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originunknown: Exactly right!
TinaMarie: If you don't trust anyone from the outset, why are you posting classified Ads on IHUB? Would you seriously consider anyone's offer for your property if you don't trust anyone. IHUB is all about listening to other peoples ideas and doing your own DD to check the facts.
I hope you sell it and make a small fortune!
"Trust NO ONE - every one here has an agenda and could care less if you make $$$ or not"
footwedge: different source but I think this is what you want. An interesting take from Schwab.
http://www.schwabinsights.com/2006_09/mktoutlook.html
Actually the Libertarian Party has no real shot as long as the country is filled with mindless followers who adhere to the "party line" and cannot think for themselves. They tend to brand others ideas as "Lunacy" without any real debate or facts to support the name calling.
Many Libertarian candidates have won elections. Another lack of fact checking by the conservative sheep. I support candidates of all parties who are willing to do what is right, not people who wear flags on their lapels to show us how American they are.
The majority of the country deserves Bush and the Republicans, unfortunately the rest of us have to suffer because the majority can't think outside the box!
abh3vt: OT, He is some kind of money maker. Same hometown, 1 year age difference. Never met him, damn shame! LOL
You would think after a billion or so dollars these guys would relax and retire. I guess it just becomes an obsession. I don't think that his experiences say much for what most of us do.
linuspop: That does not surprise me at all. I would have thought the number was higher.
This was surprising to me!!!
"Study: Less than 20% of Oregon jobs can support a family"
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1158722721210340.xml&coll=7
Bobwins re: COLD:
""Shivery is not dead” reveals the 2007 Farmers’ Almanac, alluding to its winter weather forecast. “While global warming has taken up much of our attention (as well as news coverage), our winter predictions are pointing towards widespread cold from coast to coast, especially for the western sections of the country,” shares Peter Geiger, Philom., Editor. Geiger continues, “The cold may not be as frigid as 30 or 40 years ago, but we do expect this to be the coldest winter we’ve seen for quite a few years.” And, after last year’s unusual warmth, this chill might make winter harder than usual."
OTC: A republican shell, I mean President with a democratic congress would be a far better solution to control of spending.
Bobwins, not to throw gas on a lit fire, but "Farmers' Almanac says winter extra cold". They seem to have a pretty good track record on it!
LOL, you did not like the pictures?
Try this!
LETTER FROM A FARM KID (NOW AT San Diego MARINE CORPS RECRUIT TRAINING)
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The country is nice but awful flat The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
Noticed a form 4 from Barchenko. Looks like he gave away 60,000 shares as a gift. I would find it interesting to know who he gave them to. A family member? or someone else? Interesting timing before earnings/loss report.
10bagger: "DXPE and ALy are what happens when the wrong people own stocks." ROTFLMAO
That is what happens when you retire from Wall Street. You just can't trust anyone can you. Imagine that the suckers don't want to hold the stocks through thick and thin. The nerve of those investors.
Len, I don't agree with his numbers and I hope your 25% number is wrong as well. Obviously if the economy tanks big time then I suppose it could become a blood bath, but I am hoping it will not get that bad. Besides with GWB running the show, why should I worry?
For him to say that 2000-2005 was excess seems odd. Assets can appreciate at different rates over the years. We could be in for 20 years of below historical rates of return on residential housing that would average in with the past few years to balance things out. We could lose a few percent and then go back to a slow rise. I don't think that anyone can predict with a great degree of accuracy what will happen.
lentinman: How specific was he on the following comment "Reiterated that he expects 50% drop in home prices from peak to trough in some areas. "
Was he talking about $3,000,000.00 homes selling for $1.5 million? Did he define the areas? Are we talking about some of the spec crazy areas of FL or Las Vegas?
I await your answers before declaring that I don't agree. LOL
ifathom: AAGH: I don't know this company at all. But what you say about Nevada corp's has been the case for a long time. Since the company is on the Bulletin Board, it is subject to disclosures, see the SEC filings.
Being a Nevada corporation or a Delaware corporation, two of the more popular choices does not mean a company is suspect!
This might be of interest to many board members, cut and paste from an email that I get from Dr. Elder.
Dr. Alexander Elder
www.elder.com
Dear Trader,
Hello from New York. At the beginning of autumn, I’d like to make several recommendations on making your trading more consistent and profitable for the rest of this year and for many years ahead.
Why do so many people have such a hard time taking money out of the markets? Being a successful trader is not a matter of high education or advanced technology. Many successful traders have not gone beyond high school. The reason for failure among so many people is that they become emotional and start making silly mistakes. Soon enough they get burned and then become fearful; even if they have a good trading idea, they are afraid to implement it. How can you overcome such psychological handicaps?
The best way to become a disciplined trader is to keep good notes! I often say – show me a trader with good records, and I will show you a good trader.
It is essential to keep records: a spreadsheet documenting the numbers and dollars for every trade, and a Trader’s Diary, documenting chart patterns and psychological factors for every buy and sell decision. You can use Excel for the first and Word for the second, while Mike McMahon’s software, the Trader’s Governor, combines both functions.
Keeping a diary of your trades inserts an educational loop into your trading. When you know that you’ll have to create a diary entry for every entry and exit, it puts a damper on making impulsive decisions. Keeping a Trader’s Diary will make you into a much less emotional and much more rational and professional trader. If you read my latest book, Entries & Exits: Visits to 16 Trading Rooms, you will notice that about half of those interviewed stated that the turning point in their trading careers came when they started keeping good notes.
How to keep a Trader’s Diary if you do not have a Trader’s Governor? Several weeks ago, in early August, I showed you a diary of my recent trade in coffee. The response to that was so positive that today I will show you a diary for another trade that I did last week. Before we discuss it, I want to recommend a piece of software that I find extremely useful for creating visual diary entries.
The package I use for capturing charts, annotating them, and transferring them to any other program is SnagIt from www.techsmith.com – you can download it for free but after a while have to pay them $40 to continue using it.
Whatever work you do – a doctor, a tradesman, even a driver – the level of your performance depends on the quality of your tools. If keeping a Trader’s Diary is important, better use a good tool for it. For example, we require every trader who wants to come to our Traders’ Camp to fill out an application, including an example of a good and a bad trade. A couple of guys faxed in their charts because they did not know how transmit a picture electronically. One trader laid out his charts on the floor, took a photo of them, and sent it in. Oh, brother! These are good, serious guys, coming up with creative solutions, – but they are crying out for better tools. I have already asked Kerry Lovvorn, my Spike group co-manager who uses SnagIt daily, to teach a brief class in our Traders’ Camp. Whether you are coming to the Camp or not, you may want to get a copy of SnagIt. Needless to say, I receive nothing for making this recommendation – I had to pay $39.95 for my own copy.
cliffvb: That story about the nickel being switched out for manganese does not seem to be real. What manufacturer(s) would make such a switch without testing the product first. All this happening within a 1 year time frame seems odd.
OTC, I have never even left an airport into Texas. You guys are all to tall so I got back on the plane! LOL Currently in Oregon and hoping to stay here for the duration. I will let you mind the southern border.
I still can't believe that the camerman filmed it instead of helping the co-worker out.
OTC, don't disagree with you. Not sure what that has to do with my comments. I am for locking up the borders as tight as possible. BTW, both the Republicans & Dems want new voters. And they both cater to business that wants cheap labor.
Check out this video, unrelated to the subject... but if I was the reporter I would be looking for a new cameraman on my next assignment.
http://keyetv.com/watercooler/local_story_249181951.html
lentinman/bbotc: "You are right that IN THEORY we have the best and brightest" ... I don't believe that. In the last century I think we had the hardest working people. We worked harder than Europeans who shut down for the summer, take long lunches and generally relax. So we zoomed past them. I see no quit in the Asian cultures and they have been gaining on us for some time now. All humans have the same capacity for being the best and brightest. It is those that work the hardest that will be the best!
UPRO: Technically not sure if this qualifies on VMC yet, but Lentinman will let me know soon.
disclosure: I own a few shares from the original shell company. I don't plan to sell them until a true value appears.
Would appreciate any comments on this as I have no prior experience with Chinese companies. I know that many on this board have done well with them!
http://knobias.10kwizard.com/contents.php?ipage=4371638&repo=tenk&back=1
The above link shows the 8-K filed yesterday. Company is being merged with http://en.sureland.com/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/index.html , as far as I can tell they do over 25 million USD in revenues and were profitable for year ended in 2005.
Note from the 8-K that the law firm representing them is well known and reputable (Gates ring a bell?). The company has audited financials, I have not seen them.
Part of the deal includes a reverse 1:5 split and a private placement at $3.25 per share.
Almost no public float at the present time. Current insiders appear to be registering and can't sell for 90 days.
The deal is scheduled to close tomorrow!! If it closes I would expect this stock to do well.
current price $.25 - $.45 , post split equiv. $1.25 - $2.25
rruff: I agree with you. On EKCS I have enough and would be a buyer here at these prices if I was not filled up. Another event that would make me a happy camper is Barchenko moving to a sales role and promoting or hiring a real CEO.
rruff: not all that strange when someone puts in a market sell on a light traded BB stock. they got raped and hopefully you benefit.
OT: "The Great Buffet": The second richest man in the world. Just got married again to his 20 year companion and celebrated by going to the Bonefish Grill. Billions of dollars wasted on a guy who lives like he earns $45,000 per year.
I find him to be a big crashing bore! At least Bill Gates has an over the top estate that he lives in.
Buffet owns many companies and stocks... he is diversified!
Lentinman: I agree with your advice regarding the diversification. I currently keep any single stock position to less than 2% of my net worth. Rarely do I even exceed 1%. A total blow up in a stock would be hardly noticed. My hero, Brinker (LOL), recommends a 4% rule which I adjusted for as my risk tolerance changed with age.
HOWEVER, for a single very young person who wants to GAMBLE, then sticking 10K into 1-2 stocks would seem to be OK as long as they knew they had a great chance to get wiped out.
My first major investment (don't recommend this) was $35K of which $25K was borrowed from credit cards. Turned out to be a very profitable experience, but one which I would never attempt again.
Diversifaction rules!
NAHB Housing index: some more info
EDIT: To answer Mike, you can chart the index on the site referenced below. NOTE the index performance at the end of BUSH #1 presidency and how it took off higher! Could be a short term lull, and maybe not!
"Behind The Numbers
Homebuilder optimism extended its downtrend to ten months in August, falling to its lowest level since February 1991. The index has fallen by more than half (40 points) from its most recent peak in June, 2005. More importantly, this is the fourth consecutive month that conditions have been viewed as unfavorable by the majority of homebuilders (A level below 50 is unfavorable).
The downtrend in homebuilder optimism is the result of higher interest rates, affordability concerns, and subsiding demand from investors and speculators. The weakening in fundamentals is now widespread across all regions of the U.S. Indeed, conditions are now unfavorable in the two largest and previously most robust regions, the South and West.
The HMI was the first of the housing indicators to weaken and other measures are in the process of following suit, particularly housing starts and new home sales. Their directs impacts are now a drag on economic growth. Unless other sectors pick up the slack, the softening new housing market is signaling a slower economy going forward."
source : http://www.economy.com/dismal/pro/release.asp?sid=2D7D3B42-59BB-453D-B411-F05045D539EE&src=dd_im....
OTC - while you were gone, i decided that i agree with everything you say.
LOL
MSGI: OT: your comments are falling on deaf ears. most will not believe it until it happens.
Interesting WSJ article today on Bill Gross of Pimco, managing 617 billion in bond assets. He was so upset with his lousy performance that he took an unscheduled 9 days off and hid from the financial world at home. If I owned his fund, I would be liquidating faster than you can say Whiner!
Short interest: It is a small amount of $$$ that is at stake. I doubt anyone in government will spend much time on it! The securites industy (NASD) is a self regulating organization, a JOKE. I could tell you stories about them. But I won't!
They of course could require that brokers & clearing agents automatically buy-in the short positions, but they most likely will not get to that point.
More importantly, when will EKCS ever get its act together? I think we will be waiting for a change of control someday when the old man hangs it up and they sell the business.
frustrated!!!!!
Short Interest:
http://otcbb.com/asp/OTCE_Short_Interest.asp
According to OTCBB, the July Short was 2000 + shares.
MDF: How come the departure of the CFO has not hit MDF stock price? Unexplained departures normally leave investors nervous.
Was it Jim Jones who urged the flock to drink the kool-aid?
Short This!
OT: beigledog, I can't speak to any current specific event. I am no longer involved directly with Wall Street. My experience dates back to the 1980's. I seriously doubt anything has changed. Company X needs market sponsorship and brokerage Y provides that help. Company X provides brokerage Y with access to things that Beigledog Z does not know about until it is common knowledge. When Company X has a material event to release to the public, do you think they just send out a PR without hashing it out with brokerage Y and law firm Q. It is orchestrated and timed to provide maximum thrust to the market price of the stock and the pockets of X,Y,Q and rarely Z.
Happened all the time. How do you think everyone on Wall Street makes the big $$$$$. You think it is because of research?
OT: beigledog, Wall Street is loaded with insider info!
Would not doubt that story for a second! It smells of Bush Cheney. They FU Iraq, why not screw up Israels military record. It would seem that technology has now advanced to the point that Israel no longer holds such an edge over the Arab world.
America needs to get off OIL and leave the Middle East to fight it out without Americans. Not sure how we divorce ourselves from the powerful oil interests that seem to run our country.
Lentinman: It would be interesting to know how many total active investors follow these mentioned newsletters. It may be such a small number that it does not matter.
The reality is that nobody has a clue, but being more in cash @ 5% seems to be a better way to play the market than being fully invested. I am still a seller only.
Interesting post on the QQQQ board for the timers amongst us!
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=12628112
bigpike, many communities have procedures for reducing taxes. I am sure many will ignore it. As a homeowner you can file for a reduction in many cases. see below for some info.
"Real estate tax certiorari is the legal process by which a property owner can challenge the real estate tax assessment on a given property in attempt to reduce the property’s assessment and real estate taxes."
Back in the days of my accounting career (yuk), we used to assist clients in preparing the needed financial information for filings. Commercial accounts often received a large refund. The average homeowner is unaware of the process. Also beware that many scammers cheat people with fake deals that ask for money upfront and they never file anything for you.