VectorVest is a stock service with a remarkable number of happy fans. It just issued a blanket “SELL.”
That reversed its July 11 BUY.
VectorVest fans say if they had followed VV’s market calls over the years, they’d be rich beyond their wildest dreams.
VectorVest makes these calls on the basis of complex criteria including Fibonacci levels, some of which I understand.
HSBC has issued a Red Alert — get ready for a “severe fall” in the stock market, it says.
Others have issued warnings also, too.
No one can time the market. Nor should anyone try and time it.
But you should be aware of these calls. Examine what you hold. Perhaps bring some large profits home.
My friend has bought back all the PUTS he sold (profitably) in recent months. But he will not liquidate his entire stock portfolio.
I’m still mulling my position.
The definitive reason NOT to vote for Donald Trump.
Trump and the Nuclear Keys by Bruce G. Blair, October 12, 2016
A U.S. Marine boarding Air Force One with a briefcase holding nuclear launch codes. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
As the 1973 Yom Kippur war between Israel and neighboring Arab states intensified, I was in an underground missile launch center in Montana with a crewmate when we received an emergency message to prepare for nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Only at the president’s behest would we ever turn keys to fire up to 50 nuclear-armed missiles that could extinguish millions of lives in less than an hour. Once we closed our eight-ton blast door to begin alert duty, we took orders from no one else.
As 20-somethings at the bottom of the nuclear chain of command, launch keys and codes in our anxious hands, we could only imagine how close we were to Armageddon. But we trusted the president to defuse the crisis and avert a nuclear war, and to call upon us to fire only if necessary for the nation’s survival. The whole point would be to never have to fire. Since only he could unleash our weapons of mass destruction – which we could fire in one minute after receiving the order – we felt a trustful, almost intimate connection to the very top of the chain.
We assume that presidents will grasp the power of the nuclear arsenal at their disposal and show the utmost restraint in using it. Dwight D. Eisenhower recoiled at the concept of nuclear overkill, where far more people are killed than necessary to defeat an enemy. After a nuclear war briefing, John F. Kennedy opined in dismay, “And we call ourselves the human race.” Richard M. Nixon (president during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war), in the words of his chief of staff, worried about the way war plans “lightly tossed about millions of deaths.” Ronald Reagan, for all his thunder about the Soviet Union being “an evil empire” and joking that “we begin bombing in five minutes,” was privately averse to nuclear weapons. He wished to eliminate them, as does President Obama.
Donald J. Trump is of a radically different ilk and temperament from past presidents. If I were back in the launch chair, I would have little faith in his judgment and would feel alienated if he were commander in chief. I am not alone in this view. A vast majority of current and former launch officers in my circle of friends and acquaintances tell me they feel the same.
Missileers view their job as deterring our enemies from attacking the United States and its allies. They also know that deterrence could fail by intent, accident or miscalculation, and that preventing such failure depends in no small measure on qualities of presidential leadership – responsibility, composure, competence, empathy and diplomatic skill – that Mr. Trump evidently does not possess. As a launch officer, I would live in constant fear of his making a bad call. Hillary Clinton is right to warn voters not to allow him anywhere near the nuclear launch codes.
The system of nuclear command and control places extreme pressure on hundreds of operators, and excruciating demands on one person: the president. In the midst of crisis, this system might generate highly uncertain information and confusion, and even fail with catastrophic effects. All of which call for a calm and rational respect for the war-making machinery – and the utmost caution in deciding whether to employ nuclear forces.
Mr. Trump is seemingly blind to the importance of restraint in nuclear decision making. He shows no humility toward the civilization-ending destructiveness of nuclear weapons, and offhandedly entertains their use. He has suggested that South Korea and Japan should consider developing their own arsenals. Empowering such a person to single-handedly initiate a nuclear strike would put the nation and the world as we know it in real jeopardy.
All presidents have flaws that cast some doubt on their nuclear judgment. In 1973, as it turned out, President Nixon was not in charge when the order came down to prepare for nuclear conflict. Under stress from the Watergate scandal, he had retired for the evening, drunk. His unelected advisers, led by the national security adviser, Henry A. Kissinger, and Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger, ran the show that night.
Our trust in the president was misplaced. He was not even awake when my crewmate and I saddled up for nuclear war. The president had lost personal control of the situation. But upon reflection, it would have been far scarier if a cocksure Mr. Trump, consulting no one but himself, had been there calling the shots.
Under the Constitution, no one could veto a bad call by a President Trump. The 90 launch officers who are always on duty in the Great Plains, along with their counterparts in submarines patrolling the oceans, would have no choice but to execute the most morally reprehensible order ever issued in the history of warfare.
Harry Newton.Sorry about a today’s (temporary) return to politics.
As always, there is more than one way to look at these things. If South Korea had nuclear weapons then WE would not have to retaliate if North Korea used nukes on the South. And why is it an advantage to only have the assholes of the world develop nuclear weapons but stop our allies?
And regarding Trump, even he will realize that HE and his family will likely die if there is a nuclear war. That thought deterred the dictators of the old Soviet Union and will no doubt deter anyone. The real nuclear danger comes from terrorists getting a weapon from one of the rogue nations that we seem unable to stop
Harry, you’re a complete dimwit. You have 15% of your money in the market and you’re mulling what? Selling some of that? Lowering your 15 percent exposure to what? 5 percent? 10 percent? Please, do America a favor and move back to Melbourne. You’re not intelligent enough to live in america.
If america elects Donald Trump, you may be right. In the meantime, it’s critical to look regularly at what you own and assess whether it continues to make sense.
Touch down for Harry’s response.
Guess what, “Santa”? Harry IS a self-made man who realized the American dream having come from Australia. He did not have to insult his way to put himself in the position that he is in now. He writes this column to share and exchange ideas, not to trade insults.
I am willing to guess that you are a bottom-feeder in America while life zips right past you because you are too busy trolling instead of creating or sharing ideas. Harry can probably write a check for your net worth, many times over, and not even miss the money. Even better, unlike you, Harry can afford to go anywhere.
Thank you for your kind words.
Please leave Harry. Youre a fucking commie.
Hillary will do what she has been paid to do, regardless of what is good for the country.
I am sickened by what the Left has done to this country, and what they plan to do.
ACtually I don’t believe that’s true for Hillary. And if you read her speeches and her emails, you will find a thoughtful woman who wants to do what’s right for the country. It’s not always that easy. That’s the origination of the expression “the buck stops here.” It’s only the difficult decisions that land on our President’s desk.
If you get all your information from the MSM, Harry, you are correct. But if you venture outside that box, you will find other points of view that challenge that propagandist picture. Independent geopolitical analyst, Pepe Escobar, had this to say:
“Hillary Clinton by now has been solidly unveiled as the certified candidate of the Wall Street-industrial-military-surveillance complex – a bipartisan ‘War Party’ nebulae uniting neocons and neoliberalcons. As I argued, she is ready to go to war and has even coined a remixed axis of evil.
And that brings us to the frankly surrealist scenario of Donald Trump as The Last Man Standing between sanity and WWIII.
It ain’t over till the last (rigged?) Diebold machine sings. November 8 will be all about turnout in a basketful of “deplorable” states.
And for all the 24/7 scandal time of non-stop groping and kissing and lewd locker room misbehaving, Trump seems to be ready to limp toward the finish line just as he began; an all-out populist/nativist/nationalist fighting open borders (a Clinton mantra, as revealed by the latest WikiLeaks Podesta email dump); “free” trade; neoliberal globalization; and regime change/bomb them into democracy/”humanitarian” imperialism.
US East Coast business circles discreetly supporting Trump’s platform are encouraging him to focus on only two issues; “to attack Obama and Clinton for blowing up Libya and Syria, creating the flow of refugees that is disrupting the civilized world;” and to attack Hillary as a Wall Street surrogate, stressing “the 2008 debacle was engineered by derivative manipulations where losses were reimbursed to Wall Street, while middle class home owners were not bailed out. These firms are all supporters of Hillary.”
Full article here: https://www.rt.com/op-edge/362656-trump-clinton-cold-war-nuclear/
The PTB love Hillary. Why not? She’s a known entity and she can be bought. And she can be counted on to continue Obama’s failed policies. Harry, I know you voted for Obama twice but I don’t think even you’ve been happy with what he’s done. Of course if you just “read her speeches and emails,” (the ones she hasn’t destroyed with “bleach bit”) she may seem like a “thoughtful woman who wants to do what’s right for the country.” But we know she’s a serial liar. We know she’s made bad judgments that cost lives. We know she’s taken huge amounts of money from Wall Street and foreign governments via her Clinton Foundation. We know she can’t be trusted with state secrets. We know she has a propensity for war. We know in private she has a violent temper. So what should we believe……the PC babel she spouts……or her actions. Her public veneer, or what she’s done behind closed doors. And the more the PTB support her…….the more certain I become she ain’t gonna be good for me…..and she’s a danger to our country.
Just so this site isn’t merely an echo chamber for Wonder Woman (HRC – You look at her and wonder…..is she physically sick, mentally sick or both), let’s set some things straight. There aren’t two parties; they’re two sides of the same coin. Both sides have continued the wars and carried out the same misguided policies year after year – each blaming the other for the resulting ca-ca.
The election carnival is a sham. Thanks to whistleblowers, we now know for sure Hillary stole the nomination from Bernie, so it’s already flawed. And we’ve previously seen candidates marginalized; i.e. Ron Paul. Check out this interesting John Stewart video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtDJ6Ay4QMw
The fix is probably already in on the current election. The mainstream media works as one with the same talking points to spin everything against Trump while giving Hillary a free pass. Despite finding Hillary guilty of gross negligence in exposing state secrets, the FBI and the DOJ declined to prosecute her. The Democrats AND Republicans, working together, have done everything they can to undermine Trump’s candidacy. So what are they afraid of? You really think they’re afraid Trump will start a nuclear war? He’s never murdered anyone. But Hillary……..voted for the Iraq War; let 4 Americans pleading for help die in Benghazi; promoted the invasions of Libya and Syria; laughed at Gaddafi’s murder; is known to have a vicious temper as reported by Arkansas Troopers and WH Secret Service assigned to protect her, has left a trail of suspicious murders in her wake, arranged to sell 20% of American uranium to Russia via her eponymous “pay to play” foundation for an $145 million contribution and is even now ramping up hostility against Russia. French party leader Marine Le Pen recently warned that Hillary Clinton “is a threat to world peace.”
So what is the Democrat-Republican party and their controlled media and Wall Street and the big Corporations really afraid of? They’ve got a cushy deal going for themselves and they don’t want anyone coming in to change it…….someone who isn’t a politician like them; someone fresh; someone smart; someone capable; someone tough; someone brash; someone who isn’t bought………..someone like Donald J. Trump.
And if you don’t think the election can be rigged, do a little research. Here’s a start:
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/291534-can-the-2016-election-be-rigged-you-bet
So don’t worry “Democrat-Republicans,” liberals, and PC people of all persuasions. You’re probably going to get what you want. That woman who smiles and blows all the PC sweet nothings in your ear you long so desperately to hear is probably going to be back in the WH. You’ll be able to sleep well at night knowing that when her phone rings at 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s probably just some bimbo for her pedophile/rapist husband who comes (no pun intended) with the package (no pun intended). And perhaps when they leave the WH the next time they won’t even steal the furniture, china and silverware…….if the place is still standing. Enjoy.
“an echo chamber for Wonder Woman” Well done, Barry!
Harry, maybe tomorrow you can write some loving words about NYC Mayor Mike?
I’m sure you think he is just “wonderful”…..lol
Let me start off by saying that I too carried a nuclear launch key and had one of the combinations to the safe. So the author of that silly overly dramatic article would feel better with Hillary answering the phone at 3AM? Hell, she would launch on Israel just because she got a(nother) payoff from the Iranians. The logical fallacy is that Hillary is more reliable, cogent, steady, or HONORABLE than Trump. BOTH candidates are an abomination. We are simply arguing over which one is LESS abominable. Because of the echo chamber, there is no convincing going on. Only shouting.
Don’t be sorry and keep it going until at least until election day. Trump must be defeated.
That’s the way I feel also. thanks for your kind words.
Trump, however flawed, represents a threat to the status quo. His support is not so much about him, but against the crooked establishment elite. It is both alarming and entertaining to see the lengths that the establishment will go to destroy the perceived threat to their gravy train. Trump may say bad things…HRC and her ilk did bad things.. to say nothing of her incompetence…Hate to say but the system IS rigged… the media, DOJ, FBI, IRS, et.al. have all been co-opted. The country deserves whatever the outcome will be…
I’m looking forward to your praise for Mayor Mike tomorrow……can’t wait..
I know you voted for him.
I actually didn’t.
Yea but you must love him…..he’s even better than a liberal democrat, he’s a genuine socialist.
Harry were you going to move out of NYC after Hitler, I mean Rudy won the mayorship?
Ditto. He is an abomination of everything America stands for; his real slogan is Make America Hate Again!