Off-Topic - Rant...No Cheap Advice...

Based on yet another interruption on Friday night, as The Clique must field questions from outsiders...

     My Clique has had it's personality clashes over the past year and consensus on what Positions to Buy, Sell and Hold does get contentious.  On Friday's, we've had our alcohol-fueled disagreements (Johnny Walker is our 7th Partner), vowing dissolution of the partnership contract, only to pal up on Saturday morning at Borders/Starbucks.

     But...

     At a couple of venues, it's known that we are "Market Mavens" and we get people coming over and picking our brains; or, at least trying.  Our conversation is about Stocks like the guys at the next pool table talk Sports.  We are leery of people outside our group asking for Investment Advice.  It's not such a big deal if someone wants an opinion on a particular stock, has been watching it and has his own opinion; but Heaven Help the Advice Moocher who just wants to know where to put his "piddle".  Particularly with me, if a person hasn't put in any effort into Market Research (and is not a client paying 15% of Port Profs), I can't stand the inquiry! 

     I'm not discussing You Guys leaving me queries in the Comments App; that gives my brain a workout.  I don't consider Readers of my blog to be strangers.  Cetainly not like someone invading my space, attempting to be a buddy, while I'm Bellying Up to the bar.  And I can just anticipate the question when someone I don't know comes over.  If they're not Market Savvy, well, you've just go to be there as I, the cat, toys with that mouse... 

As if I Need Another Reason to Despise Unions and Dislike GM...

     My readers know two thing's: I'm Radically Pro-Business and I DESPISE Unions.  The UAW and it's co-conspirator in The White House is doing wonders for the Economy.  GM, has(d) that Beaming Commercial running for The Masses about how they'd paid themselves out of debt; and did it "straight", while having $52 BILLION worth of stock owned by the Mother Government.  Today, they're touting a "profit" of $865 Million!  It is a co. I wouldn't consider if I could take 20% profit a week (but I'll still drive a Cadillac, which I consider their only "saving grace brand").  One has too much Disease Risk when he jumps in bed with a Whore.  
     Remember how much more competitive GM was going to be coming out of bankruptcy. Aside from shedding a lot of its debt and attendant costs, the company was going to emerge with a competitive labor cost structure.  Here's a blip which does not change my opinion:

From the WSJ:

     Three years after General Motors Co. won wage and benefit concessions from its union, the company has yet to realize savings from a key provision that cuts pay by more than half for new U.S. hires.
GM’s deal with the United Auto Workers cuts the combined wage-and-benefit cost for a newly hired factory worker to $25.65 an hour, compared with about $60 an hour for current workers. By comparison, the nonunion workers at Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. plants cost the company approximately $48 an hour in wages and benefits, Toyota says.
     But GM can’t add new workers at the lower wage yet. It still has 5,000 laid-off workers who, under their contract terms, have first crack at any union jobs that the company adds, and most would return to work at the higher pay level.
Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC have similar union contracts allowing them to hire workers at the lower wage, but they also haven’t hired significant numbers of new workers.
     “That’s probably one of the reasons the UAW agreed to [the lower wages]. They knew right off the bat there wouldn’t be a lot of leeway for the companies to hire new workers,” said David Whiston, an auto analyst at Morningstar Inc. “There will always be this fundamental difference—that the Detroit companies have union shops” and the U.S. plants of foreign makers don’t.
     If you want to find a pony in all of this I guess it would be that the company is managing to make a profit despite getting no relief from its labor costs. Nevertheless, you might want to keep this little bit of information in mind just in case you have an urge to take a plunge on the upcoming IPO.

Still LUV my Ford! (Vehicle and Stock)

This Should Be Posted In My Political Blog, But Events Hurting The Market Have Me Just a Bit Irritated, Today...

     The Headlines seem to be leading the market.  This is Good or Bad for us depending on whether we're in a Buy or Sell Mode.  As part of the cycle, the mode is decided by Market Activity. 

     Europe accounts for 20% of our 7% Export Income, but one would think we sell 50% of everything we produce to that market.  Wreaking 100% of Today's Market Downturn.  Piss Ants are dictating moves of the Aardvark, and I don't get it. 

     Certainly, with This Administration in charge (as with it's Close Predecessors), we seem to have lost sight of the fact that:

We Are UNITED STATES of AMERICA. 

     When did we become the Lackey, Houseboy and "Mother" of Europe, Asia, and the Mid East.  Today's Market Activity, cause by the Absurdity of the European Union Experiment, doesn't do anything to deter my Isolationist Attitude.  Must we "hold everyone's hand so they can cross the street"?   The American Philosophy, of late, seems to have been: "Let's all get hit by the same speeding car" (driver distracted by a cellphone).  Euro Dept Contagion may be that "speeding car".  
     I often say of Import Policy, "If we don't buy their products, who will?" and ALOT OF THEM.  We consistently do, even with the Great Recession (an American Socialist Slogan I still cringe at the mention of).  And on Exports, "Everybody wants American Made and American Lifestyle", still the standard the World Aspires To. 

     And just perhaps, if we weren't involved with every little "global situation" and would stop interfering with the internal affairs of every other sovereign nation, our own terrorist problem would ease up.  Terrorist's Causes would be neutered, because they'd have less reason to kick the Great Satan around.  YA THINK!
     Our Globalization Policy has "come home to roost"; Hell, it has been here for awhile (since, say, 2001).  "Foreign Aid" is paying off, BIGTIME (talk about sarcasm of thought). 

It's certainly done Wonders to Our Society,

 Our Economy,

and Our Markets.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !
And a little common sense wouldn't hurt!

We got not problems to concentrate our efforts on
at Home?
Didn't the Roman Empire "spread itself to thin"
before it Fall?  Hmm...

 Truth Will Stand!
[Fairwell EU?]

Re: PG. Don't Freak over High Frequencies...

     I'm on the way to the airport in JAX, but I won't let this slide because I'm tired of the "dead horse" being beaten.  Hell, who gives a damn about what really happened with the spike down in the market?  We All either Hold or Have Held PG.  Did anyone lose any money because of Circuit Breakers or High Frequency Trades, last week?

No?

Thought not.