Motley Fool - goes doomer

[Anchor]

Motley Fool is a website mainly about making money...

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/03/25/the-4-things-you-need.aspx

[Czymra]

..and I radiate love.

[orthodoxymoron]

Ignore the news and analysts. Read the charts. Learn to alternately go long and short...and don't forget to cover your shorts...

[Anchor]

How about this for an idea: don't speculate.

There is more required in honestly producing wealth than idly clicking some options on an eTrade screen or whatever. The people that make money this way are basically making thier gains at the expense of other peoples losses.

The time of balancing will be hard on them.

A..

[orthodoxymoron]

What constitutes honest labor? If one uses their mind to make money...is this sinful? Are there not winners and losers in all businesses? Is game-playing for profit really ill-gotten gain? If 'playing' the stock market is like stealing candy from a baby...why are more people not successful? Should there even be a stock market? Or should day-trading and margin-trading be eliminated? Is buy and hold investing sinful? Is it wise? Was a hatred of traders behind the 9/11/01 attack on the World Trade Center? Did you notice the high volume of options trading just before 9/11...betting that airline stocks would fall? Should the 'bad' people make all the big-bucks in the market...and have all of the good times and pleasures that wealth brings...while the 'good' people grind their teeth in dead end jobs and have foreclosure notices nailed to their homes? Will a day-trader generate more negative karma than a neocon politician, fundamentalist preacher, or drugs and surgery doctor who fights natural and preventive medicine? Do actors and actresses engage in honest labor? Are they overpaid? Are sports stars overpaid?

I don't expect answers to these questions. My answer is that constructive competition is a good thing...even if it involves game-playing for profit...which may include the stock market. What one does with the money gained is another matter. What about the concept of Robin Hood Trading...where a trader 'steals' from the rich...and gives to the poor through worthy charities? I think the stock market is incredibly corrupt. I think insider trading, market manipulation, fraud and abuse is rampant. People who have no clue are inticed to become involved in something which is very dangerous and deceptive. Analysts lie. News stories are timed and manipulated to move the markets so as to profit a select few. Traders bid up prices ahead of a big announcement...which is expected to be positive...and then as the 'positive' announcement is being made...they are selling into strength...and turning right around and selling that same stock short...causing it to dive...much to the chagrin of the naive investors who thought that the good news meant that they would be able to make some money. Do reptilians and greys engage in day-trading? I understand that they are skilled internet participants...so perhaps they are also fearsome traders. Finally, did John Paulson really earned that $3,000,000,000.00 (not a misprint) in one year...shorting the sub-prime mortgage market? Will it suck to be him on judgement day?

[Anchor]

Russia backs return to gold standard

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/g20-summit/5072484/Russia-backs-return-to-Gold-Standard-to-solve-financial-crisis.html

[Luminari]

I can save you going through the Motley Fool sign-up process to find out what the 2 words are that have Bill Gates shaking in his boots:

CLOUD COMPUTING


Look that up.