Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

You’ll Remember You Belong To Me

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I sit here alone on a quiet evening, well aware of how the ES and NQ are getting pounded. I have no idea what they will be when I wake up tomorrow, although I can only imagine they will remain deeply red.

Only a month ago, I would have surrendered my left nut to be looking at numbers like these. As it is now, I have some misgivings about it. Not that I’m long – – I’m not stupid enough to actually buy into a market that I am fully convinced has just begun a multi-year slog into hellfire – – but I did cover the majority of my shorts.

I still have exposure, yes, and that is across 39 well-chosen positions using 125% of my buying power. However, on a night like this, I cannot help but wonder how much I’m going to regret not waking up with 90 short positions, as I did Thursday morning. (more…)

Will Chart for Booze

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In Mountain View, just off the Shoreline exit and the Google campus, is a dive bar called the Sports Page. Now if you know anything about me, you understand that, first, I have absolutely no interest in sports, and second, I’m not the kind of hang out in dive bars. However, it just so happens that Sports Page is across the street from the Tesla Supercharger, so I like to hang out a bit in the bar with my crappy Dell laptop while my Model S is charging. A Blue Moon and some charts is a nice way to pass the time.

(more…)

So Why Cover Now?

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First off, I urge you – -nay, insist! – – to check out the incredibly sexy and fantastic Quarterly Reports page. Oh, my God, it’s beautiful!

Second, I wanted to tell you that I’ve covered a ton of positions. And by “ton” I mean I’ve gone from 300% margined to only about 95%, and from 90 positions to 35. For someone like me, this is almost like “nothing but cash”. Now let me be clear, I hate taking profits. Just hate it. Here’s why:

  • The opportunity is gone. Well, mostly. I still have some shorts. But if we crash, I’ll feel like stupid.
  • The thrill is gone! It’s FUN to see profits explode when the market is falling.
  • The entry prices were DYNAMITE. I’ll never get prices that good again!

However……… (more…)