Saturday, May 19, 2012

Facebook bust

Well, for the past week and a half I've been trying to buy Facebook stocks on the IPO. I sold all of my positions to have money to invest. I tried to qualify for it but I couldn't force my self to lie on the application so I wasn't able to get in the IPO. When the trading started there was a delay. I put an order in at $42 even though the IPO was at $38. I figured it would double. Well, to make a long story short, I lost $400 before I sold in the after-market. I was glad to be out. I think the overall market drove Facebook down. It is hinging on the European crisis.
That is getting worse. I now think that the banks in Greece, Italy, and Spain will have runs and it will take down the world's economy.
I wound up putting everything in an ETF with the ticker symbol HDGE. It's a bearish fund and it should go up when everything goes down. I was in it in a smaller way a week ago. Now, I feel sure that everything is going to heck.
I bought another etching by Malcolm Childers. It's named Frenchy's Flathead Flyer. I think I've already had it's picture on a previous blog.
I talked with my psychologist about going to a program in Brecksville, Ohio for compulsive gambler's. I'm starting to face the fact that I can't trade stocks. I'm wondering if anyone can.
I still haven't gone job-hunting. I think I'm putting it off because I don't want to be standing all day. I'm just getting to old for that sort of thing. I need the money, however, so it doesn't make sense to put it off anymore. I put off looking for a job to the point that I'll be competing with the high school and college students. Maybe I'll luck out and not find a job.
I was also thinking about going West and hunting for gold. I have a metal detector. and maps to some claims that I could prospect on. I just need to get my membership to the Gold Prospectors Association of America up to date and go. My car is in good shape and I could sleep in it. I'm a bit afraid that it will cost me more than I anticipate. Maybe I'm just being fearful.
I think I'll put in a cartoon that exemplifies my relationship with a waitress at Java John's, named Meg.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Defeated

The jobs numbers were bad today and the market sold off. Everything I had went down sharply and I ended up panicking and selling everything. Before I sold I checked the PEG ratio on the things I owned and found that they were all too high except for one. I sold that as well because it's starting to look like a repeat of 2011, which was a lousy year for the market.
I still have $5500 of the $7500 that I borrowed. I now have to find a  job.
That is something I'm not looking forward to. I was hoping that work was behind me, but it's not.
I was looking at Jim's place a couple of days ago. It didn't turn me on but I think a person could make a profit by sitting on it. Rich people are developing near it. 90% of it is steep hill so not much could be developed. There is enough level land to put a house on, but that is about all. I guess that I could put Gary's trailer on it and live cheap. It's so remote that it doesn't appeal to me. I'm better off getting a job and living here.
McDonolds, Culvers, and Subway are hiring so it looks like I'll be making sandwiches.
I should just be glad that I have my health and there are jobs to be had. I'll have to accept that I'll have to work for the rest of my life and that is that. It's a little hard to get my head around. I was hoping to be able to make enough with my investments to make for an easy life. I might have to go live with my sister and shovel manure. It would save me a lot of rent money.
That's all for now