dealraker

The number of places you can find giddy fun with this is simply exciting. From one of Elon's baby mamma's posts to what Cramer had to say first thing today:

So if you were culting and had your nose up both boys rectum you'll almost certainly choose Trump. Another blow to Tesla sales! You might say now Trump's likely getting into (read going for) Elon's Space.

I saw one of those Wilson Pro Staff photos but don't remember in my era watching him using them. I think he then went to some graphite thing as time passed.

It is amazing what the McEnroe, Connors, Borg, Evert, Navratilova, etc era did for or to tennis. I worked at Old Providence Racquet Club in Charlotte, NC during college and they held the NCNB (now Bank of America) tennis tournament each year. In the mid 70's I'd string the racquets of Laver, Rosewall, Roach, Newcomb, Navratilova and a slew of other top players slightly lower ranked. All they'd do is give us the "gut" string pack and tell us the tension. We'd sit on the screen porch and drink a Foster's Lager with the Australian bunch in the later afternoons if they weren't playing that night. I hit balls with all of the above Australians and Navratilova (and Evonne Goolagong) as did most everyone working the event. Then came Conners and Evert and the like, a big entourage of support staff would arrive surrounding these players - they were mostly isolated from us working the tournaments and I never got close to any of those popular Americans while they were at our facility. Money had come and it is really amazing where things have gone...just amazing! It came fast and it was a total change of character. Stan Smith was an exception, he was easily approachable.

McEnroe was something...his social demeanor and his natural talents were not normal. He used one grip on all shots and at times could play many matches with seemingly such little physical effort that I just found it astonishing. His old school wood Dunlop racquet and touch game eventually would be slammed by those such as Agassi. Even with updated racquets McEnroe's 107 mph or so very precise placed serve was nothing but a setup for Agassi's natural torque, and Andre would literally take it inside the baseline and cream it for a winner nearly every time. Higher ball compression, racquets twice as powerful, and players taller, stronger, thus massively more powerful make for a totally new game where winners are constantly hit from the baseline. I was a serve-and-volley player back then. That would be an embarrassment to attempt today.

As per a couple of people's suggestions to me and about me the moving more into the present has been refreshing. It wasn't so much that I didn't appreciate the way others invest, it was more that I simply didn't think I was capable to do it without an awful outcome. I've tempered that worry, I realize now it is a small decision and not meaningful at all. Thus now for me it is much more relevant and fun to participate in something like this forum. I've bought several stocks now without the intention to hold them for years. We had a guy relatively wealthy locally, a big man and ex pro football player, who was off-the-charts intelligent in an engineering type manner. He was also endlessly in need of recognition, his homes and parties legendary. His issue was simply drinking. Like Elon he fathered a ton of children and kept up his vigorous work and social lifestyle. He was fully aware of his liver decline and had a replacement procedure planned. But something happened, some said it was his refusal to alter his lifestyle one bit for anything at any time, and he just laid down a few weeks and died at 51.

So way back in 1978 I had won my college conference tennis tournament and proceeded to the NCAA tourney. Played John McEnroe. Interestingly at that time McEnroe had a quite normal and average serve motion. But what he also had was back issues (apparently as per the 'word' being passed along) and he would literally stretch his back before each serve. I mostly remember it took seemingly ages to get through a McEnroe service game as his repertoire was lengthy...and on second serves too. The subsequent elongated service motion evidently evolved from this back stretching need, and it became legendary for its deception and effectiveness.

As of Friday I have cash only in the retirement account. Off my mind is the thing, I really-really do want to be in some cash. Not sure if it was this or the political thread but I agree that in some respects Elon may be the smartest. But Elon's reported use of Katamine, the amount he takes along with all the other drugs, is a near guarantee he will lose either his liver or his kidneys, or both, at a fairly young age. I guess with his money replacements are guaranteed, but oh what an enjoyable experience that's going to be.

Interesting from Financial Times in the recent tax bill: Snippet: "But what investors should also fret about, if they care about the state of Treasuries or are a non-American entity holding US assets, is a clause buried in the bowels of this behemoth called section 899. This would enable the US Treasury to impose penalties on “applicable persons” from “discriminatory foreign countries” by increasing US federal income tax and withholding rates by up to 20 percentage points on their US investments, on a variable scale. It might thus be viewed as a novel “revenge tax” (as some lawyers call it) that Trump could use to bully friends and foes alike in trade negotiations".

A bit of TACO-trading update given the awfulizations being published as to how much of a dumbass us negative on the TACO man are. As mentioned on Trump election day ole deal quickly went 100% cash on the bump up in the little retirement account I've profiled here on COBF twice. A quick review would reveal that $30k contribution thingy ending in 1994 was $1.25 mil 2 1/2 years ago then $1.64 mil in the late summer of 2023 when it went to 3 defense stocks (GD, LHX, RTX) and WTW. Those were sold on the election bump with quite the short term gains. Bought WTW back in the tax acct world and it ain't done much. As mentioned here on COBF I went 100% Meta in the ret acct, missing the bottom by a long shot, buying 3 times (average price $507, on the liberation days. Regardless, have a $548,000 profit in that endeavor and said retirement account is now hovering in the $2.5 mil arena with 4k shares of Meta. Like my following of Trump, been obsessed with Zuck since the FB IPO...but a different obsession - one of admiration of his focus, willpower, and crazy intensity on jamming his business down everyone's throat...a wonderful enterprise as far as $ making. Never Meta guy I love more than the TACO-man! Wells is showing I'm an 18% annual man since 2011 in this ret account. Parsad.......I'm coming for your 19% annual stardom! LOL, I could not be more silly. But TACO is TACO, and there is more to come to be sure. We are going to see some gapping downs, count on it. Having some cash? Oh yeah...oh yea! Gunna bail on this latest Meta buy, have way too much Meta these days a bit annoyed I didn't sell a couple of weeks ago. But like my interest in Trump, a psychological one of observing unique fail-to-win, I've been obsessed with Zuck and his focus and willpower since the IPO...and the fact that his business is at least to me one of the 5 most dominant one I've ever followed. Oh how long will it last? The question with all of them, particularly my insurance brokers!

I would add that TACO-man is also succeeding in corralling the base, surely his best skill. This is particularly evidenced here when we are in a market up cycle, the nature and number of posts gets super-charged.

Correct.

Yes!

The thing I think is overlooked as to this term for DJT is that he is in control far more than the first one. My view is that we, the country, will experience Trumpworld. Chaos and stalled finances have been his personal trademark pre crypto and DJT media wealth. None of his entities are profit centers including the two hype based valued entities mentioned above. I think even Trump's haters under estimate his history of ruining the finances of things he's associated with. Impulsive vengeful grievance mindsets aren't business success stories, but oh how these presentations gain supporters with similar needs. The big question is whether business in the US can tolerate Trump's drag. That's really all there is to it. The news today and every day is Trump's level of attention need. It is whoever or whatever he's spinning through his head and it will be moody and now mostly reactionary - scrambles to deal with issues he's created.

Blake, as I wrote to you in messages, at your age any degree of feeling disenchanted with valuations is suggestive of mismanaged attention focus. I also mentioned following Parsad. I keep a little notebook of my followings, those decisions I either make or expand based on someone else's posts and opinions. While I have owned Facebook/Meta since the IPO and even added as low as 11 per share, my returns per my thoughts and decisions are in the high teens. By far the majority of my financial outcome in this stock was "energized" by reading the simple crazy clarified script provided by Parsad and those very significant outlays have a near triple digit annualized outcome thus far. Not too much behind that is my additions to Fairfax (a multi decade thingy) based of course on Viking's endless energy towards it. And keep in mind as some situations today unfold you do have opportunities currently given we are basically all literally tiny investors, we have endless opportunities. What is interesting even now is that while I consider myself absolutely nothing special as to investing, Angela and I have well over 100 stocks and not a single one carries a loss...or for that matter anywhere close to a loss. I had initially bought both Cushman Wakefield and First Solar at prices where shortly after they exposed losses, yet adding at lower prices now gives 20 plus ups. Neither will be ignored if further declines come. In other words give us some ideas as to investing along with the dooms and dungeons. Isn't the oil business your competence? Seems we are rotating in and out of a decent time to produce ideas within the energy world. My view is that our country is currently led by a man with zero financial skill. Regardless...

I very much appreciate your defence related posts Ralf. I have all the major names for decades in my taxable accounts, sold in ira all and only bought back LHX after the election sell. The narratives and those voices as expected seem to be losing interest, self enrichment looks to be more their focus...again as expected.

In the south a lot of civil war statues were erected decades after the war ended in the Jim Crow era. Interestingly my county, Davidson County NC, was extensively written about as being well known for its war resistance and for and its "bushwhackers" (resistors). Further, when the local historical society made a movie some 30 years ago they concocted a scene where an ancestor (and his son) of mine - Felix Miller - was leaving his white column mansion in full dress with supposed full macho belief to go off to the war. Truth was Duke Energy had recently called members of my family offering to sell us the home in which he lived which was on their land, a 1 and 1/2 story log home with a dirt floor. About that same time the letters that Felix and his son wrote home during the civil war were discovered in the house, all of which later became treasured local historical documents. The letters described both the hate and horror Felix Miller and his son had for the war, topped off with detailed "hero" descriptions of how they both died...dysentery. That's how most died during the civil war. Doesn't stop the civil war fantasies today though. The local statues did get moved, now they reside out out the southern part of the county...the very well known center of the civil war bushwhackers!

If we do actually collect tariffs then there's no telling what happens in the short term. I'm just forwarding what I read. But I'd guess we look better temporarily? But spending of course will be the ultimate issue.

Donny to Elon: "Some have their heads up my butt, others are haters...but since I've had all the little worthless people focused on tariffs I've doubled my net worth."

Yes.

Yes, I agree.

My first cousin worked for Terex and its predecessors in Northern Ireland for 40 years Sweet and I'm discussing this with him right now as we write. You use the word "motivated," I'm not sure motivation is the same thing as "involved."

Fear is involved with number 1, the who and what feared is obvious. You can find trending figures on the budget deficit for number 2 above and they are not good. Quote: "Halfway through fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Budget deficit increased by $1.3 trillion. So we are up to a $2.6 trillion annual rate. That rounds up to 9% of GDP." Keep in mind budget deficit obsession is only available during democratic administrations, it is never an issue with a republican one. For 3 is it plan or impulse that we see from the administration as to all things? Seems there is interest in crypto infrastructure and fast billions for one family. That's all I know on that issue.

Disagree, there were religious factors involved in the Ireland conflicts and respectfully you are dead wrong, and I mean DEAD wrong, on all the others. The crybaby wasn't associated with you Sweet, not at all...of course you knew that but chose to be offended anyway.

Sweet, standard European descent white guy here...of course leaving out the small percent of that part we standard European "descenters" don't like to acknowledge. 100% disagree with all 5 of your above. I'm a nobody I guess...on top of being a crybaby and all the other labels laid out on our male macho seeking political forum! LOL.