Monday, October 26, 2009

Of Shoes and Dips and Double-Tops

We're coming up to the dog days of November, waiting for another shoe to drop. Doing its best Chuck Barris imitation, GOOG inches up a little, then back a little and then up a little more. Weird, that we can't buy a thrill. The sails are slack. We're not moving up and nothing is gaining on us. Weird that the dip won't come.

But going down this hole we're in was really strange, so we shouldn't be surprised that coming out of it is strange, too. Same terrain. Through the Looking Glass is not a different place, just a different perspective.

The first time GOOG was at this price level, it motored on, straight to 741 before it hit the ceiling. This trip, it will probably take its sweet time, getting back to the high, but then blow through the ceiling like it wasn't there.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Redemption

Six Google Eves ago, I committed the most colossal blunder of my short trading life.

In those days, Google was despised by investors because it wasn't Apple. The received wisdom was that Google's market was saturated and would soon disappear. Everybody shorted GOOG. I don't short stocks. I just sold every share I owned. Then they came out with killer earnings and the stock went up 80 points in ten minutes. I watched in horror. But that wasn't my most colossal blunder. My most colossal blunder came when I sucked in my gut and bought my shares back for 80 points more than I sold them. That was the big blunder.

If I had just bid good-bye to Google at that point, if I had not bought those shares back, up 80, I could have purchased them back later for a song. But no - Cramer said that sometimes you have to suck in your gut and pay up. So I did. How was I supposed to know that that wasn't one of those times?

But that's all behind me now. This Google Eve, for the first time since then, I'm completely in the black with GOOG, including the shares I paid up 80 for. All is forgiven.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Google Eve

We've been here before, we GOOG wranglers, camping out on Google Eve under Google stars. Wondering what tomorrow will bring. But it's all right, even if the sun don't shine. We GOOG wranglers are going to the end of the line.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Good Day For Us

Callooh,
Callay


Today, Eric "Bubba" Schmidt revealed that an Android phone will be manufactured by the Cracker Jacks Company and GOOG shot up 18 bucks, gratifying shlubs like me. So what's left for Google Eve, next week? Probably a "sell the news" reaction, but not to worry, it will be contained. This booger's headed for $600. Again.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

It looks like Google

I started selling a little GOOG and a little NLY a few weeks ago, but I knew it was just for a trade, since I want to own as much GOOG as I can stand, going into earnings. In the meantime, I have managed to pick up a little walking-around money, going in and out of, mainly, GOOG. I'm going to wait for NLY to encounter its own gravity again. The next dividend is 3 months away.

GOOG

8/25/2009 Sell -100 $471.00
9/8/2009 Buy 100 $465.00
9/18/2009 Sell -100 $495.00
10/5/2009 Buy 100 $484.45

Today's close: $498.74

NLY

8/26/2009 Sell -1000 $17.43
9/8/2009 Buy 1000 $17.40
9/30/2009 Sell -1000 $18.08

Today's close: $17.56

The race is on, and the time is ripe for Yahweh's Surprise to come outta nowhere. But I wouldn't discount Cramer, here. He says Google is going to blow away its numbers, this time. And he talks to everybody.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Major Award

Dear Mr. Blumen,

Congratulations! Your recent anniversary with TEKsystems represents a career of which you should be very proud.

We appreciate your partnership and decision to work with TEKsystems. Whether you've worked with us on one assignment or many, our aim is to provide you with continuous employment and the right job opportunities to help you achieve your career goals.

As part of our service awards program, we are recognizing Technical Professionals who have achieved at least 3, 5, 7, or 10 years of service with our company. As a symbol of our appreciation, we invite you to review the on-line catalog and select your gift of choice to commemorate your anniversary.

We know that you have a number of choices in today's market. Thank you again for your continued commitment to TEKsystems.