bicANDmac

Ain't We Got Fun Even If The Eurozone's Falling Apart?

2013-02-14T22:53:00.000+01:00

Eurozone 4Q GDP Contracted More Than Expected von Dpa-afxEN_cac

Scott’s correct, he can’t sing. But no matter what’s going on with your trading or your life, you best have some fun.

Here’s a great version of "Ain't We Got Fun" by Doris Day and Danny Thomas.

SocGen Loses, ING Wins And Still Loses

2013-02-13T20:23:00.002+01:00

SocGen And ING 4Q Figures Disappoint von Dpa-afxEN_cac

So we got a giant French and a Godzilla-like Dutch bank reporting today.

But the best story I read relates to ex-SocGen trader Jerome Kerviel. Mr. Kerviel was sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to pay SocGen 4.9 billion euro in damages. Yes, that’s right, 4.9 billion euro. That’s going to mean shopping at discounters for Mr. Kerviel, at least for a few years. Remember, he’s the guy who got fingered as a rogue trader, and one that happened to lose almost 5 billion euro. Oops.

L'Oréal May Be A Beauty But Barclays Is A Crime Ring

2013-02-12T20:30:00.001+01:00

Barclays von Dpa-afxEN_cac

L'Oréal (EPA:OR) succeeds because we are narcissistic monkeys, but how can anyone buy shares of Barclays (NYSE:BCS)? That criminal organization posing as a bank should be torn apart. The Libor-rigging rip-off, as Scott put it, is just the latest in a long list of crimes against humanity. Yes, that’s right, crimes against humanity. The number of people Barclays has sent to an early grave is incalculable—it’s such a sticky web of deceit and greed—but rest assured that the figure, whatever it may be, will grow exponentially in the years ahead. I’ll take mascara-wearing monkeys any day over Mr. Jenkins and his gang of banksters.

And gold is just above $1,650, so maybe my massive position in Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM) will be okay. I’m a bit nervous here.

And what the heck, did you use a different setting on the camera, Scott, or did you shrink?

F'ing ROGAINE® Works! Look At That Hair!

2013-02-11T18:10:00.000+01:00

Bankia Shares Jump, Novo Nordisk Down Big von Dpa-afxEN_cac

Man, whatever hair product Scott’s using, it’s working, let me tell you. I wish I was in Cologne but I’m stuck in Frankfurt today. And hey, a little criticism: Bankia’s a penny stock, so why even bother talking about it?

What Was Going On In Europe Today?

2013-02-08T20:40:00.000+01:00

European Stocks Up On China Trade Data von Dpa-afxEN_cac

Tell it to us, brother.

Winning!

2013-02-07T18:35:00.001+01:00

Alcatel-Lucent, Daimler, Statoil Up von Dpa-afxEN_cac

Thanks for the PR gigs, Scott. I never realized propaganda could be so lucrative.And keep cracking me up.

DAX To Double! Okay, I’m In!

2012-12-23T10:43:00.000+01:00

Maybe the pullback Yves talked about has started. I don’t see the DAX dropping all the way to 6,000, but I could see it going to 6,500. Around that level I’d double down on my Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE) position.

All-time new highs for US and many of the European indices are coming and they’ll be made in the next couple of years. I’m going to bank on that. Give us some more Yves, Scott. Nice vid.

Lamoureux Is Correct! Stocks Are Going To Shoot!

2012-12-12T20:33:00.000+01:00

First they’re going to shoot your ass in the foot (if that’s possible) and then they’re going to blast off. I like what Yves says. There’s a ton of money in bonds and when people lose confidence in bonds, where are they going to turn? They’ll turn to stocks, simply because people will have more faith in companies than governments. Stocks will soar.

I’m holding on to two positions, my massive position in Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM) and my few thousand shares of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE). AEM, and yeah, I still hate the company, but let me tell you, my AEM buy saved my ass. Commerzbank, well, if there’s another pullback and it falls to around 120 euro cents, I’ll double my position on that penny stock.

I’d like to hear more about demographics from Yves. And Scott needs a haircut though I’ll give him a few extra points for the tie.

Lamoureux Says Stocks To New Highs by Dpa-afxEN_cac

Where Have I Been?

2012-09-30T10:06:00.000+02:00

It’s been a strange ride these past few months. Scott’s THE PATRIOT AND A CONSPIRICIST came out and then he went AWOL, or rather started doing news in front of the camera.

Yeah, I haven’t seen him much since and I haven’t done any book promo stuff, something I said I would. So what have I been doing?

For one, I started trading like a maniac, meaning little time even for sleep. I had to see prints in all markets, watch the euro against the US dollar and see gold do exactly what I knew it would do. I still hate Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM), but my buy has now made my wallet fat and I don’t intend to sell anytime soon. Trading eats the days and nights up but I wouldn’t want to do anything else . . . give it a couple of more years and then it's over. All of it will be over! I did run 14 miles yesterday to make sure I still could put some miles down. I'm surprised I'm not even sore today since I've only run a couple of times a month at most over the past year. Maybe once you develop the head of a runner, you always know when to push and when to back off for a bit.

I’ll try to write more in the coming days and see if I can resurrect this whatever it is and put down some thoughts on Germany and the euro area. Germany’s not the country most people perceive it to be.

California Über Alles

2012-05-22T21:27:00.000+02:00

Man, it’s great being back in Cali. Just heavenly. Poolside with Craig Mac making hash browns in the kitchen, slight breeze blowing, temp in the mid-70s, and I couldn’t care less if the market burns and a big fat No to woe is me because of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE). I’m in paradise, man.

The only disappointment so far is that Scott’s THE PATRIOT AND A CONSPIRICIST isn’t selling more units than GM. Ha! Buy it, you lazy, cheap dogs. Expand your mind. Just kidding.

Mourning doves have nested under my parents’ patio. It’s amazing watching them. Big Daddy is currently taking care of the egg while Michelle is flying around. Huff and Puff left the nest a few days ago and Michelle and Big Daddy wasted no time getting a new batch going.

Finally! S’s Novel Is Out And Going Studs On The Blog

2012-05-12T10:01:00.000+02:00

Well, that was a lot of work, but we finally got out Scott Solano’s book, THE PATRIOT AND A CONSPIRICIST, as an eBook. Yes, of course it’s cool as hell, so do your head a favor and read it. You can read the first chapter and a good portion of the second for free. A physical version will follow, likely by the end of the year, as a German publisher has agreed to our terms.

I didn’t think it was a good idea for Scott to use his real name, but he insisted, so maybe that makes me even more pessimistic about government than him. And let me tell you, the process of putting together a book was much more demanding than I thought it would be. It sucked, really. Whew, it’s done and now I can move on and get back to trading and whatever the heck else I supposedly do.

I’m currently reading a fabulous book by Studs Terkel, American Dreams: Lost & Found. This book is really blowing my mind. It explores the mythos of the American Dream as told in narratives (interviews) by everyday and famous Americans. It is an inspiring book and I was thinking that this is the type of historical work I’d like to emulate in the blog. Instead of interviewing the Superwomen of Frankfurt, I want to explore the modern mythos of dreams and success on these cyber pages by creating narratives from interviews with ordinary and famous (or semi-known) people. I think it would give this blog a noble purpose.

Moving onward, well, shares of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE) did pretty much just what The Renewable Man said they would do. I still can’t believe they couldn’t hit the €2 mark! Oh well, I’m still holding my Commerzbank shares since my last buy. I probably would have got rid of them but I was too engaged with the damn book.

And yeah, I got interviewed for an article in Resource Investing News. The journalist made me sound much smarter than I am. The article deals with the why of low trading volumes and you can read it here.

I wish everybody a fine day or eve,

Stanley

Another Bite Of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE)

2012-03-14T10:51:00.000+01:00

I took another small bite of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE) on Monday, adding another 2,000 shares at €1.81 to the 2,000 I bought at €1.77 on March 7. In my notes for the Monday buy I scribbled, "Buying another 2,000 shares because this is the bottom!" Of course, soon after I clicked, Commerzbank dipped to just below €1.79 and I had to think of what The Renewable Man had said about my initial decision to get into Germany's second-biggest bank.

"Well, it's your money, Herr Bic. I don't like it, but if I were you I'd set a tight stop, maybe around €1.70. If you get stopped out, wait for it hit €1.35 or so and then start buying or wait until it climbs back above €2, whichever comes first."

He and I were talking last Thursday afternoon, shortly after the US market had opened. He told me the low-risk trade of the day was JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS), that I could make some real money on Jinko because "this pattern is played so often it's embarrassing. There's a very good chance we'll see it shoot right back up." I told The Renewable Man it was too risky in my opinion, and pulling up the chart of Jinko I said that it was moving back down.

"I know, and now I'm going to buy, and you should too," said The Renewable Man, hanging up.

I couldn't get myself to pull the trigger on Jinko as the share price bounced up and down. I passed. What happened? Well, Jinko is up somewhere around 20% since then, and that really pisses me off. What troubles me even more than that missed opportunity, is that I think my second Commerzbank buy was partly an anger buy, to prove to The Renewable Man that my thinking on Commerzbank is correct.

As of now, Commerzbank is trading at €1.95, meaning I'm up a good chunk of euro, 600 or so, whereas The Renewable Man is up thousands or likely tens of thousands, knowing him.

I made the amateur mistake of letting emotion kick me into a trade. I didn't pull the trigger on Jinko because I was unsure, and that is okay, but then hindsight got the best of me, and hindsight is always perfect, isn't it?

Frankfurt Sells Sex And Sex Sells Frankfurt

2012-03-11T10:39:00.001+01:00

Yes, sexus is all around us, within us, moving, shaking, and shaping our lives.

Some of us enjoy rich sex lives and some us tweet.

I had a brilliant idea the other week of exploring the world of sex in Frankfurt from the perspective of the Superwomen, the ladies involved in the world's oldest profession. Prostitution is legal in German and Frankfurt has one of the biggest red-light districts in Europe. Wouldn't a blogumentary on the Superwomen of Frankfurt be fascinating? Educational? Have a five minutes or so video interview of one Superwoman a week, getting to know who she is and hearing her opinions on the men that visit her. My bet is that the Superwomen will say that the majority of the "clients" don't come for sex; perhaps that's going too far and I should say that I believe there is a much larger subtext sloshing around, something heavier and deeper throbbing below the sexus on the surface.

Who are these Superwomen? They won't be the stereotypes most people think of when they imagine a Superwoman. We'd find out who they are, unmask our prejudices, and test my thesis that the reason thousands upon thousands of men visit these Superwomen of Frankfurt only partly has to do with sex. Maybe I'm wrong and the Superwomen will say that it is only about sex, but I doubt it. It would be an important psychological, sociological study.

Please don't be under the impression that the blogumentary would have anything to do with pornography, because it wouldn't. No acts would be performed (in front of camera) nor would any Superwoman be naked. It would all be very scientific and tasteful, and even members of the Republican Party could tune in.

I thought that such a blogumentary was a great idea but people I've shared this idea with haven't had my enthusiasm, especially my wife. I think they fell into the trappings of stereotypes. For the sake of science it should be done.

Don't you think people should know about the Superwomen of Frankfurt?

The Real Bond King Likes The Safe Haven Play

2012-03-09T12:01:00.000+01:00

So Yves "The Real Bond King" Lamoureux writes in his latest piece that safe-haven currencies are going to return with a vengeance. Mr. Lamoureux sees an "accelerating [US] dollar uptrend into June with a culmination in December" and that "this part of the cycle will ultimately reveal self-funded countries apart from countries dependent on foreign funding." Yes, I can see it in my head but I don't believe I will see it playing out in reality and that's what scares me, because who am I to argue with The Real Bond King?

What bothers me most about his call of a rising US dollar (I'll give Mr. Lamoureux his long call on the Japanese yen) is the point he raises about Portugal and Spain taking center stage going forward. When--not if--Portugal and Spain, and let's throw in Italy for good measure, have crises that surpass the never-ending Greek drama, this will, in my opinion, be euro positive. As he mentions, this FUBAR funding situation is a liquidity crisis, and it is liquidity, or rather the lack of liquidity, that will keep levitating the euro. I see the US dollar rising short-term against the euro because benevolent "private" investors agreed to swap Greek debt (of course they did!) and everybody will now breathe a sigh of relief and take a make-believe liquidity shower.

Returning to the US dollar, another point Mr. Lamoureux raises that I believe works against him, is his top call on the 30-year. I agree with him that the 30-year could still see a spike, and continuing with my weakness is strength theme, I too can envision a short-lived spike in the US dollar, but this will not be 2008 all over again. Hell has been let loose by the Fed and there is simply no turning back. Trust in government has been lost and this is why I'll put my money on the private sector and not the former so-called safe haven of the US dollar; not on the euro-trash either.

Then again, arguing against myself, if all eyes focus on the US and its bankrupt states, such as my California, wouldn't my weakness is strength (lack of liquidity) theory dictate that the US dollar will push against the heavens? Yes, it would. Here I'll say that it won't be 2008 again because trust has been lost and alternatives to the US dollar will and must be found. But damn it, Mr. Lamoureux has got me thinking again and that's why I enjoy his thoughts, albeit, somewhat cryptic thoughts on the markets. He makes me dig deeper into my inner investing sand castles.

I wish Mr. Lamoureux would write about his views on the equity market. I wonder what he would think of my Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE) buy.

All I know for sure is that the largely innocuous Occupy Wall Street movement is only a mild outbreak of the civil unrest that will be coming to the US in the next years. I see the gap between rich and poor widening tremendously. Enfin je me rappelai le pis-aller d'une grande princesse à qui l'on disait que les paysans n'avaient pas de pain, et qui répondit: Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.

Good luck to all.

P.S. I stole the picture from FDRALLOVERAGAIN. I don't what happened to him. He was a very entertaining read, that's for sure.

Nibbling On Commerzbank AG

2012-03-07T12:45:00.001+01:00

I took a small bite of Commerzbank AG (CBK.DE) this morning, buying 2,000 shares at €1.77. The Renewable Man probably won't like my decision considering he said he wanted to see it climb back above €2; I looked in my crystal ball and saw a US dollar without legs eating a bowl of Greek salad. Mr. The Renewable Man, German banks have only one way to go from here and that is up.

I know, I know, Commerzbank can still drop, but the question I keep asking myself is this: What else can the West do but throw more and more money at the already unsustainable debts? Okay, so the debts become beyond serviceable and all blows up. Sure, but that will be a few years down the road. All is pure fantasy in the meantime and this fantasy will lead to one of greatest so-called bull markets in history.

Why Commerzbank? I've always rooted for underdogs and Commerzbank is more than an underdog: it's road kill save for the monetary fantasy that will send us to the moon and then deposit us into hell. And Germany's second-biggest bank is dirt cheap here considering its fantasy capital position after its hybrid debt swap.

More later. Need to shave and get going.

His Samsung Was So Much Bigger Than Mine

2012-03-06T15:54:00.000+01:00

I won't say I'm hung like a horse even if some people out there might say I am. That's not the meat of the matter. We all know size isn't important.

Or is it?

The other week, after teaching a class, I was taking the U-Bahn home from Bockenheim and looking at stock quotes on my Samsung Galaxy GT-I9000. I was standing at the back of the train, probably cursing myself for holding Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM), when a guy standing beside me whipped out his Samsung. My jaw dropped. It was so darn big I couldn't help but stare.

I found out later that the monster he was holding in his hand was a Samsung Galaxy Note N7000, which boasts a 5.3 inch screen and retails on amazon.de for 499 euro as of this writing.

Sure, the Note's got a Dual-core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 and a nifty stylus, but where the heck would I keep it? (Are you happy to see me or is that a Note in your pocket?) That's the only problem I have with it. I got a pad already and my Galaxy does what I need it to do when I'm bumming around--stocks, email--so I think I'd rather spend the cash on a ticket to Goa.

By the way, my lady likes my old Galaxy (rooted and running 2.3.6) more than her iPhone 4S. Maybe because my Galaxy's bigger.

Women!

President Obama And Co. Are Cartoons

2012-03-05T13:22:00.000+01:00

Perhaps I am too young to be optimistic about politics and reading articles on President Obama and company sure doesn't make me less cynical.

Before I had even finished my first cup of coffee, I made the mistake of clicking on the headline "'When the chips are down, I have Israel's back,' says Obama, while reiterating he won’t be rushed into war with Iran." I'll try to blame my foolishness on low caffeine levels and it being Monday morning after a couple of late nights over the weekend. Come on, though, must political commentary be as poor as the broken political system in the US?

The piece is depressingly void of background on Iran and it goes without saying that there is no Iranian perspective concerning its nuclear aspirations. Let us beat the war drums with President Obama rather than critically examining the situation. Why pause to question where the US is going when it is clear the tracks leading to military action against Iran have already been laid. To railroad the public's thinking that violence against Iranians was Iran's own damn fault, throw in words from a self-righteous professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and former diplomat:

"This is the most specific, and toughest, he's been," Burns told Yahoo News by telephone.

"He made clear it was unacceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and he was much more specific about the use of force. At the same time, his core message was 'don't strike now,'" Burns said.

"He was not giving Israel a green light..[sic]and he was responding to those who say there's no hope for negotiations, there's no hope for sanctions. If that's what Prime Minister Netanyahu is bringing, it's not going to be a convincing message," he said.

President Obama, in his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, said exactly what he was expected to say, as he always does. Let us wait for an "incident" to get the aggression going.

Craig Mac, who is a decade younger than I am and much more cynical, told me the other week that he didn't know why I bothered following politics. "Does it matter who's in the White House? Is it going to change anything for us? Anything at all? Of course it won't. And everybody knows Democrats and Republicans are the same, more or less, with Democrats basically where the Republicans were 20 years ago. We keep going to the Right."

Maybe Craig Mac is correct, that I waste my time caring about what is going on because there is nothing I can do about it. Vote? Vote for whom? President Obama or any of the even more cartoonish Republican Party candidates are not a choice for anyone over 12.

Something else, and something real, that made me sad, was I learned that Heinrich Tessmer passed away in January. He was a master who I had the honor of raising glasses of red wine with on a few occasions. He was a good friend of an important man in my life who also has left this world. Such men keep me going and striving to be a better man.

Why Is The Occupy Movement Branded Anti-Capitalist? #OWS

2012-02-28T10:53:00.000+01:00

The first headline to grab my attention this morning was "Anti-capitalist camp cleared from St Paul's."

LONDON (Reuters) - Police and bailiffs cleared an anti-capitalist camp from outside St Paul's cathedral in London early on Tuesday, ending a four-month protest which resonated with Britons angered by huge bonuses awarded to bankers during an economic slowdown.

Let me try to get this straight: If I am against corruption, against corporate interests dictating political processes and resultant outcomes--meaning I am against a system that does not even give lip service to democratic ideals--then I am an anti-capitalist.

Pondering further, capitalism is an idea often claimed as the ideal economic and social system, and believed by many to be a foundation of democracy. But as everyone knows, only semblances of capitalism have existed in the real world. The same is true of democracy. So perhaps if I desire to see less corrupt forms of capitalism and democracy in my society, then I am anti-capitalist. That makes sense to me.

It is too clear to see what's going on. Governments around the world, especially in the Middle East and the West, have become so corrupt and perverted, that anyone who stands up for change is quickly branded as being an anti-ideal, though the ideal(s) has not been realized in our world. Governments and the interests that control them care only about tightening their grip on the citizenry. My God, just look at the candidates for the Republican Party: Santorum and Romney and Gingrich are shining examples of perverted democracy.

Please read Chapter One of The Patriot Terrorist by S S_____. S's words make more and more sense with each passing day. And that is frightening.

It Is Different Every Time

2012-02-26T19:53:00.000+01:00

Herr Bic has been urging (pestering) me to write a post for a couple of months, but I've been reticent about revealing my ideas on markets because my thoughts on regions, countries, and currencies, sectors and specific stocks, the global economy, can change direction, turn in the opposite direction, over my afternoon martini. For example, I am long-term bullish Chinese solar companies but price action could dictate that I must be short-term bearish, making me a cursed man to any investor who was foolish enough to buy my idea without knowing when I started to sell. Even if my call was right on the money, in such a volatile sector as solar, one week or even one day can be the difference between banking a profit and getting scalped.

Last February, I made this mistake when I was a guest on an investment show. At that time, I was an analyst/strategist at a German "green" fund and was in New York for a clean-tech conference. A good friend of mine, who was my mentor in a former life when I was a journalist, is the host of the investment show and he invited me on to discuss solar for a half hour. Long term I was bullish the sector and I still am, as the technology is still in its formative stage. During the show I spoke about the market in Germany and Europe, the US, the incredible sums of money China was pumping into companies, subsidies, etc. During the last commercial break before my time as a guest would be over, my friend told me to recommend two stocks. I told him I didn't want to tout any stocks, but he was insistent and I was weak.

After the break, my friend asked me on air what stocks I was looking at and I said that I would give two names that I currently believe will move up, "but with a strong caveat: the renewable sector is incredibly volatile." My top pick was JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE: JKS), and the shares got a bit of a lift immediately after I mentioned it, and closed that day at $28.02. Two trading days later, after Jinko released its 4Q and full-year 2010 results, the shares opened at $32.07, and climbed as high as $32.21, up approximately 15% since my recommendation less than two trading days earlier.

I nailed my Jinko call and was a fool too. Why was I a fool? Though Jinko spiked just as I was certain it would, the spike was too high and raised a red flag for me, so I immediately told my colleague who was managing the fund to start selling a good chunk of our position. Jinko ended up closing that day at $28.18, and from that $32.21 high it has been dropping ever since, though the fall off a cliff didn't come for another few months. An investor who had listened to me could have made a nice chunk of change if he had “sold the news” after Jinko released its earnings, and he still could have eked out a profit if he had sold in mid-May, but if he had held to present he would be without a shirt. Jinko closed Friday at $7.81 and that is why I was a fool for naming it.

Maybe I own Jinko shares and no, I would not been holding since shares were above $28 or even above $10. I would have started building a position when Jinko struck a pose for a few days at $4.90. It would have been a small position to build upon. I might also have started positions with LDK Solar Co., Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) and ReneSola Ltd. (NYSE: SOL). And yes, I am long-term bullish Chinese solar companies, but I will never again recommend buying shares unless I could say in real-time when I was selling.

Lately, I've probably been buying shares of German banks, specifically Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) and Commerzbank (CBK.DE). I could say I've had a remarkable run with both, that I'm considering adding to my Commerzbank position if it can climb back above €2, but I won't say because it is better for a man to learn by himself. I know Herr Bic wanted to buy Deutsche Bank when it was sub-$30, but he said it looked too risky to him. All I said to him was, "Josef Ackermann."

Besides the above, what I am probably following closely is the euro/US dollar trade. My thesis continues to be that currencies rise on weakness and fall on strength, and this trend will continue until it does not. This time it is upside down but it won't always be. It is different every time, and that was one of the most difficult and costly lessons I've learned.

Before I go, I want to mention one other lesson I've learned along this path I've taken: Good traders except all the blame for poor decisions; poor traders always look to others on whom they can pin the blame, or on "unforeseeable" events. I make many mistakes and try to learn from them and to not repeat them if possible. It sounds easy, but it's not. Ego often gets in the way. That other stock I recommended on the investment show was Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE).

What can I say? Move forward.

Come On, Mr. Timothy Prudhomme, Get Fuck (the band) Together

2012-02-23T21:56:00.000+01:00

Timothy Prudhomme, the world needs Fuck. And those are not your bongos.

Fuck (the band) Should Come Out With Some New Tunes

2012-02-23T20:12:00.000+01:00

I miss those dudes.

On Death, Patriots, And Eating Pomegranates

2012-02-23T19:49:00.000+01:00

This world stole a good friend of mine a few years ago. My German buddy lost his fight with cancer; it was an awful battle, long and drawn out. He wrote me an email a couple of months before he died that said, “I am not long for this world.” He was correct. Two weeks or so before his last breath, we had talked on the phone and made plans to play chess after my return from a Christmastime visit to the States. I never got those games of chess.

From health to stolen in a little over a year, and yes, I often think of him and have conversations in my head with him sometimes. At any moment, there must be millions of people around the globe holding a conversation with a dead friend or family member. My dead friend was a wise young man who, when he died, was three years younger than I am as I sit here breathing and hitting the keyboard. Maybe I bring him up because it is a gray and wet day in Frankfurt. Yes, we are inflicted with the disease of death, are carriers of death, and none of us are long for this world, and perhaps that is why so many of us seek to change this world of ours, to make it better, to somehow build a barrier between us the inevitable.

And this thought of making the world a better place leads me to S's The Patriot Terrorist and a response to it from someone on twitter. This someone tweeted:

“PS-instilling sense of pol impotence, disaffection is powerful tool, rt up there with propoganda [sic], divide and conquer tactics.”

Huh? This person is likening S's first chapter to propaganda. My, that is stepping into the land of the ridiculous, if you ask me. The previous tweet of this someone said that our tools are the US Constitution and the legal system. I surmise that our to this someone means citizens of the US.

To me, these so-called tools of the people have been turned upside down, inside out, whatever is kind of useless. One example I will point to is this make-believe right to privacy that US citizens “enjoy” for now, and specifically, the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

To witness how the Fourth Amendment is not our tool but their (they being the government) tool, I present a Supreme Court case that blew my mind when it was decided. Sure, go ahead and read the holding as narrowly as possible, but someday in the not too distant future, the clicking of your keyboard will represent the possible destruction of evidence. The US government has never been hungrier and we're all on the menu. Carefully read and contemplate KENTUCKY v . KING (563 U. S. ____ (2011).

Only the courageous Justice Ginsberg dissented, and her cogent argument is worth a few gleans.

One thing I admire about S is that he is an optimist and believes that individuals can triumph over tyranny. I, on the other hand, do not believe they can. It's too late, it's over, as far as I can see. We'll be swallowed by the inevitable, and death too.

I have yet to be pointed to an example in history where a system has changed without violence. I wish someone could point me to at least one example, but no, no one can.

And someday, while you are strolling around London, maybe you'll come upon a house with a plaque on it that says, "Benedict Arnold, Great American Patriot," or something like that. It's there somewhere. I came across it many years ago as I was wandering about London. Your patriot is my . . . you know.

Perhaps this twittering someone is more intelligent than I and is correct about S's book being equal to propaganda. I'll just keep eating pomegranates and see who ends being right.

The International Lick Your Lady's Kitty Week: Occupy Kitty Lick!

2012-02-17T19:37:00.001+01:00

Kitty licking is going to save the world. The International Lick Your Lady's Kitty Week starts Wednesday, 29 February 2012, at 3 p.m. local time, so mark your calendars and make sure your tongues are loose.

The minds at bicANDmac.com may have below average IQs, but we've nonetheless found a solution to all the world's problems: lick kitties for a week!

Forget about Occupy Wall Street. Come on, we are all wise enough to know #OWS is not going to change a thing. #OWS is impotent because it lacks pleasure, while what we are calling Occupy Kitty Lick, has a pleasure button at its center--or slightly above center. Gratification is the means to its end, and that end is universal harmony.

It is such a simple concept. When a woman is satisfied, her man is given a long leash and can be what he naturally is, and that is a big, stupid boy.

Men would lay down their arms and pick up toys. Greedy bankers would forget about spreads (think rates) and CDSs and spend their free, non-licking time, devising Kitty-Lick-backed securities (KLBSs) to limit the risk of non-performing cunnilingus sessions. Take a moment to imagine such a world. We would once again be back in Eden.

Our demands are simple: Lick the kitty. And we can't imagine anyone not wanting to participate. Young adults, middle-aged people, the elderly, everybody around the world, of all colors, stripes, and religious beliefs.

Gentlemen, if the cats have your tongue on February, 29, then you're doing your part to bring peace to the world after thousands of years of wasting our time with strife and suffering.

As for gay men, well, chew on that bone and do your part. Lesbians, just keep doing what you're doing.

#OKL! Spread legs and spread peace!

Thank you,

stanley and craig

P.S. If we've left anything out, please let us know. This is the real “Yes we can. Oh, Yes!” And feel free to practice often before the big week.

European Death Star Will Blow Up, Greeks To Starve

2012-02-13T17:33:00.000+01:00

Grand Moff Mario Draghi won't be able to shoot the super-laser of the European Death Star in 2014/2015 because the Rebel Alliance and derivatives will blow up the Coop Himmelb(l)au-designed structure before it's completed.

Hugh Hendry and other rebels will send derivative torpedoes into the exhaust vent of the European Death Star, or maybe into Moff Draghi's piehole, and the European Death Star will blow up and so too will Mr. Hendry and the other rebels. The European Death Star will be taken out but everybody dies.

Bummer.

And the Greek parliament flipped the switch on, and flipped the bird to, its people yesternight. Athens is burning and that's okay because Athenians will need more land to grow food. A package of austerity reforms, the news says. How big is this package? Would it fit in my mailbox? "Austerity!" What a word for a society to use concerning the welfare of its people. "Yeah, we're going to fook you but don't worry 'cause we up here will still be living it up. Aspire to more! You too can be Supermen."

I hope those who voted for austerity lose everything. Everything. Including their teeth and a piece of their colon.

But don't fret, you Greek people, because Moff Draghi's got it all under control. While cannibalism is sure to become a fad in Athens, as Nikos is gnawing on his great aunt's thigh bone, he can take comfort in knowing that Moff Draghi has written a big fat check to the banks. The check is as large as the second Greek bailout will be and is sure to trickle down to the cannibals at some point.

Let's root for the USD until we don't. And the European Death Star is further along than in the picture, which I took a few weeks ago--I've been lazy.

Man Oh Man, What A Heartbreaker For The 49ers

2012-01-23T15:45:00.000+01:00

Absolutely, I'm f'ing sad and pissed the Forty-Niners lost. Kyle Williams screwed up royally to be sure but the way San Francisco's offense played, they deserved to lose. San Francisco was simply outcoached.

Let's see, on third downs that counted the Niners were 0-12, a big fat zero. Niner wide receivers had one catch for three yards, and take away Vernon Davis's three catches for 112 yards and the Niners are left with 84 yards receiving, with 45 of those yards by Frank Gore. Yes, Alex Smith sucks but it's not his fault either.

If anyone should be blamed for this loss it should be offensive coordinator Greg Roman for having about as much imagination as a vegetable. The Niners were outcoached and it was as simple as that.

Darn it. And I was up to around 4:30 in the morning watching 'em lose.

Great game though, Niners, and what a run it was. If only . . . yeah, that's how it always is. Darn it.