Friends of Essex

[dontbothermec]

NGA is breaking out, finally.

Still like gold, especially EGO & SA.

[dontbothermec]

"any word from your spotter telling of any increase in heavy machinery headed to the mine?" My spotter has been at Burning Man this past week (just 40 miles from Hog Ranch on the only road, gravel, to the mine) so not in the office, but certainly able to watch the road for an incursion of heavy equipment. None so far. Hog Ranch is still lying fallow. All the news is about the other mines.

"That would mean, the laws of attraction are evident, those of like mind, interest, and earning potential flock together."
Not only are they attracted to each other, they moderate each other's energy (for benefit or otherwise). That is why it is advantageous to hang out with positive, cheerful, healthy, loving folks if you are interested in attracting love, health or abundance.

[tedmoe48]

Wow, that's huge. Have you gotten any word from your spotter telling of any increase in heavy machinery headed to the mine?

If the Fed lowers on the 18th, that would be a good sign that Gold stocks are going to appreciate. Cheaper money will fuel inflation fears again.

Dick cancelled his bookmark, to simplify his life. Wish my life was so easy to simplify. Try to get him back over here.

I watched the CNBC specials yesterday as they aired because the market was closed. One line, caught my attention, and rang so true that I need a reality check on it.

To parapharse; "Your earning potenial is almost always at or near the average of the five people you spend the most time talking/interacting with."
That would mean, the laws of attraction are evident, those of like mind, interest, and earning potenial flock together.

[dontbothermec]

Glad you had a nice trip. Now get to work!

SA looks very, very good today. A while back there was an article that said they had 1 oz. of gold for each share, and it seems the cost to get each oz. out of the ground is around $290, so maybe this stock is worth around $300/sh.

[tedmoe48]

nope, no news, no real follow through, but the 6 month chart looks good to me. I think we're on the right side of this trade, when it spikes up again, folks will be paying up for the shares we can buy now. But, we'll see.

Bermuda trip was great, smooth sailing down and back. Got to see the Statue of Liberty both leaving and coming back into Bayone, NJ, saw the Manhattan skyline too.

Bermuda is beautiful, very colorful pastel colored homes and plush green foliage abounds. Clean, safe and expensive are some of the words that describe Bermuda best. I wish our U.S. Virgin Islands were as safe, the biggest drawback of the Virgin Islands in my opinion are the panhandlers and rif-raf that pester you continuously without any sign of policing. Bermuda has none of that, I wasn't approached once to buy this or that... It was very relaxing and refreshing. Now, lets make some money so I can go back soon.

[stricklybiz]

Ted, Strong opening. +0.17 on 8,350 sh. No news that I've heard.

[stricklybiz]

Nice day for a Friday (assuming an up market won't damage you).

[stricklybiz]

Ted, Yep. I intended to alert you and got busy with mail and forgot. It was up maybe 12%+, then fell back to a bit under +0.05, now is back up to +0.16. Interesting; no news yet, but that's a bunch.

[tedmoe48]

Dick, interesting spike in MTSX this AM at the open. Someone either wanted in badly, or hit the wrong button. You hearing anything?

If BAC bought 2 Billion dollars worth of CFC's paper, and can buy the stock at $18 at a time not mentioned yet. HMMM seems to me, a put calling for the price to come on down to $18 would make sense. If not a put, at least a short candidate.

Oh by the way, I saw a post yesterday on the IOTN board from Antispazz.

[dontbothermec]

Thanks Dick, I'm paying attention. Ted emailed me that the CEO will be a guest on Fast Money today, so....just in case....I covered my short position. To date, NOTHING has been able to cause the stock to go up and hold onto the gain, but there is no use in tempting fate. Of course, I should have waited a few hours to cover, oh well, that's the price I pay to avoid worry.

Other news, NGA is surprising me with its sharp increase today, 15% on no news....I'm about .50/share above water....what a great feeling.

[stricklybiz]

Anne, FYI

iRobot revamps vacuums, plans more home robots
Reuters
Wednesday, August 22, 2007; 12:27 AM

BOSTON (Reuters) - iRobot Corp (IRBT.O), a robot maker that sells floor cleaners as well as devices that defuse bombs, introduced on Wednesday a new line of vacuums in hopes of generating cash to invest in a wider range of products.

Two new models, the Roomba 530 and Roomba 560, were scheduled to start selling on iRobot's Web site, Amazon.com and Home Shopping Network on Wednesday for $250 and $399.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082200046.html

[dontbothermec]

Hmmm, ABP,it's beginning to look like a little insider trading now, isn't it? Maybe the old man's death is thought to be a boon?

[tedmoe48]

Oh ya, very volitile.

Sold the DYN calls this morning, in at .7 out at .95. Nice lil deal. Watching LVLT for a swoon, if I get it, I'm getting the $5 calls.

Did you notice the insider buys at ABP? Even without a hurricane, someone thinks this one is Northbound.

[dontbothermec]

Let's just continue with the extreme volatility, that will keep the MMs with their nose to the screen, trying to make money on every news item.

Did you notice Barron's article about the Cramer picks under performing the market? I'll bet he is furious.

[tedmoe48]

So what will this week bring us. Pennies from Heaven? That is just one of the things I want to know.
Last year, this time of year the market swooned too. I don't remember what the reason was, or what the pundits said it was. Do your remember why it swooned last Summer?

I got to tell you, I think we're still going up overall. I think the bull market will still be kicking come September. Here is a chart of the Dow for two years, last year looks a lot like this year. I think!

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ta?s=%5EDJI&t=2y&l=on&z=m&q=l&p=b,m200&a=&c=

[tedmoe48]

Jumping back in? nope, but I'm still a IOTN bagholder on the $5 calls (virtually worthless) I will bail out at the first sight of oxygen. But, I do still have a hope the stock will be a long term winner. I just got caught on the gravy train after delivery. Fool me once...

LVLT the options tango is as expected. It will finish the day +/- .05 of $5 Next week it will move, I will buy some if it dips down today.

[dontbothermec]

Yeah, so you jumping back in?

What's with a contract to develop LIPC, when they've been saying that it is passing all it's tests?

[tedmoe48]

IOTN gets a contract. 2.9 M

[dontbothermec]

What an exciting start of the day, love those 300 pt. swings. When/if the market goes back to its normal 50 pt swings, I'll be dying of boredom.

Cramer actually/correctly predicted a pop this am., his advise was to SELL.

[tedmoe48]

HMMM, market up, wobbling... but up

MTSX no didn't know that. Are you hoping for a buyout, or like ESSEX do you want to see it grow independently?

Anne, sold LVLT for a nice pop (5.02), still holding the DYN Sep $7.5 calls, got them at .70 yesterday during the plunge.
Now I can afford to get a happy meal at Mickey D's...Yah.

[stricklybiz]

No dice on rolling dice, Ted. Up about $3,000 in 2-1/2 minutes and hoping for better.

I do not see any possibility that MTSX will go up gradually; IMO it's a go-no go issue. Thosse guys bought hundreds of thousands of MST shares at may 0.50 or 0.75 and are holding at 0.11 in the certain knowledge that if the weapon(s) are adopted it will skyrocket.

Did you know that on the air-burst 40mm they will be capable of inserting/changing the fuze timing via an electrical pulse between to tube muzzle and the departing round? Not in there yet, but this thing is marvelous.

[tedmoe48]

Thanks, looks like the CEO is bullish. I hope things slowly grow. I don't want a stampede. If there is a stampede, I'll sell into the frenzy, and buy back lower.

Fed is trying to help the market today. What happens at the open is not important, what happens at the close is what will be carried over the weekend.

Dick, tropical update: find your favorite Nat Gas producer and buy some for the short haul. If the Hurricane comes into the Gulf you can count on a nice pop. If not, there are two months left in Hurricane season, and owning energy is of late a nice place to be. Roll them dice.

[stricklybiz]

Ted, A long-awaited "CEO Bulletin" on MTS. It's a good read, but long; I'll paste only the link. My favorite words from Lee Finnear: "Metal Storm is now in good shape."

[tedmoe48]

My bet is we go slightly North by the end of the day, but the E-ticket ride continues.

SA, been watching, can't pull the trigger on Gold. I just don't like Gold yet.

I put some cash back to work in the IRA, went with emerging markets and large cap value. It's (my cash) been there watching the market's consternations for 2 1/2 months earning interest. Maybe the Sell in May and go away adage, is shifting to "The Summer Bummer." Look at last year's charts, same as this year, Summer bloodbath.

[dontbothermec]

Well that sure was fun. Anyone care to guess what tomorrow will bring?

Oh Ted, I did buy SA, but at considerably higher than $25, I forgot about an open order and sure was shocked to see that I'd bought it, thank goodness it wasn't much.

I'm thinking Sid doesn't need any help, VPHM will do fine. Looks like Bominireal will be ok in BOOM too.

[stricklybiz]

I love it when you guys talk dirty like that. This has turned into a profitable day for me if it doesn't change in the next 2 minutes as rapidly as it has the rest of this after noon.

[dontbothermec]

Haven't bought SA yet, I think the $20 options are gonna get creamed manana. Plus, I've been trading a day too early this week, so am gonna try and slow it down. I like it better when what I buy goes right up and stays up.

It will be interesting to see whether the bears can claw IRBT down to $20 also.

[tedmoe48]

Well, what a bloodbath. But as the saying goes; "Buy fear and sell greed."

Anne, at least you can buy SA below your Brother's cost.
You may not want to, but you can.

I bought, LVLT at 4.58 (500), and DYN 7.5 Sep calls.

When things you want but wouldn't pay full price for go on sale at the store, we all feel lucky. What is different with this opportunity?

[dontbothermec]

Wow, what an amazing bear raid. I've never seen the likes of it.

[stricklybiz]

There was what appears to be a re-release of the announcement concerning the $63K order to go to Dahlgren, I was encouraged because the delivery is to an integration group rather than a test group. To me that's a very impoprtant distinction. In the meantime the price has dropped to 11 cents in Oz.

As to notes; learning. . .I don't need to know anythng now because I'm using a system. These are not water spaniels; in fact, they are under water.

[tedmoe48]

Has anyone seen the baby? The maid threw the bath water out, she wouldn't forget to take the baby out of the wash basin before throwing the whole kit and kaboodle out the window. Would she?

[tedmoe48]

Dick, is there anything new in the press release for MTSX? I glanced at it, but didn't notice any new adds or ???

So, are your Dogs good swimmers? What a faux mess, the market wanted a correction, so they took one. Shorts get their revenge. Looks like today and tomorrow should be the end of the downturn. Options expire tommorrow, and the whole process gets a new day. You taking notes? I am. Gotta learn something, can't continue to take bettings without learning something, can we?

[stricklybiz]

Anne, As much as I enjoy watching the NAZ futures sink to minus 24.75, I've decided to take a break to answer your post from some days ago.

Did Sid--after going to Pennsylvania and picking up spazz on his motorcycle--drop her off in some place like South Dakota (assuming there really is such a place)? Why didn't he just leave her at my house in Virginia? I can think of all sorts of things we could have done.

Now the poor thing is probably in a nonexistent town in an alleged state waiting on imaginary tables in a proposed restaurant. Better she should buy a burro, a pickaxe, and a couple of water canteens so she could hunt for the mother lode. Oh, I forgot! The mother lode is over by your house and is probably on fire if things are running to form.

[tedmoe48]

Deal.

It's entertaining to watch CNBC, this morning the headlines were Tropical depression forming in the East Atlantic may affect production in the Gulf. Nat gas went up Then it was reported, the tropical formation may not hit Gulf...Nat Gas prices went down. Are you kidding me, is it really that easy. The storm is 10 days away. Watch the bs fly.

It's a game, it's a physcological mine field, often if goes exactly opposite to reason. I'm going back to my stock market analogy. It's like surfing, if you catch a wave, its beautiful, but, even then, you are often at the mercy of something beyond your skill set. I've got the scars to prove it.

[stricklybiz]

I won't tell you buy/sell, but I'd be happy to link you to any news that I think would be significant. Deal?

[tedmoe48]

Dick, thanks for that very comprehensive post. I've got ants in my pants.... and the attention span of a gnat.

I think I'll look again in a month....ya right. tell me when to buy, or sell. Always been good at taking and giving orders

Q looks like it may be getting back on track.

IOTN has no street respect, the IR guy is lazy, I can't stand that.

[stricklybiz]

Ted, It was probably less active at some times. It was listed, maybe on the NYSE (as ESEX, maybe), then was delisted to the pink sheets where information was really scarce and there was no open auction market I believe. Then it got back to the AMEX as KEY(?), finally to the NAZ as KEYW.

I remember it--after I owned it--getting down to about $0.25. It might have been down to a dime at some time.

MTSX has been a model of busyness in comparison. Remember that MTSX is not a common stock; it is some sort of derivative. The equity (MST) trades on the Australian exchange, and we can't own it (or purchase it).

Here's the ASX page for current MST trading:
http://www.asx.com.au/asx/markets/EquitySearchResults.jsp?method=get&template=F1001&ASXCodes...

Here's the company home page: http://metalstorm.com/

Here's the message board; I think it's by invitation only and I don't know how that happens. One can lurk and browse in any event. The posters are almost all very substantial, knowledgeable men. It takes awhile to get used to each of them and the thread. but they'll keep you abreast of it.
http://www.sharescene.com/index.php?showtopic=486&hl=mst

If you want to know about the stock and about the company's progression through the several-services' procurement processes you need to go into these. I'm certain you know how
difficult it is and what a long time it takes for the military services to adopt a new weapon. Now they are showing great interest--and have just ordered first articles for Dahlgren, apparently to be tested down the Potomac River range--in not only a new weapon, but one that employs a revolutionary firing technology and employs NO moving parts. But MTS hangs in and the services are persisting.

I have no idea what the end of the road will bring us, but if it goes it will be a big-time multiplier. I wwould not expect the market activity to be sufficient to keep you and Anne awake. It's sort of--for me--plaace your bet and go do your best impression of Rip van Winkle. But that suits my lifestyle.

[tedmoe48]

Dick, at one time way back when, did KEYW trade like MTSX? I mean it is like watching paint dry on a humid day. I took my stop loss off, because with volume being so low, it could stop me out on 200 shares. Any word from your downunder cronies?

[dontbothermec]

I just happened onto him at the VPHM board as I was perusing it to see what was up with the decline. VPHM is off $2 more today.

Glad to hear that it doesn't feel like '02.

[stricklybiz]

Of course I remember Jarhead Sid. Are you still in touch with him? I truly enjoyed "chatting" with him.

Oh, what a day yesterday. The futures this morning indicate a down opening, but I truly don't think this is a 2001-type collapse. For reference, I didn't think the 2001 collapse was going to be a 2001-type collapse, either.

[dontbothermec]

Dick, I AM proud of you, shocked & awed as well.

Our good friend Sidleno could use a little help in propping up VPHM. Huge drop on an analyst downgrade. It is always fun to make those guys look like dopes. Maybe next week it will safe to buy a few shares and help him out. You remember him? NW US, travels a lot, took a shine to antispazz, spent a lot of time in the penalty box, hairy back, rode VPHM from $7 to $15.....come to think about it, maybe he doesn't need any help, maybe he should have taken profits. :)

[stricklybiz]

Anne/Ted, How proud of me you must be knowing that QCOM is down $2.83 since I so presciently disposed of my holding a few days ago. When I buy back in, and I'm pretty certain I will, what a nice built-in advantage I'll have. My Dogs, on the other hand . . . .

[tedmoe48]

WTW weight watchers, this clearly has a lot to lose. My girlfriend, swears the new ALLI pill(made by GlaxoSmithKline GKS) is a god send, it should trim some market share away from Jenny Craig, NTRI, etc. She has dropped 10# in two weeks. Though it does give stomach trouble, seems to separate oil from food, and send it out FAST. Try not to laugh at that.

[dontbothermec]

Decided to cover 1/3. If it pops next week, I'll reload. Thanks.

You have some good shorts for next week? It we get a pop, I'd like to go a bit more negative.

[tedmoe48]

Anne, I never thought ONNN was a good short candidate, good earnings, lower P/E then competitors etc. If you're in the money, why not take your win. There are some other candidates to short with no earnings, neg P/E's etc. Your call.

[dontbothermec]

I'm considering starting to cover my ONNN short. Ted, what do you think, is it time, or is it really going to hit bottom?

[stricklybiz]

I ain't have IOTN. I own one stock and a system.

[tedmoe48]

Makes sense. consider this transplanted Dam Yankee schooled.

Are you in IOTN? Seems that after everyone gave up and capitulated, the company comes out with good results. The IR guy is a piece of work. He gives nothing out and is darn good at providing nothing. But then again, he can be described as a filter, a sounding board to insulate the company.

[stricklybiz]

"stingray." When you're walking in near shore water especially in the southern part of the peninsula you're always likely to step on a stingray, which lie somewhat covered by sand. If you do step on one you will certainly get a filthy, gummy, poisonous, reverse-sawtoothed spine right in the ankle.
The correct walking technique in such waters--with or without shoes--is not to lift the feet but to shuffle, just pushing one forward then the next. The rays aren't aggressive and will swim away quietly when they're disturbed.

[tedmoe48]

VPHM is a good one for longer term
IOTN beat the numbers this AM, should be a good pop.

the market looks like a beating is in store for today.

Dick thanks for the Floridian email, I concur with most of it. Although I don't know what the Singray shuffle is.