Just What the Heck Happened in 2011? A Look Back at the Financial Markets
We laughed, we cried, we felt arrogant, and ultimately we freaked out. What a year! And all this netted out to a precisely even annual close for the S&P 500. We started the year at 1257.64 and closed at 1257.60. So, just what the heck happened in 2011? Was it a tough start and an uphill battle into the end? No. Was it a great start with a tough back half? Kind of, but not really. So what was it?
Well, in short, it was a freak show. The year started off beautifully enough with a nice move higher. And although temporarily slowed by the tragic earthquake in Japan in March, the “herd” would not be stopped. After a brief pullback, the market rocketed higher to 1370 in early May. And with the financial media clicking and clucking and everything feeling eerily good again, many investors had seemingly forgotten about the financial crisis and cliff dive of 2008. Furthermore, the markets were clocking in at a 100% 2-year bull market move, and as if this wasn’t enough to be cautious on, the S&P 500 had just registered a monthly TD DeMark 9 Sell set up at the end of May… the perfect concoction for things to get freaky.
The markets were soon thereafter overtaken by domestic and European debt concerns. Volatility filled the marketplace and morning gaps (usually down) became the norm. Social mood, here and abroad, continued to sour and the Occupy Wall Street movement pushed to the forefront. “Will Europe survive?” became a daily question mark and the unending uncertainty took its toll on equities and caused a spike in gold. And although the social mood toward politics and financials isn’t dying out any time soon, it did get a bit fatigued as we neared year end, allowing for a nice contrarian santa rally now and possibly into the New Year. Either way, politics aside, the mood is completely understandable, yet undeniably anti-government and anti-financial.
So what do we make of 2011 technically? Well, as Phil Pearlman of Stocktwits pointed out in his blog “Coming to Jesus,” this year’s technical candlestick took on the form of a cross, or doji. And although this formation literally signifies indecision, Pearlman writes, and I agree, that it was a “fitting metaphor for the year as sacrifice and rebirth are two critical underlying themes as we move from December into January and a new year.” Furthermore, when taken at face value, the doji is also representative of the volatility, fear, and indecision that we experienced. Yes, the year was full of fear, and a lot of it. But, maybe, just maybe, after all the fear and uncertainty of 2011, the new year will bring us the gift of reality. A rebirth of sorts, providing the ability to see clearly and envision a better future, regardless of short term market results. Maybe a little something to set the economic framework and pathway for future generations.
On the investing front, the room between the current price of the S&P 500 and its 2007 annual high is still substantial, so the market has plenty of room to rally without confirming a new bull market. Make it your goal to start each trading day of 2012 with an open mind and avoid emotional investing. Continue to look for good stocks displaying technical and relative strength. Managing risk will no doubt continue to be a major theme in 2012.
Happy New Year, and happy investing.
Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of his employer or any other person or entity.
Turn Your Laptop Into a Touch Screen Laptop
The purpose of touch recognition technology is to give its users an interface that is both effective and intuitive. There are two tools in the world that we rely on most for the manipulation of our environment, the expression of our creative minds, and any matter in between. This is why everyone got so excited with the emergence of multi-touch technology. But when it comes to touch screen laptops, this feature is only available with very select high-end models. That is, until N-Trig released the DuoSense™, the only digitizer in the market that recognizes the pen, touch, and multi-touch.
The product fits over any laptop screen to convert your regular laptop into a fully functioning pen, touch, and multi-touch enabled screen. The product is very well designed noninvasive thin screen that fits over the laptop nicely. It can be held into place with air gap bonding, PSA, or direct bonding and uses a gel to minimize reflecting glare. That allows the user to function perfectly unaffected by the brightness when outdoors.
The pen itself is quite the work of wonder. It has an electric-magnetic charge in itself that interacts with the screen without the need for an external power source. The pressure sensitive tip recognizes the difference in the strokes and taps of the user. During artistic functions, heavy and light strokes are digitized on screen in a manner that intuitively mimics a pen or brush stroke. It even has eraser capabilities when used in drawing or writing programs. Outside of drawing programs the stylus serves well in navigating. The DuoSense allows the use of the pen in much the same way as a computer mouse with right click capabilities.
The touch technology uses fractional pixel recognition for the most pinpoint accuracy in touch response. The capacitive design of the touch screen eliminates the use of traditional touch screen spacer dots that compromises the accuracy of the pen. It offers the fastest response time in the history of touch screen technology and there are no accidental drops with the click and drag function and the touch pad comes with what the company terms the palm rejection feature. It recognizes the difference between intentional and accidental touches.
The DuoSense is light and thin for easy integration over a regular laptop screen as well as clear to allow for much of the screens brightness to shine through. Most touch screens suffer from degradation of the monitor’s true brightness but the DuoSense engineers made sure to minimize that effect while still providing advanced touch screen laptop functionality.
1929 Stock Market Crash – Why Did it Happen and Can it Happen Again
The 1920s were a time of great financial prosperity. During the early part of the 1920s real estate is booming causing many people to get into the real estate bandwagon that was promising riches for everyone. Not only that but the stock market was going up to levels never seen before and this caused a frenzy of buying that everyone wanted to get into. It was such a high time of great speculation and investment that it was called the booming 20s.
If you had invested in real estate or the stock markets in the early part of the 1920s and got out by the middle of the 1920s you would’ve made a lot of money and been well off, but as with any boom people thought that the stock market was going to go up forever, but as we all well know nothing ever does, and the faster something goes up the quicker it will go down, but nobody could have ever predicted the crash of 1929. It was so sudden and so severe that it caught many people by surprise and left a large part of the investor population in bankruptcy. Let us analyze why this happened.`
One of the biggest problems during the boom time of the stock market is that brokers were so confident that stocks were going to keep going up that they were allowing investors to buy stock on margin. This meant that brokers were now allowing investors to borrow on top of their original investment to buy even more stock.
For example if I have $1000 and I wanted to buy $1500 of stock might broker would have lent me $500 on top of my original thousand dollars to reinvest into that stock. Brokers in the 1920s were allowing their investors to borrow on average of up to 66% on margin , and this was an unprecedented amount of margin that the market ever experienced. This was a very dangerous way to invest. When the stock market crash of 1929 happened within a three-day span.
Investors not only lost 100% of their investment but also the margin call on top of that, which meant that not only did many investors become broke, but on top of that they owed money which they could not hope to pay back. It had gotten so bad that many of the male investors had committed suicide to prevent themselves from paying back the money they all and also protecting their families. After the crash the New York Stock Exchange then implemented rules to limit the amount that a broker can lend to an investor on margin.
Another reason that the stock market crash so suddenly in 1929 is that short sellers were allowed to do short any stock no matter how hard it was going down. Shorting the stock means that you are selling a stock in the hopes that that stock will go down, and when it does go down you can buy that stock and pocket the difference. The short sellers smell blood when they saw that the market was crashing and they made out like bandits, but the effect that they had on the stock market is that they caused the prices of individual stocks to go down so fast and so hard that investors did not have a chance to sell their stock to get out of the market, because the market makers know that the stocks were going to go down and refuse to execute there buy orders. The New York Stock Exchange also make sure that this would never happen again by implementing the uptick rule. The uptick rule is essentially means that you cannot short a stock until there is a green uptick in its price, which means the stock has to go up before you can short it.
The market exchanges learned a a big lesson from the 1929 stock market crash and it saved them many times. For example the stock market crash of 1987 was a good size percentage drop but it was nowhere near the 1929 stock market crash and one of the reasons that the markets recovered very quickly in 1987 is the uptick rule. Short sellers can no longer make an easy buck from the panic and distraught of their fellow investors.
The Best Laptops in the Market – Choose the Right Laptop For You
With the reduction of laptop prices, laptops are quickly overtaking desktops to become the best-selling computers in the market. Reasonable prices, portability and sleek designs have propelled laptops to the forefront of personal computing. When the first laptop was produced, there were only a handful of companies that manufactured them. Today, there are hundreds of laptop models in the market, making choosing the right laptop a daunting task. Here is a quick guide to help you choose the perfect laptop for your needs.
Consumers make their laptop purchases based on a variety of factors including brand, size, design, color, and specs. Depending on your preference, certain factors may prove to be more persuasive in choosing a laptop compared to others. Some are willing to buy a more expensive, and less powerful laptop for some novelty value. Others are willing to forgo design for function and practicality. As a general rule, it is always a good idea to choose a laptop based on what you plan to use it for.
Choosing a laptop by brand is a good place to start. Although mostly similar in terms of quality and specifications, there are certain selling points that distinguish one brand from another. For starters, if you are into sleek and cool laptop designs and price isn’t a big factor, consider buying an Apple or Sony laptop. If you are looking to buy a laptop that offers great value for your money, Dell, Acer and HP laptops may prove to be a good choice. When it comes to durability and reliability, Japanese companies such as Toshiba and Fujitsu laptops are second to none.
Portability is also a driving factor for consumers to buy a laptop. With the exception of netbooks, the more portable the laptop is, the more expensive it is going to be. If you are constantly traveling for work and often use your laptop for word processing and heavy administrative functions, it is bust to get high-performance slim laptop, such as the MacBook Air and the Toshiba Protégé A605-P201. If you mostly only use your laptop to surf the net, then a netbook such as the Asus Eee netbook series may be just right for you. If you seldom travel or bring your laptop with you when you travel, then it may be wise to invest in a basic, standard sized laptop (14 – 15 inch).
If you plan to use your laptop for graphic designs or gaming, it is best to invest in a laptop that has the latest and highest specs. Laptops with average specs are often insufficient if you plan to run several heavy-duty programs and may produce choppy graphics. The laptop should contain the latest and most powerful graphic cards, processors and display. Apple laptops are popular among graphic designers while Asus laptops are a favorite amongst gamers. If you plan to use your laptop often for media playback, make sure that the laptops you are buying have good built-in speakers. You will be surprised at the difference in audio quality of the speakers in different laptop models.
How To Put Movies On Your Iphone – The Quick Way
If you want to learn how to put movies on your iPhone, this article will strive to show you how. The Apple iPhone is a fantastic piece of hardware, following hot on the heels of the phenomenally successful Apple iPod.
The iPhone has the capability to be a one stop entertainment center, as well as giving you access to the internet, and of course a cell phone as well. The ability to play movies on the move will be great for film fans, and save them having to carry a portable DVD player.
To be able to watch movies on an iPhone, they will need to transferred from a computer. What you need alongside the computer will depend on where the movie is going to be taken from. If it is a DVD movie, you will need some software which can read the movie from the disc, and convert it to the type of file that the iPhone can handle. This format is called mp4. Downloading from the internet will mean that you will need a decent internet connection, but no conversion software.
The first lesson in how to put movies on your iPhone is to download some special software onto your computer that can change the movie into the .mp4 format. This software is very easy to find, but there is a lot of choice. A lot of this software is quite expensive, as much as $50 in some cases, but some of it is cheap, and you can even find free downloads. Some of the expensive programs have a free trial period should you only have a few movies to convert. Place your DVD into the computer’s drive, and use the software to rip the movie and convert it. Use iTunes to copy it to your iPhone.
Once you have copied your DVD collection to your iPhone, you may want to expand by downloading more movies from the internet. This will work out much cheaper than buying DVDs in the long run, if you are someone who watches a lot of films. It is possible to download films without paying any money, using P2P sites, but this is very risky. These sites are illegal, and if you are caught you could be facing prosecution. There are other dangers, as these files are put up by anybody they can contain anything. Often, they are just excuses to spread viruses and spyware.
There are legal sites which offer unlimited downloads, but you will have to pay a small upfront fee. This will prove to be a bargain as time goes by, and you get ever more for your money.
You now know the basics of how to put movies on your iPhone, so hopefully you have found this article useful. Check out the links below to find the best places to download the movies from.
Turn 100 Dollars Into 1000 Dollars – Here’s How
You may have heard stories from people who said that they built their empire from a mere $100, you might have thought that this is just impossible. But it is possible to turn 100 dollars into 1000 dollars in a few minutes or hours, given you make the right investment and you know what you are getting yourself into. There are numerous ways in which you can turn 100 dollars into 1000 dollars, without even having to move away from the peace and comfort of your home. What more could you want?
The best way to make a quick 1000 dollars is to bet on a game, if you are a football fan, baseball fan or even a rugby fan, you can make money off your knowledge of what is going to happen. All you need to do is to study how the game is about to unfold and place a few bets, if your knowledge of the game and the team you bet on is solid, you can make 1000 dollars by the end of the game.
If you are not into sports, don’t worry.A lot of people aren’t. Instead, you can invest your money in the foreign currency market also known as Forex. You don’t need to be a genius to understand how the forex market works, all you need is to read a books to understand what you need in order to make money. Understand how the market works and open a basic account for $100, and before you know it you should have $1000 in your account.
Is He into Me? 5 Proven Ways to Find Out
Is he really into you? This can be a hard puzzle to solve when trying to find out what’s in a guys mind and is he into me or not. So how to tell if a guy is interested in you or not? Do you have a strong feeling inside you that he might be into you? Well if this is the case than he is most definitely into you. But if you are full of self doubt and are looking for a clue from him than your situation might be on a shaky ground. Read on to find out some of the best ways to discover whether he is into you or not.
He’s always around- Have you ever tried to wonder how does he always show up where you are? Well this is not by chance but is rather planned by him. Maybe he is looking for a clue from your end as well and wants to know whether you are into him or not. When a guy is truly into you he would find a reason to show at places you least expect him to be.
You catch him staring- Ever tried to look in his direction and is he always staring at you but look away when he watches you glancing towards him? Well common human nature states that when you are into someone you would most probably give that person constant stares or occasional glances.
Gets nervous around you- When a guy is into you he would always have a weird uneasy feeling around you as if he is not comfortable enough. It’s simply because of your presence and he is most probably waiting for a clue from your end to get that initial spark.
Talks to your friends- One of the best ways to find out whether he is into you or not would be when he talks to your friends about you. This is a guaranteed indication that he is into you otherwise why would a random guy talk about a girl he does not even know. Most guys go a step further and get your phone number from one of your friends when they are into you. So don’t be surprised when you get a random call from a stranger as that might most possibly be him.
Hearing Aids Review: The 4 Leading Brands
Are you looking for a hearing aid but don’t know where to start? Here is the definitive guide to the leading brands of hearing aids. I will review some of the top names in hearing aids including Siemens hearing aids, Beltone hearing aids, Starkey hearing aids and Phonak hearing aids.
Hearing aids are available in analog or digital models. Analog hearing aids have been on the market for years. These are less expensive than digital hearing aids but do not provide the sound quality and features that digital hearing aids do. Digital hearing aids offer a cleaner sound quality than analog models and can be programmed by computer to achieve a high level of adjustment. Digital hearing prices have fallen, hence, more people can afford them.
There are several types of hearing aids on the market. A hearing aid specialist can help you choose the type that suits you best. The closer the hearing aid sits to the eardrum the better the sound will be.
Here are 4 types of hearing aids:
BTE: Behind the Ear
This type fits over the ear and rests behind it. It is typically the least expensive.
ITE: In the Ear
This is the most common type that sits in the ear
ITC: In the Ear Canal
This type fits slightly lower into the ear and is not very noticeable.
CIC: Completely In the Ear Canal
This fits down into the ear canal, requires the most fitting and is the least visible to others.
There are 4 leading manufacturers of hearing aids that have proven to provide superior products. They provide the ultimate in customer service to ensure improved hearing and customer satisfaction.
Siemens hearing aids
Siemens is a name you can trust for hearing aids. Siemens has been in business for over 125 years and is the largest manufacturer of hearing aids in the United States. Siemens has hearing aids to meet every budget yet all are made with the same expertise and precision. There are basic styles, value and ultimate. All Siemens hearing aids come with a two-year warranty. The higher priced Siemens hearing aids have more channels and offer more features than the lower priced versions. If cost is a concern try the Phoenix or Cielo models. The top of the line Artis e2e has wireless ear-to-ear technology.
Beltone hearing aids
Beltone is a leading brand of hearing aids. It has an outstanding reputation and boasts over 1300 locations in the United States. They offer an aftercare program called Belcare to help with your ongoing needs. The professionals at Beltone will help you complete a lifestyle assessment called the Personalized Hearing Health Assessment (PHHA) to determine which type of Beltone hearing aid is best for you. Beltone offers a wide variety of hearing aids including basic, quality, advantage and premier styles. Each group has products to suit your needs. The Edge model is affordable and has 3 channels. The Mira model is a mid-range model with 6 channels. The top of the line Oria has 12 channels and offers many additional features.
Starkey hearing aids
Starkey Laboratories is the world’s largest manufacturer of hearing instruments. They offer many hearing aids to provide you with the best solution for your hearing loss and lifestyle. They were the first to provide a warranty as well as a free trial period. They have many hearing aid models available starting with the 3-channel Aspect. The mid-level Destiny comes in several models to accommodate your needs. The top of the line Eli provides a wireless solution that is compatible with Bluetooth enabled phones.
Phonak hearing aids
Phonak is a worldwide company with headquarters in Switzerland. They offer specialized hearing instruments, which are available in a wide array of products to suit your hearing loss and budget. The 6 channel eXtra model provides a basic entry-level hearing aid. The mid-range Valeo and Elva models have 16 channels. The top of the line Savia has 20 channels and numerous features to provide the best hearing assistance available. Phonak also has wireless hearing aid solutions.
Find the Free Auto Repair Manual You Need Online
You can easily get a free auto repair manual for whichever repair need you might have. You need an internet access and have to follow a certain procedure searching for auto repair manuals, but when you have done this procedure a few times it will be very easy to find the right instructions for do it yourself auto repair and it won’t cost you a dime.
There are four types of automotive description documents that you will need to choose from when you want to do a repair;
General manuals
Diagnosis descriptions
Repair manuals
Maintenance manuals
General Manuals
In addition to some general manuals, most of these are related to the make. Here you can get step by step guidance on how to repair most of the makes in the vehicle market. Let’s say you have a Honda Acura 2002 model and you want to find a manual for that make and model. What you do is perform the following search in a search engine: “free car manuals+Honda Acura+2002″. Then you will have a long list of sites that provide you with all kinds of descriptions for your Honda Acure 2002 model, and you can choose what you want.
Diagnosis descriptions
Automotive diagnosis manuals can also be sub-divided by make and model. But it can also be divided by the area of the vehicle that is affected, for example engine intake problems, brake problems, cooling problems, exhaust problems, start or stall problems, transmission problems etc. Let’s say you have a start problem. Your search would be “car diagnosis manual+ start problem”, then you should get more than enough repair information to choose from. You can even get diagnostic trees where all options are covered for nothing.
You have probably more than one time heard some annoying noise from somewhere in your vehicle, without finding the source of it. This is one of the most kinky situations to run into because you don’t know if it is a serious signal or just a small thing. Some websites gives you the opportunity to diagnose vehicle problems by the noise, sound and vibrating signals – and that is great. The sooner you find it the sooner you can fix it and then you can relax. When you search, you can describe the sound, for example “whine noise” or “shifter knocks” or “driveline vibration” plus car diagnosis manual plus eventually the make.
Repair Manuals
In addition to regular manuals you can also get very instructive and detailed descriptions in other internet document or websites like articles, etc. The natural way to sub-divide such repairs before searching, is by the area of the vehicle that is going to be repaired, for instance body repair, exhaust repair, suspension fix, interior repair and even general car repair.
You do the search the same way as above; “car repair manual (or description) + the area of repair and go through the list of resources you get.
Maintenance manuals
Though vehicle maintenance is closely related to your vehicle make and model, there are some maintenance issues that are pretty much common whether you have a Cadillac, VW or a Mercedes, for example changing oil, changing air filters, engine wash, fluid maintenance, tier maintenance etc. You can get access to maintenance descriptions by searching for the kind of maintenance plus “car maintenance manual (or description)” plus eventually your make and model.
I think you’ll be amazed of the amount of automotive repair free stuff online.
Photography Marketing Ideas for Photographers:10 Low Cost Ideas
Marketing your photography studio does not have to be expensive. I’ve used hundreds of low cost marketing strategies over the last twenty five years and managed to build my photography studio to the point where I am one the busiest and most successful studios in my city. Here’s a few tips for you:
1. Create a photo display. A photography display can be as simple as displaying a few small portraits at a store and offering some free information about your studio or more elaborate set ups with framed wall samples. You can even create large temporary displays in malls or at events such as trade shows. The important thing is how it looks. You will attract a lot of attention with some great images, especially from woman, who happen to be your target market. Displays will help you create a lot of business if you play your cards right. Have a great selection of images, be presentable yet never pushy, have a system for collecting names and address’s from those wanting more information by simply asking or offering a draw prize, and keep in touch with all those prospects. It’s the beginning of a potential long term and lucrative relationship.
2. Have a free giveaway. Offer a time limited in studio session and small reprint. Tell them there is no obligation for further purchase, and mean it. You will make some sales anyways and you will acquire many long term clients if you do a good job for them. Some will only grab the freebie, but the odds are very good that you will upsell without being sneaky or pushy. Especially if you are professional and create some great images. Do this at mall displays, banks, schools or offer it to a list of clients from a non-competitive business in your town or city. Freebies are the best way to get your studio busy, start making sales and most of all for getting tons of exposure.
3. Reward referrals. Make a policy to reward anyone who brings you referrals. When a client brings in a propective client, give them a gift of appreciation, such as a coupon worth reprints dollars at your studio, frames, or to a local spa or restaurant. As an added incentive, give a small gift to the new client as well.
4. Create a tie-in with another business. Contact a local business and offer to exchange coupons. For example, your client receives coupons from a local restaurant, hair salon, spa, or wherever your typical prospect would shop. A great place to start is with clients of yours who already own their own businesses.
5. Make your reception or waiting room “prospect and sales friendly”. Whenever you create a family portrait or are shooting a wedding there are often people waiting in your reception area. Offer them snacks or something to drink. Make sure your place looks great and smells nice. Make it comfortable. Use this time to increase your upcoming sales presentation by explaining some of the items such as wall portraits and other packages and services. Answer objections that you know will be coming up later during the sale presentation with a consultive approach and people will not only trust you more but will likely make the sale easier for you and even buy more. This is also a great time to collect names. These people are somehow associated with you and at this point make excellent prospects.
6. Make copies of news articles about yourself and your studio. Hang them on the walls or pass them out. Past publicity is better than any advertising or promotional literature you can create. Give copies of positive articles to everyone who comes in for information.
7. Raise money for charity. Not only do you help a good cause, you get plenty of free, positive publicity and exposure. Hold a contest, offer some photography classes, give out free booklets- that you can easily write yourself and print for pennies by having them photocopied- think up your own exciting charity event.
8. Submit press releases to the local newspapers about a noteworthy event at your studio or a human interest story. Did you win a photography contest? Is there and article on photography that relates to local sites in your area or has to do with the seasons? Make your release interesting to the readers, never self-serving and you will get press coverage.
9. Give a free photography seminar or presentation at your studio. Invite members of the public and clients family members to be a part. A seminar gives them the chance to see your studio and your work. Offer something timely to do with how to create great photographs with digital cameras or offer a slide show from some of your more exotic travels. You could create an exhibition highlighting your work. Don’t forget to invite the local newspaper.
10. Leave your business cards everywhere. Whenever you are at a restaurant, leave a nice tip and your card. Drop a stack off at the local jewellry store. Make sure card is loaded with your best samples and print on both sides to maximize the space for your sales message.
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