Odds and Ends
I have not been doing any "Market Operations" posts for a while. There are a few reasons for that. One, most of my positions over the last 3 weeks have been ideas garnered from the iBankCoin 12631 service and thus I don't think it is right to hand out ideas found and worked on there. Second, most positions went no where and were either quick stop out losses for about 3% each or minimal gains when charts turned on the spots. Not much to report really. Third, I did two major mistakes over just the past 3 weeks that I was not too happy about and I was a bit ashamed to write about them. I guess I will tonight as a sort of confession.
The first blunder was I hung a position on the stock WNR (Western Refining) based on the belief that crack spreads being wide would result in big profits. I like the idea but the charts and the market were telling me it was a dumb buy. In around the $17.70 I rode that thing into earnings this week and it sucked. Sold out at $15.50 for a nasty loss. I let an idea get ahead of the technicals which is what I was trying to stick too. Poor discipline and poor execution. Ugh.
The second blunder was after a few losses last month and a bunch of stop outs for annoying small losses, I played a hunch. Big time. I have written before about the stock KCG (Knight Capital Group). I figured all the market churn from last quarter would be very good for their earnings report on April 20. I had plenty of open spots in my trading account, so I did what I should do, put 60% of the whole thing on one stock! Great going and a great way to go bust in a hurry. In after the Monday April 18 nasty sell off and sold late week for a nice gain. It worked out but it was stupid beyond belief.
Now that I am more settled in I will try to get back to doing things right next week.
Ok, let's get to Friday night, been a long week!
Friday Night Entertainment
Sharing the fun on Friday night.
StealthCopter
By now you may have seen some pictures of the wrecked helicopter used in the raid to get Bin Laden. Geekologie has some info on the heavily modified H-60 Blackhawk:
See, the tin foil hat types are right, there are black, silent helicopters!
Top 10 Old School TV Shows
I don't watch TV anymore, but I used to watch everything and anything, hence my preternatural ability to find quotes for any occasion. I guess one could say about me that I have "A sleepless mind in his heart, and an insatiable personality" if you have read "Memnoch the Devil". In any case, I posted a clip from the series "Different Strokes" last night and reader David chimed in with a "Facts of Life" reference. This got me thinking about old TV shows I loved. Here are my top 10 oldies, in no particular order except the number one spot which was my favorite:
1.- Moonlighting
2.- LA Law
3.- Hunter
4.- Good Times
5.- Silver Spoons
6.- Battlestar Galactica
7.- V
8.- Facts of Life
9.- Dukes of Hazzard
10.- Happy Days
I encourage all to make their own list and send it back here for discussion!
Picture Pages
Picture pages, pictures pages, time to get your markers and your pencils! Not really.
For Mothers Day!:
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
Here is this woman trying to help poor South American children and then.....:
see more This is Photobomb
Like bunnies, but dogs.
Rock Blogging
Tunes for the weekend.
Reader Watchtower requested Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" and he even found a great live version:
EPIC FIND!!! Thanks Watchtower!
Ok, my friend JH was looking for some old school hip hop, but it's not quite my area. I will go with my favorite song of the genre, from that era. Classic Snoop with "G-Thang":
I was going to play SNAP The Power, but I just could not do it :)
In 1991 Ozzy had a new album out and I was thinking "he should hang it up!". Then I heard the opening bass line from "No More Tears" and knew the true Master of Metal was doing just fine:
This man IS metal.
The last time I played "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" the post had 34 comments and a great discussion with all kinds of readers. Can we re-create magic? Who know, give Cindy Lauper a chance:
I can admit I love that tune because I am a boxer and will beat you up.
Last two tunes, it does have to end, everything that has an beginning has an end.
Live performance of "I am the Highway" by my lost, but beloved Audioslave:
I would trade a number of silver ounces to have heard that tune live.
Last call!
I am going with Cinderella's classic "Nobody's Fool":
Love it.
Have a good night.
Thanks for playing the Queen vid GYSC!
ReplyDeleteMoonlighting was one of my favorite shows too.
I especially liked the episode where David's brother Richard is dancing with Maddie, and David is standing in the corner watching while Patti LaBelle's song 'If Only You Knew' plays.
http://tinyurl.com/3aw65fj
Or how about the one with Dana Delany in it while the Isley Brother's 'This Old Heart Of Mine' plays:
http://tinyurl.com/426lvyy
(rant on)
They don't make TV like that anymore...nothing but f'n crap nowadays, and the music sucks too for the most part.
(rant off)
Rant all you like! Rememeber when they did a whole episode on the play "Taming of the Shrew"? Good stuff.
ReplyDelete"Rememeber when they did a whole episode on the play "Taming of the Shrew"?
ReplyDeleteYes, yes I do.
Believe it or not I used to watch this show with my mom before I got married...good memories.
Happy Mother's Day mom!
Watchtower, you rock my man.
ReplyDeleteSnoop Dogg, great choice!
ReplyDeleteOld TV shows I loved: Moonlighting, Good Times, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Magnum PI, Three's Company, Facts of Life, and Family Ties.
Okay, I'm gonna make a not-so-wild guess here and guess that you sang "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" at KARAOKE while you were on VACATION. Hahahaha! *ducks as GYC throws a punch*
Yes, that is an epic performance by Queen. Great band, and one of the early pioneers of stadium concerts. They could really pack a crowd. Interestingly though, you know who holds the record for attendance at a concert?
ReplyDeleteAlice Cooper. Yep, in Brazil.
Favorite TV shows, hmmm. I never watched Moonlighting. For several years when I was in college and living on a real tight budget, I didn't have a TV. It must have been on then.
My favorite show as kid was Batman, then later Star Trek, and after that Columbo. I've since had an affinity for cop shows.
Hill Street Blues was excellent, as was Homicide: Life on the Streets. I thought The Shield was very well done also.
Law and Order was really good in the early years, but seemed to lose its way as the cast changed. SVU and Criminal Intent have their episodes, but the newest concoction Law and Order: LA is weak. The best show on TV these days is Criminal Minds.
It's strange, but the better shows today are found not on network but on cable channels, like TNT, USA and A&E. Usually, these channels show reruns of syndicated series, but some of their original programming far surpasses most of what is seen on network.
Lately, I've become a fan of Breakout Kings. It's on A&E, Sunday nights at 9:00. I recommend it, if only because the brunnette, Serinda Swan, is smoking hot.
Gawains,
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%, best TV now is on the small mstations and A&E and ScyFy are great too.
JH,
I believe I performed Creedence Clearwater Revival in Karoake but it all is a bit hazy. I may hav ebusted out a little Lauper......
Yes, well, it is true. The Shield, for example, was a USA production, as is the new release of Criminal Intent. Breakout Kings is an A&E production, and it is pretty good--I enjoy it anyway--but a discriminating viewer would recognize it as a spin-off of Criminal Minds, with a twist.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch ScyFy. In fact, I've never heard of it. My viewing time is limited.
What I look for is characters, not caricature. Plot, conflict, development, that sort of thing. It's the literary major in me; I don't care much for special effects. Those are just a fancy way of covering up for lack of material.
I should add that I really liked The Unit, but it was cancelled. The early seasons of 24 were rivetting, but then it got politically correct and lost its allure.
The middle seasons of Seinfeld were hilarious, as were a couple of seasons of Cheers. But like most shows, they lost their way.
I haven't seen a good movie since Iron Man. I watched the sequel to Wall Street and found it disappointing. Hollywood can't seem to make good movies anymore.
Nor can network make good series. The only programs I see worth watching are independantly produced. Or reruns, from an age when producers, directors and actors knew what they were doing.
@ Gawains
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you'll come back and check the comments but if you do I was wondering if you ever seen Led Zeppelin in concert?
If so what did you think?
(I've never seen them in concert myself)
I am going to be 100% sure Gawains has seen Zeppelin!
ReplyDeleteI never got to see Led Zeppelin, because I never had the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteSame with Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, and a host of other bands.
I live pretty far south. It's at least a five hour drive to the nearest major concert venue from here. So I require several weeks' notice to make arrangements.
I could make a list of concerts that I've missed, because I either didn't know about them or couldn't get there in time.
I can, however, make a list of the best venues I've seen: 1) Elvis; 2) Black Sabbath; 3) Kiss; 4) The Rolling Stones; 5) The Grateful Dead.
I think you miss typed, should be 1.) Sabbath. Fixed it for you!
ReplyDeleteKidding.
GYSC said:
ReplyDelete"I am going to be 100% sure Gawains has seen Zeppelin!"
I would have bet money that Gawain's had seen them too, in fact I was looking forward to Gawain's firsthand account of their performance.
I know, I know, a recount of the 'Elvis' experience should be enough, but dammit I wanted more! I'm greedy that way.
I didn't get to see these icons back in the day so the next best thing is hearing from someone who was actually there.
Watchtower, get Gawains' email, he can tell tales of concerts with words that would make you think you were there.
ReplyDeleteThe first concert I ever saw was Elvis Presley, 1972. I was 11. Then he was at his peak. I've seen hundreds of bands since, but I've never seen a better performer. That man could control a crowd like no one else. There is a reason why he never played to an empty seat.
ReplyDeleteThe second concert I saw was Kiss, opening show of the Love Gun tour, 1977. Wow.
The third concert I saw was Black Sabbath, Never Say Die tour, 1978. Best set I ever saw. Black Sabbath rules.
Bands that I wanted to see but never had the chance include Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, The Who, Queen, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Wings, and David Bowie.
I did get to see the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones, both excellent. And the Talking Heads, U2, Gang of Four, Al Di Meola, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and the B-52s. Not to mention B. B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as Van Morrison.
There were a lot of other bands in between, but none so notable.
Gawain's remember awhile back when GYSC mentioned going out to Vegas for a blogger's gathering?
ReplyDeleteIf by some miracle it ever happens I would definitely like to know more about the bands you've seen.
On a second note, I was wonderering if the housing market where you are located (Texas for anyone new checking in) has made a shift for the better or worse?
Haven't heard you comment on that here of late.