Record Dow! Whee!

[W2R]

Just curious to why a 34 year old would be interested in this forum. That's all. Don't make it more than it is. If he is in a position to retire soon, he sure doesn't need any advice from here . If not he should invest in tech stocks and bury his head in the sand for 20 years.
From his first response I read, I thought he was a crusty old man in his 70s. I was surprised to see his age.

ROFL!!! And I was thinking of gently cautioning Brewer that he was sounding like a brilliant but very young man (which I gather from his posts, he is). "Very young" to me, means under 40.

Had you considered reading on the board for a while? It often helps one to get to know who you are "talking" to, before misunderstandings like this come up.

Also, it seems to me that if someone is thinking of retiring at around 40-45 or so, they would benefit by reading and participating in conversations on this board at 34.

 

[Razor]

ROFL!!! And I was thinking of gently cautioning Brewer that he was sounding like a brilliant but very young man (which I gather from his posts, he is). "Very young" to me, means under 40.

Had you considered reading on the board for a while? It often helps one to get to know who you are "talking" to, before misunderstandings like this come up.

Also, it seems to me that if someone is thinking of retiring at around 40-45 or so, they would benefit by reading and participating in conversations on this board at 34.

I just got here, but probably won't stay. I like forums where others want to hear different opinions and alternate points of view, instead of just into name calling.

 

[twaddle]

I just got here, but probably won't stay. I like forums where others want to hear different opinions and alternate points of view, instead of just into name calling.

There are some people here who like to explore different viewpoints. Well, a few. OK, there are only 2 or 3, but we could use more company.

 

[Running_Man]

I am not a bear or a bull. Just a realist that tries to look at all the factors that could affect my future and I don't like to bury my head in the sand.

Dissenting views are really not tolerated in any way in this forum. The belief in stocks only going up has really permeated and formented in the top posters. I read this board to give me ideas for when I would like to increase my investments, I find many of the ideas truly worthy but questioning the timing is certainly not allowed

 

[brewer12345]

I just got here, but probably won't stay. I like forums where others want to hear different opinions and alternate points of view, instead of just into name calling.

No don't leave. This is just getting interesting...

 

[Gumby]

I just got here, but probably won't stay. I like forums where others want to hear different opinions and alternate points of view, instead of just into name calling.

I hope you stay; there are people here who want to hear what you have to say. It has been my experience that people will seldom post to say that they agree with the initial poster unless or until the opposition weighs in. Typically the first responses on macro-economic and political issues are in opposition to the original poster. Only after that occurs will you learn you have allies.

 

[calmloki]

I just got here, but probably won't stay. I like forums where others want to hear different opinions and alternate points of view, instead of just into name calling.

May I recommend Fat Wallet? Lots of folks there with mad keyboarding skillz, strong opinions, and lots of juice. Crazy credentials too - lots of CEO/entrepreneur sub-30yo millionaires. Seems like a lot of the folks here have little hats. Even the CEOs. Not counting Cheap Fluffy Bunny, who has both a big hat and a flamethrower.

 

[W2R]

May I recommend Fat Wallet? Lots of folks there with mad keyboarding skillz, strong opinions, and lots of juice. Crazy credentials too - lots of CEO/entrepreneur sub-30yo millionaires. Seems like a lot of the folks here have little hats. Even the CEOs. Not counting Cheap Fluffy Bunny, who has both a big hat and a flamethrower.

Big hats? Little hats? I'm not even sure what you mean, but many of us aren't CEO's and some of us don't even have hats at all!

Seriously, I hope nothing I said caused any offense to Razor or anybody else.

 

[twaddle]

Me and my hat:

 

[FIREd]

Just curious to why a 34 year old would be interested in this forum. That's all. Don't make it more than it is. If he is in a position to retire soon, he sure doesn't need any advice from here . If not he should invest in tech stocks and bury his head in the sand for 20 years.

I am 33 and love this board, yet I am not in a position to retire anytime soon. To me retiring early is a journey which starts well before your retirement date. It takes years of saving, planning, learning and investing. That's why I'm here. I want to learn how others did it, and share my experiences (and opinions) with others along the way.

I respect your pessimism about the market. In the short term I am not very bullish about it myself. But if I have to remain bullish about the market for the long term (20-30 years), call it faith if you will, otherwise it would make no sense for me to continue investing in stocks. And I think most people on this board were able or will be able to retire thanks to the stock market. It would make no sense for them to be pessimistic about the market in the long run when most of their money is invested in it. Could we be all be wrong at the end? perhaps! But in the mean time we have to believe... Investing I think has a lot to do with faith. If you do not believe that you will end up making money with an investment, you'd never invest your money in the first place and you would just stick it under the mattress...

 

[haha]

Dissenting views are really not tolerated in any way in this forum. The belief in stocks only going up has really permeated and formented in the top posters.

This is not true. I have over 5000 posts since Spring 2003. I have been cautious the whole time, to the point of dropping probably $35,000 on unexercised puts-and that is net of cashing quite a few. Que lastima! I should have bought tech and buried my head in the sand.

It may be true that the dominant attitude is that stocks only go up, but it is far from the only attitude.

Ha

 

[calmloki]

Big hats? Little hats? I'm not even sure what you mean, but many of us aren't CEO's and some of us don't even have hats at all!
quote]

Taken, if memory serves, from board hero Robert Kiyosaki's story of the Texan who claimed he had a small hat but lots of cattle. Apocryphal story i'm sure. Texan. small hat. right. Still, i think well of those who put the big bills on the inside of their bank roll. Me, I'm in trouble with the physical therapist for doing yardwork in the rain at some apartments this weekend. What part of "work" does he not understand?!

Twaddle: really like the tinfoil hat! like a cross between a Bishop's mitre , a duncecap, and a Napoleonic hat. Kinda lacking in full brainpan coverage, but the pointy nature surely has some benefit!

 

[haha]

Just curious to why a 34 year old would be interested in this forum. That's all. Don't make it more than it is. If he is in a position to retire soon, he sure doesn't need any advice from here . If not he should invest in tech stocks and bury his head in the sand for 20 years.
From his first response I read, I thought he was a crusty old man in his 70s. I was surprised to see his age.

If you are having difficulty on this forum, it may be becasue of pushy posts like the one above.


While we might be interested in what you have to say about investments, who cares what you think about how old someone should be to do, think, or say whatever?

Ha

 

[ziggy29]

Just curious to why a 34 year old would be interested in this forum. That's all. Don't make it more than it is. If he is in a position to retire soon, he sure doesn't need any advice from here . If not he should invest in tech stocks and bury his head in the sand for 20 years.
From his first response I read, I thought he was a crusty old man in his 70s. I was surprised to see his age.

Actually, seeing as this board is about *early* retirement, I'd turn the tables here: Why would someone in their 70s be interested?

Unless, of course, they were FIREd well before the "standard" retirement age and wanted to share their wisdom. Then again, if that "wisdom" was to get a generous early retirement incentive with a fat pension and early retiree medical as well as Social Security while it's solvent and mostly not means-tested, it's not of much use to most people in subsequent generations who are almost certain to not have the same deal available to them...

 

[Dawg52]

It may be true that the dominant attitude is that stocks only go up, but it is far from the only attitude.

Ha

True. If we thought stocks only go up, we wouldn't put any money in bonds, commodities, etc... I think most on here hedge our bets.

Now, time for a mid afternoon glass of wine for this rainy day. Hey, whatever happened to Cut?

 

[W2R]

True. If we thought stocks only go up, we wouldn't put any money in bonds, commodities, etc... I think most on here hedge our bets.

Now, time for a mid afternoon glass of wine for this rainy day. Hey, whatever happened to Cut?

If I had thought that stocks only go up, I would never have started this thread! I thought it was pretty cool when the Dow went over 14,000 and wasn't really expecting it.

It's raining down here, too, lots and lots. No wine for me since I don't drink, but I'll toast the afternoon with a glass of reconstituted powdered milk. Now THAT should make most of our readers shudder!

 

[Dawg52]

No wine for me since I don't drink, but I'll toast the afternoon with a glass of reconstituted powdered milk. Now THAT should make most of our readers shudder!

Including me.

 

[FIREd]

True. If we thought stocks only go up, we wouldn't put any money in bonds, commodities, etc... I think most on here hedge our bets.

Exactly! We hope stocks will keep going up, but most of us structure our portfolio in case they don't...

 

[Moemg]

You mean they might not go up ! Oh crap ,I'll have to get those nurses clogs out of the goodwill box !

 

[Nords]

If I had thought that stocks only go up, I would never have started this thread! I thought it was pretty cool when the Dow went over 14,000 and wasn't really expecting it.

Never fear, I suspect we'll have several more opportunities to celebrate the Dow advancing into 14,000 territory.

Heck, we might even have a couple chances to celebrate it moving into 13,000 territory.

I'm not holding my breath for the 15,000 party. Maybe Harry Dent will come out with a special line of decorations & goodie bags?

As for the "stocks always go up" fallacy, that's my fault. I've only been watching since 1982 and it seems that's all they've done since then... if I'd paid any attention to the economy and the stock market I never would've had the [-]Chicken Little[/-] blissful ignorance to retire in June 2002.

Have you ever noticed that the doom & gloomers never tell you what stocks they're shorting? What good is that?

 

[brewer12345]

Have you ever noticed that the doom & gloomers never tell you what stocks they're shorting? What good is that?

Oh, it is even better when they do. Its usually a nice indicator of the location of the next Gawdawful short squeeze.

 

[twaddle]

Shorting is for fools who don't understand the concept of unlimited downside risk.

Puts on XHB all the way, baby!

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm - you folks do know that balanced index rebalances automatically - in case you're distracted by football or some other frivolous pursuit.

53 degree's with some rain expected in Missoula - in case someone wants to know.



heh heh heh -

 

[trixs]

Have you ever noticed that the doom & gloomers never tell you what stocks they're shorting? What good is that?

So who is going to short google? Its currently trading at 650 with a 50PE.. Can it keep growing at 30%+++ even though it has 90% of the market share already?

 

[clifp]

So who is going to short google? Its currently trading at 650 with a 50PE.. Can it keep growing at 30%+++ even though it has 90% of the market share already?

I shorted AOL and AMZN during 98 and 99. I learned my lesson, the volume of bubbles expands exponentially before exploding. Frankly in GOOGs case, I am not sure the stock is overvalued.

The folks at Google are smart, scary smart. Of the scores of Teaching Assistant I had at college, I remember only two the really cute girl teaching German, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt who was the TA for Operating systems.

Years later, while at Sun, Eric gave a talk to at Intel. He impressed everybody, and I was flatter that he remembered me. I told Andy Grove, that he should hire Eric, Andy said he'd be expensive, and I said it won't matter. I hear that Eric isn't even in the top 5 in brains in the company.

I just noticed that one of my sharpest colleagues, an Intel Fellow, is working for Google Analytics... At some point somebody will make money shorting Google, but it won't be me. I think you can still lose at lot betting against them.