Pages

Monday, February 7, 2011

Manny Mondays: "What Now?" Edition

Morning all! As I was doing some lurking at this blog on Sunday afternoon (GREAT link fest, by the way, emmy, the Ireland article held me spellbound), many of the great comments stood out for me. However, it were Rock's comments about Egypt just being just another in a long line of "dominoes" that will likely fall in asynchronous, largely unpredictable fashion over the coming years, with seen and unforeseen ramifications on the global markets and economies, the previous ones being Iceland, Ireland, Greece, Tunisia, and now Egypt. Never mind that none of these countries' respective crises are far from "resolved", but this had me thinking about which "domino(es)" is/are next.

So what is it, folks? How might things play out in the coming years? I realize these things are extremely difficult to predict, but I thought it would be an interesting activity to try and speculate on how things might play out.

Speaking of Egypt, as of Sunday afternoon, the protesters in Egypt had still vowed to carry on until Mubarak stepped down:

Protesters Vow to Escalate Pressure on Mubarak

In the meantime, the U.S. markets (and slow quasi-economic "recovery") continue their steady march upward seemingly every week. How long can/will that go as well? Are we closer to '04'-'05 or '07-'08 at this point, or somewhere else entirely given the continuous involvement of the Fed and global government intervention?

123 comments:

  1. bloomberg, from Betty (to us, with a kiss?)

    the only "emerging market" that's attracting capital is Russia.

    So who's bullish emerging markets? not me! Anybody else you know?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Mannwich

    I know nothing. Whether or not I am in any position to know anything, I have to say that I have no direct or indirect knowledge of anything. I avow I know nothing regarding the security or insecurity of any sovereign entity in the middle east. Or anywhere. Everything I said is pure conjecture.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Rock: Oh, I know nothing as well (and even less than most), but just thought it would be an interesting exercise to speculate.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Buying stampede above ES 1300 in full force.

    The no fear market continues to rally.

    It appears that someone has confused the stock market with the corn market.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Quite a little Monday morning mo-mo. Amazing to watch this thing every single day without a real meaningful pullback.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Where are all of the Gold bugs now? The dead enders? The P3 crowd?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Manny,

    I have studied the market's history and I believe that this move is unprecedented in it's scope.

    Next stops - 1440 and then 1576.

    It would be an incredible feat to retrace the entire decline but it looks like we might be headed there.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Copper continues to make new highs also.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Morning all! Certainly looks like we're going to retrace the entire decline doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is a powerful move as the ticks have barely broken zero all day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @dss(10:48)


    Thanks for sharing. I think it was you who said 1300 few months back.

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Manny,

    Meet the new dictator, same as the old dictator.

    These countries will never be truly democratic as their history and strategic location and resources ensures that American interests are protected. How many of these governments have explicit American backing (funding)? Now we have a permanent presence in Iraq and most likely in Afghanistan as well.

    This is why the sabre rattling of American conservatives regarding Iran is telling, it is the only country that America has no control over anymore.

    As McCain has said repeatedly, "Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran", because then the government could be overthrown and a new American backed government be in installed.

    It is more about money to be made from the region (oil and defense) and serving American interests than radical Islam.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @ICan,

    There has been no fear in the market since the September unemployment report and the QE2 announcement in November.

    Bernanke has said that higher asset prices helps our economy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. @Denise: Well, there go. Unprecedented indeed. And as for the gold bugs, P3, and armageddon crowd? Who knows? Maybe they're loading up on food and arms, that is if they have any money left. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Even my little short busting up in a big way but on light volume. Tempted to add to it, but not getting in the way of this freight train right now.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Market always seems to make fools out of most of us, doesn't it? And the most unexpected thing to happen would be it continuing to march upward and possibly reaching the old highs, so perhaps that's where we are going?

    ReplyDelete
  17. PK today.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/opinion/07krugman.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB

    ReplyDelete
  18. @ICan,

    Manny has been very bullish this market as well, from way back in September, at least.

    ReplyDelete
  19. @dss,

    We had another snow storm on Sat. night. Two in one week.

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  20. It snowed here yesterday, just a few inches, but that on top of the piles we already have and it is ridiculous. I think we will still have snow piles that haven't melted in April.

    ReplyDelete
  21. There's always someone who has it worse than you!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Egypt approves 15% raise for govt. employees -AP


    Jimmy Rogers knows a thing or two about agri. commodities.

    Arab countries are about 20 years behind Chindia.


    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  23. Manny,

    That Krugman article explains a great deal about food shortages and prices. Bad weather around the world is to blame, with more to come.

    ReplyDelete
  24. AOL, a dying company, needs the Huffington Post more than the Huffington Post needs AOL. I think that the HP will be ruined going forward.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I had the very same thought, Denise. Great for Arianna to cash out though. Can't blame her.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is an unbelievable article which explains a great deal about the mindset of corporate America who received bailouts.

    Wall Street Knows Meltdown Was Just Bad Dream: Simon Johnson

    "It’s even harder to believe that someone with such views is not only the top officer at one of America’s largest financial institutions, but one of the many that only exists at all because the government bailed it out with billions and billions of taxpayer dollars -- something Benmosche and too many of his fellow CEOs in finance pretend never happened. "

    ReplyDelete
  27. @Denise: I honestly couldn't even get through the first two paragraphs of that article. Incredible but it explains the menatality of those who are in charge. The real ENTITLEMENT CLASS.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Denise - good article. So very sad - Mediocrity it not only acceptable, it's now become the norm!

    ReplyDelete
  29. The hubris of these people is just unbelievable, but not surprising.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Rosie calling for increased inflation . . .

    I've noticed gas coming back down here. . . .I see oil is also falling back down below 90. Gold hasn't moved all that much lately either.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Rosie's been wrong a lot about equities though.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Catching up on answering the comments.
    @Mutt,February 2, 2011 6:23 PM:Thanks for the "there must be a U following a Q" spelling lesson;)

    ReplyDelete
  33. @Rock,February 3, 2011 8:48 AM:I admit I was surprised at the emotion-charged answer. Maybe Al Q. is more of a concern in the US than other countries (eg France), due to 9/11. I respect that, no offense taken.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Manny - A lot of these guys are wrong a lot it seems. One valuable lesson I think I've learned over the last couple years following so many of these people, is to take everything anyone ever says about the economy, and most especially equities, with a very big grain of salt.

    The fact that so many of the "cream of the crop" were calling for massive corrections this entire re-trace makes me wonder how truly nimble some of these guys are.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Rock - from the previous thread

    I'm worried about the fact that the MSM is so captivated by Egypt. I'm wondering what's going on really. Not in Egypt, but why the MSM isn't focusing on a broader range of issues.

    One thing to be thankful for though on this - Egypt has almost completely pushed Palin out of the news. If we can keep this up for another month, I'll bet you she disappears.

    ReplyDelete
  36. The Groupon commmercial last night wins the Pets.com Memorial "What Were They Thinking?" Award.

    ReplyDelete
  37. And congratulations to the Packers front office for finally enjoying the fruits of their long-term plan.

    Meanwhile, us Redskins fans get to watch our asshat owner try to intimidate a local Washington paper for drawing funny faces on his picture.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Speaking of corporate greed, ego, arrogance, and idiocy:

    Watch the video. These people were apoplectic. Can you imagine paying this kind of dough to go down there only to have this happen after the weather sucked up through Friday? Classic Jerrah. Pure greed, ego and arrogance....

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/super-bowl-2011/02/06/super.bowl.ticket.problem.ap/index.html?xid=siextra_020711

    ReplyDelete
  39. @emmy: It could be worse. You could have Jerry Jones. Not sure which is worse though. Both he and Snyder are cut from the same cloth.

    ReplyDelete
  40. @ E117

    John Riggins action figure presides over the trading desk at Dread Capital.

    If only we had a 44.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Is it bad that I wasn't even aware it was super bowl sunday?

    Maybe not bad, but certainly not at all surprising ? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  42. No wait - we don't even have a team in LA so that's not too surprising!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Authorities crack down on Bahrain dissent

    At some point, the Gulf states are going to tell Qatar and Al-Jazeera to cut it out.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Emmie - I've been thinking the same thing!

    ReplyDelete
  45. For the past 7 years Animal Planet (Or some other station) has been hosting the "Puppy Bowl" before the Super Bowl.

    And this year they had Kittens for the half time show.

    Anyway who cares about the Redskins or the Cowboys when you can watch the Puppy Bowl.

    GOOOOO SEAHAWKS!!!!


    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  46. @Anon: The convulsing is clearly due to the clear contradiction that what "happened to" AIG was clearly as a result of the government helping to prop THEM up and that government has been doing more propping up of the rich and powerful than the non-rich and non-powerful over the last few years, and by far. The fact that you don't see that calls into questions not only your intellectual honesty but also your level of intelligence.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Looks like Anon deleted again. I say keep those kind of idiotic comments up there. It shows just how idiotic that person really is.......

    ReplyDelete
  48. Mannwich - I did not get to see the Anon comment, and I tend to agree with you on leaving them up, Cuz it always good to have something to laugh at. But unfortunatly it is the person/s who makes those comments that fail to see how idiotic they are.

    So I also understand why they are taken down.

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  49. Manny - I'm fine with them being deleted. It's not an Anon comment, it's Andy and we're sick of it. The fact that three or four people are now actively deleting those comments should be evident enough to everyone that they're bothering some folks.

    I'm in the process of figuring out how to ban his IP addresses as asking nicely, and then removing his comments, are apparently not enough of a hint.

    I personally do not like the stalkish behavior. If it were many anons it would be one thing, but this is continued harassment by one particular individual and we've all had enough. I'm not going to be the one forced to deal with Andy's psychosis forever, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  50. The anon comments are meant to disrupt - You're all admins, I encourage you to dig through google analytics, He comes around - drops a pile of shit, and then leaves, he's not interested in dialogue, he's not interested in communication, all he's interested in doing is insulting and disrupting, a year is long enough.

    ReplyDelete
  51. @Manny,

    What Mr. Anonymous Andy wants to see is his insults in print. As a narcissist, it is all about him.

    Mr. Andy lacks the social skills to play nice with others, so we see no need to continue to give him a forum to post his insults.

    The reason why we get such a strong response out of Andy is that he sees EXACTLY what Simon Johnson's article is about.

    Andy is extremely frustrated when the conservative idiots who are ruining (have ruined) this country are revealed as hypocrites, liars, and possibly delusional as they seek to place blame on others.

    Simon quite nicely pointed out the extreme hypocrisy of AIG's CEO, and his attempts to smear the little people while having his own pockets lined by the taxpayers. Andy didn't like it that someone told the truth about the moral bankruptcy and hubris of a CEO of the most bailed out failed corporation on the planet. No surprise there.

    Actually Manny, I also believe he is coming here out of the sheer embarrassment and frustration of being so wrong on the market. Have you ever read his forecasts? Pretty stinky.

    The comments are not funny, they are mean spirited, and are meant to disparage and ridicule our people for the entertainment of others.

    It is an easy decision.

    ReplyDelete
  52. From the Ken Lewis article that Emmy posted


    "...In retrospect, now that the Irish bank losses are known to be world-historically huge, the decision to cover them appears not merely odd but suicidal. A handful of Irish bankers incurred debts they could never repay, of something like 100 billion euros. They may have had no idea what they were doing, but they did it all the same. Their debts were private—owed by them to investors around the world—and still the Irish people have undertaken to repay them as if they were obligations of the state.


    When reading this I just remember the "act of magic" committed in Argentina couple decades ago.It's just sad.

    But is the tactic anyway, ala Rothchild, just try to make the state to owe the money (is more solid than private clients) the state will have an army of servants to make bondholders whole again.Ahhh...isn't it call high finances for nothing.

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  53. Dan - I've never thought of that before. Do you see many parallels from Argentina's past with what's going on in the world these days?

    ReplyDelete
  54. Rock

    The results in the markets being constrain to 3 results up, down or unchanged allows us to use any kind of information to nail a move; so yes, I agree totally with you, the BP spill could be read like the critical factor.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  55. A very primitive view maybe but hardly fails.

    Make the weaker (not organized-not aware or confounded) pay the price, even when they don't have (as a whole) anything to do with the situation, because they are weak.

    Wall Street banker's voice in the background...

    "And infused in them the idea that the rules of capitalism are the way to prosper he..he.. but WE make the rules and change it at least for us when it fits.Ever wonder little ones why you can't pool resources and open a bank, WE decide your life".

    Basicsally the alliance among the 3 biggest groups
    Wall Street,politicians and military industrial complex to just push as many people to serfdom with a smiley face in that way the power that they hold is never going to be challenged easily.

    Just the feudal system, still alive and well.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  56. I hear you guys. I have no problem with your deleting them. Whatever you guys want to do, I'm OK with it. It's the intent of the posts that are the crux of the issue.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Manny

    It's hard to make a prediction specially about the future.Lol.Just kidding.

    Don't know I don't look too far ahead I'm more interested to see that works 72 hours- 2 weeks in advance.

    Sometimes appears something that pushes me to go and check in the future but no more than 4- 8 months.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  58. Dan - wise words. I've probably asked you this already, but have you seen this documentary? If not, I'd highly recommend it.

    Why We Fight

    Filmed during the Iraq War, Eugene Jarecki's Sundance Grand Jury Award-winning documentary dissects America's military machine with a keen eye to answering a necessary question: Why do we engage in war? Through personal stories of soldiers, government officials, scholars, journalists and innocent victims, the film examines the political and economic interests and ideological factors, past and present, behind American militarism.

    It's very good at explaining how we got where we are today with the military industrial complex as well as details on how insidious they are into every facet of life in America today.

    ReplyDelete
  59. "You'll Be Lynched Today, Says Egyptian Policeman". First-person account.

    Maram Mazen, Cairo born, Sudan based contract journalist for Bloomberg news.

    "It was a day I never dreamed could occur in my native city".

    http://noir/bloomberg.com/news/regions/Canada.html

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  60. Why we fight in animated version otherwise you can just type "war is a racket or Smedley Butler"


    http://www.google.com/search?q=smedley+butler+war+is+a+racket&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en

    ReplyDelete
  61. @Dan: The real "entitlement class" is at the top of the food chain, not middle or bottom, as many Lou Mish-types would have us believe.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Wael Ghonim, a Google executive was released today after the direct personal intervention of billionaire businessman Sawiris.

    He's become a hero in his country. As the blogs are all over his release and what people are saying.

    "Anyone with good intentions is the traitor because EVIL IS THE NORM. If I was a traitor I would have stayed in my vila in the Emirates and made good money and said like others, let this country go to hell".

    From the Guardian blog, " Many are saying the regime will regret the day they ever allowed him out".

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  63. Oh, I know, Dan, but I just thought it would be fun to speculate (and probably be mostly wrong, at least in my case anyway!).

    ReplyDelete
  64. I think the stalker is having a bad day. He is surely having to re-boot his analysis, given the difference between what he's posted at his site, and what the S&P has actually done. He is usually level-headed about his technical analysis, and follows a system (no matter what you think of the system). He often reminds people to pay attention to the alternate count, which I read as being open to being wrong. Unfortunately for him, it seems he's not listened to his own advice lately. He's been wedded to the ending of a particular wave and the pending short he intends to make. I wish he'd just re-do his analysis, find his bearings, and lay off the mean-spirited needling.
    kayem

    ReplyDelete
  65. I did not see any comments, but if they are truly bad, why not leave the ugliness up for all to see?

    Isnt that the best punishment for the offender?

    To permanently have a record of their negativity up on the web for all to see?

    Just a thought.

    I-Man is out of the war. Has no side. I would prefer as a reader that all comments be left to stand.

    Even the bad ones.

    Having stated that, wont discuss it anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  66. @I-Man: I definitely can sympathize with that point of view, only as long as it doesn't create another stupid blog flame war. If we can keep our wits about us, then I'm OK with leaving the comments, but I'm also OK with deleting them (although I won't be deleting any myself). Whatever. I'm just going with da flow on many fronts these days.

    ReplyDelete
  67. I-Man - we tried that for months and it did no good. We'll be banning the IP addresses (both is home and his blackberry) that Andy has been using to log in to harass us. If it were a bunch of people I could understand a concern to let them stand. This is one person (Andy), coming in on the same two IP addresses month after month after month after month. We've asked nicely, we've let the comments stand and ignored them, we even broke off and created a new blog to try to get away.

    This is a concerted effort to disrupt and considering he's now taken to typing out his nasty comments on his Blackberry to try to hide who he is is pretty disturbing.

    What we're dealing with is a sick individual. What would you call someone who constantly comes to a place to berate people? Why would ANYONE want to watch that? ;-)

    This isn't a free speech issue, and is definitely not a silencing of dissent issue. This is a group of people being constantly harassed by a sad, sick individual and wanting to be left in peace ONCE AND FOR ALL.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Thor

    Regarding your why we fight.

    Think Spaniard ransacking and steeleng all thee silver from the Potosi in Bolivia.

    They killed, raped or torched the weaker. And the motto "By the sword or by the cross"

    And think the middle east the last 50 years and make it a little more civilized and change the motto again:

    By pet tyrants and/or by the spread of our democratic values.

    And you will see in play the exact same thing is just pillaging other people becuse they can.

    Nothing changed too much.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  69. Don't be surprised that this guy is going to end up now or few years later the force in Egipt.
    Wael Ghonim

    ReplyDelete
  70. Meant
    ...years later being the force in Egipt.

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  71. Off to a silly sport called "broomball". A doubleheader outdoors tonight! Silly game but a good to get outdoors in the brutal winter months and burn off some steam.....

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broomball

    ReplyDelete
  72. Manny - Hah! I've always wanted to try that!!

    Weather says it's 5 degrees there . . . . ouch

    ReplyDelete
  73. @Thor: It's totally silly but pretty fun. Tough on my old creaky body though. It's really hard running on ice and stopping/starting. I think I tore my ab muscles last week. Still sore. It's not pleasant outside tonight but you'd be surprised at how quickly you warm up running around like an idiot out there.

    ReplyDelete
  74. From the Washington Post

    "...demonstrators who say they can't understand why Washington hasn't endorsed their demand that President Hosni Mubarak leave and take his regime with him.

    "What are you thinking about us?" Bilal Mohamed, a 24-year-old doctor, asked incredulously, pointing out that what the protesters want seems to be consistent with what America says it stands for. "We are speaking about our rights. You must be clear. Being midway is no good."

    The demonstrators point out that when President Obama was here 18 months ago he talked specifically about democracy in this part of the world. They also say that much of the U.S. assistance given to the Mubarak regime has gone toward their oppression, starting with all that military hardware being brandished against them.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Elites just make them believe that what they apply on them are the American values.

    ReplyDelete
  76. This egiptian guy knows exactly the difference.


    "...The pro-Mubarak mobs that rampaged last week attacked Americans who came their way. The anti-regime demonstrators, by contrast, have been almost uniformly welcoming of Americans who visit Tahrir Square. A frisker at a barricade off Talaat Harb Street frowned when he saw an American passport. "I don't like America," he said, then, his face brightening, he added, "I love Americans."

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  77. @I-Man,

    Your points are well taken, however, the issue is about a person who is a stalker, who disrespects us and ridicules us at every opportunity, despite the fact that we have asked him probably hundreds of times to leave us alone. This is not normal behavior even by internet stalking standards.

    You do not understand his motivation, he wants to see his comments here, he wants to see our reaction (once again we are having to address this issue) here, he wants to ridicule our community, he wants to be able to run back to the other site and tell them to go look at his latest insults, where they all have a good laugh at us.

    I am going to be very frank here, if I wanted to commune with the type of people that you call your friends at the other site, I would. However, I do not relish listening to the racist, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, rantings of people with obviously have delusions of grandeur and superiority complexes. The hate speech and negativity over there is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

    Andy and all of those other folks, including you, decided to decamp and go hang with CV. You left us. Now one disturbed individual will not let it go for some strange reason.

    As a result, we do not feel that we need to subject ourselves to the insults of Andy. And it is Thor and myself who are his perpetual targets.

    Once again Andy the narcissist has won because we are now talking about him. This is exactly what he wants.

    By deleting the comments we avoid this mess, and we deprive him of the ability to see his comments and any reactions to them.

    This stalking activity is why the other blog blew up, our ability to control what was posted on the site was taken away from us.

    I cannot believe that months and months later we are still having to deal with this and that people think it is ok to let these comments stand.

    It is not ok. I will repeat, letting these comments stand is NOT OK. If these comments offend one of our community, they should be offending all of our community. If these comments were aimed at Emmy, or ICan, or Dan, or anyone in our community I would have their back. It is not the content of the comment, but the fact that Andy is coming here to again attack people here, and that is not ok.

    ReplyDelete
  78. @Dan,

    Read my 6.07 comment. Also,

    "A Private Estate Called Egypt". By Salwa Ismail

    http://www.theguardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/06

    "Mubarak and the clique surrounding him have long treated Gqypt as their fiefdom and its resources as spoils to be divided among them".

    Most countries outside the original G7 are probably like that. India was like that until 1992, when the current Prime Minister Dr. Singh became a Finance Minister at the time and opened India to the rest of the world for business, taking monopoly away from the likes of Tatas, and Mahendras and the Ambanis.

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  79. I-Can

    These two paragraphs show why similarly to what happens in other countries the egiptian elite are not egiptians.
    Just need to be there to take what doesn't belong to them.But when it come to egiptian they just go like...screw them.


    ...Additionally, public social services underwent masked privatisation, taking health and education beyond the reach of vast segments of the population. Many poor families were forced to give up the hope of educating children and had to send them to do menial work to contribute to the income of the household. There was little public investment in most services, and in infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage. In the 2000s, Egypt witnessed numerous demonstrations by ordinary people across the country for the construction of overpass bridges on fast roads and for clean water in towns and villages.



    ...Egypt was governed as a private estate. Mubarak's immediate family is implicated in crony capitalist activities as partners of most of the businessmen who benefited from the regime's corruption. These beneficiaries do not want to leave their palaces, beaches and resorts, lucrative businesses and extreme riches. These are fixed assets that could not be transferred outside the country – although it should be noted that the ruling elites have siphoned off much capital to foreign banks. Nonetheless, it is the country-turned-private-estate they do not wish to abandon

    ReplyDelete
  80. @ICan,

    "It is estimated that around a thousand families maintain control of vast areas of the economy. This business class sought to consolidate itself and protect its wealth through political office. The National Democratic party was their primary vehicle for doing so. This alliance of money and politics became flagrant in recent years when a number of businessmen became government ministers with portfolios that clearly overlapped with their private interests."

    This can be anywhere, US, Mexico, Europe, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Denise - that is a good article. I didn't realize tax receipts were still down that much. I wonder how much of the problems the states are having are to do with this, as opposed to defined benefits.

    ReplyDelete
  82. State and federal taxing bodies are down just because of the recession.

    ReplyDelete
  83. @dss,


    It's outright looting the treasury and censoring the press and eliminating your opponents. A mafia like regime that most Arab countries are. Saudi Arabia probably the worst of all.

    There is no Utopia. Relatively speeking western countries are better/open/transparent/fairer...

    ICan

    ReplyDelete
  84. ICan,

    Thanks for all of your insights. I love that we are such an international group!

    ReplyDelete
  85. Mubarak family fortune could reach $70bn, say experts

    Egyptian president has cash in British and Swiss banks plus UK and US property


    This is all you need to know about the reign of Mubarak.

    70 billion. Imagine what even a few billion could have done for the people of Egypt.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Not caught in the spam filter. Deleted.

    ReplyDelete
  87. Denise - and you really see that when you go to Egypt. The Egyptian Museum as an example. It's not cheap to get in there, and there are thousands of tourists who go in every day. The museum itself it an old, dingy, poorly cared for hulk, there's so little space, that 90% of the artifacts in the museum are stored in the basements.

    None of the money the museum takes in goes to the museum itself, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  88. Andy,

    Free Fast Proxy

    Surf and browse the web anonymously at school and work!

    Browse the internet securely using 0001.cz.cc. You can unblock popular social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo, Facebook, YouTube, Orkut, Friendster and many other sites. Feel free to browse 24/7 and don't forget to tell your friends!

    You are an idiot.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Thor,

    It just makes you want to cry at the injustice.

    ReplyDelete
  90. A proxy server is a kind of buffer between your computer and the Internet resources you are accessing. They allow you to bypass firewalls and content filters and browse your favorite websites, without revealing your location (IP address).

    I guess your cheesy buffer didn't work.

    ReplyDelete
  91. What a sick fuck, he is so desperate to be able to come here and comment that he is using proxy servers to try and hide his identity.

    ReplyDelete
  92. I guess we really hit a nerve with Mr. Andy Free Proxy.

    ReplyDelete
  93. I don't understand why though? He obviously doesn't have any respect for most of us, yet he somehow thinks that he can randomly compliment Rock or Dastro and not have that seem even more insulting to them!

    ReplyDelete
  94. Divide and conquer. Compliment those who you think you can manipulate. Jeez, he's a crafty little devil, so clever!

    ReplyDelete
  95. I could bave told him it wouldn't work, I wonder how much it cost him to fail :)

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  96. Lies and more lies!!! Is my duty and obligation to just state clearly once and for all that what you heard about me are just baseless assertions advanced by spurious interests with the exclusive objective of...
    Hold on.

    What?

    (Smiling) Well thank you thank you, I never heard that word before and thought that...well...I'm very humbled and flattered for such warm and undeserved remarks toward myself and I can assure you that every waken moment, yes every waken moment that will be the north star that will guide all of my actions.

    When I post about talk politics I got possessed, sorry.

    (Regarding the other issue I stated clearly my views so will not use my dazzling resplendent and sensational elocuence to revisit it. The more outrage the more important the issue gets)
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  97. Lol.
    Oh come on I'm really sucks but I'm firmly determined to improve my bilingual sense of humor.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  98. @Thor
    "I'll bet you she disappears. "

    I remember watching David Letterman the day before elections, when David was making jokes about Bush (Jr). Which a) was easy to do and b)David was good at it.

    Anyway, at the end of the joke series, David got that smug smile on his face and said "Boy, I'm gonna miss that guy!"

    The next day, Bush was re-elected.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Here's really hoping for a TurnAround Tuesday. I need to more fully buy in, the micropullback popped me out of everything, and there havent' been enough lows to get me back in.

    @Mannwich:

    If I were you, I'd listen to Dss and at least take some profits from your short on the hoped-for TAT.

    ReplyDelete
  100. @ DSS

    I am sorry my comment struck such a tone with you, I can tell there is emotion there.

    I havent seen any of the stuff so I really cant speak to how bad it is.

    I dont condone any of it, and honestly, if its as pervasive as you claim, then I think its pretty lame, but AT can tell the I about if he wants.

    Aside from a few jabs from CV and AT, I honestly havent seen anyone else talk shit on you guys, and I dont think its fair to label us all a bunch of rascists, etc... just because we post on a different trading blog. I realize CV has said some nasty things, I'm sure he would admit that... and I dont condone that either.

    The truth is there isnt much talk like that at all.

    The I-Man was one of the ones who wanted just one blog, remember?

    Personal attacks are most definitely uncouth, and a waste of everyones time.

    I just come here to talk trading... just like I do over there. No side. And whereas I am down with "community"... the entire internet and planet is I-Man's Community, including here.

    ReplyDelete
  101. @Thor
    "not have that seem even more insulting to them! "

    My mama always told me to consider the source.

    ReplyDelete
  102. I-Man - You have always been a straight up guy, no doubt, I've never seen you talk shit about anyone, ever.

    ReplyDelete
  103. @ Rock

    At least for the Dow, tomorrow (today for you, I guess,) 2/8 looks to be the best shot at a pullback on the daily chart.

    If this leg is as strong as I think it will be, it should not give folks much of a chance to get in.

    A early morning or end of day scare will probably be the best shot. Intraday reversal trade.

    For my timing work there is a wide open period coming up which in my eyes could take us many points higher before the last week of the month.

    The alternative is slow quiet upward grind, low volatility, limited gain.

    Bottom line for I is, if there is a meaningful trend change around the corner, then the up move should accelerate from here, as this is the time when bears finally get long momentum, and the public gets drooly over growth stocks.

    I'm curious to know how many folks are short US equities, or will be enticed to short US equities as the USD continues higher.

    One of my reasons for fading a January top was the idea that too many folks were still short from the November high, and needed an asswhippin.

    The strength of the bounce off the 1/28 scare has me thinking there were too many overeager shorts.

    No one wants to be bullish and wrong here, so its probably the right trade.

    I'll be on the lookout for more distribution signs though... if we start getting long upper candle wicks on the daily charts, and on spike highs on the hourly, I'll know the parabolic move is out of play.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Listen Rasta man,

    I know that everybody is honest and cool here and there, or there and here.

    We have just a few with bad chemistry among each other.Very few of them.

    Can I blame them, all of them? everybody has they story and their reasons almost like kids explainig after school to the police who started the fight.

    I can understand them, I watch the way that they address to each other and almost blush (yes I'm exaggerating) if they have pleasure doing that is fine with me as long as the space is not a minefield impossible to pass through.And is pretty clean so far.

    For some that could be part of the allure personally I don't enjoy that but it doesn't going to keep me awake at night.

    I-Man I'm an inmigrant who, work with wood and research astrology and happens to post and comment in a financial blog, with a reverse nemesis blog and never I repeat never was directly derided confronted or despised for what I'm doing, see? that's one of the reasons why I loved this land.

    If someone mocked wasn't at me but at astrology I didn't noticed that got any traction, not one fucking commenter responded to him, and the most important thing is that he is absolutely right because he is just expressing his views or opinions. Did I like it? No. But it's call the first ammendment he can say whatever he wants.
    He didn't insult me or humilliate me of course if the chance arise I can make him take his own medicine I'm veeery patient or maybe not.

    But I still don't get it if it's the water or what but they become lunatics against each other.Probably lunatics is not the word is more like they go bonkers at each other in some issues.

    So I speak for myself only but keep your cool you are very appreciatted over here, you are a good man.

    Do I see racist comments overthere? Well today some anonymous was making fun of illegal immigrants as free roaming chicken probably trying to pick a fight or probably a coward expressing frustration.
    Still I go there but that's the beauty if bigots (allways anonymous of course) take over the place I'll just crucify that blog withouth going bonkers.

    So dude keep your good work and tomorrow all can go to hell, I'm egiptian now so I'm on strike and I not going to post anything mesningfull tomorrow I spend a lot of time addressing irrelevant things and now is late.
    Goog night.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  105. I-Man,

    It is an unfortunate fact of life that we are all known and judged by the company that we keep, the people we choose to hang with.

    "Aside from a few jabs..." is the understatement of the year. Please do not try to minimize Andy's continual stalking behavior and insults as if it were nothing.

    All we have asked is for them to leave us alone and Andy refuses to do that, even resorting to trying to hide his continued presence. Who does that? And why? Shocking for a family man with a full time job to be spending his free time stalking us on this blog.

    At any rate, we welcome your participation and I am sorry if I put you in the same category as some over there.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Sorry all I get a little upset point is if (and we agreed already) some comments are going to be delete is a fact just to keep moving withhout all going bonkers.

    What push me a little was calls for solidarity and manipulation and we are being divided.

    Minimize the conflict delete inaproppiate things and don't have to keep showing solidarity or a common front and involving more and more participants.

    Just chill out and use the fucking delete and everybody happy and if someone is not happy well we can send him/her/them a fruit basket and forget abiut it.

    No manipulation means not forcing me to show loyalties for being in one blog or the other.I'm just a contrarian. :)
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  107. I-Man

    ...I'm curious to know how many folks are short US equities, or will be enticed to short US equities as the USD continues higher.

    Sold my puts past week, now only calls SPPI,SOMX,EK.BSX.

    Spy calls
    Spy puts.

    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  108. @Dss

    Stephen Ohlemacher writes yellow press.

    He is not an accountant, and takes single lines out of context for his articles.

    ReplyDelete
  109. @Thor

    If you want, and you know some abuse has come from a specific IP address, you can run a whois

    http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

    and report the abuse, time, IP address and some text to the webmaster.

    In a case where the abuse is coming from two specific IP addresses, I'll wager dollars to donuts that one is a home address, and one is a work address. In that case, focus on the work address, because I know in um, some company I used to work for, network abuse is specifically identified as a cause for termination in the employment contract paperwork.

    And who knows? Blogging at work may be a violation of the network usage agreement.

    ReplyDelete
  110. @I-man:

    Short APOL, just a tiny tiny bit for fun, looking for a lower high. My stop loss is $200.

    I short NVDA every 60 minute cycle, on the way up I long, on the way down I short. It's a fun way to while away the night,as I look at fields of 1's and 0's. It's been profitable.

    I used to do that with X, but now with the government on their side, I don't anymore.

    HTH

    ReplyDelete
  111. @I-man

    Thanks for the input. It coincides with my thinking, but my thinking is only my thoughts and does not have all the psychological factors and structural factors of the market. Probably doesn't have all the technicals and fundamentals either, but I think I've at least got enough resources available to study and conclude on those. If I blow any, it's my fault, because I haven't worked hard enough. I think I have enough resources.

    That's why I value all the articles, the thoughts, the feelings, the references, and the insights that I find here. And why I try to give back a little.

    ReplyDelete
  112. wonderful issues altogether, you just gained a emblem new reader.
    What might you suggest about your submit that you simply made some days ago?
    Any certain?

    Also visit my blog: 63223

    ReplyDelete
  113. Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?

    I'm kinda paranoid about losing everything I've
    worked hard on. Any tips?

    Visit my web page: 43439

    ReplyDelete