The world of human interaction is coloured in black, white and every shade of grey in between. The masters of human interaction accept and understand this innately and learn early on to exploit this fully.
Unfortunately, I have been given to the wide-eyed innocence of my age and upbringing by peasant parents who knew that the details I should possess were betond my schoolyard training. I don't blame them. Finally, though, I think I have an inkling.
My long-standing interaction with a particular person who shall remain unnamed is the proof of my first experiment with not believing all that I read, so to speak. Instead, I had finally, painfully accepted that I had lost the battle but might still be able to gain some experience with returning the same manipulation the like of which I had been subjected.
I still believe it's wrong and it hurts to play the game because it's not really me, but it doesn't matter. One MUST play the game, even when the opponent claims her own brand of purported innocence.
We have all heard, and I learned in school, that ignorance of the law is no excuse. So, here, the rules are the same. Played or be played. It's disgusting, but one must embrace that disgust to arrive victorious.
I yearn for a simple set of truths but apparently, such tablets are not descending into my arms from the mount. Again, I regret it and loathe it on every level, but such is the game.
I will play it. I have played it with you. But not any more. Any hint, and I will use my excessive IQ to plan you into emotional oblivion.
That's life. ANd yes, it pisses me off, but you don't care. You have an agenda and you will follow it because you must, because you know nothing else.
I could tell you it's wrong, that you're wrong, but you're hard-wired to mistrust everyone, including yourself. I can't help you. Sorry.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Beginning To End
It's officially spring in this corner of the nation. There are "green shoots" everywhere: the economy is in sight of improvement, the world and America is in el Exigente+like approval mode of our magically delicious President, our collective sense of acceptance of the new social reality is waxing. That's the macrocosm.
The microcosm is more grim, depending on your flava. It might include chronic disease, doubt and that old standby, death. Money and the things it buys may be dwindling or absent, if you lost your job, your spouse or your reason. Hopefully, no matter how bad things get, you may be in denial.
It's a powerful protective feature. Deny that your body really isn't ready to run that marathon and you might make it to the finish line. Heck, you might even win. Of course, you might die on the last hill, too. You can't know anything but that you want to reach the goal and denial of possibilities and probabilities will help make that happen.
If you're a Mother, you are clearly posessed of this skill. Without it, you will go insane. So, your child or children will be healthy, grow up, learn and be successful in life and love, and all will be well with the world. The reality of untimely mortality, car crashes and myriad bad choices is not an option. You, as a mother, lack the sober objectivity needed to effectively build scenarios.
To be continued . . .
The microcosm is more grim, depending on your flava. It might include chronic disease, doubt and that old standby, death. Money and the things it buys may be dwindling or absent, if you lost your job, your spouse or your reason. Hopefully, no matter how bad things get, you may be in denial.
It's a powerful protective feature. Deny that your body really isn't ready to run that marathon and you might make it to the finish line. Heck, you might even win. Of course, you might die on the last hill, too. You can't know anything but that you want to reach the goal and denial of possibilities and probabilities will help make that happen.
If you're a Mother, you are clearly posessed of this skill. Without it, you will go insane. So, your child or children will be healthy, grow up, learn and be successful in life and love, and all will be well with the world. The reality of untimely mortality, car crashes and myriad bad choices is not an option. You, as a mother, lack the sober objectivity needed to effectively build scenarios.
To be continued . . .
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Here, Piggie
The first death in the U.S. that could be attributable to the Swine Flu was reported today. The victim was a child.
The stock market is up.
The stock market is up.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Ch-Ching
JP Morgan himself was once asked before the start of a trading day by a newspaperman what he thought would happen in the market that day. He said, "It will fluctuate."
If you trade on volatility alone, then the fundamentals don't matter as much but the technical indicators do and you have to understand them in order to make your moves. Otherwise, if you buy at $4 and sell at $4.20, that's a 5% gain. If you're gaining that each week, that's pretty darn good at many multiples of what you'd otherwise get in a "safe" investment like a bank CD.
I generally trade on volatility and average 10% a month profit on my pot. That's pretty fantastic, I think. I surely don't plan to quit my day job, but this "crashed" market has been a real boon for me. There are certain issues that trade within a very specific range and allow seemingly endless turnover. Those are my daily trades. There are some very speculative issues where two have paid off hugely (NCX is one of them.) C is the ONLY issue that I'm long in because I don't think it has reached its sell point for the near-term, which I would make around $5.20. And yes, I've taken profit and bought back in. And, no, I won't hold it for a year simply because a one penny dividend and a rise from $5 to $10 is ridiculous compared to what I can make churning that cash value during the same period.
One needs to know where one stands. When I started trading actively by my lonesome, I picked issues that I really couldn't afford, like Apple and Heinz. The numbers one has to hold to benefit from the fluctuations are not for the sub-$100K investor where is what I was when I started. But I did some studying, learned what I needed to, and developed a strategy for each issue I bought. Eventually, I had my own little system in place that was unsophisticated and it works. To date, I have not lost money on a trade. Oh, I may have broke even, but I have yet to lose money. And I've made what I think is a lot of money.
No, I'm not related to Bernie Madoff. What I do follow religiously is the rules of the marketplace as a contrarian. And I don't react, ever. Markets go up and down - that's what's supposed to happen. So, when C first tanked this year, I waited and waited and waited until it started sliding sideways and stepped in and out from around $1.50 on up, like paddling a canoe. I figured the valuation, discounted, would have me stop at around $3.00, which is what I did. With the recent bump-ups, I was tempted, but I had a rule to follow, and I kept to it, selling when the pendulum swung above a certain range and buying back when it went the other way.
In my gut, I felt that C was the "worst" of the bunch and that okay news on a Friday, of all days, would do nothing for it. Still, I had my range. The bottom was never reached and neither was the top, so what's a ten percent downswing in one day compared to the gains of the last month? A correction? Isn't the risk of commercial and retail credit defaults and a fer-sure recession putting downward pressure on Citi? Of course it is. But good times are being had by all. Maybe it's time for a reality check.
It's frustrating to not wake up with an extra fifty grand in your account, but that's life. So, if you bought at $3.50 or whatever, you might not be a millionaire, but you made money, and that's a good thing. Will C reach my target of $5.20? Sure, it will. Will it reach it in the time frame I want it to? Maybe, maybe not. Heck, I would have wanted it to reach $5.20 ten minutes after I bought my first shares at $1.50 - didn't happen. The super-fat, genie-inspired, pot-o-gold happened to me just once and is not likely to happen again.
Why? Because that event was sheer, dumb luck. There's actual work involved in making smart trades. Reading, research, thinking, being attuned to events and having a fundamental understanding of business and economics are all important factors. But it sure beats digging ditches. Or scheduling freight.
People ask me for tips after I tell them why I'm quizzing them about their feelings on the job market, cost of living and other such general stuff-of-life. I smile and break out this old chestnut, "Don't bet on the horses."
Investing in an equity that's not doing anything for you and then griping about it is like being in a bad job and gripping about it. Make a change. Are you in profit? No? wait till you are and sell out. Doesn't matter if it's ten bucks. Maybe leave some in so that you don't feel like an ass when it shoots up to a gazillion, Because the time you waste peering at 30 cent swings costs you money. It's time better spent ferreting out worthwhile issues. They're out there - go get 'em.
If you trade on volatility alone, then the fundamentals don't matter as much but the technical indicators do and you have to understand them in order to make your moves. Otherwise, if you buy at $4 and sell at $4.20, that's a 5% gain. If you're gaining that each week, that's pretty darn good at many multiples of what you'd otherwise get in a "safe" investment like a bank CD.
I generally trade on volatility and average 10% a month profit on my pot. That's pretty fantastic, I think. I surely don't plan to quit my day job, but this "crashed" market has been a real boon for me. There are certain issues that trade within a very specific range and allow seemingly endless turnover. Those are my daily trades. There are some very speculative issues where two have paid off hugely (NCX is one of them.) C is the ONLY issue that I'm long in because I don't think it has reached its sell point for the near-term, which I would make around $5.20. And yes, I've taken profit and bought back in. And, no, I won't hold it for a year simply because a one penny dividend and a rise from $5 to $10 is ridiculous compared to what I can make churning that cash value during the same period.
One needs to know where one stands. When I started trading actively by my lonesome, I picked issues that I really couldn't afford, like Apple and Heinz. The numbers one has to hold to benefit from the fluctuations are not for the sub-$100K investor where is what I was when I started. But I did some studying, learned what I needed to, and developed a strategy for each issue I bought. Eventually, I had my own little system in place that was unsophisticated and it works. To date, I have not lost money on a trade. Oh, I may have broke even, but I have yet to lose money. And I've made what I think is a lot of money.
No, I'm not related to Bernie Madoff. What I do follow religiously is the rules of the marketplace as a contrarian. And I don't react, ever. Markets go up and down - that's what's supposed to happen. So, when C first tanked this year, I waited and waited and waited until it started sliding sideways and stepped in and out from around $1.50 on up, like paddling a canoe. I figured the valuation, discounted, would have me stop at around $3.00, which is what I did. With the recent bump-ups, I was tempted, but I had a rule to follow, and I kept to it, selling when the pendulum swung above a certain range and buying back when it went the other way.
In my gut, I felt that C was the "worst" of the bunch and that okay news on a Friday, of all days, would do nothing for it. Still, I had my range. The bottom was never reached and neither was the top, so what's a ten percent downswing in one day compared to the gains of the last month? A correction? Isn't the risk of commercial and retail credit defaults and a fer-sure recession putting downward pressure on Citi? Of course it is. But good times are being had by all. Maybe it's time for a reality check.
It's frustrating to not wake up with an extra fifty grand in your account, but that's life. So, if you bought at $3.50 or whatever, you might not be a millionaire, but you made money, and that's a good thing. Will C reach my target of $5.20? Sure, it will. Will it reach it in the time frame I want it to? Maybe, maybe not. Heck, I would have wanted it to reach $5.20 ten minutes after I bought my first shares at $1.50 - didn't happen. The super-fat, genie-inspired, pot-o-gold happened to me just once and is not likely to happen again.
Why? Because that event was sheer, dumb luck. There's actual work involved in making smart trades. Reading, research, thinking, being attuned to events and having a fundamental understanding of business and economics are all important factors. But it sure beats digging ditches. Or scheduling freight.
People ask me for tips after I tell them why I'm quizzing them about their feelings on the job market, cost of living and other such general stuff-of-life. I smile and break out this old chestnut, "Don't bet on the horses."
Investing in an equity that's not doing anything for you and then griping about it is like being in a bad job and gripping about it. Make a change. Are you in profit? No? wait till you are and sell out. Doesn't matter if it's ten bucks. Maybe leave some in so that you don't feel like an ass when it shoots up to a gazillion, Because the time you waste peering at 30 cent swings costs you money. It's time better spent ferreting out worthwhile issues. They're out there - go get 'em.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Proof Is In The Pudding
Some people just don't know when to quit. I'm one of those people. I'm proud of that quality. It's afforded me some measure of success when it comes to achieving goals or solving problems. One way this feature has not helped me is in dealing with no-account, ruthlessly cruel, manipulatively destructive people. It's because I think I can show them they're wrong and by doing so, that I can help them.
Reality-Me say, "You're a moron. People don't stop doing stuff because you 'show them the light.' They're inherently bad and what's more, they like f*cking with you, which is why they keep doing it. Are you truly stupid?" Whole-Me shuffles my feet, thrusts my hands in my pockets and mumbles, "I no know . . . " Weakness-Me tells me to give them another shot, because it's Whole-Me's fault, after all and that we owe it to them.
But F*ck-You-Me steps in to save the day, to wit: "What you on about? Thems bitches f*cked up yo sh*t and you goin' back fo' mo'? I kick yo' crazy-ass cracka-ass ass, you stupid m8therhumpa!"
Gotta keep that pimp-hand strong. Thank you, Daddy: may I have another?
Reality-Me say, "You're a moron. People don't stop doing stuff because you 'show them the light.' They're inherently bad and what's more, they like f*cking with you, which is why they keep doing it. Are you truly stupid?" Whole-Me shuffles my feet, thrusts my hands in my pockets and mumbles, "I no know . . . " Weakness-Me tells me to give them another shot, because it's Whole-Me's fault, after all and that we owe it to them.
But F*ck-You-Me steps in to save the day, to wit: "What you on about? Thems bitches f*cked up yo sh*t and you goin' back fo' mo'? I kick yo' crazy-ass cracka-ass ass, you stupid m8therhumpa!"
Gotta keep that pimp-hand strong. Thank you, Daddy: may I have another?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
I Want You
Oh my baby, baby . . . I love you more than I can tell
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby, baby . . . I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than I love you
Everything else is a waste of breath . . .
I want you
You've had your fun, you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling, you might fall . . .
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said, "Young man, I do believe you're dying . . ."
I want you
If you need a second opinion, as you seem to do these days
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they re shaking for
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
I want you
I want you
The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I wont know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Oh, no, my darling, not with that clown . . .
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get, well, no more
I want you
No-one who wants you could want you more
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I want you
I'm going to say it once again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
I don't think I can live without you
And I know that I never will
Oh my baby, baby . . . I want you so it scares me to death
I can't say anymore than I love you
Everything else is a waste of breath . . .
I want you
You've had your fun, you don't get well no more
I want you
Your fingernails go dragging down the wall
Be careful darling, you might fall . . .
I want you
I woke up and one of us was crying
I want you
You said, "Young man, I do believe you're dying . . ."
I want you
If you need a second opinion, as you seem to do these days
You can look in my eyes and you can count the ways
I want you
Did you mean to tell me but seem to forget
I want you
Since when were you so generous and inarticulate
I want you
It's the stupid details that my heart is breaking for
It's the way your shoulders shake and what they re shaking for
It's knowing that he knows you now after only guessing
I want you
It's the thought of him undressing you or you undressing
I want you
He tossed some tatty compliment your way
I want you
And you were fool enough to love it when he said
I want you
I want you
The truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark
It scares you witless
But in time you see things clear and stark
I want you
Go on and hurt me then we'll let it drop
I want you
I'm afraid I wont know where to stop
I want you
I'm not ashamed to say I cried for you
I want you
I want to know the things you did that we do too
I want you
I want to hear he pleases you more than I do
I want you
I might as well be useless for all it means to you
I want you
Did you call his name out as he held you down
I want you
Oh, no, my darling, not with that clown . . .
I want you
You've had your fun you don't get, well, no more
I want you
No-one who wants you could want you more
I want you
Every night when I go off to bed and when I wake up
I want you
I want you
I'm going to say it once again 'til I instill it
I know I'm going to feel this way until you kill it
I want you
I want you
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Doomed
You can get pregnant in the perimenopausal period. Beth didn't realize this and was surprised when she entered labor - at age fifty.
Tomorrow, I will be fifty. I am not pregnant. I am not in menopause. I am in man-o-pause, though.
My daughter says to her "boyfriend," as I overhear it, "I don't want to totally gyp you of my awesomeness, but I kinda want to hang out with my Dad a little bit more."
I echo that sentiment. I don't want to be deleted. Get more space on your memory card if you need to, but please don't delete me. I know I won't be deleting you.
Tomorrow, I will be fifty. I am not pregnant. I am not in menopause. I am in man-o-pause, though.
My daughter says to her "boyfriend," as I overhear it, "I don't want to totally gyp you of my awesomeness, but I kinda want to hang out with my Dad a little bit more."
I echo that sentiment. I don't want to be deleted. Get more space on your memory card if you need to, but please don't delete me. I know I won't be deleting you.
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