Who said it?

It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

I believe this was Abraham Lincoln.


By the way Abraham; what's with the "oln"?

A familiar smell?

This is where folks say "the next time things are up I'm selling". Since a lot of equities are held in mutual funds, and the sell activity gets executed the day following the instruction to sell, we see the consequences of those who can't take the risk or maybe the heat - a day or two later.

Or not.

A sigh and a beverage are in order

Yes indeed, we are pleased with the market's big up move on Monday. It was definitely good news. It's not time to celebrate just yet. However, a brief sigh of relief and a beverage are in order.

Heavy Lifting - % Ups and Downs

If something (let's say... the stock market) falls 20%. It has to then gain 25% to get back where it started.

10,000 down 20% is 8,000
8,000 up 20% is only 9,600
8,000 up 25% brings us back to 10,000

I hate that.

I love her expressions after she finds her fries

Punt

Advice

When you feel like you don't know what to do, clean the garage.

Crapnackle - Proposal 106a

What we have here, is a failure to communicate. I say stop selling into a soft (understatement) market and you continue to do so. What about "stop selling" is hard to understand? Don't make me stop this car. I will you know.

Instead of trying to hurt me with your lack of compliance with my wishes, here's what we'll do. Proposal 106a. I'm going to be calm. I'll come over here and stand with my hands on the back of this chair and my feet spread out as far as can. Then, when I say go, you wind up and drive your foot up between my legs crushing my balls and causing me severe pain.

But if I accept that, you will agree to stop selling and to actually start buying stocks. I won't go so far as to require that you buy specific stocks, although if you need suggestions, I have some.

Fair enough?

Autumn to be "Crunchy"

Crunchy leaves and winds at 12 mph - use caution.

Extreme Weather Alert: Meteorologists Predict Intensely Brisk Autumn

Crapnackle Chimes in - Again

To all people,
Stop selling stocks. Stop it I tell you. Stop it! You're ruining the plan. You see - in order for us to come off these dreadful lows, we need buying. Repeat after me... "Buuuuuyyyyyying". Yes - very good. It's time to quit being chicken and get positive. Buy!

Don't make me beg. Of course I will beg if I have to, but that isn't a fun thing to watch, so let's not let it come to that.

I'll just say, please - if you don't mind etc etc.

There - I've said it. Hopefully that encouragement is the thing that tips the scales. Whew.

Any wiggle room in that price?

Crapnackle Speaks!

Crapnackle Report - September 29. 2008 ~ 10:41 AM:

Now is the time to put money, effort and other applicable resources to work. By now, I mean over the next few months. I'd still give it a couple of weeks for the stench to reach the nasal passages.

Had you done it over the last year, chances are good you lost money. If you were lucky enough or patient enough to wait until now, you stand a chance to do well. The message has been clear for a long time (two years or so) that "the economy" is lousy and getting lousier. There were a few holdouts who kept saying that things would get better.

Now there is almost complete agreement that everything stinks. Most people fear the worst and believe we are going down, down, down. Even those who are always bullish are wincing.

I and almost everyone is sold on the dismal state of everything.

That's it. We'll have a healthy chunk of market hurl today and maybe another nice big upchuck in the next week or so just to emphasise the point and then that will be it. The bottom will have arrived. Thank goodness. Now let's get back to business.

Remember what a bottom looks like. On the other side of the moment there is still a period of more lousy. We'll probably see more pain in the next week or two, but really - who can make a call down to the day? The bottom feeling may last for a while and we may wallow in it for a time, but it is the bottom. It just won't get appreciably lousier. That might not sound all that wonderful, but if you stay away (chicken), and don't act until you see signs of improvement, you'll be competing with everyone. Right now - be bold and win!

There you have it.

Cool Hand Luke

Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008)

In school, I took a film class and we dissected every cut of every scene in the movie "Cool Hand Luke". You had to like Luke.

Hmmm... let's consider

Constructive dilemmas--

1. (If X, then Y) and (If W, then Z).
2. X or W.
3. Therefore, Y or Z.

Destructive dilemmas--

1. (If X, then Y) and (If W, then Z).
2. Not Y or not Z.
3. Therefore, not X or not W.

McCain's Economic plan - "Marry a Beer Heiress"

McCain's Economic Plan For Nation: "Everyone Marry A Beer Heiress"

And That's Why I don't like Cricket

Mighty Boosh - Fossil Dance.

Amateur Balloonist

Amateur balloonist floats around the world.

The Stone Church

Who would have guessed? Not me.
We'll see what we can do. It should be interesting.

Pencils down. When?

Is it time?

What time is it?

When?

Now?

Soon?

Pencils down!

No - not pencils down.

Yes indeed, it's just about time for pencils down.

So - it isn't actually pencils down. How much time is left before the real pencils down?

Not much.

Oh boy.

.

Eventually...

Eventually, home prices will be relatively stable. Somewhere just under what it costs to put up a new one. This will mean that perceptions about puffed values will no longer drive people's decisions. Those with bloated mortgages will simply be "upside-down". They'll accept it as a fact and act accordingly. Some will stiff the bank, and others will find a way to get their positions right. Buyers will buy the homes offered at acceptable prices and walk past the rest. This is just the way it will be.

Lenders will lend money based on the new value reality and they'll be happy to do a 30-year fixed mortgage for folks with some kind of a down payment. There will be much less creativity when it comes to financing.

Some people will rent from those with enough money to control rental properties. There will be some balance between what you get and what you pay for. Of course this will happen.

Oh - and one more thing... Eventually, nuclear power will deliver energy in abundance and demand for fossil fuels will be only for those applications in which it is necessary.

Now then, isn't all that nice to know?