confessions of a google basher

One thing I try to teach myself is not to get emotionally invested in the stocks I trade. It can be difficult; poor timing or unsound decisions can make one feel frustrated. There was one message yesterday on the NYX board. They had purchased on the advice of a friend, and had lost $75,000. The person said they felt so bad they wanted to cry.

I have felt a level of that soreness. I recently dodged the path of a major hurt, because that limit order for RTSX around $29 dollars almost went in. Whew! Or, sometimes I fail to act on a stock when I have been presented with a desirable ingress point, like Joy Global (JOYG) or Air Methods. And, I am still learning proper egress from a core position; one day after selling all my STP a day too late, I determined to become reborn. How I would have liked to hold two shares of every company I've ever traded. I could have added to positions like Elan and Armor Holdings, and gotten invited to a few annual meetings along the way. I just reduced my already small SanDisk holding, with a $53 limit order. I will be able to keep an eye on the stock. If it goes up, good. If it goes down, I can follow it all the way and double-down (if I believe in the equity).

My Logitech USB optical mouse started dying yesterday, and I had to go out to Fry's to get a replacement. My choice was the 'Inland' for $7.99, which didn't work at all. Back to Fry's I went, this time for a Microsoft Comfort Optical Mouse 3000. I actually spent thirty dollars for a mouse. I could have bought another Logitech, which I loved, for half the price. But if it only works for a year, it's not worth it. Dunno why paying twice as much was such a good idea, either. The last Mock-rosoft optical mouse I had, also died a premature death. Why is it that a unit with no moving parts, just stops working.

The 1000 DPI is a nice feature, but I'm not sure my LCD monitor supports it. My video game seemed to have a harder time putting the cross-hairs on a target. What gets me are the sixty dollar mice for 'expert gamers'. From 1600 DPI on up. The action on this scroll-wheel is smooth, instead of discrete increments; my index finger can't sense each unit up or down. Now the up and down scrolling using the wheel can be set fast or slow.

Almost everything is up a little so far today. Why I ever kept more than two shares of ValueCluck, Inc. (VCLK), I'll never know. I wanted a champagne internet play at a Miller High Life price. What I got was a piece of an industry in the midst of a click-fraud scam. I've been saying that since last summer, after reading about Google's tactics with their customers. On the other hand, I'm pleased with the mini breakout in Art Technology Group, Inc. (ARTG). Might test $3.50 today, which is good for a stock that was very recently under a buck.

Don't really have the cash to burn on any moves right now; too bad because RTSX was on sale for twenty dollars a share when I woke up. Next week maybe we'll be taking a little off SFCC and NGPS. I'm hoping for a small bounce in LifeCell, Inc. (LIFC), to lighten that load. One day it is up a buck and a half, the next day it's down $1.50. There is definite resistance at around $23, when all the sellers come out.

I'm not really a basher. I pick my spots on the message boards. There was a message on the Air Methods, Inc. (AIRM), board the other day from a guy who just sold all his shares, saying that a 300% return was the best he could do. I replied to his message with the tone of voice of Jerry Seinfeld's building superintendant, "'ooooh, everyone look at me and my big brain,' if you're so smart why not leave 15% on the table." Not really interested in reading about other people gloat. This is almost a zero-sum game. Take your winnings and leave with your mouth closed. Why not be happy for him? I do feel a little emotion, perhaps, because I didn't buy after it found my inside-buy screen. His windfall and joy do absolutely nothing for me personally, and that mock self-deprecation only amplifies the chest-thumping.

anyway...

peace patience prosperity