Man, I'd totally read a book like that if it existed! The hard part is getting it to exist, though. Writing an entire book is a ton of work, and I'm pretty sure that plenty of dudes plan to write a book some day, but never end up doing it. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9D_cKZ_dhdo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> I might need some help to accomplish a project that huge... we'll see. BTW, perhaps wrong impressions were given before regarding the demise of the specialist system. I actually feel just like most of the rest of you do, i.e. even though our old adversaries the specialists were total thieves who held our orders and robbed us all blind at will, there <i>were</i> genuine edges to be culled from all that blatant corruption. I mean, who <i>didn't</i> just totally cream their panties every time the specialist opened his stock more than three bucks higher or lower than it <i>should</i> have opened had the specialist been playing fair? We all got to put our own limit orders out there to take advantage of that, and we all benefited off all the poor chumps with market orders out before the open. Next to those damn HFT alpha dogs we have now, the old dearly departed specialists were actually our friends by comparison. So yeah, grave urine not withstanding, I miss the specialists too.
WE HAVE A WINNER! ET member 'miscsales' has just PMed me with the correct answer on his second try. Congratulations, miscsales, you have just won a one year's supply of hot young sluts!
10-25-07 09:50 PM (Rearden Metal) 1) NEVER trust anyone who calls people 'buddy' or 'my friend', and never do business with them. That's the eternal mark of the bullshitter! Just knowing this simple yet effective little profiling trick can save you from mountains of considerable anguish. Once you start looking for the 'bullshitter key word', you'll be amazed how often liars completely give themselves away in advance- even when there are no other warning signs present. Another way to spot liars before it's too late: Beware of anyone who is overly fashionable/trendy. Honest men don't drive BMW's. 01-08-07 02:31 PM (Rearden Metal) Actually, I've been repeatedly stunned by the incredible effectiveness of this simple little profiling trick. Time and time again, I've been seriously amazed at how seemingly decent guys who just happen to address others as 'buddy' or 'friend', always turn out to be lying sleazebags. You'd think I'm over-simplifying the matter... but have you ever met a truly trustworthy guy who habitually uses the 'bullshitter key word'? I know I haven't.
Very good find! I need to explain something now, and due to my long track record of consistent honesty here, I do think I deserve to be believed: The only reason I used that word was because I was <b>parodying the beer commercials</b>! (The 'world's most interesting man' always says "Stay thirsty, my friends" at the end. I hesitated before writing that here, because I DON'T actually talk that way, ever, unless I'm mocking someone I don't like. ('Nice driving there, buddy') Are you familiar with the beer commercials I was parodying? If not, once you see one it'll all make sense. The first time I saw one of them, I thought to myself; "That's a great ad, but why did they have to ruin it by ending it with such a sleazy last word?" One more thing: It took me years to realize this, but there is a non-scumbag exception when it comes to buddy-callers: Sometimes when someone calls you 'buddy', it <b>doesn't</b> mean the guy's a scumbag. Rather it only means that he sees you as a childish person. He may or may not like you at that point, but he certainly either thinks you are immature/childish/less alpha-male than he is... or he's just a scumbag.
Does this vindicate me? <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8Bc0WjTT0Ps" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So regarding that mystery stock which I expect will get pounded like a rented gerbil over the next year or so, I've started to build my long-puts position, but I'm very interested in adding more in case it happens to rally a buck or two this week. But providing a couple more clues should provide a little good wholesome fun for everyone, so here goes: They expect very healthy earnings growth that IMO can't possibly materialize. A disappointing announcement at some point is simply inevitable here. Why? because until now they had zero big national competitors, and now all of the sudden you have <i>other</i> big national companies aggressively invading their space. Those other big co's didn't use to be competitors at all, but have expanded to compete. Not only compete, but aggressively undercut their (base plan) pricing by 20%! So where is this 'expected' healthy earnings growth supposed to come from?! They just lost pricing power, and will have a very tough time expanding their customer base now that people have brand new alternate options for pretty much the same service. This isn't a company I hate at all, it's 'just business', you know. Risk: Merger/getting acquired. That's the one thing that can totally F up my S. Still, my long term + short term put position is 14% of my entire account balance! That means I kinda like this one...
...and you <b>don't</b> have any fond memories of trading this stock symbol back in the day. Reason being, It didn't exist as it's own separate entity until kind of sort of recently. Another fun clue: Most of us here have never given this company a single penny of our money, but those who do pay a regular periodic bill. Edit: 'pbj' just figured it out too. Your second prize consists of a one month supply of gently used, decent looking, late 20's sluts.