Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Metaphoritis

The public discourse in the US suffers from that disease - Metaphoritis. It's a syndrome arsing from sloppy thinking, poor verbal skills and weak argumentation. The metaphor of the day is "green shoots", lately deemed to be "withering" by bears or "patchy" as I just heard on Blabberg.

Pundits and news writers seem intellectually incapable of simply discussing and arguing the facts. For example, Trichet says the economic downturn in Europe is decelerating. That's a simple statement based on European data. The rate of change of GDP must decelerating before turning positive. That's simple math. So why oh why do we get buried in these "green shoots' metaphors over & over again by every news outlet ? And then instead of pointing out conflicting data, those disagreeing resort to the metaphor on a metaphor - the "green shoots" are "withering" or "patchy". Sheesh, such thumping tosh !

However, some news writers in Europe (of course) do have some intellectual skills beyond formula articles and commentary. I just heard today's word of the day - deracinate -and another $10 word - rapprochement - on Blabberg by a person with a clear British accent. Hooray ! Maybe he reads this blog. As a bonus, the word, rapprochement, was spoken as it would be in French from which it was borrowed.

Europe is catching up with US, finally.

FT: “The European Central Bank is on track to deliver a record-breaking “stimulus by stealth” to the eurozone economy on Tuesday, as the first-ever offer of unlimited one-year funds could see demand running into several hundred billion euros.

“The size of the ECB’s emergency liquidity-boosting operation, which was announced last month, is expected to be bolstered dramatically by the belief in financial markets that eurozone official interest rates will not fall – and the opportunity to borrow on such favourable conditions will not be repeated.”

And: “German business confidence has brightened more than expected this month with companies in Europe’s largest economy becoming markedly more upbeat on prospects for the next six months.

“The Munich-based Ifo institute reported its closely-watched “business climate” index had risen for the third consecutive month, from 84.3 in May to 85.9 in June to the highest level since November.”

Emerging Markets Pulling Their Oar.

FT: “India’s Congress party-led coalition government is planning to invite foreign investors to participate in an ambitious move to increase road construction 10-fold as the country seeks to boost much-needed infrastructure development.”

Actions

I added a bit to positions in MOS, FCX, GSI and EXM in Obama Fund. And flipped a bit of EEFT. I am simply doing my stock my trading tactic, viz., "buy dips, sell rips" on a stock by stock basis when the market pulls back. With 50 stocks in Obama Fund, that's the only way to do it. I have six more stocks on the "on deck" circle for adds if they pull back a but more.

Word of the Day

"Deracinate" - verb [$10]; transitive, literary
Deracinate means 1. tear up by the roots; 2. obliterate, expunge.
Sentence: Without a doubt, this recession has deracinated whatever "inflation" truly existed in 2007. And Battleship Ben's superb monetary policy has deracinated deflation risks. The doomsayers, however, now are dreaming up a "hyperinflation" fear. What thumping tosh !

Słowo Tygodnia

[That's "Word of the Week" in Polish (I think). That letter - ł - is pronounced as a "w" and the Polish "w" is pronounced as "v"]

"Pić" and "Wypić" - verbs, imperfective and perfective forms, first conjugation
Pić and Wypić mean to drink. The imperfective form denotes incomplete or habitual or repeated action; the perfective form is used for completed actions. Polish verbs require this distinction.
Zdanie: Wczoraj wypiłem dwa piwa. Yesterday I drank two beers. Teraz piję czarną kawę. Now I am drinking black coffee. Dziś wieczorem wypiję dwa piwa. Tonight I will drink two beers.

By the way, the adverbs go at the beginning of the sentence, not at the end.

36 comments:

Bunkerman said...

sheesh, my Spanish attempt yesterday was a cluster F-up. Ughhh.

That is my weakest language, though. I have to go very slow on Spanish to avoid confusion with Italian and French.

Bunkerman said...

Baseball union chief retires. What a record - chief steroid protector and enabler.

Union (and owner) intrasigence on universal testing has destroyed the credibiilty of baseball records for two decades.

Bunkerman said...

ah ha ... Language confusion hit me. I didn't realize Spanish had progressive tenses; those are further in the book. Since Italian and French don't, I never contemplated that Spanish would.

Well, this is the purpose of the exercises - forced learning or suffer public humbling - is motivational.

Bunkerman said...

Spanish will get a do-over tomorrow.

Frosty said...

Bunky we should get a chance to add...09' spiddy earnings of 40 bucks, we give it a 16 hanlde...we back up the half track 640.

Frosty said...

Bud what is the pigshark's stock of the week...that UTA some sweeeeet darkmeat, now down 33%...thx jim.

mfl59 said...

Well, it must be difficult to learn 9 languages at the same time Bunky...luckily you have spin and I here to correct you...lolololol

mfl59 said...

Jim Gray to Lucas Glover..."Are you happy to have won the US Open?"


lmaoooooooooooooooooo

Bunkerman said...

I've noticed how perma-bears never seem to reach a buy point ... the target is always lowered.

Bunkerman said...

besides, the lows at March 8 were affected by 2009 eps. 2010 matters now.

Bud said...

what is your analysis of the market action Bman ?? it sure does feel like there are only 3 'real buyers' left........seems like all the other buyers ( real and fake) are long gone from this market


or is this just beefers trying to create panic??

mfl59 said...

i guess "jim's" analysis not very helpful....

everyones a genius in a straight up market...

Frosty said...

"2010 matters now."...sounds good to me Bunky...let's plug in 15% growth with a 15 handle...back up the half track spiddy 690.

Bunkerman said...

hmmm ... 2006 eps = 80 on S&P (from Blue Book), 2010 = 2006;
15x = 1200.

year end 2009 S&P 1200.

QED.

Bunkerman said...

trading beefers are taking profits, they want a fee for Q2.

that's it.

Interestingly, I read many institutions are firing beefers, managers & indexing. That's good. Indexing creates real buyers.

Spin-em said...

Mrs B and the pups win any ribbons??

Bunkerman said...

she said that Sky did well, but she goofed on a command, causing an error.

That was y'day. I haven't heard today yet.

Krypto was a goof-head first time. She's not as advanced as Sky, so for Krypto, the experience for Mrs. B as handler is what's important.

Excellent driving & out-runs to gather, though, for both.

Spin-em said...
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Spin-em said...
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Frosty said...

$80 spiddy 2010...oh man...Mrs B you forgot to take the keys to the liquor cabinet with you...dog party tuesday indeed.

Spin-em said...
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Bud said...

beefer are taking profits cuz they need fees ??? huh ??? i thought they were marked to the market

Frosty said...
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Bunkerman said...

oh Bud, they have to get out of he saloon before all the rest. First few out the door bag the profits.

mfl59 said...

mern if you are out there....are you kidding me with the USA over the weekend? 3-0 vs Egypt....onto the semifinals vs Spain....they actually looked like a real team...

Frosty said...
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Bud said...

Bman what are your investments in the solar or wind or nuclear stocks ??

maverick said...

good deal for Bud...reg flex

http://tinyurl.com/n76hqb

mfl59 said...

so Buddy boy what did you shoot at Renditions?

spin has over 102 1/2.....

Frosty said...
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Bud said...

listen you scum sucking inbred vermin eatin cockroach.........


call off the dogs.............pfffffffffffffffft

Bunkerman said...

for nuclear, I have CCJ uranium.

no solar or wind - they are just tax scams.

Frosty said...
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Spin-em said...
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maverick said...
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Spin-em said...
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