The Trouble with "Been there, done that"

After all these years, I seem to have no deep yearnings.
What I have left are only superficial desires.

The "Indian-Giver" & "Itty-Bitty" Laws

The Indian-Giver Law
When administering medication via any route (i.e., oral pills or tablets, injection, suppository, patch, other) always remember: "Once a medication has been given to the patient, it is difficult (if not impossible) to get it back."

The Itty-Bitty Law
Therefore, one should always be guided by the Itty-Bitty Law:
"Always start with an itty-bitty dose, especially of any new medication, because you can always give more, but (see Indian-Giver Law above)."

Corollary of the Itty-Bitty Law
"Just because they make a specific dose size (e.g., a 25- or 50- or 100-mg pill), doesn't mean you have to give that much to a patient."

(see "Appropriate Dose" posting on this blog; see Also: "That's Why God Gave Us Pill Cutters"

Appropriate dose (of anything)

Whether it is medicine, money, wind, rain, shine, sleet or snow, modesty, assertiveness, or confidence, the appropriate dose is:

"Enough, but not too much."

“ ... Summer Roller Coaster” (Investment Newsletter response)

Newsletter text (NL): Summer is a time when many Americans seek out amusement parks for the thrills of riding a rollercoaster. The climbs and drops at high speed deliver an exciting mix of fear and exhilaration. But knowing the extent of the highs and lows, and when it is going to be over, play a crucial role in the fun of riding a metal roller coaster.  Riding a market roller coaster offers no such assurances and is no fun at all ... "

Response to NL (R2NL): however, we do know the highest the market has ever been and that the lowest it can go is to Zero.  That's a paltry 12,000-point range and barely worth the trouble if you are really lookin' for a good time!  (And, don't cha know, we are all lookin' for a good time oncet in a whale.)    

With only 400 to 520-point drops and falls in the current market, I am really not feeling the gut-wrenching excitement, the blood pressure-elevating fear, the terminal projectile vomiting that I really need to get out of playing the market for hard core fun.  Therefore, I would like you to get ready to talk with us about liquidating all of our investments in stocks, funds, Credit Default Swaps, junk bonds and related low-adrenaline pumping stuff and start thinking about moving it all to Commodities. 

I would like to focus on liquid natural gas, copper, aluminum, gold and silver for starters, then using my profits, move into the majorly volatile (e.g., gasoline) ones later.  I am planning on a "buy the market and sell the news" strategy, combined with "buy low and sell high" and other pearls of wisdom I have learned from a pamphlet I got in the mail back in 1984 called "The Burning Match."  

From what I have read, and incorporated into what I call my personal CMS (Commodities Management Strategy) it sounds like I would be in favor of the safest procedure, i.e., taking actual possession of each and every commodity I buy.  I hear people have done that with soy beans and I don't think doing it with LNG would be that much harder ... and I have held a couple of Kruger Rands before which wasn't hard at all (hid 'em in the toilet tank and nobody ever tumbled to where they were).  By taking possession, I don't have to worry about some doofus semi-pro in Conehatta, Mississippi, (locally referred to as Cone-Heads), messing around and losing my gold, silver and liquefied natural gas, etc.  I will have it all right here and can touch it and feel it and show it off to my neighbors.

So, as usual, I have learned a great deal from your investment newsletter and look forward to reading many more.  Thanks so much.

Your loyal investment customer,
Doc

What's Most Important?

When all is said and done: relief is better than happiness.

History, Why Does it Make a Difference?

I have never understood why the media is so anxious to release intelligence-sensitive data, i.e., most recently, the location of US Navy SEAL bases (after bin Laden killing), including where they are trained, work and try to live ordinary lives.  Having blabbed it all over the front pages and television news, like thoughtless children, now there is fear for the safety of the SEAL personnel and their families in the U.S. because of these revelations.  No kidding.  What did they think was going to happen when they put that data in the open source arena?

Perhaps if we posted the names, addresses, phone numbers, maps with directions to the reporter's homes and families these news hounds would understand why the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs suggested we should all move on to other topics.

Reporters operate as if they ignore history, then it's permissible to repeat it.  I.e., ignore the WWII warning that "Loose lips sink ships." 

Contradiction: Process vs. Result

"Why is it that so many folks drive so fast to get to work, then spend the rest of the day grousing about how much they hate their job?"