC Squandered Roubini and Taleb

That idiot who just kept asking "what one single indicator do they use to arrive at their opinions on the banking sector" made me want to jump through the screen! CNBC does get premiere booking and so much of it is wasted on empty vessel hosts. They should only allow the 10% of their staff with a brain cell to interview these people.

Distressing Details of the UltraShorts

Hi, welcome to Seeking Alpha, first time here?

Slippage is a very old topic on these boards.

Recurrence of ETF Sectors During Recent Severe Market Declines

You have ure and uyg switched.

S&P 500 Looks Ready to Bow Out

You're probably right Mark, but the avalanche of news is ALL negative. Look at Bloomberg, I've never seen every single headline negative before. There is real fear in this market right now, which is why I just went 100% long. Like I said, you are probably right and I will suffer some losses, but we may just find some light ahead in what seems an endless tunnel of darkness.

Trading Obama: Solar Stocks, GM Debt, Ambac Calls, Lorillard and Goldman Puts

XGM trading today like a BK is more of a reality than last week. Can't decide if I want to buy more or just let it ride???

Trading Obama: Solar Stocks, GM Debt, Ambac Calls, Lorillard and Goldman Puts

Thanks Greg, I see that now. This article:

seekingalpha.com/artic...

and the $25 par threw me off. Takes balls to make a short bet on GS right now.

Trading Obama: Solar Stocks, GM Debt, Ambac Calls, Lorillard and Goldman Puts

Greg,

You know I'm a big fan of yours. Question:

Isn't XGM preferreds and not bonds? Big difference if a re-structuring happens. I would much rather be a bond holder than preferred holder???

Peak Insanity: SEC Plans to Temporarily Ban Short-Selling

I'm frozen. My short ETF's got taken out at the neck yesterday and I can only imagine what happens to them today, yet I can't bring myself to drink this coolaid and start buying. Everyone, and I mean everyone on CNBC thinks the market goes higher today.....can it really be that easy?

Technical View: Market Holds Gains in Volatile Trading

So you're bullish?

High Stakes Poker Update: Lehman Poised To Fold; Side Bet on Merrill

What astonishes me is how the market is holding up. Arguably the biggest cluster F' in our financial system in a century and each day the market finds more creative ways to describe the emperors clothing.

BioScrip Investors Would Welcome a Strategic Buyer

Amit, I'm surprised you haven't shorted (or puts) this thing since you write about it so often in negative terms?

The Option Arm Triplets: Dead Banks Walking

www.ushousingmeltdown..../

That site shows my city has about 45% more to go to get inline with median incomes. Good thing, I'm buying next year. It's easy to get blinders on the housing tradegy when you live in S. Cal, but things aren't that bad elsewhere.

My buddy outside of Seattle recently got a 6% fixed 30 year mortgage on a $300k house with 3% down and terrible credit. The credit bubble is still alive and kicking.