Apple Still Looking Juicy

Greetings from New York, where I tried to sign up for Twitter yesterday - both to see what the fuss was all about and to harass the 12 Najarian brothers.

After 30 minutes and language much, much stronger than “twitter,” I realized I simply couldn’t figure out the registration process. I was feeling perfectly fine about the Twitter void in my life remaining unfilled until I flashed back to my grandfather spending the last 20 years of his life baffled by the microwave. I don’t turn 40 for 2 weeks,, but I’m already aging faster than Kathleen Turner.

In less distressing news:
 

• You could offer me a dip in the fountain of youth, from which I’d emerge with hair, abs and appalling ignorance, and I still wouldn’t give you a comment on this story in Rupert’s NY Post. Except this: I don’t want to see Dylan go, and I consider him as skilled an on-air talent as I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, let alone work with nightly. I love you, folks, but please stop asking me.
  
  
• What I will talk about is Potash (POT). I remain long and have been for so long that I only seldom chuckle about the ticker anymore. My playing the ags seemed to come as a surprise to some last night. What changed from when ags were part of my BRIC whipping-boy names last year?
  
  For one thing, the stocks fell about 80%, then stabilized somewhere around the uptrend lines they’d been making for years prior to our discovery of China 2 years ago. Seemed a decent entry point. I also remain long Mosaic (MOS). Maybe I’m compensating for my inability to Twitter, but a flexible mind matters more to me than being able to do the Twittering on my Facebook.
  
  
• Because I’m fair, balanced and self-abusive, this seems like a good time to mention that I also added to Apple (AAPL), prematurely rebuilding a partially sold-down position. I did the same thing in Goldman Sachs (GS). It’s all about stops and the discipline to stick to them, if and when.
  
  This old-timer doesn’t fight tapes or women scorned. A close below $105 in either name and I’m gone, daddy, gone. A sub $105 close is a level to lighten the load for both Apple and Goldman. If I own either on a close with a 9-handle, I would consider it a personal favor for you to beat me senseless.
  
  
• As for the tape as a whole, the best thing for it is a rest, if not a pullback. If you aren’t impressed by a 21% move in the S&P in 3 weeks you're an even older crank than I am (Najarian). If you’re buying new positions in massive size without protection today, I’m going to go on a limb and suggest you’re new to this “trading” thing. The School of Trading, The School of Hard Knocks and Harvard are the 3 most expensive educational facilities on earth, and only the first 2 are worth attending. Here are your Cliff Note Levels on the S&P, as I see ‘em: SPX 810 is a Blinking Yellow Light. A close below 800 even says “Take Profits and Go Stimulate the Economy.”
  
  
• Here are your Cliff Notes on Harvard: Save the tuition and take an hour to learn the names of some clubs. Then simply drop some variant of “I went to Harvard” into every phrase for the rest of your life and you’re home free. That’s about $200,000 of education in one bullet point. You’re welcome.

With that, I’m off to wear makeup and attend the daughter’s parent-teacher meeting. She’s 6, which means it’s time to offer my services as an arts and crafts teacher. “The kids will learn how to stitch up to 50 pairs of Nike shoes per day. Some camps focus on softer skills; here at Macke Vocational we give them a career!”



In memory of our fallen friend and trusted colleague, Bennet Sedacca, 100% of the donations made to the RP Foundation through April will be channeled to philanthropic endeavors consistent with the RP mission, working closely with the Sedacca clan in the distribution of those funds. We thank you kindly for your support as we strive to effect positive change in the lives of children.