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.

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

Back to Trading

Well, I borrowed $7500 from a loan company and I'll be back trading, soon. I think I'll buy Rice, Hall, James Micro cap mutual fund. It's recommended by Jim Cramer in one of his books. I'm also related by my sister's marriage to the Hall in Rice, Hall and James. I'm waiting for the check to clear then I'll jump in with both feet. I think I should be able to stay ahead of the interest payments. If the market keeps going as it has been I'll be fine.

I'll be posting a picture of the outside of the eagle's nest. You can't get very close to the nest without disturbing them so I took a picture from across the road. Two of the eaglets have hatched already and the third is hatching today. The nest is eighty feet in the air. The cottonwood is near the center of the picture. It's quite distant. If you want to see the nest today, I have it posted on a previous blog.
I replaced the engine of my van. It now runs great and it has oil pressure. Now I'm tempted to replace the rear springs and shock absorbers. I also could use a trailer hitch. The old one rusted off. It fell off in front of a fire station in Calmar. It was almost all of the way off and I just broke it the rest of the way.
I went to the shrink in Coralville, yesterday. I'll see her through the video conferencing at the Decorah VA clinic. They just now opened up. I hope to see her more often than just once. I'm pretty sick with my schizophrenia. I think that is why I gamble and lose money on stock options. I think I just feel that I'm poor and that drives me to risk money.
That's all that I have, today. I think I'll buy something on E-trade. Later
Craig

The Snow Is Gone

Well, it looks like Winter is over. It's been in the sixties the last few days. I didn't make much, shoveling snow, but I needed what I did make.
I'm still trying to come up with some money for the bonds. They are staying low so there might still be time. I bid on a couple of options on Conocophillips, today. The market was closed so the bid will go in next morning. I'm still waiting to here from Erin at the credit union about my extension to my credit card. I told them that I was using it for a different car. I do need a better car so that may not be a lie. Next I'll try to get a loan from the other bank.
I sent off an essay on "What's Essential to Me". It was for a contest for a free trip to Santa Cruz, CA. It's being put on by a fish oil company, Nordic something. Santa Cruz is my favorite city so I really hope to win. The second and third prizes involve free fish oil. That's something I need anyway.
I went with Loula to a talk at Luther about human trafficking. I should have asked why it was so accepted at truck stops since it is against the law. Maybe they just don't have enough cops.
I need to write up a resume. There is a job for a peer support counselor in Waterloo, IA. I've got all the training that's needed and Waterloo is a larger city. If I can get them to pay moving expenses, maybe I'll go. I do enjoy Decorah, however. All of my friends are here.
Mentioning Decorah reminded me to post the eagles site. I haven't done that for a while. Here it is. Eagles
Just click on the colored word Eagles.
That's all for now.
Craig

Snow day in Decorah

It's snowing in Decorah. I'll be making some money, shoveling snow. Here are a couple of pictures of the snow on Water Street.

No sooner did I paste the pictures but it stopped snowing. I think I'll spread a little salt on the sidewalk and forget about it.

Delphi is showing signs of life. Yesterday, after the close, they announced that they were going to trade new bonds for their old bonds. This only affected their senior bonds, so my bonds weren't affected yet. This should be a good thing since they'll be paying coupon on the new bonds. I think it'll drive all their bond prices up.

Anyway I'm in full "dig up some money" mode. If I can come up with $1000 I could buy up all the Delphi bonds being offered on E-trade. I might drive the prices up by myself. $1000 bonds are selling for $20. I don't see how I can lose. My sister told me to borrow from my brother. I think I'll give it a shot. I still have a credit card that has $400 on it yet. So I'm 40% there.

Last night Cramer said to buy banks. He's been a bear on banks for at least 3 years, now. He says that they are a buy, now.

Gold plated coins

I've been buying some gold plated coins on E-bay, lately. I'm afraid that I've gotten compulsive about it. I've already gotten around 150 and I keep buying more. They are cheap, usually no more than $.30/each. I just don't need them. I hope that I'll be able to find one with more than a thin coating of gold. I don't know if I could get the gold off them if I do. So far, I've added them to my money alter. It's a fountain of a frog with water coming out of his mouth. I put my gold plated coins in the bottom of the fountain. Three legged frog statuettes are supposed to bring wealth according to some Chinese beliefs. I was thinking that having gold plated coins in such an alter would bring me gold. So far, it has brought more gold plated coins. Maybe I could sell them on E-bay, one at a time. I've seen them go for $1.00 a piece.
Somebody sent me an email of a job posting in Waterloo, Iowa. It's for a peer support specialist. I've had all the training that I would need for the job. I would have to make a resume. I don't know if I would want to move to Waterloo. Moving is a hassle. I don't want to make enough money to lose my disability. All my friends at in Decorah. It would cost money that I don't have to move. I think I'll go through the motions of applying for the job but I'll have to ask for travel pay.
Gold is bouncing around like crazy. Yesterday it went down $97. Today it's up $10 after being up $27. I think it's a buy at these prices. The Indians and Chinese will drive the price back up, soon. All the short sellers will be squeezed. Maybe that's why I want to buy gold plated coins so much. I't the only way I can afford to buy gold.
It's supposed to snow tomorrow. I hope it does. I could make some money shoveling snow. If it snows as much as predicted, I'll make a ton of money before Monday. Somebody said that it would snow 8 inches tomorrow. There is a chance that it'll keep snowing til Monday. If it does snow that much, I'll take some pictures for the blog.
Later
Craig

Done with stock options

I've had it with stock options. I think it is just delusional to think that I can buy stock options and make any money with them. Maybe people who write options can make money, but someone who buys them is almost certain to lose. The last options I had were in ARM holdings and Red Hat. I lost about $500 this week in them. I can no longer afford to lose that kind of money. I'll have to get a job and save about $10,000 to invest in stocks.

This is a picture of Mary the owner of Java Johns. This is in the back room, looking towards the kitchen.

This is a picture of Claire. She's a barista at Java Johns. This is looking towards the front of the coffee shop.
I hang out at Java Johns most of the day. I'm probably the person who is there the most. I spent about two hours with Loula and her financial adviser today. It was the first time anyone asked me about financial decisions.
Loula made the commitment to go metal detecting with me. She doesn't know it but we'll get out there a lot sooner than she thought. If the weather keeps warming up like it has lately, we'll be looking for coins in a week or two. The ground is already warming up and thawing. I can't wait to get out to a ghost town named Conover to see if I can find some old coins.
Til then I might have to look for beer cans for the redemption value. Maybe I should get a real job but I can't see risking my disability by holding down a job. Unfortunately, beer cans don't pay very much. I've never been able to make more than $4.00/hr. looking for them.This is better than nothing.