PGA

So, this coming week it's actually going to start being a bit more like summer in Washington DC and a little less like anytime in Seattle...

A buddy of mine and I have been trying to get out on the golf course for the past month of May or so, but because of schedules and, more importantly, RAIN! we have not had a chance to do so.

So, I'll start pulling out my gear with hopes that we soon will be hitting the links.

He has a 1/2 price pass at a local public course








which I would not mind trying. I have never been there but I hear it is a good open and easy course.

The place I like to go to is Broad Run Golf.





It is a 9 hole course which plays fairly easily but does have it's fair share of challenges.











The best part about this is the fact that the entire course is only 9 holes.

It only takes a couple hours to play, so if I go early, I can be back way before lunch and have most of the day to do other stuff.

If I end up golfing well, I'm happy.

If I end up not golfing well, I am able to stop mercifully after only 9 holes, not feel bad for paying for 18 and go home and I have the rest of the day to do something else that makes me feel better.

Read more...

Hmmmph....

Ok, First I have been really down in the dumps because this was a totally miserable month for me investing...

I basically lost everything I gained last month.

How did I do that?

Well, I deviated from the game plan and got burned.

Last month, I deviated (played the pandemic hype) and lucked out.

This month I deviated and got burned. I also went off my starting lineup and picked a sentimental favorite (gamestop) from earlier in the year. You (and I) might remember that GME and GIGM did pretty well for me during the month of January.

Well, I was down in the dumps and kinda sorta am still, until I looked at my overall performance and realized that I just might have a decent system.

For one, it prevented me from loosing more than 20%. Yes, that is a lot, but I could have lost more.

Secondly, for YTD returns, my picks, my bench, and my starting lineup watch lists are beating the DOW and NASD. Pretty Cool.

I will just have to look at my lists for June and remember to stick with the plan.















I will be posting my June watch lists Monday morning.

Oh yeah, and once again, my bench topped my starting lineup :-(

Read more...

Time to cut the grass

So, this weekend is like the first weekend that it is not supposed to rain.










And the grass has grown, and grown, and grown...
as high as a three year old (human or greyhound)eye.






















There, all better now...
more room to run and play!

Read more...

Sticking your neck out

Wanda Knows Best

Read more...

Paint the Town

If the energy secretary gets his way, we will all need a new pair of shades to shield our eyes from the glare.

I admit it is an interesting idea, to make everything white, cut back on global warming and all. But me personally, I like a little variety. To see the world as it is in all its glory and different colors and flavors.

But, all the government would have to do is issue another mandate for all roofing, building materials, and road surfaces to be of a paler color; and in 30 years we could all have a more Mediterranean feel to our neighborhoods.

All we need now is some palm trees and sand!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522411,00.html

Read more...

Not a Big Deal

So, the NFL is investigating the Redskins for tampering...

And what could happen if the Skins are found guilty?

They could loose a draft pick!

Snyder: "Oooo, I'm soooo scared!"

NOT!


The Redskins place little or no value on draft picks, so this potential slap on the wrist means nothing to them!

So what other recourse could the NFL have?

Would nitpicking every little detail and record for the investigation be worse?

No.

Would the bad press and fan embarrassment be worse?

No. (This certainly has not stopped them in the past)

OK, so what would?


Would banning the skins from post season play work?
No, they will be able to do this all by themselves...

Would taking away TV rights and revenue for a year work?
Perhaps?

How about they loose the rights to Haynesworth. Send him back to the Titans, or put him back out on the free market; but have the Skins required to continue to pay him.

Now that would be an investigation and fine worth avoiding!

Read more...

Tuesday Trading Ideas

The federal government has asked three drug companies to make enough swine flu vaccine to immunize at least 20 million people in key positions in health care, national security and emergency services, officials said yesterday.

The order, announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is part of a $1 billion investment in immediate production and testing of vaccine against the newly emerged strain of the H1N1 flu virus. Further orders for potentially hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine are expected.

So, What companies are these?

Sanofi Pasteur (SNY)
Novartis (NVS)
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
MedImmune (AZN)
CSL (CSL.AX)

Last month I did a quick trade on the pandemic hype and make a nice little profit on QDEL, which makes the test to identify the Flu. At the time there was quite a bit of hype with other pharm companies but since none had a "product", I was reluctant to invest in them right away.

Now, it appears that there is going to be a product, and; the governments are putting real money behind it.

Of course, these are just ideas, but perhaps ideas worth looking into.

Happy trading.

Read more...

Memorial Day Weekend

Members of the United States Armed Forces have placed our Nation's safety before their own for generations. From the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, these brave patriots have taken on great risks to keep us safe, and they have served with honor and distinction. All Americans who have enjoyed the blessings of peace and liberty remain in their debt.

As we remember the selfless service of our fallen heroes, we pray for God's grace upon them. We also pray for all of our military personnel and veterans, their families, and all those who have lost loved ones in the defense of our freedom and safety.

Read more...

A day at the Races

They bill it as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing"

Yes, it is a Great Race.

A Historic Race.

A LOUD Race!

But the Greatest Spectacle..

Really?



Well, for Fun Strip Friday I went looking to find out if it truly was worthy of the greatest spectacle clause.



First of all there is this other race.







NASCAR !!! Coca-Cola !!!
It doesn't get much more All American than this!


And if you want a more rich, international flavor...








Ummm apparently it is much more than just a car race!


However, everyone probably knows all this already!

So...

I continued looking for Races that involved everyday stock and materials as well as something you could bring your wife, family and or girlfriend to.

... and this is what I found!



Lawn Mower Races!


The Twelve Mile 500 Riding Lawnmower Race is actually two 60-lap, 15-mile races at the local park -- one for regular lawnmower engines, and the other for "modified" mowers, those whose power trains have been replaced with those of, say, a motorcycle.

See video of the races



Kinetic Races!


The Kinetic Grand Championship bills itself as the oldest race of its kind. It started in 1969 when renowned welding artist Hobart Brown challenged someone to a welded-contraption race in Ferndale, California.

Now, about 40 teams create art of varying complexity and attach it to something that can be pedaled on land and float on water. For the floating part -- the sculptures go into Humboldt Bay on Day 2 -- some have tires big enough for the job. Others rely on pontoons.


North American Wife Carrying Championships!


Teams are comprised of a male and female competitor, however the female does not need to be the legal wife of the male. Teams also have the option to have the male carried by the female if they so choose.

The origin of the competition is based in Finnish history. A notorious 19th century character, Rankainen the Robber, imposed strong physical standards
on men he considered for his band. To qualify, the men had to complete a difficult course with a heavy sack on their backs.
It was also not uncommon for men to steal women from neighboring villages.
The concept is a little archaic - but the modernized wife carrying event is all in fun, and in reality, is a true test of physical strength and agility.



And...

The winners will receive the wife's weight in beer and the wife's weight times 5 in cash!






Of course this weekend would not be complete without
the ultimate cookout...
So, in keeping with the car theme...



RoadKill Cook-Off time, where past years' crowds have sampled dishes like Pothole Possum Stew, Fricasseed Wabbit Gumbo and Smeared Hog with Groundhog Gravy.









So, everyone grab your wife, kids and whatever vehicle you can find and head outside to have some good ol' fashioned fun this weekend.

Be safe, have fun and enjoy!

Read more...

He will play again...

Because it's all about the money...

And there are just as many folks who will pay to watch as there are those who will not.

But, perhaps we should limit his eligibility to teams that have no animals as logos...


Then again, maybe we should also limit the teams he is allowed to play against.

After all, we would not want him beating Eagles, Bears, or Dolphins either...

Read more...

It's a small world after all...

Disney Buys Land for Future Resort Hotel

This article struck me funny because of a reference it made and a story I have.

"Disney's move to Prince George's comes more than a decade after the company pulled out of a project to build a history-themed park, called Disney's America, on 3,000 acres of rolling farmland near the Manassas battlefield. Disney scrapped the project after months of opposition from politicians and citizens' groups."










At least this time they are picking a built-up area close to DC tourism attractions, highways, waterways and public transportation!

Back when they first tried to build a theme park near Manassas, my wife and I were looking for houses at the time. One of the real estate agents we were with started trying to sell the Haymarket area to us saying that it was going to be the next Tyson's Corner.

Of course since we were looking to move more out to the country, away from urban congestion, this struck me as a strange argument to make. Tysons Corner is nothing but Office buildings, Shopping Malls and a rush hour nightmare.

He proceeded to tell us how businesses and large corporations were trying to buy up all the farmland out there for future investment and development.

Great ;-)

Anyway, a few years later the story broke about Disney and their plans; and the subsequent resistance by politicians and grass roots organizations. It seems the way Disney was going about buying land was to pose as different real estate and investment companies sending different people from different locations throughout the US to Haymarket to purchase property.

Of course this ultimately ended badly for Disney. For one thing they tried to pull the wool over every ones eyes and get parcels of land as cheaply as possible. After all, a big name like Disney would - in their eyes - cause folks to ask for top dollar.

Then there was the whole political grass roots segment that said you can't build a theme park here. We are a rural area, no public infrastructure, no roads to handle traffic, no No NO!

We like our historic area, trees and country life style.

So once the mighty Disney was defeated and all their dwarfs and elves went away, what happened?

Disney sold all the land they purchased.

To...Developers!

So now Haymarket is nothing but sprawling housing developments, shopping malls, road constructions and congestion that is becoming another rush hour nightmare.

Thanks guys!

At least this time there is an economic recession (prices are cheap) and there is no confusion about who the business partner is.

And it is far from our house!

Read more...

Monday Night Football

As many of you probably have heard by now, Tony Kornheiser will no longer be in the booth for MNF.

When Madden retired, I suggested that they hold weekly contests and have a guest announcer each week. I still think that this is a good idea.

HOWEVER....

I now have an even better one...

Today one of the hyped stories of the internet was the BBQ Mannequin in Ohio that has boosted sales by as much as 40%.

Here is a video, just in case you missed it.



So, with that in mind, they should have the Mannequin as the 3rd announcer in the booth!












Pros:

- For the folks who can't stand even more nonesensical commentary, she will not say all that much.

- For the folks who want a different guest each week. Just add a different wig, and outfit. Trust me, we watch for the football... ;-) In fact there are probably some out there who wouldn't even notice that it is the same mannequin each week...

- Production costs would be cut by 33%. She wouldn't ask for a salary.

- If the BBQ results are any indication, ratings will go through the roof.

- For those who want a different perspective or point of view that only a female could bring to the sport... She's got that in plenty.

- Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski will have even bigger smiles on their faces.


Cons:

- Honestly, I can't think of any....

Read more...

Monday Moments

So I was scanning headlines, articles and such and came up with a bit of an idea for a post. Kind of like a snap shot for investing, things to come, and research.

So, here it goes.









From the article "Growth IPOs, Mergers, Acquisitions and Consolidations" by James Rickman at Seeking Alpha.

He mentions a really cool little device that Novatel Wireless (NVTL) has a portable wireless router that will deliver wireless 3G data network access to multiple users in a small area. Much the same size as a credit card, the sleek looking MiFi will let users select access to EVDO or HSPA high speed data networks.

This "cloud" of high-speed Internet connectivity that MiFi offers can be shared not only between users, but between devices such as laptops, cameras, gaming devices and multimedia players. Perfect for business or carpooling and relieving boredom in the back seat during that long road trip with kids - think Nintendo DS (NTDOY.PK) or Sony PSP (SNE) - the MiFi will support up to five users simultaneously.

He also talks about future IPO's (due to the ongoing Financial restructuring) and Verizon (VZ) selling their landline business in 14 states to Frontier Communications Corp (FTR).


As Detroit Crumbles, China Emerges as Auto Epicenter













The face of the auto industry is changing. And companies, regardless of their line of business, need to have the ability to adapt to change in order to survive.

- Italy's Fiat is on the verge of taking control of Chrysler. Last year India's Tata Motors, already famous for its $2,000 Nano, acquired Jaguar and Land Rover.

- Detroit's annual auto show in January was somber, but Shanghai's show dazzled attendees with throngs of models, rock bands and light shows. This year, Nissan skipped Detroit and attended the Chinese event in April. Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche all unveiled new-vehicle models in Shanghai.

- In April, China's vehicle sales jumped 25 percent, compared with a year earlier, to a record monthly high of 1.15 million units. It was the third consecutive month that China has surpassed the United States in sales; and this year China is projected to displace Japan as the world's largest car producer.

- Some of China's bigger manufacturers, such as Chery Automobile, have trumpeted their intent to export Chinese-made vehicles to the United States in the next few years. To get there, they'll need to revamp their products to meet stringent U.S. emissions and safety standards. That's no simple problem. Previous plans to ship Chinese cars to U.S. soil have crumbled. There's little doubt among analysts that Chinese automakers are interested in the United States and that Detroit's automakers are interested in them. Buying up iconic brands such as Hummer or Saturn could supply Chinese automakers with the technological expertise to help them leapfrog past long-established competitors


Amazing Auto Deals













Historically one of the worst investments anybody can make is purchasing a brand new car. On average a new car looses 20% of it's value as soon as you drive it off the lot.

But with today's economy, the incentives may be as good as it gets.
With Chrysler going into Bankruptcy (and GM likely to follow) and hundreds of dealerships forced to close, there are literally tons of inventory sitting out there that simply has to move.

But it is not just Chrysler and GM that have inventory issues. With sales down. With gas prices down. Manufacturers such as Toyota have an excess of inventory of their Green Hybrid Models. This is because after last years astronomical rise in gas prices pushed demand for these cars through the roof, these manufacturers ramped up production. And now the same conditions no longer exist.

Add to this that congress is likely to pass a "Cash for Clunkers" incentive plan and you have the makings for some great deals, and some cash back from both dealers and congress that push prices often below dealer costs (in the case of Chrysler and GM) and get pretty close to that magical 20% number.

You can find the list of dealerships closing here.

You can search Edmonds.com for incentives offered in your area.

Read more...

Are you better than a 2nd Grader?

Me? Apparently not.

You see, I can predict my finish.
Either I finish 2nd, 4th or dead last.
Actually 4th and dead last have a lot in common. It means I screwed up on the last lap and crashed!
Dead last only means that I did it more than once.

And I have never won a race against him or the computer.

Makes me wish I still had some dirt bikes available and race him on the real thing.
Then again, I'd probably loose that one too.
At least I recover more quickly from the crashes on the video game...

So, I think I will keep practicing until I can win. Not against the computer, but against my way too smug 8 year old...

Read more...

Pathetic

Yup, I admit it.
Now that the Caps are out of the playoffs, and it's raining today, I am now officially back in the sports DT's.
So what did I do to get out of this funk?

Re-activate my ESPN Fantasy Football League!
Modified a couple rules from last years suggestion box.
Set the draft date.
And emailed the invites to the league members.

Cool.

T minus 84 days and counting...

Read more...

Close Call...

Ok, so out of the blue I get this email from a co-worker telling me about how his ex-wife was in an aircraft accident this past weekend.

My first thought was OMG I hope nobody was seriously hurt.

Fortunately nobody, wife, kids, nor surrounding neighbors were seriously hurt.

It just goes to show you that one never knows what can happen next.

I'll include the email and first responder photo below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My ex-wife started taking flying lessons about the time our divorce started and she got her license shortly before our divorce was final, later that same year.

Yesterday afternoon I got a phone call, that she narrowly escaped injury in the aircraft she was piloting. Seems she was forced to make an emergency landing in Hamilton because of bad weather. Thank God the kids weren't with her.

The FAA issued a preliminary report, citing pilot error: She was flying a single engine aircraft in IFR (instrument flight rating) conditions while only having obtained a VFR (visual flight rating).

The absence of a post-crash fire was likely due to insufficient fuel on board. No one on the ground was injured.

The photograph below was taken at the scene to show the extent of damage to her aircraft.

She was really lucky.

Read more...

Oh!, The Humanity!

So, After a great season (50W, 24L, 108pts) the Washington Capitals go down in flames in Game 7 against the Penguins.

Something tells me that these two teams will be back again, facing each other many times over - and over - for the next several years to come.

I really can not fault anybody in this series. Both teams played great.

One team just happened to be more human than the other.

One team just happened to see their stars rise up to another level; and win.

Congratulations to the Penguins.

Congratulations to the Capitals.

WE'LL BE BACK !!!

Read more...

Seat Belts Required

Well, the stock market and economic news has certainly kept things interesting lately.

As you may know, I publish a monthly watch list of stocks. What you may not know is that I tend to keep all my lists, even the ones from before I started this blog.

On one of these such lists, is a company called Geoeye. They are a satellite imaging company who just published a somewhat decent quarterly report. What I found most interesting was not the report so much but the market reaction.

It dropped over 20%!

What caused this reaction?

Well, they did say that one of the profile(s) for collecting imagery was not working and that this only affected color resolution for that profile and not accuracy nor their ability to meet government SLA's on orders.

That would be a good reason...

But it does not seem to be affecting revenue, nor their ability to meet future revenue demands...

So, what exactly are Profile(s)? I am not completely sure.

Maybe profiles are customers... In this case it does not appear to be a customer who supplies a major source of revenue...

Maybe it is a (mode) of taking certain type of pictures or one of a couple different parallel or redundant systems...

But to drop over 20% without knowing the full extent of the problem?

Maybe...

OK, so that was the potential bad news.

What is the good news?

Well, a comment was made during the press conference that very little revenue from their newly approved government contract was included in the report.

And that they had not operated the satellite at full capacity for much of the quarter due to start up operations and testing. All the while still being able to meet government SLA's!

Approval was given in February which means really, at most, a months worth of imagery and orders would have been done.

Here is the excerpt from one of the many news blurbs regarding Geoeye quarterly report.

GeoEye reports Q109 results Reports Q1 (Mar) loss of $0.09 per share, $0.16 better than the ($0.25) First Call consensus; revenues increased 25.9% year/year to $45.21 mln vs $41.92 mln consensus.

So, what accounted for the good increase in revenue?

Hmmmm, the big ol' GOOGLE logo on the side of their last rocket launch might be a clue.

And they have had some significant industry traffic over the past several months, ranging from PC Games to GPS to Geographical Research.

Also, they have started to realize income from deferred payments from the government (they helped finance the launch and building of the satellite).

Add to this that Geoeye is hiring people, expanding production facilities all in anticipation of added work; and I really do not see a reason for the 20% drop.

All good news... Meeting SLA's, Increasing Revenue, and not at full capacity yet...

So, ready for a wrench to be thrown into the mix!

A major competitor, DigitalGlobe, is due to go public Thursday. But everyone has known about this for months and they have been competing for years anyway.

OK, so yes Geoeye did fall because of the news about a problem with the satellite.

But the bottom line... Revenue is still really good!

So, guess what...

I sold my holdings of Marvel Comics (they went up about 4% in one week) and bought some stock in Geoeye.

So far... GEOY +5.5% increase vs MVL -4% drop.

Oh, and the DigitalGlobe IPO set for tomorrow....
I just might roll the dice with the remainder of my MVL sale and see what happens...








Maybe...

Read more...

60 Minutes of Hockey

Plus a possible overtime or two...

That is what this series between the Capitals and the Penguins is down to.






1 game. 60 + minutes of intense nail biting and frustrating, EXCITEMENT !!!

The networks could not be happier. Ovechkin, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin top the list of playoff point-scorers, in that order, and are each in the top five in goals and assists. Half of the games in this series have been decided in overtime, and five of the six games have been decided by a single goal.

Ratings have been through the roof.

For me, I've been facinated watching two very talented yet different teams battle it out.

In some ways, the Penguins have out played the Caps.

Offensively they have 226 shots on goal vs 159 for the caps. The Penguins ice check and shoot around the ice better and go for the feeds close in to the net.
The Caps seem to go for the quick setups and speed.

In other ways, Tthe Caps have been better...

Defensively, the Caps have Simeon Varlamov who has been outstanding in front of the net and the Caps have been effective killing power plays and clearing the zone.

The Washingtonpost has been keeping a really cool graphic stat comparing Ovechkin and Crosby.















And illustrates the differences in play and highlights the strenghts of the two best offensive weapons in the league.

This has been a great series between two great teams and I am sure there are lots of guys with less hair and shorter nails as a result.

However it turns out, this will definately be a series and a final game to remember!





LET'S GO CAPS !!!

Read more...

Radio Ga Ga

Two weeks of no radio, CD player, music or news and traffic updates is a long time...

Well after one false start, and then waiting for the correct installation kit to arrive, and a nice day that I could actually open up the car and install the radio; Everything is up and running, looking and sounding great!

Good thing to, because I'm a terrible singer...

Read more...

Well Done

Yesterday I went to see the latest Star Trek Movie, not because it was Mothers Day weekend, nor because I am a Trekkie (which I am), but because my oldest daughter thinks that Chris Pine is SOOOOO HOT.

She and her friends needed a ride and I was available to play Mr. Mom; so off we went.

Many months ago when I first heard they were going to release yet another Star Trek film; I too was one of the folks saying "oh no, not another star trek film".

Let me just say that there are probably two types of people and reviews for this film. Those who hate it, and those who love it. For those of you who are Die Hard Kirk and Roddenberry fans of the original series, hated Deep Space Nine and all the other spin-offs that seemed to spawn off of this series. You will probably hate it.

If you are like me and able to put the original out of your mind, temporarily, and look at it fresh, as they did with this film, then you will probably like it.
I tend to fall into the second category. After all, I actually liked it when Queen came back on tour with Paul Rodgers. And I was skeptical then too.

It's not the same Star Trek, the casting is perhaps not as completely good as the original, but good enough, and most importantly the movie is intended to be just that; a completely different perspective, here's a hint... "a different reality", than the original. Oh and the special effects are totally out-of-this-world, as they should be ;-)

JJ Abrams and the rest of the writers, crew and casting do a very commendable job.

All in all; Well Done!

Read more...

Return to Sender

Would the keeper of the fury please send it back to the Capitals as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Read more...

Microphones

OK, so last week my wife and I were watching the TV show Brothers and Sisters.
I am not a big fan of this show and quite frankly sometimes neither is my wife, but for some reason she finds it strangely compelling.

Anyway, there was this scene where two women did a skit at a party, forgot to turn off the microphones and proceeded to have an argument about something back stage which ended up being broadcast for everyone to hear.

I made a comment that I bet this happens more often than one might think and really did not give it much more thought until I started looking for a topic for Fun Strip Fridays this week.

My first entry into this topic comes from PCWORLD and Top 10 Tech Embarrassments You'll Want to Avoid

Christopher Buttner, founder of PRThatRocks in Northern California, had just finished a two-hour speaking engagement in front of a large university crowd when he dashed off to the loo for a long-awaited respite. With his wireless microphone still on.
"I had to go so badly that when I made it to the urinal, I let out an incredibly loud moan of pleasure, augmented by the sound of streaming water on water," he writes. "The wireless lavalier mic I was wearing was still broadcasting live through the PA system in the lecture hall. My lecture, and subsequent moment of relief, was also being recorded."
When he returned to the hall, Buttner received a standing ovation. And, apparently, immortality. "I think my moaning sound sample, and various water-on-water audio clips, are used in a sound library somewhere at a major digital recording institute in Northern California," he says.
How to avoid having this happen to you: If you can't remember to unclip the mic, be sure to strap on a Motorman's Friend.


And last but certainly not least, a CNN reporter forgets to turn off her microphone at a press conference as she takes a break.

Read more...

I've met Defeat!

Last week I was in one of multiple business meetings and during one of the breaks got into talking with a guy who runs one of our service desks.

It seems he is really into gaming, I believe he mentioned this to me at one point in the distant past; but what I failed to realize then was that he is also part of a group who actually render the scenes and action in some of these games.

The one game he has done perhaps the most work with is Day of Defeat. So I took a look at some of his in progress stuff and was impressed. Enough so that I also went out to the site to see some more. It seems to be one of these multi role playing games on the Internet and is based on the VALVE half-life engine.














Really cool!

It's amazing the things you learn about in meetings now-a-days.

Maybe one day I'll actually pony up the money to play MRPG's.

Read more...

Moving up

Not that I am an expert or anything... I most certainly am not!

But just for grins, I logged back on to one of the community type sites I reviewed a few months ago called Covestor.

This is a community of ordinary investment traders like myself. The only difference is that the site keeps track of your progress independent of input from you and ranks you against your peers.

Now, I never gave it much thought and certainly did not think I would ever truly break into any sort of ranking system but low and behold I appear to be moving up the board!

Of course I probably just jinxed myself, but who cares anyway...

Too bad this ranking does not count my first couple of trades from January. My ranking might even be a bit better than it currently is.

And, I even have "an investment" follower! Whatever that is?

Guess I should log in more often and participate in the site more than I do.

The first ranking is base on their "sharpe ratio" which is defined as the following:








Here I am ....

















And here I am based on my return from inception (when I joined Covestor)...











These rankings were based on early Monday morning and did not include that last couple days of market activity, of which I have had none because I had not yet reinvested my gains from Qdel last week.

So I probably fell back off again, but hey, it was kind of cool seeing this! :-)

Read more...

Good Hockey

This series between the Penguins and the Caps is shaping up to be a great series between two very good teams.

And I say that not because the Caps are up 2 - 0 in the series, but rather that these two teams are playing great hockey!

The Penguins and Caps are close; in talent and ability - but not style.
And by that I mean how they play the game.

It's fun watching two immensely talented teams with different styles and approaches play the game.

Congratulations to both teams, Ovechkin and Crosby, Varlamov and the rest of the Caps! and to all of us who get to watch such great games!

Read more...

May Watch List(s)

OK, let me get this out of the way first and foremost…

I have the perfect contrarian hype stock to play – based on name alone!, and if today is any indication, (it went up 14% today) it just might play out…
Ready?

HOGS - engages in the processing and distribution of meat and food products primarily in the Peoples Republic of China. It offers pork and pork products, such as chilled pork, frozen pork, pig by-products...

But seriously folks…
Here, for the month of May, are my starting line-up watch list and bench.
They are considerably longer than I liked but I originally had nearly 70 stocks to sort through as a result of my screens. I have yet to decide which one to invest in but I will try to pick one soon.





















I have some familiar ones which have been on previous lists such as:

GIGM (recently downgraded and took a big hit – might want to play the bounce effect on this one)
UEPS
FSLR (recently had a really good report),
CKSW
POWR
Some new additions that might be note worthy.
MVL – Marvel Comics – In case you have not heard, they have a new movie just released.
SWIR – Sierra Wireless is shaping up with the tail end of a Cup and Handle pattern.
APWR – just broke out of one and has been on a really good run up.

Read more...

Always Remembered..

Lt. Col. Frank Shaw Miller
May 26, 1918 - April 28, 2009


Today, one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing was buried.

Over this past weekend my dad and I made the trip out to the eastern shore to meet with one of my best friends, his family and friends, to pay respect and tribute to his father.

We have known them for nearly my entire life and neither Frank nor the rest of his family will ever be far from out thoughts and prayers.

Read more...

April Round Up

Hooray! My starting lineup of stocks soundly beat my bench!


It has been a crazy month, in many ways (I’ll explain either later or in future posts), but suffice it to say the market still maintained its upward momentum.
I did a bit more trading this month than I usually like, but in the long run it turned out OK.

I started out buying MOS which fell flat and I sold after the first 2 weeks for only 3% gain.

I then took a bit of a gamble, though I liked the pattern setup, on CSR. My timing could not have been better. It took off for a 25% gain before I pulled the trigger and sold.

Right about that time, the swine flu pandemic craze was hitting the news and sent all the infectious disease stocks up!

So for the last week of the month, I broke my trading rule(s), and tried to go with the hype. I choose qdel because they are in the business of identifying the flu (product readily available) as opposed to the speculative (in development) vaccine companies.
At the time, Qdel stock had already gone up 13%; but this was nothing compared to the speculative ones that experienced over 100%-200% gains in one week.

Sure enough, those cooled off a bit and actually lost a bit compared to Qdel which rose over 20% in 4 days. So, not being too greedy, ;-), I took my money and said thank you very much!

BTW, CSR did beat Qdel over those last 4 days… But I’m not complaining…

So, in round up…

Starting lineup beat the Bench!
I earned…
3% then 25% then 20% more on each of my 3 trades this month.
All in all, a good month.

- Due to other events this week and weekend, I’m still working on my May watch list which I will try to post as soon as possible.

Read more...

Ahhh-Pooh!

This week has been another fun filled action packed week at work which, in my opinion, has produced a more viral reaction in the media, and the public eye, and my business' pandemic preparedness planning as part of paragraph 3, subsection 1, of the business continuity plan than the actual swine flu!

But it has been good for stocks, flight cancellations and makers of disinfectants and surgical masks!

You see, I was supposed to go to Ft. Wayne Indiana this coming week for a conference. I know, some of you are saying Ft. Wayne? Whats in Ft. Wayne? I know I certainly did...

Well, for one thing, not the swine flu! But that did not stop all non essential business trips.

Then there was all the hype with stocks that deal with infectious diseases, vaccines, and such.

Some saw astronomical increases in price. And, I have to admit, I took a chance - not sticking with my stock investment strategy and plan - with one (Qdel) which was nice enough to go up over 20% in 4 days.

So I took my money and said thank you very much - and Bless you to the market for it's reaction to a sneeze...

Read more...