In Search of the Perfect Investment

Harry, you’re an idiot. Not the Dow, which no one uses. But the S&P500, which properly reflects the full breadth of the market. Here’s your dreaded triple top:

NewsMax’s words (from yesterday) included:

Chris Martenson is a world-renowned expert on identifying dangerous, yet hidden, exponential growth patterns in global economies, energy demand, and food consumption…

And he is predicting a 60% stock market collapse will strike in the next three months (because of what he calls “the dreaded triple top”).

Martenson’s opinion isn’t to be taken lightly, as his research is highly regarded by the United Nations, UK Parliament, and Fortune 500 companies.

In case you’re not convinced, you can always buy Mr. Martenson’s book, “The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment” or buy his gloom and doom DVDs.

If nothing else, “gloom and doomers” are great marketers. They get you in with words like “dreaded.”

Do I believe their stuff? Or at least believe enough to reduce my holdings of equities? No is the simple answer. But I keep my finger poised above the SELL button, watching carefully for drops and obeying my stop loss rules — which have protected me in previous downturns.

Meantime, the vast majority of solid stocks are edging up. I’m not unhappy.

Here’s the reason you should never ever ever invest in biotech stocks. Especially one developing a cure for cancer.

That’s what happened when the company said:

NEW YORK, March 26, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZIOP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, announced today that its Phase 3 trial of palifosfamide (ZIO-201) for the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma in the first-line setting (PICASSO 3) did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). The study’s independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) has recommended that patients be followed for overall survival (OS), the study’s secondary endpoint, however the Company does not expect to continue follow up for OS. Palifosfamide was well tolerated, with a safety profile in combination with doxorubicin observed in the study comparable with other palifosfamide clinical trials in soft tissue sarcoma. Full data from PICASSO 3 will be submitted for publication in a scientific journal.

 All about “insured” bank accounts. Today’s news:

 Cypriot officials are moving forward with the wind-down of the country’s two largest banks following a bailout deal made with the EU on Sunday night. Cypriot central bank chief Panicos Demetriades told reporters at a press conference that although they could not give specific numbers yet, 40 percent of uninsured deposits at Bank of Cyprus could be lost, and 80 percent of uninsured deposits at Laiki could be wiped out.

Bank deposits in Cyprus are insured to 100,000 euros. Anyone who put more than 100,000 euros into a Cypriot bank is an idiot.

In the US, the FDIC insures up to $250,000 of your deposit in an FDIC-insured bank. To see if your bank is insured, click here. Don’t put more than $250,000 in any bank.

Why your web site makes a huge difference. I am going to Portland to visit Michael, my favorite son, and Anne,  my favorite daughter-in-law. Two airlines fly there. Delta and JetBlue. There’s little difference between them. Both are equally awful. But I’m flying JetBlue — simply because Delta’s web site is miserable. And they won’t let me buy a seat with more legroom. Or at least I’m not intelligent enough to figure out how to buy one. In contrast JetBlue’s site is “follow the bouncing ball.” I’m too old and too crabby for not-simple.

Health stuff.

+ Moles.  In a traditional exam, physicians check the shape, color and edges of a mole. Melanoma signs include a mole that is asymmetrical, has changed shape, has jagged edges or has darkened. Lab tests confirm diagnoses. Don’t ignore anything that may fit this. Get yourself to a dermatologist fast. Bad moles can appear from bad suntans 40 years ago.

+ Should you take up barefoot running? Apparently it also causes injuries. Click here.

+ Should you get a flu vaccine shot? Most definitely yes. Click here.

Favorite recent New Yorker cartoons.

Totally offensive British “humour.”

+ Two Muslims have crashed a speedboat into the Thames barrier in London. Police think it might be the start of Ram-a-dam.

+ Riots in Birmingham last month caused over £1 million worth of improvements.

+ Muslims have gone on the rampage in Manchester, killing anyone who’s English. Police fear the death toll could be as high as 8 or 9.

+ Years ago it was suggested that, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But since all the doctors are now Muslim, a bacon sandwich works just as well.

Harry Newton who is mulling whether to sell Barnes and Noble (BKS) short. Their retail book stores are a disaster and their Nook sales even worse. I should get a couple of points down.