Follow-Through Tequila Tuesday

clipped from www.investors.com Preliminary figures show volume solidly higher on both the NYSE and the Nasdaq. That would meet the requirements of a follow-through to the rally attempts begun on the Nasdaq on July 15 and on the NYSE a day later.

As "they" say, not all follow-through days lead to bull markets, but all bull markets are preceded by follow-through days.

It's an IBD thing, but it could lead to some folks closing shorts and probing longs, especially in leading stock names.

A Shot At Randomosity

• I think all tuesdays will now be Tila Tequila Tuesdays. Until something else comes along.
• The stock market rallied on Tuesday, lifted by a drop in oil prices, several better-than-expected quarterly earnings reports, an increase in consumer confidence, and speculation that the latest capital raise from a major financial firm is a sign that the worst is over for Wall Street.  As long as the "speculators" our on OUR side, we're okay with that, right?
• From Dr. Jeff, Government, Crises, and Time Frames.  Ah, brings to mind the quote from President Ronald Reagan, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
• In Sacramento, they're placing a measure on the November ballot to raise the sales tax to "wipe out gangs."  Good luck with that one.
• Adam Warner on Amanda Drury, the VIX, and Dingos.
• 5.4 earthquake jolts Los Angeles.
• Picking winning lottery numbers:  If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it!  Even Tila Tequila!
• Why not place a measure on the November ballot to "make everyone filthy stinkin' rich?" 
• I read the folks at Financial Sense to just to see what the doomsayers are up to.  This week's column from Dr. Pete compares Obama to a poker player, and McCain to a craps player.
• I don't think any of us really believe the price of oil will continue to drop.   Which is probably why it has.  The ultimate contrarian play, the one nobody believes is possible.
• Well, there have been more bottom calls in this market than at SoCal beaches the past few months.  Which proves that people may have lost their focus.  Anyways, today was a strong day and it'll be interesting to see how tomorrow plays out with more economic numbers hitting.  We're also about to enter the so-called "monthly strength" period where 401(k) dollars are averaged into mutual funds. 
• I wonder if Tila Tequila is a dollar-cost average girl, or does she trade the MACD crossovers?  Maybe she trades her own proprietary black box system.  Did I really say that?

Tila Tequila Trainwreck Tuesday

Tila Tequila gets branded asa reality show trainwreck.  Most of us go through the daily grind from 8-5pm, week after week.  A girl has to make a living, and she probably pulls in more than us working less hours than most of us do.  Even if it's something ridiculous and as long as she likes it, who are we to judge?   Maybe she has it right, and we're the trainwrecks!

Well, speaking of trainwrecks, this stock market is all over the map.  Not that this recent bear market has been "the worst of times," but it's certainly not "the best of times," either.  It's a mind-numbing market malaise that feels more like we're running in place.  Maybe that's what a slow-growth economy is all about.  We go from day to day in our 8-5pm daily grind, contribute faithfully to our portfolios, and have the sensation that not much has changed.  That we've been here before. Or, that we've always been here.

The markets like to trick us.  Or maybe we're the ones easily fooled by the markets.  We get fooled into thinking that whatever has been happening most recently will continue to happen in the future.  We're now battered with statistics on how the market hasn't done much the past ten years and how our wages are stagnant.  The Republicans give us a candidate in John McCain who gets called "McSame" by the opposition party faithful.

What's my point? I'm feeling the same thing everyone else is feeling.  It's hard to not get caught in the emotion of the crowd.  I just wanted to write about it.  And maybe that's why we all seek refuge in reality shows starring Tila Tequila.