Sunday, July 15, 2007

THE STOCK MARKET "CONOISSEURS"

What goes up must go down, and up, and down and....



That is what the Stock Market does all the time. Up and down. Just like a Roller Coaster it goes through the same high and low points, time and time again. They are both programed and manipulated, while we the riders experience the side effects. And when a financial agent wants you to buy any particular stock in the Dow Jones or Standard and Poor markets he shows you graphics for the last 20 years of the market behaviour..."Look, the S & P shows an average increase of 25% since 1988". Honestly, I really don't know what that really means, but it looks good. Until I realize, of course, that in 1988 almost everything was half the price it is today.



I am neither a stock broker, nor a big company CEO, but I am not stupid either. I know we put our little money in their hands with dreams of building a nest for the future, but what we end up doing is making these companies richer and increasing the wealth of the big shareholders. Of course, we earn a small return on our money, some times. Other times we lose our investment. They always win, regardless.



However, that is not the only issue here. I am bothered by those so called professionals in the media reporting the daily movements of the stock market and trying to "explain" to us why the market went down or up.

They don't have a clue! I have been keeping a tab in my mind of their explanations and they are so ridiculous that they even have the nerve of using the same reasons for a market surge as for a stock depression.



It is more or less like the weather announcers on TV...50% chance of rain, cloudy at times and clear otherwise. Can't go wrong with that!



My advice, if you have any little money to spare that you want to put to work for you, don't! Use it to pay off your bills, get rid of your credit cards and pay everything with cash. Consider that as the equivalent of making at least 10% on your investment (saved interest on credit cards, saved taxes on matured I.R.A's and saved taxes on partial withdrawals, etc. etc.)...And there is no risk involved!

MILK: A LUXURY ITEM


I just purchased a gallon of milk at Publix for $4.19 That is $1.19 more than the average cost of regular gas. By the way...I got the 1% container, not the whole milk. Therefore, the difference is actually more than $1.19 per gallon. Not that I am trying to justify gas prices, not at all! But milk
does not require refineries to be updated and it is not imported from the Middle East. What is then the excuse?

Trying to analyze the reasons for the price of milk has driven me insane. I honestly can't find a logical one. Thus, here are some off the wall possibilities:

1. COWS ARE ON STRIKE IN THE USA AND, LIKE MANY OTHER THINGS THEY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW, IT IS KEPT A SECRET.

2. EXXON AND CHEVRON, AND COMPANY, HAVE TAKEN OVER
ALL USA LIVESTOCK AND FARMS AND THEY ARE NOW SELLING US, FOR LARGER PROFIT,CAMEL MILK FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
3. BULLS ARE USING CONDOMS

4. COWS ARE BEING FED STEROIDS AND THEY ARE NOW STERILE

5. THE COW IS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION (alligators, bears and
snakes, meanwhile, roam freely in our backyards)

6. WE ARE EXPORTING MOST OF OUR MILK TO "NEEDY"
COUNTRIES, THAT LATER ON WILL SEND US IN EXCHANGE A
FEW TERRORISTS.

7. WE SHIP AN AVERAGE OF 500,000 GALLONS OF MILK A MONTH
AT A NOMINAL COST TO IRAQ TO FEED OUR TROOPS. TO
OFFSET THE LOSS IN PROFIT WE ARE PAYING FOR THE
DIFFERENCE.

8. PUBLIX IS RIPPING US OFF

9. THERE IS A HIDDEN TAX IN THE MILK THAT WE STILL DON'T
KNOW ABOUT.

10 EVERY BIG CORPORATION IN THE USA DOES WHATEVER IT
TAKES TO SATISFY THEIR GREED WITH LARGER PROFITS, AND
WE DON'T HAVE A REAL CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY TO
PROTECT US FROM THAT.

You are kindly invited to post your comments on this blog by picking one of the ten possible answers, or...as many as you want.