Ergo's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/user/358942/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/266844/comments?source=feed#comment-1623606 1623606 Sun, 01 May 2011 11:19:17 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/260901/comments?source=feed#comment-1563670 1563670
If you walked around all day with your pants down, and lots of people told you to pull them up, that doesn't make you wise to keep them down. ...... ]]> Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:39:08 -0400
If you walked around all day with your pants down, and lots of people told you to pull them up, that doesn't make you wise to keep them down. ...... ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/260900/comments?source=feed#comment-1563657 1563657 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:29:20 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/260168/comments?source=feed#comment-1554844 1554844 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:20:28 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/260168/comments?source=feed#comment-1550201 1550201
Can anyone recommend online brokers for trading silver options/futures on the COMEX?

(Obviously, I'll do my own due diligence. But any suggestions to consider are greatly appreciated.) ]]> Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:31:04 -0400
Can anyone recommend online brokers for trading silver options/futures on the COMEX?

(Obviously, I'll do my own due diligence. But any suggestions to consider are greatly appreciated.) ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/256430/comments?source=feed#comment-1509776 1509776 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:15:52 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/256430/comments?source=feed#comment-1506373 1506373
Wealth has to go somewhere, doesn't it? (at least the portion that isn't destroyed). When the music stops where will people go? The dollar is far from safe. Why wouldn't gold/silver be a safe haven?

If things get bad, I would think food is most valuable, and PMs will hold their value. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the only way to play is day trading leveraged options. But as a wage slave myself, I'd rather do something than nothing. (Thanks for all the info, Phil! Once again, I love your writing style.)]]> Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:22:19 -0500
Wealth has to go somewhere, doesn't it? (at least the portion that isn't destroyed). When the music stops where will people go? The dollar is far from safe. Why wouldn't gold/silver be a safe haven?

If things get bad, I would think food is most valuable, and PMs will hold their value. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the only way to play is day trading leveraged options. But as a wage slave myself, I'd rather do something than nothing. (Thanks for all the info, Phil! Once again, I love your writing style.)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/256182/comments?source=feed#comment-1503788 1503788
"You know ... the finest line of poetry ever uttered in the history of this whole damn country was said by Canada Bill Jones in 1853, in Baton Rouge, while he was being robbed blind in a cooked game of faro. George Devol ... drew Bill aside and asked him if he couldn't see the game was crooked. And Canada Bill sighed, and shrugged his shoulders, and said 'I know. But it's the only game in town.' And he went back to the game.]]> Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:10:05 -0500
"You know ... the finest line of poetry ever uttered in the history of this whole damn country was said by Canada Bill Jones in 1853, in Baton Rouge, while he was being robbed blind in a cooked game of faro. George Devol ... drew Bill aside and asked him if he couldn't see the game was crooked. And Canada Bill sighed, and shrugged his shoulders, and said 'I know. But it's the only game in town.' And he went back to the game.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/256106/comments?source=feed#comment-1503449 1503449
At current prices, IMO, Silver seems more manageable. (e.g., I carry a couple of $20 bills in my wallet. I never carry $1,000). Thus, I think it has more upside in 2011 as a percent, if one can ride out the volatility. I don't think I want to be in it forever. But at the moment, the government/Fed's treatment of the dollar scare me. I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same. ]]> Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:40:42 -0500
At current prices, IMO, Silver seems more manageable. (e.g., I carry a couple of $20 bills in my wallet. I never carry $1,000). Thus, I think it has more upside in 2011 as a percent, if one can ride out the volatility. I don't think I want to be in it forever. But at the moment, the government/Fed's treatment of the dollar scare me. I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/256057/comments?source=feed#comment-1502356 1502356 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:05:30 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/255644/comments?source=feed#comment-1498457 1498457 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:03:33 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/255027/comments?source=feed#comment-1492339 1492339 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:04:45 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/254260/comments?source=feed#comment-1486318 1486318
Truth be told, it's a scary world out there right now. What the heck am I supposed to invest in? Real estate? Banks? Corp.'s who just maxed out profits by firing employees? The Dollar??? Money isn't even safe under the mattress. Why wouldn't I have a portion in physical metals and mining companies (which I do)?

Anyone notice that gold/silver is up on a day when other things sold off? Sure hope that continues!]]> Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:04:03 -0500
Truth be told, it's a scary world out there right now. What the heck am I supposed to invest in? Real estate? Banks? Corp.'s who just maxed out profits by firing employees? The Dollar??? Money isn't even safe under the mattress. Why wouldn't I have a portion in physical metals and mining companies (which I do)?

Anyone notice that gold/silver is up on a day when other things sold off? Sure hope that continues!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/253847/comments?source=feed#comment-1480426 1480426 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 09:24:13 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/251853/comments?source=feed#comment-1475572 1475572
There is a serious logic failure here. You can argue that gold needs to catch its breath, and that there's other opportunities. But that doesn't mean gold is going to crash. And with a race in currency debasement, gold is pretty well safe - which is the point.

(Long silver here) ]]> Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:51:37 -0500
There is a serious logic failure here. You can argue that gold needs to catch its breath, and that there's other opportunities. But that doesn't mean gold is going to crash. And with a race in currency debasement, gold is pretty well safe - which is the point.

(Long silver here) ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/253327/comments?source=feed#comment-1475075 1475075
"This is how hyperinflation happens..." --- Hmm. I guess that brings us back to being long commodities even at highs? I'm a silver bull now, go figure.... Strange days indeed.]]> Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:42:52 -0500
"This is how hyperinflation happens..." --- Hmm. I guess that brings us back to being long commodities even at highs? I'm a silver bull now, go figure.... Strange days indeed.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/251210/comments?source=feed#comment-1452895 1452895
IMHO, you answered that too: "Ben Bernanke’s hyper-inflationary crazy train" ... "that sucks the money right back out of our bank accounts through currency devaluation."

So there it is. The dumb money is all those sitting on all the world's dollar reserves. Imagine all the unprotected loot in bank accounts, pensions, annuities, etc. And Ben and his gang believe its their duty to steal it.

What's the percent of the population that even knows what an options contract is, much less that has the ability to trade them? No, the barbarians are almost at the gates, and the masses are ill equiped to hide their treasures. I get that there could be crazy volatility, and better entry points. But in the long term, this train has just barely left the station. ]]> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:11:54 -0500
IMHO, you answered that too: "Ben Bernanke’s hyper-inflationary crazy train" ... "that sucks the money right back out of our bank accounts through currency devaluation."

So there it is. The dumb money is all those sitting on all the world's dollar reserves. Imagine all the unprotected loot in bank accounts, pensions, annuities, etc. And Ben and his gang believe its their duty to steal it.

What's the percent of the population that even knows what an options contract is, much less that has the ability to trade them? No, the barbarians are almost at the gates, and the masses are ill equiped to hide their treasures. I get that there could be crazy volatility, and better entry points. But in the long term, this train has just barely left the station. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/250536/comments?source=feed#comment-1445777 1445777
And with cost of living skyrocketing, that savings rate is toast. ]]> Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:01:35 -0500
And with cost of living skyrocketing, that savings rate is toast. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/249050/comments?source=feed#comment-1431772 1431772
Unlike the kids' game though, some of these players may not be satisfied with loosing their seats. ]]> Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:57:35 -0500
Unlike the kids' game though, some of these players may not be satisfied with loosing their seats. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/249027/comments?source=feed#comment-1431474 1431474 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:27:51 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/248747/comments?source=feed#comment-1429218 1429218
Well, I do like unicorns and rainbows. But color me skeptical. We all know how this story ends. Like Phil suggests, I hope to not be blindsided by the end game. ]]> Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:49:26 -0500
Well, I do like unicorns and rainbows. But color me skeptical. We all know how this story ends. Like Phil suggests, I hope to not be blindsided by the end game. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/248549/comments?source=feed#comment-1427785 1427785 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:32:19 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/247789/comments?source=feed#comment-1419438 1419438
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle."]]> Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:59:48 -0500
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he were sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle."]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/247133/comments?source=feed#comment-1414314 1414314
That's what I see with all these pension and annuity funds. The people running these funds don't even tell you what they're doing with the money, except in the most general of ways. Is it any surprise when they buy up risk assets from the invest banks, or buy pricey stocks driven up by the HFTs? And all while the government is running up impossible-to-pay debt levels. We have A LOT of systemic risk. ]]> Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:10:36 -0500
That's what I see with all these pension and annuity funds. The people running these funds don't even tell you what they're doing with the money, except in the most general of ways. Is it any surprise when they buy up risk assets from the invest banks, or buy pricey stocks driven up by the HFTs? And all while the government is running up impossible-to-pay debt levels. We have A LOT of systemic risk. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/247133/comments?source=feed#comment-1414280 1414280
Man is it ever hard to educate parents about money. These folks at retirement age started working in the post WWII "always up" ecomony, where if you merely did what you were told at the office everything turned out great. They have a hard time grasping that things aren't that way anymore. As a generation, they've utterly forgotten what their grandparents taught them from the Depression and WWII.

And annuities is where a lot of them will get bit. Never mind that interest rates on treasury garbage are zero percent. An investment company offers an annuity at 5% (true example), and they "guarantee" the deposit. No information is provided on how the annuity gets the 5%, or how they guarantee the deposit. And the old folk don't even ask, but are happy to put their life savings into it. What happens in the next crisis (which we all know is coming), if the Greek bonds purchased with their annuity money default?

Now, in our family, I'm able to point out the risk factors and intervene a little (despite the blank stares). But there are countless other families who remain utterly clueless about their true risk. ]]> Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:59:26 -0500
Man is it ever hard to educate parents about money. These folks at retirement age started working in the post WWII "always up" ecomony, where if you merely did what you were told at the office everything turned out great. They have a hard time grasping that things aren't that way anymore. As a generation, they've utterly forgotten what their grandparents taught them from the Depression and WWII.

And annuities is where a lot of them will get bit. Never mind that interest rates on treasury garbage are zero percent. An investment company offers an annuity at 5% (true example), and they "guarantee" the deposit. No information is provided on how the annuity gets the 5%, or how they guarantee the deposit. And the old folk don't even ask, but are happy to put their life savings into it. What happens in the next crisis (which we all know is coming), if the Greek bonds purchased with their annuity money default?

Now, in our family, I'm able to point out the risk factors and intervene a little (despite the blank stares). But there are countless other families who remain utterly clueless about their true risk. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/245669/comments?source=feed#comment-1398910 1398910
A: Eventually. But I can't say if I'll be solvent by then... ;-)]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:38:50 -0500
A: Eventually. But I can't say if I'll be solvent by then... ;-)]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/240457/comments?source=feed#comment-1340517 1340517 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:04:36 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/240457/comments?source=feed#comment-1340515 1340515
This blog talks a lot about conservatives vs liberals. Perhaps we're all just "populists" or some other description of using common sense to not screw over the vast majority of the country. For example, one could call me a "conservative," even though I detest what the so-called conservatives in our goverment are up to. ]]> Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:03:51 -0500
This blog talks a lot about conservatives vs liberals. Perhaps we're all just "populists" or some other description of using common sense to not screw over the vast majority of the country. For example, one could call me a "conservative," even though I detest what the so-called conservatives in our goverment are up to. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/233496/comments?source=feed#comment-1283418 1283418

(See Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: www.imdb.com/title/tt0.../ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... ...The "Green Knight" offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts, and beheads him in one blow, only to have the Green Knight stand up, pick up his head, and remind Gawain to meet him at the appointed time.).

The media describes the Fed's strategies as "untested." That's not true. Money printing strategies have been tried many times before. They just never work. This story only ever ends one way - ugly. Most Americans will be unprepared. ]]> Sun, 31 Oct 2010 11:02:07 -0400

(See Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: www.imdb.com/title/tt0.../ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... ...The "Green Knight" offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts, and beheads him in one blow, only to have the Green Knight stand up, pick up his head, and remind Gawain to meet him at the appointed time.).

The media describes the Fed's strategies as "untested." That's not true. Money printing strategies have been tried many times before. They just never work. This story only ever ends one way - ugly. Most Americans will be unprepared. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/231354/comments?source=feed#comment-1268343 1268343
Please don't blame us that we pay a lot more in taxes than Google ever will (2.4%!), and our savings are getting inflated away. We don't like it any more than you do. We just don't believe that the liberals attacking us and our social values are the honest brokers that will set things right again.

Surely, we're all a little old for fairy tales. ]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:58:52 -0400
Please don't blame us that we pay a lot more in taxes than Google ever will (2.4%!), and our savings are getting inflated away. We don't like it any more than you do. We just don't believe that the liberals attacking us and our social values are the honest brokers that will set things right again.

Surely, we're all a little old for fairy tales. ]]>