Saturday, February 25, 2006

Quick Hits (Don Knotts, Market Stuff)

  • Don Knotts passed away.  I'm sure the town of Mayberry has the flags flying at half-mast, Deputy Fife.  May you rest in peace. 
  • Mark Cuban wrote that The Stock Market is for Suckers back in January.  Just spotted it.  Read it for his take, but one of the issues I have with it regards discipline, risk taking and diversification.  He argues that

"You can have as long a term horizon as you want, but like most other long term plans we have, most peoples lives dont match up to their 'horizons'. Its amazing how life intervenes." 

True enough.  But that's where the discipline, risk taking and diversification are so important.  Historically, stocks have outperformed every investment class over the longterm.   He does make some good points about how tough it is to beat the market, though.  But you can own the market in an index fund, and not try to beat it.

  • I mentioned Evergreen Solar (ESLR) earlier today, and how folks on Fox seem to love it.  Which made me edgey about it.  Here's another on Be Cautious on Alternative Energy.  An interesting comment here is

"It was only three years ago that President Bush used his State of the Union to call for more investment in hydrogen fuel-cell research. Many of usual suspects that rallied last month also shot higher back then as the president pledged "a new national commitment" to take fuel-cell powered cars "from laboratory to showrooms" within 20 years."

Check the charts as to what happened next....

 

  • The Bull Trader says don't fight the trend in Starbucks.  I don't own any SBUX and rarely go since I quit caffeine.  But I did drive by one today around 4pm, and the place was packed to the rafters.  This generation is addicted to coffee drinks the way the previous generation was addicted to soda drinks.  Maybe that's why Coke and Pepsi can't grow anymore.  Just a thought.
  • Bear market blog goes long on Apple?  Huh?  Well, I wouldn't want to roll the dice either way on a new product launch either.  But I always wonder how much of this is priced into the stock, and whether the actual news will create a sell the news kind of event.   I don't know.   (Don't own any AAPL myself...)
  • More weekend links from Adam over at the Daily Options Report.

  • I finaly feel as if this cold/flu is on the way out.  Feeling much better tonight.  Thank goodness.  Went for a walk today, and was a little weak still but made it through.  Then I ran out to the store and did some other errands before huddling down in front of the Olympics.  (Yeah, saw Bode Miller miss his 5th chance...)
  • Calculated Risk on Cancelled Orders for New Homes.  Check out the reasons why.  The good news is that "job loss" isn't topping the list.  I'd think that'd be the catalyst for a dramatic fall in home prices.  As long as folks can keep their jobs and make monthly payments, then I'd think there'd be a floor under  home prices.
  • Hey, I was quoted over at CNET on the Blackberry comment.
  • No SNL tonight, so I think I'll call it a day...

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