Easier Said Than Done...

“It’s been a long time, shouldn’t have left you without a dope beat to step too…”  As you know I have a love for music, especially hip-hop, so when I am thinking a song will often pop into my head.  Here, I am thinking of how long it’s been since I’ve written something to the readers out there.  I admit work, life, and stuff happens but I shouldn’t have left you without a nice article to think about.

I would like to start off by simply just being honest!  One of the primary reasons I have not written anything is that in REALITY there is not that much going on in the investment world.  Maybe I should say it different, the markets have been steadily going UP and there hasn’t been much else.  If you remember, there have been a few moments in the last year or so where I wrote that the stock market indicators lead me to believe that stocks and the overall market were headed higher for the foreseeable future.  If I were a TV personality, I can say “We Predicted This Would Happen!” but the reality is it took months and months of reading, researching, and keeping my eyes and ears open to rationalize where things were logically headed.  The goal while investing is to navigate through ALL of the NOISE (family, friends, and TV people telling you how to invest) and for you to logically conclude about where things like are headed.  Once you get a good idea about that then you can determine what and how much to invest in.  I am here to simply share my thoughts on how I navigate through the noise so that I can share those with you and I can learn from the past by coming back and reading my own writings.  This is helpful in life, because you must navigate through the noise (when choosing a house, car, job, etc.) and really get down to making a sound decision.

Here I am always looking to make a sound investment and I’m going to present 1 topic to assist you on your investment journey:

Easier Said Than Done…

Urban Download...

Am I a degenerate investor...YES!  Most people will attest to the fact that I have a Wall Street Journal with me everywhere I go.  I like reading and taking in data because these bits of data each day may eventually lead to bigger things.  I may wanna know about the latest technology that is disrupting 'Business As Usual', random opinions about why gas prices are high, and I even keep up with companies that are Buzzworthy.  Some of these are great for talks around the water cooler, others good to know, and just maybe one day I may connect some dots and find something that makes a compelling argument for an investment one day.

Technology Disruptor

VIBER (http://www.viber.com/)

This app for your phone seems like a really cool idea.  They've been labeled the Skype for your phone and claim to allow you to call and text any other user for FREE.  No user ID is needed because it recognizes your phone number once downloaded and even automatically adds any friends that have VIBER without needing to search and add for those users.

Anyone using this app...please post your feedback

Things that Make You Go Hmmm....

I was listening to people that follow the market and the Gas industry and found the following details interesting:

1) Gas prices have been up every day since Jan 17th
2) Whenever gas has hit $3.80 as a national average...the economy has turned sour
3) From here going into the summer driving season, gas prices usually rise another 26%

Buzzworthy

Groupon - Everyone has an opinion on this stock. They reported earning and the market didn't like what it heard.  Down 24% 
GRPN Story

Zynga - The hitmaker of your favorite apps is making a brake for the 'Online Gaming' industry. Stay tuned. 
Zynga Bets On Gaming

Herbalife - The debate continues on whether this company is legit or a Ponzi Scheme.

Hewlett Packard - Back from the brink of death??? They will be selling a $169 tablet.

Yahoo - The CEO (Marissa Mayer) just told their employees that telecommuting is no longer an option. Ouch...get back to work.

Interesting Things the Stock Market Told Me...

Some may call it beginners luck, but I like to say the stock market can teach you a number of pretty interesting things.  I hate to admit, that it makes me a 'Jack of All Trades' and I seem to know a little bit about some of the strangest subjects under the sun.  I can hold a conversation on the buzz around hydraulic fracturing (known as fracking) in the oil and gas industry or debate why the housing market may have bottomed in Phoenix or never really declined in the metro Washington DC area.  Here are some of the non-stock things I've learned from the Mr. Market: