Thursday, February 25, 2010

Next Meeting - Friday 03/05/10

Friday March 5, 2010
5:30 to 8:00 pm

Panera Bread
28551 Schoolcraft Road
Livonia, Michigan

Discussing chapter 22-24 of Henry Hazlitt's Economic in One Lesson, the questions on the corresponding study guide, and Jack Spirko's Survival Podcast #374 (click the play button to listen).

icon for podpress  Episode-374- Time to Plan [69:49m]
We have looked at some dark subjects lately, we will look at more soon but let’s put a positive subject in today that focuses more on what we can do rather than why we need to do it.

Friday, February 12, 2010

2010 Predictions

An update to our 2010 Predictions


NewEd
Craig
Dave
Xorp
Eric













Gold 1200
1300
1400
1125
1100

Oil  125
100
100
79
70

DJIA 14k
13k
9-10k
11.2k
9500

S&P 1200


1000
1300
950

Nasdaq



2000





Inflation










Unemployment  < 10%
9-9.5%


7
12ish



























12/31/09
Alltime High






Gold
1096.20
1226.00
Oil 
79.36
147.27
DJIA
10428.05
14279.96
S&P
1115.10
1576.09
Nasdaq
2269.15
5132.52
Inflation 
2.7


Unemployment 
10












New Edit
DOW will end the year at 14,000. The masses will believe that Obama has saved us all. He will use every opportunity to tell us so.
However, unemployment will remain as it is in real values. There will be no real job growth. The government unemployment data will appear lower (I'll guess 7%) due to the people who have been on unemployment assistance for too long getting kicked off.
S&P will end at 1200.
Gold will drop near 1000, rise to 1200 during the summer, and stay around 1100 at the end of the year.
Nasdaq - I don't follow enough to know.
Oil will rise to 125 during summer.


Craig
DJIA-13k due to inflation.
S/P-don't follow.
Nasdaq-don't follow to close either.
Gold-1300 (inflation wise)
Oil-100
Unemployement: Nation 9.0-9.5%
Unemployement Michigan: 14.5-15%


Dave
Stocks and the dollar will continue to rally in the beginning of the year.
S&P will rise to 1300, then drop to 1000.
Dow will rise to 12k, drop to 9-10k.
Nasdaq rise to 2500, drop to 2000.
Oil will continue to rise and will definitely exceed 100 during the year (obviously it will skyrocket if the US or Israeli govt bombs Iran).
Gold not drop below $1000. Hits $1400.
Japanese stocks will start an uptrend in 2010 being one of the best investments of the decade.
Natural gas will do well in 2010
Interest rates will increase. US Treasurys will drop.
Shanghei index could be a bubble to pop in 2010


Xorp
dow30 - 11,200
s&p500 - 1,300
Oil - $79
Gold - $1,125


Eric    
Gold: $1100    
Oil:  $70    
DJIA: 9500   
S&P: 950   
Nasdaq: no guess
Inflation: no guess   
Unemployment: both Gov't numbers and real numbers will rise by a couple percent

The dollar index will strengthen slightly this year while stocks, oil, real estate, Government bonds, and gold will correct downward.  My feeling is that in 2010 an investor should feel lucky to preserve capital and forget about making capital gains.  I expect this to be a year in which every investment category drops.  Here's why,  some more of the dodgy debts of the boom will default.  Central banks for be inclined to print money as it is one of the only solutions they have left.  But the nominal value of most asset classes will decline because the money supply will shrink due to imploding debts faster than the central banks run the printing press.  Of course this will eventually change and the central banks will produce hyperinflation and then the government will start another war to channel the anger of populace outward.  The best investment in the years ahead will be the time spent in taking better care of your health and strengthening your relationships with friends and family.


Richard
Due to atrocious accuracy in his 2009 predictions and embarrassment being beat by a girl, he stated he will make predictions in December.


Scott
Being Canadian, has not made any predictions.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Favorite mainstream news headline of the week

Snow shuts down federal government, life goes on

"If snow keeps 230,000 government employees home for the better part of a week, will anyone notice?"

Saturday, February 6, 2010

We Are Doomed - Feb 5th edition

My nephew, a freshman at U of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, recently joined the facebook event 3.3.10 Spread The Word To End The Word.  Spread the Word is a campaign by the Special Olympics to end the "hate speech" of people using the word "retarded".  I left the following comment including the wikipedia link showing the futility of this campaign:

If you spent your time and energy on something less politically correct you'd end up having a bigger impact on the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism#Words_describing_disability.2Fhandicap

He responded:

um...end the rword has a huge impact on the world you have no idea waht your talking about and i no about idiot and moron and stuff thats not the point the point is "retarded" dosent mean mentally disabled it means slow what we are trying to do it remind people that the things we say can be extremely hurtful to others...and y wud anyone WANT to hurt someone? and why y anyone WANT to down on someone trying to prevent others from getting hurt?

Ill spend my time as i please thx

I refrained from replying, "You write like a retard" even though that reply made me laugh.  The kid isn't a great student, but he's not an idiot (in spite of what the writing sample above indicates).  I believe this country is doomed.

Friday, February 5, 2010

2010 Predictions

 A bit late in posting, but here are our predictions for 2010.  Not sure how to easily post a table to blogger, so hopefully this is readable.



NewEd
Craig
Dave
Xorp
12/31/09
Alltime High












Gold 1200
1300
1400
1125
1096.20
1226.00
Oil 125
100
100
79
79.36
147.27
DJIA 14k
13k
 9-10k
 11.2k
10428.1
 14279.96
S&P 1200


1000
1300
1115.1
1576.09
Nasdaq



2000


2269.15
5132.52
Inflation 










Unemp. < 10%
9-9.5%


7





New Edit
DOW will end the year at 14,000. The masses will believe that Obama has saved us all. He will use every opportunity to tell us so.
However, unemployment will remain as it is in real values. There will be no real job growth. The government unemployment data will appear lower (I'll guess 7%) due to the people who have been on unemployment assistance for too long getting kicked off.
S&P will end at 1200.
Gold will drop near 1000, rise to 1200 during the summer, and stay around 1100 at the end of the year.
Nasdaq - I don't follow enough to know.
Oil will rise to 125 during summer.


Craig
DJIA-13k due to inflation.
S/P-don't follow.
Nasdaq-don't follow to close either.
Gold-1300 (inflation wise)
Oil-100
Unemployement: Nation 9.0-9.5%
Unemployement Michigan: 14.5-15%


Dave
Stocks and the dollar will continue to rally in the beginning of the year.
S&P will rise to 1300, then drop to 1000.
Dow will rise to 12k, drop to 9-10k.
Nasdaq rise to 2500, drop to 2000.
Oil will continue to rise and will definitely exceed 100 during the year (obviously it will skyrocket if the US or Israeli govt bombs Iran).
Gold not drop below $1000. Hits $1400.
Japanese stocks will start an uptrend in 2010 being one of the best investments of the decade.
Natural gas will do well in 2010
Interest rates will increase. US Treasurys will drop.
Shanghei index could be a bubble to pop in 2010


Xorp
dow30 - 11,200
s&p500 - 1,300
Oil - $79
Gold - $1,125



Richard
Due to atrocious accuracy in his 2009 predictions and embarrassment being beat by a girl, he stated he will make predictions in December.