The Stages of Grief

From thestreet.com 11/24/08

I spend a good amount of the trading day talking to people from all walks of trading life. On Thursday I had a profound conversation with a guy I had never spoken to before. The conference call was the result of a heated conversation I was having with a money manager regarding Citigroup(C Quote - Cramer on C - Stock Picks). I was fuming about how the shorts were crushing the stock. It felt like it was Lehman, American International Group(AIG Quote - Cramer on AIG - Stock Picks), Fannie Mae(FNM Quote - Cramer on FNM - Stock Picks), and Freddie Mac (FRE Quote - Cramer on FRE - Stock Picks) all over again. It felt like the market was going to zero. I was really worked up. My friend interrupted me and suggested I hold on while he put another trader on the conference call. "Paul" (not his real name) also was worked up about how the markets were acting so irrationally. During our conversation, he uttered a thought in passing, "This feels almost like someone is dying." ....
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Obamanomically Correct

From thestreet.com 11/10/08

am very thankful for this column. It has provided me a platform to sound off on a wide range of topics: the dollar, OPEC, drilling, interest rates, real estate, the bailout package, gold, volatility, stocks, bonds, and of course, politics. Now that the election is over, I can focus in on the economy and the markets again. I will be forever changed in that I have found a new passion for the political process. I have been given a great opportunity to host a daily show on Foxnews.com called "The Strategy Room" and we throw around topics that affect everyone.
I mention "The Strategy Room" because it is intended to be a political forum. During my months as host, I have realized that the economy is front and center on the minds of just about all of the emailers to the show. They are worried about their investments, their homes and their jobs. ......
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Looking Ahead With Hope and Trepidation

From thestreet.com 11/3/2008

One day left until we find out who will occupy the White House for the next four years. Whoever it is, he will inherit a mess. Campaign promises will have to addressed before they're discarded. The rescue/bailout has to be implemented, and more important, paid for. And there will be pressure from all around to re-regulate the markets. Most of this will likely take many quarters to sort out, so I anticipate volatility in the markets early on. My hunch is that government will grow in size and grow in scrutiny as it prints itself trillions of dollars to work with. Over time, analysts will simply take it for granted that big government is here to stay.
The volatility in the markets will eventually give way to steadying yet directionless markets. September is known as the weakest month for the S&P, and it did not disappoint, with futures opening the month at 1282 and closing at 1169, a loss of 8%. .....
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