Attack of the Killer Virus

• Ah, B movies.  Where would we be without them?  I'm home today and highly medicated, fighting whatever version of the Cold or Flu virus that is attacking Sacramento.  Taking lots of vitamin C, although I don't think that helps.  Maybe I should take more BEFORE I get the cold...
• The market seeing some selling here.  Cramer comes on CNBC and says to "sell tech."  Is this why?  Well, I've heard Cramer say that tech is a strong play late in the year, and a weak play early in the year.  "Technology is a calendar issue," he just said on CNBC.  "Buy in August.  Sell in January."  Maybe so.   We've also come a long way since Summer 2006.  This market hasn't seen much profit taking, and we're way overdue for some health-restoring action.  And have you noticed how quick folks are to ask if "this is the bottom?" or is now a good time to get in?
• I'm comfy-cozy with a low-beta and high cash position, and still have some QID which is doing great this week.  If we get a 5% pullback or so in the general market, it'll be time to get aggressive I think.  Oil prices are coming down, which acts like a tax cut for folks.  Let the worry build, and it could create a nice set-up for the first intermediate trade of 2007.
• Didn't it seem that last night's American Idol was a bit over the top?  Did Seattle bring in the short bus full of special needs folks for the auditions?  I felt kind of sad watching it.
• Have you ever wondered why Mark Cuban never wears a suit?  Now we know.  "Why am I such a suit hater ? I'm not a suit hater, I just could never think of any good reason for any sane person to wear a suit in the first place.
  Exactly what purpose does a suit serve ? Why in the world are so many people required to wear a suit to work ? Do the clothes make the man or woman in the western world today ? Does wearing a tie make us work harder or smarter ? Is this a conspiracy by the clothing, fabric or dry cleaning industry to take our money?"  I agree with him. I hate playing dress up.
• Interesting column up by Todd Harrison on Marketwatch, War Games.
• If you missed Bernanke this morning, he was worried about entitlement spending and said that Social Security and Medicare have to be revamped.  Also concerned about budget deficits.  More from Schaeffer's site and David at The Shark Report.  Oh, and I Fought the Fed, and the Fed Won over at WSJ's blog.
• The Miami Dolphins are interviewing San Diego Chargers' offensive coordinator Cam Cameron a second time.  Look, he may be great but how can we know for sure that he's an offensive genious?  How hard is it to say "OK, Tomlinson left" on one play call, then "OK, Tomlinson right" on the next?