Kara Crawford at kara@traderplanet.comadmin@traderplanet.comhttp://www.traderplanet.com/TraderPlanet.com offers its popular content for commercial syndication via RSS. The feeds include backlinks for the full articles and automatically assign author attribution, which is required. To syndicate these RSS feeds on a commercial Web site, TraderPlanet.com, LLC requires the execution of standard linking agreement. Contact Kara Crawford at kara@traderplanet.com for further details.en-ushttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134375-c_mon_baby_let_the_good_times_rollhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134375-c_mon_baby_let_the_good_times_roll<p >"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ..." Arguably, this is the most interesting opening line of any novel in western literature. It popped into my head this morning as I read through my news, and I watched the market go from green to red right after the official announcement that Greece had reached a deal on its new austerity measures, measures demanded by the "troika" in order to receive the next tranche of its needed bailout. As the market flipped on the "good" news, I thou...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134375-c_mon_baby_let_the_good_times_roll'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdThu, 09 Feb 2012 16:41:24 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134152-maybe_it_s_time_for_those_expensive_shoes_dearhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134152-maybe_it_s_time_for_those_expensive_shoes_dear<p ><span >When I think of his name alone, I smile, but when I think of Forest Gump's insightful words, I want to, well, break something . That wise, wise man was onto something when he said, "My mama told me, 'stupid is as stupid does'." Now, maybe I am wrong, and maybe Forest's wisdom is beyond me, but it seems the sentence below reflects exactly what he was trying to tell us all.</span></p> <p ><i>With the future of Greece and the wider euro zone at stake, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos' efforts to get the three parti...</i></p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134152-maybe_it_s_time_for_those_expensive_shoes_dear'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdWed, 08 Feb 2012 15:31:59 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134007-spain_is_near_but_questions_aboundhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134007-spain_is_near_but_questions_abound<p >So, last night, around 4 a.m. or so, I wake up thinking, "I have so much to do before British Airways delivers me to Spain next Monday." As well, the other issue banging around in my head, not allowing me to sleep fitfully, is my computer; it got really sick from a virus last week and, sadly, it is fatal. It is only a matter of time before she is gone. Not to sound cold about this, but I have prepared for this eventuality with a new girl in training and she is the one I am working with this m...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/134007-spain_is_near_but_questions_abound'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdTue, 07 Feb 2012 17:24:56 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133790-some_days_it_is_hard_to_be_mehttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133790-some_days_it_is_hard_to_be_me<p >Orchestration and negotiation are my two words of the day today. Oh, and let me throw in cold as kind of a bonus word ...</p> <p >The Iran situation is heating up, and this is not good news for the market. All we need is another late winter, such as we had last year - the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the Arab Spring, and the Libyan revolution. Those events disrupted the global supply chain and pressured oil prices, which pressured food prices, which then knocked a resurgent economy back on its he...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133790-some_days_it_is_hard_to_be_me'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdMon, 06 Feb 2012 17:07:47 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133505-it_is_nice_to_see_smiles_all_aroundhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133505-it_is_nice_to_see_smiles_all_around<p >It has been some time since my morning reading has portrayed such optimism. Aside from some upset Republicans spinning the labor report to match their political aspirations, the news has turned on a bright light among the economists that I read this morning, and the reason is that hiring came across the board, in every category. Some 70,000 white-collar jobs, some 50,000 blue-collar jobs, and some 45,000 service sector jobs. As well, the expected layoff of many of the holiday-season workers d...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133505-it_is_nice_to_see_smiles_all_around'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/832/?a=1073><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/jobman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdFri, 03 Feb 2012 16:48:07 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_markethttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_market<p >Can you hear it? It is faint, but the beat is growing, and the sound coming our way could have a big impact on the market. Listen, the drumbeat for war is getting a bit louder, and if you have been listening to the republicans running for president, you most certainly have heard the beat.</p> <p ><i>The United States should deploy ships, step up covert activities, and sharpen its rhetoric to make more credible the threat of a U.S. military strike to stop Iran's nuclear program, a bipartisan group said o...</i></p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133288-iran_oil_war_and_the_u_s_housing_market'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/744/?a=1072><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/firman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdThu, 02 Feb 2012 17:09:30 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakouthttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakout<p >Today is the first day of February, right? Yeh, I thought so, but I wasn't sure when the market opened this morning and all three major indices jumped up, reaching toward 52-week highs, and the NASDAQ stepped into territory it has not seen in 11 years. The reason I wasn't sure is the headline of this column. As I read the words "Hope Withers" in the headline of an article, fear filled my very being and I expected the market to drop, perhaps significantly. So, even in in my fear-gripped state,...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/133076-hope_withers_for_february_market_breakout'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdWed, 01 Feb 2012 17:18:19 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132855-how_can_i_miss_you_if_you_won_t_go_awayhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132855-how_can_i_miss_you_if_you_won_t_go_away<p >Please, just give me a second. I have to adjust to a not so new market reality. Does anyone remember the "Whipsaw Effect," a move the market perfected some time ago, but put on hold for a few months? This morning's move in the market reminds me of the oft-quoted line from one super-silly horror movie. "I'm baaack." Oh, wait, I just got another head rush and another line from another movie came to me - "Eil be bawk." Both characters were clearly stating their intention to create future mischie...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132855-how_can_i_miss_you_if_you_won_t_go_away'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/815/?a=1071><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/murphy.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdTue, 31 Jan 2012 17:24:10 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132613-to_understand_consider_occam_s_razorhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132613-to_understand_consider_occam_s_razor<p >In my way younger days, my mother suggested on more than one occasion that I talked just to hear myself talk. My elementary school teachers had issues with me talking as well. I can't say for sure, but I probably hold the all-time record for "timeouts in the hall." For many years, I accepted that as my "problem." Well, life is full of flips and flops, as I now don't see my gift for gab as a problem; it is an asset that has opened doors and sealed some deals. As well, along the way, I realized...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132613-to_understand_consider_occam_s_razor'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/832/?a=1073><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/jobman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdMon, 30 Jan 2012 16:29:27 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132333-i_think_a_big_nap_is_in_orderhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132333-i_think_a_big_nap_is_in_order<p >Last night the sound of the wind buffeting my window woke me, just about 2:47 a.m. Each gust only lasted a few seconds, and then died down, but within a minute or so another came, died down, and then another, and so on for about 30 minutes. Then nothing. The sudden bursts of wind just stopped. </p> <p >As I sat down to write this, I remembered that, and then another thought popped into my head - those quick gusts that hit my window are like the news gusts that hit the market. They come with a sudden ...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132333-i_think_a_big_nap_is_in_order'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/834/?a=1070><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/wyckoff.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdFri, 27 Jan 2012 17:33:25 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132141-market_consistency_and_a_message_for_europe_get_it_donehttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132141-market_consistency_and_a_message_for_europe_get_it_done<p >In my little world, I expect consistency. Do me a favor, will ya? Please remind me how nutty that is. Yet, even as I ask for that rebuke, I still find myself unable to delete that corrupted file from my mental directory. For example, after Caterpillar reported earnings this morning, I expected the market would be consistent, meaning, that it would gather steam and push forward because of Caterpillar's earnings. After all, when Apple reported blowout earnings, the NASDAQ rose in response. I ex...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/132141-market_consistency_and_a_message_for_europe_get_it_done'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/834/?a=1070><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/wyckoff.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdThu, 26 Jan 2012 18:37:00 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131699-as_europe_turns_wait_don_t_change_the_channelhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131699-as_europe_turns_wait_don_t_change_the_channel<p >Many years ago, as a young lad, I spent a good part of one precious summer hanging around with my mother. She was ill and laid up, and so I spent more than few days watching soap operas with her during the day. At one time, I could tell you in great detail about the characters in all the popular "soaps" of the day. Yes, I admit it. I got caught up in the progressive and seemingly never-ending stories about the problems, intrigues, and behaviors of people living their lives. The hallmark of th...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131699-as_europe_turns_wait_don_t_change_the_channel'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdWed, 25 Jan 2012 17:20:23 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131677-ambiguity_and_possibility_connotations_and_realityhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131677-ambiguity_and_possibility_connotations_and_reality<p >Words are important. Not only do they have a specific definition , but they carry with them connotation, an implied or suggested meaning, if you will. The word "if" has a specific meaning, , but with that meaning comes a sense of ambiguity on the negative side and on the positive side, a sense of possibility ...</p> <p ><i>If confidence returns to the [European] markets and banks become less fearful, a huge bounce in asset prices is possible. Some believe that the slow build-up of cash at the ECB create...</i></p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131677-ambiguity_and_possibility_connotations_and_reality'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/624/?a=1067><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/dinapoli.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdTue, 24 Jan 2012 15:48:36 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131608-things_are_really_moving_in_2012_so_farhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131608-things_are_really_moving_in_2012_so_far<p >Unemployment claims drop further than expected, actually getting closer to the magic number of 350,000, the number that signals the labor market is strengthening for "reals." Now, one would think the number would have shot up this week, since the rap against the good December numbers was "all the temporary hiring" for the holidays. So much for the naysayers, as today's numbers demonstrate employment is still heading in the right direction but with a bit more gusto. </p> <p ><i>The Labor Department said ...</i></p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131608-things_are_really_moving_in_2012_so_far'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/834/?a=1070><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/wyckoff.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdThu, 19 Jan 2012 17:42:11 +0000http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131353-so_where_or_where_will_the_market_go_tomorrowhttp://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131353-so_where_or_where_will_the_market_go_tomorrow<p >I am not sure what to make of this market anymore. One day, the European debacle trips it up and it drops, and the next it totally ignores the European downgrades and goes up. One day it opens on fear and the next it turns to economic fundamentals. Oh wait! Silly me. This is how it has been acting for years now ...</p> <p >Come March, European politics will be up for display. It is all coming to a head, as this past weekend, Merkel, Sarkozy, China, and just about everyone else who matters said this p...</p><a href='http://www.traderplanet.com/commentaries/view/131353-so_where_or_where_will_the_market_go_tomorrow'>Read More at TraderPlanet.com &#187;</a><p align=center><a href=http://www.traderplanet.com/tradertube/index/832/?a=1073><img src=http://www.traderplanet.com/themes/trader_plain/gfx/jobman.gif border=0 /></a></p> Trader EdTrader EdWed, 18 Jan 2012 18:51:09 +0000