what is up with the DOW?

[pirate44]

with the gas prices going up, i was for sure teh dow would be falling. its about to break 11,000. i know we got a good employment report, but nothing that would maintain the dow's current growth.

[Old Cardinal]

I think that most all the Companies in America are turning in very good earnings reports. The economy is really starting to boom. I study very hard doing financial research and am up about 36% (figured on an annual basis) since January 1. Unemployment is lower, people are both spending and saving and the overall indicators are positive...Oh yes the dooms-dayers are still saying that things are terrible or fixing to get terrible but they are shackled by their own "poor-me" mindset. Invest in the good ole free enterprise of the USA and over the long run it will be a profitable endeavor! Nearly every sector of the economy is doing quite well at the present time. New factories are on the drawing board and the construction industry is in a big expansion mode. Ain't it great to be a citizen of this great land?

[pirate44]

do you think there will be any profit taking next week or maybe a correction in the market the next few months? or is this genuine growth?

[Old Cardinal]

There is always profit taking! Fluctuating is the name of the game. Watching the overall picture on what happens when the market is a "Bull Market" is like watching a man in the dark walking up a stairway with an open side for viewing. The man is carrying a lantern in the dark and is swinging the lantern in the dark. Well you can get a little confused as to what is happening if you are concentrating on the swinging of the lantern instead of the fact that even with the fluctuation the lantern is still rising. I try to buck the market when it is going down by doing research and finding those stocks that are rising inspite of the overall trend. I teach folks all the time how to get started with a self-directed account: personally I use Charles Schwab. You just get them to hook you up with the Active Trader-Self Directed Sales Rep. and they take care of everything to get you set up with extra cheap trade cost and a lot of good folks to help you learn via area clinics and on-line clinics etc:
I will be glad to share some tips on how to do your own research if there is enough folks that want to follow a thread on here of that nature. Even young folks can benefit by this info to learn how the system works and how when they are older they can begin to invest their extra funds above--food, clothing, and shelter etc:

To answer your question--YES the growth is always genuine if you are able to figure out the best several 100 stocks out of say 9.000 out their that are companies that are growing at a good clip even in a falling stock market. I have been doing this off and on for 40 years at different levels of involvement and I can assure you it is possible to beat a falling market or soar above a climbing market if you know what you are doing! It takes just a little snap and a lot of "savvy development" to be a good self-directed investor--but it is worth the effort.

[AggieJohn]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
I think that most all the Companies in America are turning in very good earnings reports. The economy is really starting to boom. I study very hard doing financial research and am up about 36% (figured on an annual basis) since January 1. Unemployment is lower, people are both spending and saving and the overall indicators are positive...Oh yes the dooms-dayers are still saying that things are terrible or fixing to get terrible but they are shackled by their own "poor-me" mindset. Invest in the good ole free enterprise of the USA and over the long run it will be a profitable endeavor! Nearly every sector of the economy is doing quite well at the present time. New factories are on the drawing board and the construction industry is in a big expansion mode. Ain't it great to be a citizen of this great land?


Whoop!!

[rockdale80]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
I think that most all the Companies in America are turning in very good earnings reports. The economy is really starting to boom. I study very hard doing financial research and am up about 36% (figured on an annual basis) since January 1. Unemployment is lower, people are both spending and saving and the overall indicators are positive...Oh yes the dooms-dayers are still saying that things are terrible or fixing to get terrible but they are shackled by their own "poor-me" mindset. Invest in the good ole free enterprise of the USA and over the long run it will be a profitable endeavor! Nearly every sector of the economy is doing quite well at the present time. New factories are on the drawing board and the construction industry is in a big expansion mode. Ain't it great to be a citizen of this great land?

Of course what you dont realize is all of these companies that are expanding, also threaten your small towns. I am going to guess most people on this board live in smaller towns or did at one point, and if you follow you will understand where I am going with this. You take these Fortune 500 companies like Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart, McDonalds, and so forth and give them tax breaks so they can expand to new markets in America, and outsource labor to foreigh countries. How does that effect the economy of a small town? Do you remember the mom and pop shops that once supplied your town? Where will they be in 5 years at the rate things are going? What about the factory that once sustained the economy in your community? I went to Nacogdoches this weekend for a funeral. I have been in and out of that town for years having family there, and I can always remember a Harry's Hardware being present. Now they have a Lowe's and they will be closing there doors soon. My reason in bringing that point up is this. We were looking for a plush ladybug doll for a floral arrangement for a 16 month old girl that passed away in her sleep. We had been looking in 3 towns for this present, and were all split into groups to find it. Apparently these things arent in high volume anywhere in East Texas. We had been canvassing the towns for almost 2 days when one of the nicest things happened. We told one shop owner our predicament and she went through the trouble to help us find one. Once she found one she had it sent over and GAVE it to us. We did not ask for charity, but she was insistent that we accept it. Do you think Walmart would have done that for you? I still offered to pay and she said this,"It's not always about the money." I know your small towns probably have been affected by these companies that get these huge tax breaks and start expanding, killing the small business owners, but no big deal. Right? I am not saying that all of these titan companies are evil. I am saying that the government is now giving them the leeway to expand into smaller markets, and overrun the small businesses that have sustained these economies for years. The bottom line is the economy looks good on paper, but how is it really effecting the community you live in? Which brings me to my next point.
Everyone is heralding this freedom in Iraq as a monumental achievement. And I am not saying that it is not, but lets be honest for a minute. We did not originally INVADE a SOVEREIGN nation to promote democracy. It was for WMD's that were never found, and probably dont exist. Then told that it was because "Saddam Hussein had ties to Al Queda." And then it went to "liberating Iraq." I personally feel like we were mislead, and we used the fact that we are already there to promote another agenda all together. Do we not have enough problems in our own country that need to be addressed? I mean the healthcare that provided for your some of your family's is in shambles. Old Card said himself teachers dont make enough money for the job they do. Firefighters and Policemen are being laid off. Government funded after school programs for children are being reduced to nothing. Unemployment is lower? Compared to what time period? Last year? And in the meantime we are celebrating the fact that we helped yet another country out (under false pretenses) instead of our own. Look at the defecit and how much money it has costed to improve a SOVEREIGN nation. Now think to yourself about how much of that money could have been used in our country. Maybe more funding for medicare/medicaid? A raise for your sons teacher? Maybe a tax cut for some of your local small businesses so they can afford to be competitive with the corporate titans? Who knows?
I know some of you dont agree with some of the things that were said. But I dont agree with some of the things pushed on me and what I believe in. There is no "poor me" mindset. Things are bad. The defecit is out of control, the economy is in shambles, and unemployment right there with them. Whether or not you believe it is entirely up to you.

[HighSchool Fan]

Originally posted by rockdale80
We told one shop owner our predicament and she went through the trouble to help us find one. Once she found one she had it sent over and GAVE it to us. We did not ask for charity, but she was insistent that we accept it. Do you think Walmart would have done that for you? I still offered to pay and she said this,"It's not always about the money."

i know for a fact that wal-mart would of done this. my cousin was killed in a car wreck close to Bonham, Tx. his wife and 1 year old daughter survived the wreck. wal-mart, yes wal-mart, stepped up to the plate and helped pay for the funeral, replaced my cousins car and gave a new car seat and stroller to my cousin-in-law. to top it off, my cousin didn't even live in Bonham.

[Cameronbystander]

What a bunch of bull! You sound like your dad, granddad, and great-granddad (historically speaking). Change will happen and it is up to us to use it to society's benefit.

Some of the bad things that past generations were sure would end life as they know it, include:

Mechanization during the industrial revolution.
Electricity
Automobiles
Flights to space (my grandfather is 95 and still does not believe that we have been to the moon)
Rock and Roll
The Beatles
The atomic bomb (many, many young couples thought about not having children during the late 50's and 60's because they didn't want to bring children into such a terrible world). BTW, in my opinion, the last 40 years have been the best time in history to have been alive. What a great world we live in and what a great country we have.

[spiveyrat]

Things are changing. We live in a global economy now. The cities were the first to experience this change. It is now slowly trickling down to the smaller towns. They are now having to figure out ways to survive or close their doors. If they won't make the necessary changes, they're doomed to failure. True, a mom and pop store can't compete with the likes of a Wal-Mart or a Lowes. But who says they have to do business the same way they always have (relying on the local/area economy)? One way they could gain possibly MILLIONS of customers is by setting up a store on Ebay or something similar. You have to adapt or you aren't going to make it in this global economy.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by rockdale80
..Everyone is heralding this freedom in Iraq as a monumental achievement. And I am not saying that it is not, but lets be honest for a minute. We did not originally INVADE a SOVEREIGN nation to promote democracy. It was for WMD's that were never found, and probably dont exist. Then told that it was because "Saddam Hussein had ties to Al Queda." And then it went to "liberating Iraq."...
If it barks like a dog, smells like a dog, looks like a dog, feels like a dog, and tastes like a dog then it's probably a dog.

Iraq had been hiding stuff out in the open for the better part of a decade before anyone did anything about it. For 10 years, Saddam's regime wouldn't let UN weapons inspectors have a free ticket throughout the country like they were supposed to have from the treaty signed after Operation Desert Storm, UN Security Resolution 687.

Look back to 1991. In June of that year, just a few months after our buddy Saddam agreed to a ceasefire which stipulated that he would allow weapons inspections, Iraqi troops fired on inspectors in an attempt to prevent them from finding an Iraqi convoy carrying the materials needed to build a nuclear weapon. The UN found the stuff a few days later but never brought out the paddle.

Moving on to the mid-90's, the complete oil embargo that had been placed on Iraq was slowly being lifted. The UN agreed to allow Iraq to export $1 billion of oil per year to repay international debts and the Clinton administration even helped Iraq police oil smugglers out of neighboring countries, capturing several vessels which were using Iranian waters and forged shipping documents to make out like a bandit with stolen oil. Slowly, that number kept moving up and I believe they actually got up to around $6 billion in exports per year eventually. Meanwhile, Iraq was giving certain countries sweetheart deals if said country would wire money directly to personal accounts held by the Iraqi government. Oh, and remember that we're still repaying debts with that oil and that the money is supposed to head directly to other countries, do not pass go and do not collect $200 to put in your own pocket.

Now let's fast-forward to nearly a decade after the original embargos. It's the turn of the millenium and the UN told Iraq that they were going to completely lift the oil embargos from 1990 if Iraq would allow UN weapons inspectors, headed by Swede Hans Blix, to come check out their facilities. Remember, the original Resolution 687 hadn't yet been lifted so weapons inspectors were still supposed to be in Iraq. They were given the heave-ho by good old Saddam in 1998.

Iraq turned that proposal down initially. And then they turned it down secondly, and thirdly, and fourthly, and so on. It took two years, and the imminent threat of US invasion (see below) before Hussein kicked back his hands and said, "We can work this out."

On September 12, 2002, exactly one year and one day after the WTC disaster, a fed-up Bush went to a UN meeting and told them that you can't tell someone what to do without carrying paddle. For years, Saddam had tried to push the line back farther and farther and we just let him.

You know, it's funny how history has a way of repeating itself. Leading up to WWII, Hitler used treaties to build his armies. The Treaty of Versailles, a treaty opposed by the United States, put very strict limits on the size and the armaments that Germany was allowed to have. The puppet government that was in place (the Weimar Republic) was voted out in favor of the Nazis in 1933 and Hitler began rebuilding the army to far beyond the 100K soldiers that was allowed by Versailles. Furthermore, he built dozens of submarines and turned the German Navy into a force and built the Luftwaffa (which would become quite possibly the best Air Force on the planet) from nothing. He invaded Belgium and Austria just a few years later.

Meanwhile, the U.S. had opposed Versailles the whole time, Russia had reached their own treaty with Hitler and France and England were too scared to do anything that would start another war like the previous one. So they signed treaty after treaty and let Hitler walk all over them until he invaded each and every one of them.

Hussein must've taken lessons from the Fuhrer, because he was doing the same things with the UN treaties. Maybe he didn't invade any other countries, but he sure as hell didn't give a damn about our weapons inspectors and didn't seem to scared of anything happening to him either.

Moving on to March of 2003, Spain, Britain and the U.S. come to the UN with a proposition to invade Iraq because Hussein still won't let them in. Russia, Germany and France, two of which are on the UN Security Council, are vehemently opposed and say they will use their power to veto the action as one of the UN. Russia and France back up their threats while the other three members of the Security Council (the U.S., Britain and China) give it the OK. It's ultimately turned down by the UN and we do it alone.

It's funny how the past sneaks up on you like it does. Amidst strong anti-American propoganda immediately proceeding our threat to invade and also during the war, financial documents are found outside of Baghdad detailing sweetheart oil deals going all the way back to the 80's, with only a temporary halt during the first Gulf War. Some of the primary benefactors listed since 1995? The French, the Germans and the Russians. Heck, the Frenchies were found to be one of the first countries to make those deals. They gave Iraq a Nuclear reactor (that Israel blew to bits) that was found to be part of those deals. Also, documents were found on how to build Nuclear Weapons, although no actual weapons OR materials were found.

Now I'm not here chasing ghosts or conspiracy theories, I'm just looking at the facts. Some have chased that stuff and said that the Republican Guard snuck some of the weapons out of the country before we could get our hands on it. Some lean the complete opposite direction with some other off-the-wall idea like the U.S. is building an empire starting with the Middle East. Until I see proof of either, I don't believe them. I simply look at the facts, black and white.

From the way I interpret this information, this war is merely a continuation of an earlier war. We've busted Saddam with huge amounts of VX nerve gas, plans for nuclear weapons and the nuclear materials to build them all within the timespan of a mere 10 years. We let a dictator have his country back and found that to be a mistake on our part. Now we're fixing that mistake.

Whatever reason Bush gave for the war, it was inevitable. The war had nothing to do with the President in question. If Gore had been elected and re-elected and then (Heaven forbid) Hilary Clinton became Prez in 2008, one of them would've wound up inheriting this same problem, and France, Russia and Germany would still have been opposed. It was a conflict stemming back to 1991.

I'm also not going to argue Bush/Kerry... the election's over and I'll let it rest. I'm simply here to state that I support those troops and what they're doing and believe that they are doing the right thing. We're obviously not taking over Iraq, just policing it until they get on their feet. That's fine with me. I'm glad we're staying there until it's really over, but then again I was raised in a very old-fashioned family and was taught that if you start something then you should see it through to the end. I guess the war is just an extension of my core values. Not everyone shares my ideals and maybe I am too old-fashioned, but one of the things that makes this country great is that they're entitled to their opinions.

[pirate44]

goodness, i just wanted to know how to adjust my 401k:(

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

So, to sum up your statement, russ, you think that Saddam would have been the next Hitler? There were no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq, not by the UN Weapons Inspectors, and not by us whenever we invaded Iraq. Secondly, it changed from the idea of WMDs to Hussein having ties to Al Queda. Still, nothing was proved there. Thirdly, it went to liberating the country of Iraq. I think that rockdale80 summed it up pretty well whenever he said, "Do we not have enough problems in our own country that need to be addressed? I mean the healthcare that provided for your some of your family's is in shambles. In the meantime we are celebrating the fact that we helped yet another country out (under false pretenses) instead of our own. Look at the defecit and how much money it has costed to improve a SOVEREIGN nation. Now think to yourself about how much of that money could have been used in our country. Maybe more funding for medicare/medicaid? A raise for your sons teacher? Maybe a tax cut for some of your local small businesses so they can afford to be competitive with the corporate titans? Who knows?"

[Hupernikomen]

Originally posted by rockdale80
Do you think Walmart would have done that for you? .... It was for WMD's that were never found, and probably dont exist.

Walmart has given $1000 to our youth group on more than one occasion simply because we asked.

Whether the WMD were there or not is not something that was worth being wrong about. We gave them 11 years to comply and they didn't. Reason enough to invade for this American.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
So, to sum up your statement, russ, you think that Saddam would have been the next Hitler? There were no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq, not by the UN Weapons Inspectors, and not by us whenever we invaded Iraq. Secondly, it changed from the idea of WMDs to Hussein having ties to Al Queda. Still, nothing was proved there. Thirdly, it went to liberating the country of Iraq. I think that rockdale80 summed it up pretty well whenever he said, "Do we not have enough problems in our own country that need to be addressed? I mean the healthcare that provided for your some of your family's is in shambles. In the meantime we are celebrating the fact that we helped yet another country out (under false pretenses) instead of our own. Look at the defecit and how much money it has costed to improve a SOVEREIGN nation. Now think to yourself about how much of that money could have been used in our country. Maybe more funding for medicare/medicaid? A raise for your sons teacher? Maybe a tax cut for some of your local small businesses so they can afford to be competitive with the corporate titans? Who knows?"


Originally posted by big daddy russ
If it barks like a dog, smells like a dog, looks like a dog, feels like a dog, and tastes like a dog then it's probably a dog.
Teddy Roosevelt, one of this country's greatest president's is famous for saying, "Speak softly but carry a big stick." We seem to do things in reverse order nowadays.

[Old Cardinal]

Boy, it's kind of hard that people actually believe all the liberal propanganda. Most have not ever had an economics course at the Senior or Grad level of economics. The crafty can make a baloney-case for all liberal causes and the poor brainwashed liberals on the bandwagon just turn into megaphones LOL.
Of course the military knows that the WMD were put on 18 wheelers and carted off into Syria just as they were prepareing to invade. You can't just go take on Syria when it is not to our best interest. The present administration will go down in history as the best liberators since the Reagan handling of the cold war with the communist.
Freedom, democracy and elections will prevail in the middle east regardless of what the Hollywood stars and the folks with a platform noted for the "Morals of a Billy Goat" that was presented to the America people have to say. I would hate to have a cause that says everything is gloom-and-doom in America like the present Liberals now proclaim. Again I am glad I am an American and am proud that my son was a part of the taking of Falleuah and Baghdad and help 69 million be liberated from Alf. & Iraq's cruel Dictators--all the while giving strength to help snuff out all terriorism worldwide.
These guys and girls were just wonderful; maybe they could be the movie stars instead of the liberal jerks that are stars at present. The threat of terroist hitting the USA is lessened every day when those that want to do harm to the USA are sought out and eliminated. And those Middle East folks with newfound freedom and hope love us for the efforts expended, regardless of what the CNN, ABC, CBS, MSNBC and socialistic newpapers expound.

[rockdale80]

Originally posted by Old Cardinal
Boy, it's kind of hard that people actually believe all the liberal propanganda. Most have not ever had an economics course at the Senior or Grad level of economics.
Of course the military knows that the WMD were put on 18 wheelers and carted off into Syria just as they were prepareing to invade. You can't just go take on Syria when it is not to our best interest.

I have take economics classes, and I can understand it completely. I also would understand had I not. If I am spending more money than I make it is called DEBT. And the country has a huge one. That debt is a cornerstone for the economy of this country.
Why would going to Syria to get the weapons we sought from the beginning not be in our best interest? If terrorism is our goal then why would we not go right on over there, attack them, get the weapons, and liberate that country. I mean if they are allied with Iraq, they were allied indirectly with a dictator named Saddam who had ties to Al Queda. Following that is like following the long line of reason the conservative media feeds you.
Moving right along I am proud of your son for serving his country. I pray for him and his safety, as well as all of our troops protecting us. In no way does that mean I support our reason for us being there to begin with. I just pray for their safe arrival stateside.
Having said that I am finished with this arguement. I think a few people are all fired up, and this is supposed to be fun. I think a few forgot that noone is going to change their mind because of what we say on this board.

[big daddy russ]

Sorry about that, guys. I'm backing off too.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
Look at the defecit and how much money it has costed to improve a SOVEREIGN nation. Now think to yourself about how much of that money could have been used in our country. Yes. Let's forget the fact that a SOVEREIGN nation used WMDs on it's own people. Let's forget the fact that a SOVEREIGN nation wouldn't let anyone elses name be on the ballot for a true election. Let's forget that a SOVEREIGN nation had rape rooms and torture rooms. Let's forget that SOVEREIGN nation defied nearly every UN sanction against it.

Instead let's focus only on ourselves. What can you do for me. Me, me, me. Screw everyone else...

Now I know that you don't really feel this way, but that's the way it comes off.

[sinton66]

I'm afraid this is hedging over into political discussion. It must stop. Get the thread back on track, stay away from the politics, or the thread will simply disappear.

[SuusJudex]

Originally posted by sinton66
I'm afraid this is hedging over into political discussion. It must stop. Get the thread back on track, stay away from the politics, or the thread will simply disappear.

hedging? gettin close? WOW, nothing gets past you sleuth ...

[spiveyrat]

I can see you're not going to last long on here.

[pirate44]

Originally posted by spiveyrat
I can see you're not going to last long on here.
and fortunately most our members will back our Mods on stuff like this.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by spiveyrat
I can see you're not going to last long on here.

I was thinking the same thing. :)

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by SuusJudex
hedging? gettin close? WOW, nothing gets past you sleuth ...

What do you expect from Louseyanna?:devil:

[AP Panther Fan]

Originally posted by spiveyrat
I can see you're not going to last long on here.

Great minds think alike!:doh:

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by 44INAROW
What do you expect from Louseyanna?:devil:

HEY! DON'T talk bad about Louisiana! I've got deep roots there! And besides, without Louisiana, we'd be without gumbo, Mardi Gras, and Boudreaux and Thibideaux jokes. :eek: ;)

[44INAROW]

Originally posted by spiveyrat
HEY! DON'T talk bad about Louisiana! I've got deep roots there! And besides, without Louisiana, we'd be without gumbo, Mardi Gras, and Boudreaux and Thibideaux jokes. :eek: ;)

I should have put a disclaimer myself...... All my roots are in Louisiana :D :D Daddy was a "stump jumper" from Alexandria and Momma's from Monroe and they both along with my brother graduated from La Tech -

[JasperDog94]

I agree. We need to stay away from political stuff. That includes signatures...cough....cough....:)

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by 44INAROW
I should have put a disclaimer myself...... All my roots are in Louisiana :D :D Daddy was a "stump jumper" from Alexandria and Momma's from Monroe and they both along with my brother graduated from La Tech -

My dad (bearkatdad) is from Alexandria too. Mom is from Bunkie. Got Aunts, Uncles, and cousins all over the state.