THREAD IS CLOSED!!! Ask Rande 6000+ USE NEW THREAD

Top 152. May 23, 2000 6:22 PM

» Roger_Babson - Call to action...

Rande, shall we likewise ignore you? ;-)

Chin up! The knives are falling. ;-)

I have noticed a marked reduction in posts during the past two days from you folks. Maybe you're just enjoying the nice weather, or could it be that you're recent denial-turned-slightly-concerned is maybe turning ju-u-u-u-ust a little bit toward doubt? If so, we still have fear, anger, acceptance, and resolution. We still have a lo-o-o-o-o-ong way to go to reach mass social-psychological resolution.

Remember, the majority of bulls have to capitulate (abandon "WAGS") before the bear market is history. By this measure, the bear market has only begun.

It is a bear market, after all. ;-)

SOS. Good luck.

-- posted by Roger_Babson

Top 153. May 23, 2000 7:57 PM

» Rande - Roger,

Roger,

I'm still currently underweighted to equities and have been adding to my positions slowly and with patience. Will continue to do so as I stay the course over the long term. Not always easy for some to do, especially with guys like you around trying to make people feel bad. If there was ever any doubt about the kind of person you are, it's gone. It seems you can't quite contain your spite for others. In fact, you seem downright gleefull. Seriously, you might want to consider counseling. Not a good way to live, despising and deriding others so. Next thing you know your time on earth is gone and all you've left behind is bitterness and people who are glad to see you go. In any event, if you must get your sick jollies at least save the tired falling knife cliche for someone who doesn't know any better. Hopefully, nobody's listening any more to the broken record of doom and gloom.

-- posted by Rande

Top 154. May 23, 2000 8:44 PM

» Mark_J - Roger, take some ritalin.

Roger, take some ritalin. Everything will be okay.

The market is heading into bear territory while the Federal Reserve presses CTL-ALT-DEL on the economy. We are in reset mode folks.

This economy is roaring ahead. The world economy is doing well. We will be fine. Our stock portfolios got a little bloated from the speculation that accompanied the boom, and we'll take some paper losses while we ride through the bust.

Relax. Stay the course. Whichever course you're on.

-- posted by Mark_J

Top 155. May 23, 2000 9:55 PM

» JackSwanson - The futures.....

They're red folks...brace for more selling in tech.

-- posted by JackSwanson

Top 156. May 23, 2000 10:13 PM

» pjstack - What does Roger recommend?

I've read some of Roger's posts, but I've never quite grasped what he proposes to DO about the gloomy future. What course does he recommend? Buy no more stocks? Buy what? Bonds? CD's?

What about stocks you own now? Sell them and take the losses (and taxes?), or hang in there for the years (I guess) it will take for the bear to go away. Short everything?

How about mutual funds (index funds, which I mostly own), you can't short those (can you?), so what do you do?

He never seems to give a hint as to what he IS doing, or else I'm just dense. I admit that I haven't gone back to read all his posts, so maybe those of you who have been on this board longer than I know the answer.

Phil Stack.

-- posted by pjstack

Top 157. May 23, 2000 10:21 PM

» GetMo - Rande and Kirk.......time for your spanking?

Come on guys..where are your cajones? We are not brain dead...we can see the market is dropping,,quit copping out about DCA...that is simple enough for use to figure out. What I want to know is where is the bottom? I read long ago a book by Charles Givens... I think it was called "Wealth without Risk" Now his point was that statistically, if you removed emotion from your decision and stayed in stocks when the Prime rate was 9 or dropping and away from stocks when it was 9 and climbing??? is this valid statistically?

-- posted by GetMo

Top 158. May 23, 2000 10:34 PM

» Roger_Babson - Rande...

. . ., you're showing your true feelings, which apparently are not pleasant ones in the context of the reality of the market today. Come on, man. Grow up. Life is tough sometimes.

Of all of the regulars on this site, you appear to have the smallest capacity for humor (self-deprecating or otherwise), and you appear to have the thinnest of skins. Imagine yourself being subjected to the grief I take from most everyone here (mostly good-natured grief, ultimately, and I love it) on a regular basis. Take the wife and children on a holiday and give yourself a break, sir. You (and they, no doubt) deserve it; take it from me. :-)

Furthermore, Rande, were it not for a pain in the posterior such as yours truly, where the heck would people here ever get a comprehensive, fundamental, historical perspective on the captial markets and economy? Surely, providing the information I do should not "scare people". If it does, then good! They need the information to become better informed so as to make better life decisions. Otherwise, they would live each waking moment believing that the past 4-5 years of stock market returns is normal and therefore base their future financial expectations (and the well-being of their loved ones) on a bunch of stock market hypsters and charlatans.

Are you not trying to "not scare people" (apologies for the double negative)? What does this say about your motives or your personal sense of security or stability? Be a man. Why spend your life fearing or not facing up to what may be inevitable and potentially living in a Pollyanna dream world. How many successful businesspersons do you know who think like you do? I don't know any!

Virtually every successful businessperson and investor I have ever met is paranoid, skeptical, obsessed with contingencies, always prepared for potentially devastating setbacks, second guessing strategic and tactical decisions, and always on the lookout for competition to eat his or her lunch. Business is tough, sir. Life can be tough. And thank goodness for that!!! How else are we going to learn the enduring lessons and improve, if we are not continually challenged and kicked in the teeth on occasion?

But it can also be a positively invigorating and enlightening experience, which, thankfully is what it is for me virtually every day.

Mark, thanks for the advice for my mental well-being. I prefer a bit of decaf green or Earl Grey tea and a good book, or perhaps an old film. No need for Ritalin. :-)

Also, Mark, "Greenspan" is doing NOTHING to the economy. If you want to personalize the unwinding of the bubble and the inevitable effects on the economy, then pick out 5-6 of the chairmen or CEOs of the largest reserve banks in the U.S., and go after these guys (BAC, WFC, JPM, CMB, GS, C, etc.). Greenspan works for these guys and does their bidding.

Good luck.

-- posted by Roger_Babson

Top 159. May 23, 2000 11:09 PM

» Kirk - GetMo

GetMo
You must be pretty new here or don't read that often.
The bottom is EASY to call.

Just count the words in Roger's posts and the time interval between them. More words and shorter time interval are vital keys.

Start with the time interval raised to the hyperbolic cosine of the number of words in Roger's latest post.

Square that and add in the NASDAQ futures price divided by the time if day in GMT that Jack proclaims that Brinker is God and you have the level we will bottom at!

Don't believe that? Well, get a cup of tea and read the leaves. 8)

If ANYONE really KNEW where the bottom was, they would not tell you until afterwards since why share the wealth you could make from knowing?

-- posted by Kirk

Top 160. May 23, 2000 11:19 PM

» Kirk - Rande insult Factor.

One last KEY indicator...
The Rande insult Factor.
The more insults hurled at Rande by Roger, the faster the recovery will be.

-- posted by Kirk