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A Rude Interruption for Markets

MM, a rising tide floats all boats - unless, of course, it's Kool-Aid!

Markets Suffer Through More Lies and Statistics

Among others, it was attributed to Benjamin Disraeli (British P.M.) and popularized by Mark Twain in the U.S. early 1900's.


On Jun 26 09:40 AM Mark from Reston wrote:

> Wasn't it Mark Twain, not Churchill, who uttered the phrase about
> lies and statistics?

The Era of 'Five Minute' Macro Theories in the Markets

The "Sensory Overload " condition is constant, pervasive and, ubiquitous. The only known cure is to place a lead weight in one's left ear.

The Worst Isn't Over Yet

Platform shoes for everyone!

Friday's Jobs Report: Key Variables to Watch

After listening to the entirety of P.M. Gordon Brown's wonderfully glib oratory to a joint session of the U.S. Congress yesterday - I predict that the Labor Dept. will announce the loss of 658,000 jobs.

Market Forecast Continues to Deteriorate

Night

It is night
I lie on the beach
billions of stars above me

beneath me, billions of grains of sand
I ponder dodecahedrons
I count the fingers on my hand

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Is 'Buy and Hold' an Antiquated Theory?

Jim Hawthorne's comments have got it just about right, as far as I'm concerned. I would only add that the mantra regarding diversification is also another oversold practice. Mark Twain once said "Put all your eggs in one basket... and then watch that basket very carefully." Twain may have been far better as author/raconteuer than investor - but, the point is clear. Right now, cash is king... or, whatever keeps your particular boat afloat!

Time to Bury the Markets?

Ruger is likely doing well as a response to concerns of U.S. gun owners regarding the Obama administration's general disdain of the 2nd Amendment. As far as Spam goes, I would like to see a bit more data. Could you also plot a graph for "green eggs & ham" as, I suspect that there could be an inverse correlation at work herein. Seussian effects are notorious in this type of market as, I am sure, you are keenly aware.

The Sound and the Fury in the Markets

While you are recuperating and since you have no apparent interest in the Snopes Trilogy , I was wondering if you just might find an Akira Kurasowa film or two of interest (if, indeed, we are all turning Japanese) - perhaps... viewing "Yojimbo" might assist you in acquiring a new perspective on the trading of the yen. After all, this particular film is a small study of economics, involving(as best I can recall) a wine merchant seeking to "corner" a market & enlists the aid of a passing cutlery salesman. Or, possibly, "Sanjuro" , where a senior type of fellow assists a group of young & aspiring junior types to be more assertive in their business dealings. Who knows, you might even find another inspired acronym or two - to apply to Asian economies of course.

Sorry Geithner, The Market Is Not That into You

Adrienne, thanks for a very refreshing look at Mr. Geithner. I commented in another post that I would not trust this "kid" with the keys to my car... to say nothing of the Treasury department.
Jeffrey Frankel was waxing enthusiastically (in a prior SA article) about how "cool" Geithner was in one of their meetings (Frankel is either an economist or a cartoonist... not certain which), to which, my response was... c'mon Jeff, it was a 4 hour meeting, maybe the guy just needed a break or perhaps... you guys are'nt managing your collective time well.

Struggling to Put the Markets Together Again

Having patiently awaited your safe return to these hallowed pages... I must now tell you... to go away again, if only with the slim hope... that you will return again with better news than one reads here today.

Misunderstanding the Great Recession

"Wisdom is easy to carry but difficult to load"

From Ted Kooser's book "Local Wonders" page 47.

The Law of Unintended Consequences: 20th Century and Beyond

James Quinn, et al;
So, you don't like my hat?!

No Enthusiasm for the Equity Rally

Orwellian indeed! As Eric Blair kept trying to tell us in various voices (The Road to Wigan Pier, Animal Farm, 1984), the British have been lurching in ever more eccentric circles toward this end for a very long time.
One of those eras that had a similar surreal aspect to it was in 1973, when OPEC hauled the whole world up short! Try to visualize Great Britain in December of that year when; a coal strike was on, a rail strike was pending, petrol was in short supply, and the government imposed a three day work week to curtail energy use. The experience of seeing posh London shops displaying expensive goods by the light of candles or paraffin lamps provided a contrast best described as eerie. Was this a nation of people bent on some form of national economic suicide or, stoicism borne of inflation, damp living and fuzzy political ideas? Perhaps all of the above! And then... again ... it ebbed, ... for a while.
The only hope left, or... so it may seem... is the Irish Business Model! Wow! Never did I think this would come to pass! Why in 1973, the IRA was still lobbing mortar rounds, blowing up mail boxes & cars, and spraying sub-machine gun fire in ...yes... LONDON! What a dichotomy.
What might it take to get the Irish to grab hold of the entire economy (and I do mean peacefully)? Secession? Collusion with the Scots? Monty Python? Barney Frank?

More Pain to Come in the Unemployment Pipeline

Macro Man,
Apart from your incisive analysis, you neglected to inform your devoted readers just where you were playing golf. If you were at a latitude of 53 deg 45' one might assume you were in the "midlands", anywhere North of 54 deg 10' up to, let us say, 57 deg 9' might place you in either Labrador or, possibly Scotland. Very little difference between the latter two since neither, the last time I checked, had anything that resembles "central heating". Scotland likely has more golf courses than Labrador but, that is only a guess on my part.