GPS...and recommendations

it seems GPS on phones will soon become mainstreem. so much for privacy. my co-workerʻs play on it included GRMN, which was shot down. But SIRF on the other hand blew earnings...and is still undervalued I.M.O.

FSLR is still kicking butt, i have STP stock instead.

Some imply MSFT, INTC, DELL are insulated to FED volitility, being catagorized in the slow flyer group. MSFT continues to live off its monopoly if u ask me. I think DELL is now out of the woods. so, as much as i hate them, i may give them a play. INTC was a favorite of mine, if AMD continues to have problems in price/performance vs INTC then who else is gonna stop them?

Consistently I keep reading that AAPL is well-liked. Itʻs guidance seems to have brought in stability and a sort of protection from sliding as quickly as my other holdings: VMW, RIMM, BIDU or GOOG. In that case, I may very well drop these guys and go AAPL... rumors abound of a stock split. I donʻt think itʻs necessary, but who cares, since itʻll drive it up...

Economic data continues to pour out this week. I hope the FEDʻs cut will stem any bad news going forward.

Nothings Changed

FED gave a quarter % rate cut and hinted it may not do so the rest of the year. Itʻs a neutral stance...So, where did i position myself?

AAPL: having successfully traded out of Dec175calls (15% gain) i moved to Dec185calls. however, my sell trigger came as the Fed reported. it moved so fast that it triggered an immediate 18% loss...that had it been left alone would have basically gotten back to something negligable. I ended with a Dec190call@9.55

RIMM: Jan150@6.2 theyʻre in china now...they have a lead before AAPL gets there next year.

GOOG: Dec150call. finally have a piece of them. google phone social platform API news is getting out, tho misunderstood. besides AAPL, this stock is one that canʻt be denied as a sure winner.

VMW: Jan150@7.4...i already missed the action this past week. but it still has room to grow. this is the only option i have some worry about because of itʻs huge run up. But i believe thatʻs where it should have been anyway. I wonʻt go into my story of the falling "knife" again.

Straight up stock include:
BIDU & STP. Can move as fast as options at times...

I will indeed switch my Scottrade to Zecco. Execution is faster, not to mention cheaper. AMTD still has an awesome interface and services that will make up for anything i may not find in Zecco.

Basically, my positions are somewhat logical but carry greater risk than purely staying in the money. i didnʻt have enough capital to go around...so went a bit further out on strikes in December. All strikes are potentially within a week away from getting in the money.

The Early Winner is...

MA. talk about blowing out expectations. it's up 17% as i post this. if u had the guts to get in prior to FED. you deserve it... i'm tempted to buy puts here, but i haven't been successful at that all year.

AAPL: moved my Dec175calls to 185 to lock the profit, while lessening my cost basis. at the same time, if the FED cuts - the reward would indeed be greater.

There's green all around...hopefully it stays that way.

PLAN: wait for FED's cut then buy GOOG, VMW, BIDU, RIMM, and more AAPL.

Ahead...The Fed...

I woke up again...to find what was possibly a missed opportunity. 17% gain on AAPL Dec175calls... And getting out of BIDU Nov470calls with a 9% loss(very acceptable). Alas i viewed the ending of the trading day. If i were a genius, i could have sold those positions - and bot cheaper calls, moving a strike out while decreasing invested risk.

The fact is, whatever the FED wants to do, i think AAPL will go up with holiday buying here... because of the customer base it serves (fanatics, fad buyers, rich people). And FORGET Leopard OS box sales. They are geniuses, the hype behind the OS will move many to buy a new machine with a perceived "free" OS upgrade.

But hey, i do welcome the cut...i will buy calls in:
-AAPL, GOOG, VMW, RIMM, STP(china/energy), BIDU. tho probably canʻt afford them all.

2:15pm (10am HST) is when the craziness begins. . itʻll either be bargain buying or rushing into hopefully the most bullish time of the year! (Nov, Dec, Jan)

Ahead...The Fed...

I woke up again...to find what was possibly a missed opportunity. 17% gain on AAPL Dec175calls... And getting out of BIDU Nov470calls with a 9% loss(very acceptable). But alas i slept through it and caught the tail end. If i were a genius, i could have sold those positions - and bot cheaper calls, moving a strike out while decreasing invested risk.

The fact is, whatever the FED wants to do, i think AAPL will go up with holiday buying here... it was the only stock i could confidently position prior to the FED because of the customer base it serves (fanatics, people who donʻt mind buying "cool", or just filthy rich people).

But i do welcome the cut...i will buy calls in:
-AAPL(more), GOOG, VMW, RIMM, STP(china/metal), BIDU.

2:15pm (10am HST) is when the craziness begins. I canʻt wait til daylight savings starts next week. hopefully, we also trade into the most bullish time of the year! (Nov, Dec, Jan). So, thereʻs no rush here i was willing to wait til Friday for things to pan out.

Wait and See...

It seems that it's most prudent to let the rest of the week shake out. My buy in AAPL Dec175calls may indeed have been an error. it's been flat or down from last week. I'm hoping for the FED to indeed give us a gift. AAPL is much more affordable than GOOG or BIDU. Their guidance is something they're confident they'll reach.

On the BUY watch: STP seems the best (beating FSLR). it accomplishes 2 for 1 position, China & Energy all tied in one. Earnings 11/15. On top of that Jan65call@5.60. suprisingly cheap considering Dec65calls are 5.00

Defining Strategy

So, as VMW illustrated. Iʻm not bad at my picks. my execution regarding short-term stinks. so what to do? Treat my positions as regular stocks... ups and downs but trending up.

With that in mind... i bot AAPL Dec175calls@16.5...
I also attempted RIMM Jan125calls@13.65, but failed to bid up quick enough...

I have my spec BIDU Nov470call left in play. why not?

So as for this day... whatʻs my option strategy?

IN the money calls 2 month+ expiration...watch...let it ride...
OUT of the money calls - 1 or 2 days before earnings or expected news...
China & Energy will all be longs. I will do my homework... tho i could just get FXI calls for china if iʻm too lazy

Option Strategy Look.

Using VMW as my benchmark...

had i kept Jan90call (bought 10/5 @12.70) today: 33.1... +$2040

what actually happened.

Jan90call sold 10/09 @18.90 (+5.80)[total +580]
10/09: bot Nov105call@8.2 10/10 sold@11.0(+2.0)[+780]
10/10: bot Nov125call@4.5 10/11 sold@6.80(+2.30 x 2 = +4.6)[1240]
10/10: bot Nov160call@2.0 10/11 sold@1.45(-0.55 x 4 = -2.2)[1020]
10/11: bot Nov130call@5.8 10/29 sold@2.80(-3.00 x 2 = -6.0)[420]KNIFE DAY!
10/11: bot Nov155call@2.0 10/15 sold@1.0 (-1.00 x 2 = -2.0)[220]KNIFE DAY!
10/24: bot Nov80put@1.35 10/25 sold@.15 (-1.20 x 1 = -1.05)[95]
10/25: bot Nov85put@.50 10/26 sold@.35 (-0.15 x 3 = -0.45)[45]

mind you this doesnʻt include commissions...so, itʻs a negative.

learning cost $$$. may strategy may change...

Sold VMW

the orignal Nov130call trade was the worse that iʻve made since starting this blog. bought into a falling knife after a huge run-up was missed. As a result i missed the upside 20+ from pre-earnings b/cz i didnʻt want to place more in the position. iʻve seen this position -82%. So, -50% looks bad, but it was worse. I realize i may have sold a bit early. (i thought the FED report today, when they wonʻt til wednesday). but i couldnʻt stand watching them based on THAT position. it was time to move on... reset my head and jump back into VMW fresh in the future.

i missed yet another day of china (cha-ching). theyʻre all green, especially the solars (no pun intended).

i will add a china watchlist since this is where the $$$ is going.

MSFT

They didnʻt exactly save the market. Actually Halo did... In any case, I am kicking myself for throwing $ @ BIDU and missing a 600%+ gain on MSFT calls @ 35strike! and it wouldʻve cost a mere 340 to return 1780 as an example. my failure to cover based on prejudice has again humbled me.

I didnʻt get up any earlier this time around...if anything maybe i should have just to sell my VMW 130calls. itʻs been my sore spot in my portfolio. The good news hopefully is that Tech will be solid when earnings season ends...

The eco news next week makes things a bit dicey to genuinely play anything.
AAPL: possible news of record Leopard sales over the weekend...

*Lesson play the unexpected...in this case no one expected much from MSFT, their calls were dirt cheap...

Beat The Street...But Beaten Down

SNCR & BIDU. all beat expectations and yet my options were smashed prior to announcements. itʻs as if the market was being pulled down. and i have no control over the matter, being that i couldnʻt stay to wait for the market to close.

winners so far over the last 2 months
PALM (puts), RIMM, AAPL, VMW, SNCR, BIDU (acutally just today)

losers
STV, XFML, BRCM... the 1st one really stunk up the joint after the first 2 days since the IPO.

PALM had a weird thing happen...related to itʻs dividend payout as well as a private firm buying a chunk of the company. I have Jan10puts & May7.5puts... and as u might have seen... the stock dove today from 18 to $8... so you would think iʻd be sitting on some 20 bagger... but all these options that were once worth nada are now Non-standardized options... i have no choice but to ask my broker about the true value of the these puts

Added A SPEC...

BIDU Nov470calls@2.2 suprised i got a good bid... donʻt know if itʻll blow up or crash. but there are too many $10 to $30 days that pumps those far out calls. so, i decided on picking north for BIDU. it is long term... short is just volitile... but Nov is cheap

New Home Sales Rise = VMW up...

So the green light (for today) has gone on...

VMW is en fuego

AAPL doing exactly what history dictates today...

The Bears are Back...

VMW is struggling to keep things up. Bot Nov85put to go against my nearly extinct Nov130calls. wish i cleared this loser earlier. the future for the company still bodes well. itʻs parent company EMC did meet earnings. but the market is ignoring the news of housing problems as reported in MER write-down of housing loans.

tomorrows housing and jobless claims data will hopefully define direction ... i may just let the Nov130calls die... itʻs nowhere near recovering this week or ever. i just want a pop in the data either way...suprise up or down....
eco reports next week inlude:
consumer confidence & spending, construction, hourly pay, etc...

btw, AAPL dove accordingly 2days after earnings report...recovering about midmorning... i canʻt wait for earnings season to end and capitalize on AAPL & RIMM potential...

BIDU reports very late (8pm EST). lotsa buying. wondering if expectations are too high...i will let the market settle and possibly straddle this beast. if anything i will run to BIDU far away from the crazy U.S. Economy.

Comeback...

Well I sold a bunch of stuff...namely AAPL... the buyers came back. i almost bit when it dipped below 180. but my experience with VMW last week got me to play safe. And when one plays safe, the return is small to moderate. Maybe it would have been better had i not even woke up to watch. Though selling RIMM was a definite good thing.

Happy VMW blew threw earnings. Regarding whether itʻs enough to pull my nov130 out of the hole is another story. Then again, if it could just catch fire as did AAPL then there you have it.
-sidenote EMC reports before the opening bell. iʻm unsure how negative news would affect VMW if any.

BIDU is something i may add as my spec. the calls are expensive... the cheap stuff is so far out...but the rewards are great. and bad news w/housing and oil could provide a further dip to get in.

GOOG has always been on my wish list. Dec800calls (sounds crazy!) but thatʻs a reasonable spec play.

anyway, the plan is to wait it out till about 930am EST regarding VMW before the homes/oil news are out, jobless claims are declared before the market opens. If there is bad news from there, i hope to get in on BIDU.

Bought VMW puts

Nov80puts@1.35 if they donʻt blow away earnings...this stock is gonna tank...

AAPL contracts sold

It couldnʻt find day support @185. sold Nov180@9.0. Bummer, i was hoping for profit that iʻve gotten on past rallys, wish i took the green @187 with Nov180@11 somewhat dissapointing. long view still holds. didnʻt have an exact number to sell, which may have been my downfall. but 25% is a solid gain, albeit i couldʻve gotten more sleep & $ had i sold yesterday. iʻll wait for the earnings season to die down. iʻm looking at Dec calls. i figured iʻd cash out the Nov150puts also, which i should have placed a trigger on.

Keep Jan 15 MacWorld as your next green day. I hope to use what iʻve learned today. in other words. sell as fast as you can on news. donʻt wait around...

Iʻm hoping for blowout numbers from VMW today. of which i wish i sold early in the day to bring strikes closer...then buy at a reasonable price.

Sold RIMM...watching AAPL, BIDU...

Well i sold RIMM a bit too early or late. It profit dipped followed by huge runup then proceeded to settle. i wanted to get ahead of the housing and oil stuff. wanted to actually realize my gain.

AAPL is not behaving as itʻs usual self. No solid bull today. Iʻm holding as long as i can today...

BIDU just watching options...being far out on both ends could be rewarding come Friday...

Note: AMZN, BRCM, SNDK are long buys. attempting BRCM May55calls@.25

Hint from a friend

He says buy solar...which i previously asked him in an email

FSLR, JASO, YGE, TSL. of course, i listed the one with the most action first since January up from 20ʻs to 150!!!

WOW! RIMM? AMZN(ouch)

AAPL: I was so disappointed in the inability of option call buyers to hold calls up. I initially had a chance to sell Nov180@13.7, but it settled to 10.7 - The test comes in early trading tomorrow. My plan holds that they go green another day then sell off. *Lesson learned (again) in selling early in the session (asap) Specifically when pre-market +$10. Take the initial ask and sell!!!
I will be up at market open, i will sell the calls on any premarket green!!! There will be dips ahead thx to the credit woes, oil, etc... when the earnings season ends and sales news start to dominate many opportunities await

RIMM: Bam! I wake up and find a gift! I had no idea the thing was trading the way it was (the curse and blessing of nightshift). They have a distibution deal in China...in other words (they beat the iPhone to Asia). I will look to sell this thing quickly if red at all appears

AMZN: on fire today...however the profit taker sell off have seemingly dragged the rest of tech down in afterhours. if the buyers comeback on AMZN being cheap then it could be a nice day for everyone... in the end AMZN didnʻt meet the "whisper" numbers...

BRCM: disappointing Q. hence my incredibly low risk position. sat on this thing where i shouldʻve sold prior to report. Iʻm hoping that they too donʻt drag the bunch down.

VMW: the stock keeps trading in itʻs 98 to 105 range. waiting for direction after earnings tomorrow. doesnʻt matter what it does prior to earnings report... the action comes after. i will look for some puts @ 80. wish i did so before the market closed today and hope it actually zeros out...

SNCR: I think they will suprise everyone (me included) in one way or another. I will strictly hold my calls w/no puts. own 1 contract. hows that for confidence?

Predictions? AMZN will make a comeback in late trading...
Note: BIDU is an ATM....king of option action! if it goes 10% green one day...hey get a far out put...& visa versa. tho decidedly trending up...you canʻt go wrong!!! just set them triggers everyday...

I have more important things to tend to at this point

Early Pop fades

I should learn by now that the pent up buyers would bid up the calls that settle. I watched my Nov180calls(bot@7.3 to 7.6s) were as high up as 13.7. that's a 80% gain my friends.

So, set your trigger next time an blow up in earnings come along. profit is a profit but i'm getting tired of missing these things. i guess i just don't want to miss the total upside. it may very well track that way the rest of this day...

AAPL WOW!!!

AAPL handily beats earnings AND actually guided next Q higher than analysts!

It relieves my dumb move of buying into the Nov180calls too early. It sank in front of my eyes about the time i noticed it usually settles (about 10:30 -11 am EST). Got in @7.3 & 7.6 tho a half hour later i saw it @ 6.5...

So, the historical pattern for AAPL is the next 2 trading days will be huge!!! usually followed by profit taking. But with the guidance they gave they'll get to 200 well before December (man i sure was staring at those Jan250calls...cheap). Short-term, i'm getting out on Wednesday or maybe place a trigger on Thursday. I will buy dips and sell quickly, with plans to buy Dec calls. From here, i am circling Jan for MacWorld...the annual stock pop... For now, the market environment will temper my buying.

On my "call" board this week are :
BRCM(23rd): who cares about this Q, guidance that includes their new chip that will be in all mobile fones that matter (iPhone, BBerrys, N series, etc) is what i'm looking at...if it dips go long...
VMW(24th): toss up. it's had a run up to this point but was shot down last tuesday...knife anyone? i will take my knife loss if earnings disappoint.
SNCR(25th): with the AAPL report 1.39 iPhones bodes well, but how many were actually activated with At&T? If they're involved w/the european telcos they'll be fine.

Oh one last thing...I can't stand Scottrade, this is the final straw... It's a good thing i have ameritrade... I will say hello shortly to Zecco for trading, while i use Ameritrade's tools. I mean c'mon 10 free trades a month and options ($4.50 + .50/contract), no that's how u make $$$...you cut costs.

AAPL Pre-Earnings/ After Market Hype

This is similar to RIMM earnings. The buyers are bumping AAPL past $12 as i type this

Eureka! Iʻm Dumb...

Just looking at VMW today... which i hold Nov130calls (an earlier post reads panic buy)...

I just realized this thing would be stuck right about in the 98 to 102 range... and everyone is trading around it. i donʻt know what VMW will have to do in its earnings to blast this stock up again. But had i paid attention i would have sold this puppy when it failed to break 105 on Tuesday... itʻs a tough lesson learned as a result of a falling knife...

Good Read...

Read up on this dude, "Options Addict". And he summarized in a better how iʻd like to trade one day...

" I try to put myself in a position where I don't care about the market. When I start my day every morning, I don't run to see what the market is doing, I run to see what my account is doing. I try to put the market in position where it is irrelevant to my account."

Stucktrader interprets: cover your butt

"I like to play things somewhat safe with my accounts. I stay diversified at all times, and always have a hedge against the market and or my account positions....always hedge with other instruments, [for example GLD], specifically S&P Futures (Short), Crude Futures (long), and added to some Index puts on the Nasdaq (small position)"

Stucktrader interprets: cover your butt

"dollar cost averaged in only the best deals available"

Stucktrader interprets: find stuff thatʻs cheap and arenʻt as volatile
And hereʻs his wise outline for us dummyʻs to follow... iʻve actually done most of it...and iʻve numbered for myself...

1) Risk management- Plan your loss before planning your profit.
2)Diversification- Be bullish, be bearish, be involved in various groups/markets.
3)Proper Position Sizing- Trade small, trade safe.
4)Effective Trading Plan- Make sure your plan works, and/or makes money.
5)Cutting Losses Short- Enter a trade that offers a small loss.
6)Letting Winners Run- Don't kill your winners.
7)Curbing Your Emotion- This is a bi product of trading small.

Stucktrader interprets:
1) be ok with your risk
2) cover your butt
3) "diversification"
4) ????? my guess is make a plan and stick to it...
5) ????? buy red?
6) this doesnʻt seem to be a problem with most...
7) make sure you can sleep at night

All of this makes a lot of sense. When this day is out and i have an idea of what AAPL is gonna do for the market, i will re-examine this weekend (if not sooner) my positions and do a little fine tuning and drafting positions.

This Market is Nutz

Talk about volatility.

If u daytraded VMW, you are a genius.

Risk/Reward

I may have over-risked(if thereʻs such a word) in going all in on calls in Nov versus spreading it to Dec and Jan. Part of it of course has to do with Scottrade being straight up stock.

Going forward i have to go with the gut...which doesnʻt feel very good. But unlike my trek in VMW, i have found AAPL a little more predictable. However:

"Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are looking for Apple will earn $0.86 per share on $6.07 billion in revenue for the quarter, compared to a profit of $0.62 per share on $4.84 billion in revenue in the year ago quarter."

Apple pegged this Q to be $.65/share. now talk about expectations. the miracle number would be $1. but disaster would be anything less than $.86.

I really hope my insurance doesnʻt have to come into play til the end of the week, if at all i hope it zeros out.

Mentally Retarded @ Mid-Morning

like a dummy i got in my AAPL calls at the top of the midmorning (fearing a runaway miss) but alas, i should know better. the only good news regarding that is that my puts were bought shortly thereafter.

iʻm admitting to yet another example of emotional trading. the green blips lured me to buy.

the market doesnʻt have alot of smiling faces. thus far. i agonizingly wait for AAPLʻs earnings... and i fear their guidance for the current Q to be far too conservative.

Calls to mind my saying "I will not touch AAPL til January at the earliest". Oh well...

(added later) bot: Nov180calls@7.3 & 7.6

Ugly Open

VMW: the purpose of this site was that positions like these would be something of the past. i watched the market open and saw VMW call position negative 90%! granted iʻve been waiting to clear this thing. now itʻs in no manʻs land

AAPL: has indeed been the savior of my portfolio. and i continue to hate Scottrade for keeping me out of my options account. so i settled for stock action. this account will now surely go to Zecco. I canʻt say enough how much i hate Scottrade!

RIMM, SNCR, BRCM, etc will all depend on AAPL.

I wanted to add SNDK, but i read they came out with this dumb idea of hooking up their cards to a hub for TVs. that totally turned me off. the stock itself is up nice as it deserves. solid Q.

instead of throwing some $ at SNDK, i bought insurance for AAPL position Nov150 puts. i hope itʻs not too far out if there is a sell off. nonetheless itʻs there to save a catastrophy from happening.

What's Going Down?

Hopefully NOT AAPL. I'm looking to spread the wealth. Calls all over the place: Nov170(existing), wanting to add: Nov180, then Jan170, maybe Apr200...to protect downside.

In any case, there has been nothing but increasing market-share #s and suprisingly high iPod sales through analyst spot-checking. holiday buying is starting early. Not too mention Very brisk OS X Leopard sales...

VMW: it's run has staggered. i'm hoping to cut my loses.
RIMM: it'll make a come-back, no doubt.
SNCR: as iPhone goes, they go...

SNDK: they got pounded. i'm looking at Jan42.5calls & Apr42.5calls. there is no way they don't sell a bunch of stuf for the holidays. no emotional trading here, just plain logic

Waiting AAPL...The savior of Tech...

If i could read the market, sure i wouldʻv sold Thursday... even closed my positions on my losers (some of which i did...STV).

The market on monday will be about one company...AAPL... even if iPods donʻt meet expectations... iPhone revenue sharing with AT&T will help numbers. But the biggest number people are going to see involve Macs - specifically MacBooks. I keep seeing them at starbucks, the mall, anywhere that has WIFI.

VMW: wish i closed this position. i only hope it follows AAPLʻs lead
RIMM: it will move higher. tho i wish i cashed out on green also. this is not a good time to be in the market. take the greens when you can. If they come out w/a touchscreen version, then - back in your truck...
SNCR: they benefit from iPhone (legal) activations - enuf said
BRCM: they showed the future. and their guidance is what i think will blow people away.

i will add SNDK to the list. they were shot down. big time with their guidance, which i think will be blown out of the water...

PALM: why do people keep buying these guys? iʻve bought enuf puts in them. Centro? puleez. iPhone & BBerrys, not to mention LG & Samsung all have phones that blow Palm away.

Sideline

Thereʻs enuf Tech news today that will move my portfolio...So, iʻve relegated myself to let the market decide. Tho iʻm now looking at chinese indexes & little known stocks, iʻm for the most part taking a wait and see with my positions

i am looking at taking a loss on STV. a throwing it @AAPL for mondays earnings 75% calls/25%puts just out of the strike november OR just plain deep in the money.

WatchList

I have missed so much of the chinese stocks that i decided to at least put up a watchlist.
FXI & PGJ: ETF... we can use as our index for calls
FNI: ETF china and india...
CBAK: rechargable batteries
SVA: sinovac biotec

COME BACK...

Initial gains were flattenned but rallied by the end of the day.

tomorrow, more tech in your face...

I wanted so badly to get in on GOOG & SNDK... but really, staying out could be just as satisfying as meeting or beating will lead my portfolio higher. if GOOG just meets, then we may see some profit taking... SNDK has a solid case for the future. i will pay close attention to guidance for the holiday Q. there is no way they canʻt be making mad dough. if i see red tomorrow, i will look to go long (fundamentals say: flash will replace hard drives)

what longs do i want to add? BIDU, SNDK, GOOG... pretty obvious huh? PTR too for oil...
sheez... anything chinese that i did own, STV & XFML (thanks mr.fly, i ainʻt listening to u now.) went down...

Congrats INTC, IBM, YHOO.

They all adequately met the street's expectations. in the case of INTC, blew the doors. i thought of jumping in. but i had enough risk on the line.

So, my reward will hopefully be AAPL, RIMM, SNCR, VMW attracting buyers again... BRCM already has done that on it's own.

technicals show RIMM, SNCR, VMW, and many tech gap down to their 13 EMA and some 50 EMA. healthy for another run...

There was a time i would have panic'd. can't call directions in an exact matter.
For all i know the market could sour again.

I am looking for ENERGY plays to buffer Oil. For the immediate future, eyes continue on earnings.

Bad News to Bear

Oil is mucking up everything.

Only one thing to do. join the party...i'm hesitant as oil fluctuates quickly. based on one report... Oil can go to $100 when using inflation equation related to the 1980's.

I still believe tho that the following will have their day:
-AAPL: forget iPhone for a bit (tho this holiday it will rock). Macs are back, especially laptops. increased marketshare = $. But nothing goes green like MacWorld.
-SNCR: all those new iPhone activations must have benefited them somehow. people are forgetting these guys. who can blame them. China is $$$
-VMW: undisputed leader. some open-source and coorporate competition, but well established. is it priced into the stock already? time will tell
-BRCM: long term very good. even if earnings don't meet, the guidance and new chip will foster interest

It's still a wait and see.

Clobbering

I wake up and BAM! my option board bleed red... OIL spikes.

idea! late as it is
*hedge my tech w/oil (china: PTR, SNP), (U.S.: USO, X, CVX, COP)
you from here on out i will be watching OIL futures.

missed opportunity: BRCM (see earlier post)
-3G chip for phones...so i added these guys...


shouldʻv "put" Citigroup. They deserves it of course.

the only good news is that i kept myself from a tech only portfolio. disaster is what it would have been the last 3 trading days...

i will say that TECH will make a comeback IF... INTC, YHOO and the rest report $$$.

VMW: i risked way too much on these guys...
RIMM: wondering if the momentums over til next Q
AAPL: blow out is what weʻre hoping. Analyst are keeping this stock from falling as the rest.
BRCM: meager Nov45call@.80 it may be a bargain. but iʻm keeping myself in check.

preview of the week... IPO...

Mondays are usually buy days... i hope...

IPO watch another Chinese company: LFT Longtop Financial Technologies.

Tech earnings will affect my portfolio.

time to sleep...

Some Relief

Eco report was adequate to bring buyers back in...

AAPL: bot Nov170calls
RIMM: bot Nov155calls

VMW: holding Nov130&155calls(hoping to make back losses)... i may get out of 155calls if it goes red next week. i definitely have buyers regret. today wudv bin a good day to buy.

bot XFML (a chinese finance company). earnings Nov15

briefly looked at JASO (a chinese solar co.) and just missed a pop in the process

If INTC/IBM/YHOO can meet or beat expectations on Tuesday, then weʻre off to the races again.

Nasty!!!

Well, talk about a hammering. I went from being up 17% to being down 18%(and counting). Some contracts were up 200% just today!!!

Wish i stayed out. Waiting makes money. If anything the end of this day was a good time to buy. I will be out on these positions if they donʻt recover come Monday

I traded in and out of VMW. daytraded without intending to. initially i stayed out. but i must say that i knives were what i caught...

THE ONLY BRIGHT SPOT...
i did a good job of trading out of RIMM & AAPL while in the green.

Lesson:
-temper new highs with "put" protection.
-only invest principle...
-do NOT try to catch the bottom (falling knife).
-ALWAYS set your sell triggers parameters

again...take that 150% gain via triggers donʻt ask questions...

i wonder if the China stuff is done...
wait for Monday...

Nasty!!!

Well, talk about a hammering. I went from being up 17% to being down 18%(and counting). Some contracts were up 200% just today!!!

Wish i stayed out. Waiting makes money. If anything the end of this day was a good time to buy. I will be out on these positions if they donʻt recover come Monday

I traded in and out of VMW. daytraded without intending to. initially i stayed out. but i must say that i knives were what i caught...

Lesson:
-temper new highs with "put" protection.
-only invest principle...
-do NOT try to catch the bottom (falling knife).
-ALWAYS set your sell triggers parameters

again...take that 150% gain donʻt ask questions...

i wonder if the China stuff is done...
wait for Monday...

MISSED IN MINUTES

VMW: As I woke up to my account 7am HST. I saw a huge gain. looked around a bit and within minutes missed 80% one day gain

RIMM: Itʻs down today but the contracts were green. i didnʻt want to wait around for a loss.

AAPL: Took a 15%-20% gain for the day.

SNCR: No action here, so holding.

Recognizing Errors. Seize opportunities

RIMM: sold Nov130calls@2.37 then bought again @3.00! itʻs annoying to not trust my instincts. leave it alone! if anything i shoulda bought more

VMW: sold Nov105calls@11 and bought Nov125calls@4.5 theyʻre the farthest calls out of the money i could get. and it looks like itʻs getting there. the sad part is 100 was a shoe-in for this company itʻs Jan140calls were .65 now itʻs 5.5!

SNCR: joins the party. bought Nov50call@2.9

STV: sold a bunch at a small loss to get in on calls.

Warning: Retail numbers this Friday, Retail and PPI report at 830am. So this thursday could be a buying op prior to numbers if youʻre confident. Either way, i may buy friday again... with hopes of a pop on monday, tho Citigroup report could be trouble.

SELL!!!

profit takers are everywhere today. expected by many. i failed to take advantage.

RIMM: SOLD all calls. tho waiting for next green arrow. (watching for Eco data)
STV: Bought. initially sold off. but it's a hold. didn't panic sell (yet). it seems to be looking for direction.

VMW: Hold.
AAPL: I'm holding on here. tho i did wish i waited as planned for Friday. Still there's good news leaking out on their 4th Q

Panic Buy

Pre-market usually spook me. Sentiment is still bullish. I could have maximized my positions by sitting on the side yesterday after selling my positions... sellers regret w/ GS haunt me.

i AGAIN experieced classic emotional trading
-AAPL: should've waited for late thursday or friday
-RIMM: it could go lower, but i couldn't ignore it being down $2+

-VMW: got ways to go up prior to earnings...any big down day, buy...
-STV: maybe i should've put it all here, but alas diversification

Lesson: You can make money by waiting.

DeBunking theStreet.com

It seems as tho there are a few who want to depress the tech stocks (thestreet.com again). i still think thereʻs room to grow tho they are "high flyers"

AAPL: w/earnings coming up. news of Leopard & speculating on iPod/iPhone sales will hopefully push things higher. it was flat today and could go lower. i may need to add puts to protect my gains. but i think itʻll start green all over again come next week.

RIMM: definite profit taking. charts show there are dips that last just a day or up to 3 days. iʻm wondering if i shouldʻve been more conservative if it starts red tomorrow.

VMW: Wall St itself doesnʻt know what to expect from these guys.

STV: everything from China goes up... iʻm just following that trend

Before the Bell...BUY!

CNBC said that FED wonʻt really affect stocks negatively. they were right. tho they failed to mention how much of a rally that would result. w/ that in mind...

GS: wow. talk about missing a big one. i sold 1034am (before the FED). it could have gone either way...*sigh* Had i looked at the chart prior to 2pm or at least waited for 11am to come around i might have held on...missed 125% gain

RIMM: back in. lots of profit takin (including me)
VMW: moved Jan90 to Nov105. wish i did in the money closer to expiration
AAPL: back in. moved from Nov155 to Nov170. There is building momentum.

LESSON: check your charts/techni for momentum.(thx GS)

Another Humbling Experience

STV: i pretty much bought it at the top. i chased it... when i shouldʻve let the market settle. itʻs still a good pick going forward, but checking out the market before buying is a good idea. the only saving grace here is that itʻs another chinese stock

Lesson: wait for initial highs to come down b4 buying, also sell initial highs of the day if thereʻs alot of pre-market action. it will settle down.

Stick to the Plan...Man!

RIMM: remember how i was supposed to sell it on Monday. i was right. at least my gain tho not at it's peak soothed my timing.

so, where are the buyers? here!

VMW: Do not touch. it's gaining attention.

STV: it's kinda my hedge when US market stinks. wish i planted those RIMM call $ here... i'm buying more while it's on FIRE!... i'll get more towards the end of the session. hopefully, it opens big tomorrow.

Another rate cut would suprise me. So, i'm not expecting it. I got 1/3 my position in outside securities to keep gains (and maybe add to it). If the market likes what the FED says, i'll be getting back into AAPL, and hopefully ride this to 170+, if not, I will wait til late Thursday or Friday morning to get more AAPL in the $ calls

SOLD!!!

RIMM: pre-market looked good. but that was it. first sign of red, sold all my RIMM. is this just a dip before FED @ 2pm EST? maybe. i'm looking at Nov160calls if this dip continues

AAPL: strong start. jus missed an extra 15% gain. sold...

GS: sold...small loss. throwing it @ STV

where are the buyers? here...

VMW: Do not touch. it's gaining attention.

STV: moving faster than my calls. buying more... it's kinda my hedge when US market stinks. wish i switched out faster...

Preview

AAPL: may look to add more in the $, mostly positive analyst news are accumulating. they are definitely going to pump the stock. any negative news in my view shows some late-comers wanting to get in.

RIMM: even if the bulls continue to push. there will be a break somewhere, hopefully late thursday. there pattern continues to manifest a strong openning, a lull then an afternoon rise just below peak. some predict

VMW: i'm just waiting for sell signs. may take profit and move strike higher. there have been nice dips ($2-4) followed by huge buy backs.

GS: i will look for any breakeven sell at this point. in the money would've been better. tho at the time i didn't have enough $ to get in. considering Nov230calls, but would rather throw that in AAPL for this run.

WHOH!

Green everywhere for my tech positions: RIMM, AAPL, VMW.

RIMM: I followed my rule on 150% gains. sold Nov120calls. If thereʻs short-term upside this week, i placed a meager Nov135call position. The potential return would offset any regret in possibly getting out early and satisfy the "i should have sold syndrome". With that in mind, I left the Nov115calls (in the money) alone for the ride.

AAPL: they report Oct 22. there will be much news before we get there. Leaving the in the money stuff alone. I donʻt work the night before so iʻll be able to think about the position that day. an opportunity awaits as blowout earnings is usually followed a day or 2 by huge dips. I will have some cash on hand for that time.

VMW: iʻm treating Jan90calls as a regular stock. they have no significant following during earnings. so this will be a test.

First "Outside" Post

Posting this from work (415am). It's way too early to do anything with my positions. I am grateful that i'm up today, since it was part of the plan. I and a buddy thot the market was closed today. Nice suprise!

Some days are just plain good. They don't happen very often. I can list 2 specific stocks of the past TIE(4/2006) & AAPL(1/2007). NOW or TODAY: RIMM & AAPL, and some VMW. My biggest gains %age wise.

RIMM: I do have some sellers remorse(sold Jan113.5calls way too early & Oct120calls tho moving the risk to Nov115 & 120 was logical). My concern involves again moving my RIMM calls. I may miss part of the ride, but i think it will pay off.

AAPL: will be on fire for today and maybe tomorrow. I have no doubt it will get to 200. In the money calls in the same month will help depress the downside, tho somewhat limit potential gains. I am thinking of putting some crazy far-out LEAP call for them when there's a huge Red day.

VMW: it doesn't have as much stock in the open market, but then again, it's under the radar. just sticking to the basic rule of diversifying. wish i was a bit more bullish on Apple instead.

PLAN: Sell RIMM positions at the end of the day & reset to different calls.(it's tempting to hold) Let AAPL & VMW ride, they're protected a bit more than RIMM.

Friday IS A Good Time To Buy!

Well, anxiety somewhat allayed. job report helped out.

RIMM: this was wut we were waiting for! aftermarket thurs spooked me.
AAPL: up today big. wants to break 160! bot Nov160calls
VMW: broke 90. Headed for 100. bot Jan90calls
BIDU: weʻll see what happens monday. iʻll risk $200 if a new call opens. the risk reward is tremendous. a friend joked itʻs headed to 500. i tend to believe him.

added STV: chinese digital TV. opened 35 IPO was 16, i bot @30.25, i actually benefited from my education. Regarding, IPOʻs i no longer get up 325am to play them. initially upside settles as the day goes. if u do wake up that early. get in wait for a peak 1 minute after your trade and sell. (if u can day trade)

RIMM

having missed the last Q earning run-up. iʻm a bit confused where this stock is going. green yes, but it wonʻt be as huge as i once hoped. It did beat analysts expectations...marginally. guidance for next quarter is good. thereʻs profit taking going on. so, what to do? wait... tomorrow will be a learning experience.

IPO list

STV: China Digital
-digital TV for China.

Stick to your plan

-AAPLseveral posts ago i told myself to wait on AAPL in January or at the earliest when earnings date is announced.
-RIMM: also told myself to wait til earnings or day before to get calls
-SNDK plan while sound, my option pick NonStandard was in the end greedy

following the plan... reassess for greed.

backtracked. repositioned loser $ at RIMM, Nov120call

plan is to get out of RIMM on Monday...at the latest

HARD LESSONS...

Sold AAPL: Oct155calls
-got out, trending down, shoulda waited til friday to get in
Sold SNDK: (NS)Jan60calls
-didnʻt understand wut this was...wasted $170 in the process

Bought RIMM: Nov120calls
- i wonʻt be hanging around long if earnings sour.

Argh VMW: yesterdays last minute Nov85 wouldʻve pocketed $!

BUY!

It seems Jan60call@0.35 is too cheap. screems buy. almost every phone out there is adding flash memory features (built in/slots).

update: i didnʻt realize it was a non-standard option. i really donʻt know what that means, which means i shouldnʻt have touched them. i hope i didnʻt get a complete loser. it may very well go up.

i tried to get in VMW nov85calls for a quicky...alas iʻm too slow.

"BULL" market

In light of yesterday, i have less anxiety having pared down my risk in RIMM, true i mite have cashed more dough today, but a profit is a profit. As i mentioned b4, i will sell when >150% gain even 100%. Tho i did notice Oct150calls getting alot of action. logic sez "crazy", but no 20-bagger return came without risk.

Therz a number of "bull" signs in world of options. scanning BIDU, CHL, gaming stocks(i wantd puts) that are down have call options that are flying. just for laughs i thot of buying Bidu-Oct400calls, well too bad i didnʻt iʻd be up $200+ per contract... has this b/cm a money machine?

AAPL takes a break today(better buy today than ystrdy). possibly from news of Verizon/LG with a so called iPhone-killer. donʻt they know that they have doomed themselves in labeling it as such? Also Eco data is due for friday.

GS just keeps plugging away. i would describe it as my "by the book" option for longs. i am now deciding on an exit strategy.

PALM is my dead horse. so wut did i do? add more May7.5 puts. i donʻt see them coming back. forget iPhone, Blackberrys,... even HTC and LG have fones that kick their butt. I will not add anymore puts iʻm done with them now.

RIMM reports after market closes tomorrow. I will be deciding on adding in the money calls somewhere. with some far out calls/puts.

Somewhere in the distance: SNDK is common sense Long!

Panic Buy? part 2

Well, i couldnʻt take it anymore.
-sold RIMM oct120call
-bot AAPL oct155call I.T.M.

AAPL wasnʻt bothered by the housing news being worse. it really hasnʻt the whole year, sans february. it wants to take out 160. so my short-term plan, sell this thing Thursday and hope for a dip on friday.

RIMM itʻs worth noting that 120 is a little far out. the thing is recent history says, red til day of earnings, then BAM!!! this stock move 15% to 20% after report plus one day of 5 to 10%.

VMW: took off in late trading. took a peek at 89-90 range then whoah! i shouldve kept watching

anyway, my focus is primarily on RIMM.

Panic Sell? Buy?

iʻm no longer typing stuff that ainʻt immediately interesting: LEND, GME

RIMM: suddenly woke up to see it down $2.75... itʻs a miracle my oct120call still gave me $ (bought 9/19@.65... sold 1.22 - peak 1.95). the action at this call price also says people are thinking big earnings come Thursday. So, for that i left nov115. prudent trade trumps "hopeful" profit.

AAPL: staring down at these guys, waitin for dip
VMW: no doubt will blast 100, waitin patiently for red
BIDU: up 30+... chinese market close this week, but open here. someone mentioned the last time this happened, "disaster".
GS: at this rate, yes it will get to 290. $1/day. finally grabbing green.

PALM: i donʻt hate the company. really! so i added May7.5putʻ08.

of Note:
BRCM: released 12MP/HD chip for fones. enuf said.

theory. buy AAPL in the money... sell thursday.

sigh

RIMM: cʻmon give me the numbers!!!
Anxiety. Thatʻs how i describe this situation... each day wallstreet seems to feel the same, just waitinʻ especially if youʻre holding Oct calls far out as i am so... what did i learn?
HINDSIGHT: shoulda sold Oct120call prior to friday after all 150% gain? hello!!!
my moving to Nov115 calls was a good idea, albeit as i alluded to an earlier post, i shoulda done it this past friday...

AAPL: itʻs driving me nut that iʻm not in this stock... EVERYWEEK! therz a new hi, and constant upgrades. tho i know itʻs big day awaits. opportunities on the horizon. i will eyeball this stock soon.
SNCR: havenʻt followed them much really...
VMW: kickinʻ butt alright. if they whack 90 i will be on the prowl (like i shoulda wen they skied past 80.
BIDU: trending flat to down. the hype has slowed... itʻs a healthy dip. i may get in as option holders flee...

PALM: itʻs revealed!!! ha!!! i hope to get some lost funds off of dumb analyst pumping this loser. game over... iʻm lookin past Janʻ08 puts.
LEND: no sense looking at these guys til earnings. wish i didnʻt touch them.

GME: itʻs a winner...no doubt. no options here tho til november.

Plan: when the smoke clears on RIMM get out!!! if it blows expectations i will hold RIMM oct for 2 days only. Nov will be riding for a bit, and i will spray a few puts if thereʻs a 10%+ day(s). At that point i will move to AAPL.

performance:
RIMM:
-oct120calls (bought 9/19@.65) today:1.29 (peak 1.95)
-nov115calls (bought 9/26@4.035) today:3.2 (peak 4?)
GS: jan290 (bought 9/19@.45stop laughing) today: 0.3
PALM: jan10puts (bought8/13@.20) today: 0.15
LEND: ʻ09jan10puts (bought9/19@.32) today:0.25

stocks: GME (bot 9/26@58.82) today: 56.15

so what did i learn?
-sell them 150% gains dude
-move options of earnings month if far out...to the following month

spooked...

Now i am completely 2nd guessing myself. my adding RIMM Nov115calls would have been perfect late friday. Alas, i got pounded as profit takers came in. I do think itʻs going up on Monday. but the full potential for the trade has been missed. history shows RIMM dips prior to earnings. and i FAILED TO RECOGNIZE that fact.

So, iʻm contemplating my Monday trade... get out of the Nov115 and wait for day of or prior?

itʻs quite dissappointing to miss another sign posted. and watching my Oct120 sink tho still a profit doesnʻt help matters.

GME will be a hold for me til mid january. maybe even 366 days from day bought.

PLAN: take any green on Monday... sell Nov115 and get closer to strike.

The risk/reward was well worth it with Oct120. adding Nov115 unwise...
now i have something i have to wake up for...

if i was a genius...

well, i expected RIMM to go down today. so i shulda sold (yet again)... right?
except iʻm not a genius... sell yesterday...buy today...

so, wut did i learn today?
the street is down on economic data...
iʻll remember that as days when things go on sale for the AAPLs & RIMM.
of whom rich and those with money buy their stuff...
did i leave out BIDU? it has nothing to do w/U.S. PCE/spending...
i shored up my RIMM calls a few days ago and cudv waited for this...

LESSON LEARNED

performance...

i will soon add a performance/tracking for your entertainment. so you can eat ramen(saimin) and get some flying out of your nostrils. my wife is bugging me on the time i spend with this thing (because she wants to know if the time is producing $$$). i will hopefully be able to back track a bit... to the start of my blog...

options?
RIMM:
-oct120calls (bought 9/19@.65)
-nov115calls (bought 9/26@4.035)
GS: jan290 (bought 9/19@.45stop laughing...)
PALM: jan10puts (bought8/13@.20)
LEND: ʻ09jan10puts (bought9/19@.32)

stocks: GME (bot 9/26@58.82)

note: PALM report Oct 1...RIMM Oct 4... fireworks!!!

RIMM shot

RIMM: As you (all 2 of you...that i know of), iʻm waiting anxiously for their earnings next week. iʻve got oct120 & nov115 positions. itʻs been a little slow of late...i expect such going into friday. Monday i think we may see some nice action...



AAPL: iʻm holding my breath. we all could be regretting we didnʻt buy 200strike LEAPS after Jan earnings. uʻd be sitting on some $$$ now. but year after year has proven to me to wait til January(MacWorld), tho after Nov is a good time for short-term calls
SNCR: iʻll grab a small position as i hear iPhone news abroad hitting it big in November...
VMW: no doubt itʻll get 120 by January. i donʻt have enuf $ to go around.
GME: man, another analyst (manipulator) opens his mouth to get the stock down. and i lose before i even own the stock a full day... i briefly thot of puts to protect my position. but this is a long bull no doubt once holiday talk starts. Halo adds interest.
BIDU: things are chillinʻ out a bit, itʻs jus taking a break...
GS: solid. tho ainʻt moving my weak jan calls.

PALM: nice centro smartphone for $99. too bad itʻs sprint. you canʻt compare it to other smartphones. the people who buy them are willing to spend more...
MOT: iʻve added these guys to my watch... tho i donʻt like PALMs new fone, it canʻt be good for the MOT.
LEND: yawn...

i constantly want to add new plays. but my attention span doesnʻt allow it. iʻve sufferred losers play ORCL, DELL, PALM contracts. i will stick to the big boys that move, so despite the bullish statements of INTC, iʻm thinking of instead adding SNDK (reversed head & shoulders, fundamentally, look at all the smartphones coming out with SD slots)...they report Oct 18.

time(ing) is $

Well, i pulled the trigger on RIMM Nov115calls. albeit $50/contract TOO early. and the funny thing is - i knew it! (the one pattern i have noticed is a huge open followed by a tapering off) so, was this an emotional trade? i still felt regrets in selling Jan113.5calls. one of my accounts wouldʻve been up 300%. if this daily pattern continues. then yay!.

AAPL: buy here? nope...tho i knew it past 140 it wud fly...
SNCR: not interested - yet
BIDU: back to earth? or another missed opportunity? iʻll wait for friday to buy. hope it continues the downward slope.
VMW: i am thinking itʻs parent company EMC may be a buy. reports Oct 25.
GS: slow/pokey. itʻll need to string greens for my calls to be back.

PALM: yawn... logics says i shulda added more puts... itʻs only sucking the life out of me
LEND: i am thinking i wasted my time here. i didnʻt do research on how it trades, but with monthly housing news, i took a stab. and i have til 2009

ideas: consider switch to longer RIMM calls if it opens huge to lower risk...

movers getting my attention:
-UA: downgraded. reports oct 30.
-GME: bought shares...itʻs been on fire since april

Discipline is Difficult

i watched AAPL break 150. big volume. at this point any pull back here screems buy. the housing worries are ironically a good thing as it allows one an opportunity to get in. they donʻt immediately affect the company... you can look at each time the credit woes tanked this stock. it preceeded to shoot up the next day.

economic sept calendar includes:
Sep 27 8:30 AM GDP-Final Q2
Sep 27 8:30 AM Chain Deflator-Final Q2
Sep 27 8:30 AM Initial Claims 09/22
Sep 27 10:00 AM Help-Wanted Index Aug
Sep 27 10:00 AM New Home Sales Aug
Sep 28 8:30 AM Personal Income Aug
Sep 28 8:30 AM Personal Spending Aug
Sep 28 8:30 AM Core PCE Inflation Aug
Sep 28 9:45 AM Chicago PMI Sep
Sep 28 10:00 AM Construction Spending
Sep 28 10:00 AM Mich Sentiment Rev. Sep
>>>>>see for yourself if these indicators affect your stock...

BIDU: this might have been the day to get in. iʻm not counting on it. i canʻt afford the contracts.
RIMM: nervously waiting for earnings, itʻs one thing if u buy day b4 but thereʻs a sinking feeling if uʻr riding a far out strike w/no time to bail. also new BBs w/WiFi from Tmobile.
VMW: taking a break...
SNCR: volume not there...green always good
GS: slow but consistent
ORCL: iʻm patient, but will soon sell calls. it was a wasted trade.

PALM: I hate this stock.
LEND: ʻ09puts for a reason...

plan A: stick w/RIMM till earnings(2 days), then switch to AAPL. dump ORCL shares and buy VMW (again) w/some far out calls.

tailed off...then take off

itʻs these moments where i think i could do a better job.

i saw a +46% (one day gain) erased to a smudge. RIMM calls
-it crossed my mind to sell and switch go closer to $$$ in DEC.
-then the risk reward thing came up again, imagine a one day 10 to 20 pt gain aʻ la RIMM (and BIDU), risk a few hundred for a gain of thousands. possible? yes... and this was the reason i sold half the position in the 1st place. AND the fact that i sold Jan113.5 too early.

SNCR took off....it was flatlining, then BOOM!

my jaw continues to drop on BIDU. the contracts are prohibitively pricey... bulls are everywhere here. it may be time to switch from RIMM to BIDU as my major, with AAPL eventually stinking up RIMMs bottom line

ORCL is not a flyer. so oct22.5 maybe wasnʻt a good idea. granted i shoulda sold. yesterday.
lesson: no earnings month options if itʻs not a mover. this lesson taught w/both GS & OCRL. these are nice in themselves

the movers: BIDU, RIMM, AAPL, VMW. SNCR

slimmin losses...letting greens ride...

Iʻve come to expect losses by now. thus, the name (since iʻd like a gain but iʻm so far in the hole that i might as well ride it out)

as expected monday. things start green.
THE BULLS! (from most to least)
-BIDU: canʻt stop this train...tempted to buy any dip.
-RIMM: my selling Jan113.5 calls prior to FED haunts me. but i shall be satisfied w/ Oct120calls for now. iʻm lookinʻ to dec130 calls. someone said theyʻd reach 105 prior to earnings...hmm i think itʻll be more... i will buy some disaster puts prior to earnings. but hope that zeroes out of course.
-VMW: i am lookin at some calls. whatʻs healthy about this stock is it takes a break on itʻs own from time to time. there will be dips to buy
-AAPL: itʻs hard to decide where to buy. goes down as fast as it goes up, it will stay above 140 from here. waiting for earnings tho. i predict itʻll one day smack RIMM in the mouth.
-SNCR: keeping above 40. itʻs been volitile, but itʻs decided a direction.
-GS: financials are slow to build. thez guys are solid.


DA BEARSZ
-PALM: shall be revealed (eventually). moving puts to ʻ09 if ʻ08 turns bad.
-LEND: i hav an ʻ09 put on them. spec
-DELL: i finally sold the loser

frustration/elation

yesterday was so frustrating
-GS ended down on blow out earnings. today...logic prevails, or profit takers yesterday bought back. still off itʻs 52wk hi. graphs show a gradual bullish trend last year.

Excellent play:
-ORCL: bought securities and a small call position. no spikes, just consistent growth even on a quarter thatʻs typically weak for them. i still have to see if VMW somehow affects them in anyway.
-SNCR: didnʻt touch them...itʻs turning into an AAPL of itself volitility wise

Possible panic?:
-RIMM: i bailed at first sign of trouble. look at it today... but iʻm not complaining. bulls love this stock anytime the DOW/NASDAQ goes up.

Watchlist:
-AAPL: wait for earnings. hereʻs something for you: iPhone in europe November. done deal... buy calls in stages from there.
-VMW: heading past 80, so Y donʻt i buy? i want it to turn into RIMM, iʻll buy calls day b4 earnings next Q

ILLOGICAL:
-PALM: itʻs like beating a dead horse! or any dead animal for that matter. why itʻs up, i dunno. Wallstreet will punish them severely again one day. i will look to going into 2009puts if this green trend continues

wrong way
-CC: the most obvious play...but i went the wrong way because i didnʻt do research. i missed out on banking 200%+, some were hoping they would follow BBYʻs lead (me). nope. at the very least it was a straddle position

ok iʻm done...bye

Safety...surviving a potential disaster

Disappointment
-GS: blasted past expectations. but this market runs scared! iʻm holding my ground with Jan290calls. bid fell to .15 versus .45
-CC: what a stupid play. unproven company... i cud accept GS play, theyʻre solid. but CC had nothing. i completely chose the wrong direction
-RIMM: got in too late and failed to cash the meager gain. i found myself chasing this a bit. a better play would have been to wait for earnings.

Illogical:
-PALM: i dunno whose pumpinʻ this stock. but they are so far behind the competition.

Hopeful
-ORCL: itʻs a good thing i caught this late. missed it yesterday. still a modest upside possible... not looking for a homerun.
-RIMM: some buy backs after-hours. but cut my loses/risk. the upside on earnings cannot be ignored. i see BlackBerries advertised everywhere. itʻs becoming the mainstream smartphone. iPhone owns the highend.

Smart:
-RIMM: puts were there to save me from total collapse. selling some calls to protect the portfolio
-AAPL: stay away from the Lull. wait for earnings date. patience always rewarded.
-SNCR: as news on activations rise then get in.

*sigh* LEARNING (HUMBLING) CONTINUES

deciding to go semi-full bore on the market took guts on my part, but my having known that i missed the bought on Tuesday... didnʻt help. i at least was able to recognize Wednesday wouldʻve been a nice day to get out, but i didnʻt again.

GS: holding Jan290 for now. iʻll decide come monday.
RIMM: sold 1/2 position on oct120calls.
-like what i said earlier. wish i took that "small" gain yesterday. there was a little hiccup going on.
-my meager puts was a smart idea ($ i wasted on CC calls shouldʻv been here)
-Jan calls coming back to affordable rates.
-i will be studying RIMMʻs charts prior to earnings this weekend after "more important things"
PALM: logic prevails come on down
DELL: iʻm reminded of how this was an emotional trade

btw, scottrade stinks... i canʻt stand them...
i couldnt sell my Oct260 GS calls for even a nickel...
iʻm cashing out that account after ORCL reports today.
tradestation will be my trading platform soon.

ORCL would be the only thing left that wouldnʻt humiliate me
-itʻs a reasonable trade... consistently building up, not very volitile

WHAT DID I LEARN?
-any slowdown on the buying (RIMM)... pick up (more) puts (insurance)
-RESEARCH!!! CC taught me to check the marketʻs opinion 1st...and i knew nothing of itʻs management being obviously inferior to BBY. all this would have led me to buying puts!!! which wouldve been a nice little gain.
-check how market responds to earnings (GS ainʻt RIMM), then plot out how far to place calls (oct260 was dumb)

OFF TO DO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS

Real-time

SOLD:
-BIDU...didnʻt see a double digit run

BOUGHT:
-ORCL missed the small dip but getting a fair amount gain. some view as an underperformer. i have to research how VMW if anything might be connected with them negatively.
- oct22.5calls@.30 (wanted .25)

concern:
-might have been good to lock in the $250 gain yesterday on RIMM oct120 and wait for earnings as planned or moved the strike closer

BUY Results(pre-market)

THE GOOD
-AAPL: the fact i stayed away was a safe play
-SNCR: safe play, tho possibly misread post spike down trend yesterday for sellers locking profits, and late day recoveryas a possible breakout
-GS: Jan290call one of the few companies that deliver each earnings. iʻm concerned

THE "I DONʻT KNOW"
-GS: oct260 kinda far out.
-RIMM: the buyers are so crazy (which is what iʻm banking on) even when the stock is red, the calls yell buy me! resulting in green. what wouldʻve been safer was for me to start the call in the money. the premium was what got me to go far out of the money. i bought a couple 10% protection oct70put for my oct120call. iʻm hoping the earnings/guidance blow analysts again. if not... oh, oh... not much time to back track here.

THE BAD:
-BIDU: what was i thinking again? shoulda bought VMW. tho upside remains, it was obvious how overbought it was. i plan to obtain some puts as insurance for the stock, if not sell outright and swallow some humiliation
-VMW: had i gone here instead of BIDU, iʻd be smiling

THE UGLY:
-CC: a little research wouldʻve saved me. lost was expected. what was i thinking. wiser would have been putting this $ in RIMM puts as further insurance.

Spooky time...

So now that the FED thing is settled. is there profit taking ahead. i expect a little of that for sure. Attention back on earnings.

RIMM: oct120calls/oct70puts...not much time to get out.




GS: oct260calls/jan290calls, buncha buyers 2 days. broke above both EMAs
i think the oct260 was a mistake, but a quick move up iʻll sell...



CC: oct

Kinda went as planned...

Well, really wish i stayed up yesterday, so i wouldnʻt have to get up early today. The green signs being up was a done deal.

-RIMM: bought calls Oct120. seems out there,
but as the stock went down, the action increased
protect the blips oct70put
-AAPL: as hard it was to not touch them i stayed out.
good news w/T-mo Germany
-SNCR: talk about a perfect short (which i didnʻt do).
wait them out with AAPL
-VMW: didnʻt get a position at all. will wait for a dip somewhere
-BIDU: bought late (early morning, but late a few days),
still upside related to Olympics
*new position
-GS: Oct260calls reports tomorrow. as expected up. hope guidance good.
-CC: Oct12.5call. BBY suprised, so this is a spec.

DOWN PLEASE
-PALM: theyʻll go down. eventually
-DELL: yawn
new
-LEND: settled legal stuff w/another co. shares were up
so bought Jan10putsʻ09 (spec) housing stinks
-LEN/CFC/DHI... iʻm taking them off the list
housing related, missed a nice short with TOL.
they were up big early, despite dumb comments by CEO.
it went red 2 hours later...

gota go!!!

BUY!!! BUY!!! BUY!!! BYE BYE BYE

Talk about the shorts getting killed. They had nowhere to hide! 1/2% pretty much blew the doors on everything. Itʻs back to the bulls this week (and who knows when itʻll end) Tho i must say itʻs like being between a rock and a hard place for sure.

*I SHOULDʻVE PLACED A SPEC CALL on RIMM (Oct120call x5 risk $250)*

Puts?
PALM: bogus
DELL: there went that plan for Sept. but sticking with Jan22.5puts

tomorrow i will be up at market open. now that iʻve missed this day.
TOO MANY PLACES. so stick with where the bull volume goes!

plan: buy up as far out as possible on OCT & JAN options
- VMW cheap!!! oct120calls@.20? not for long [10 contracts @.40]
- RIMM oct120calls@.50 [20contracts@.50/10@$1...risk $1K]
- AAPL jan250@.35 [10 contracts @.50]
- GS (reports sept 20) Jan300@.10 [10 contracts @.20]

and for a somewhat conservative play: VMW shares
total option risk: $2100 max

scratch that... China is your safe-haven?

it's amazing what happens when you do a little more research.

BIDU/CMED/SINA (china stocks) all on fire yesterday.
if the U.S. market tanks. guess where the $$$ going?
we'll see how it plays in 10 minutes!
and later in the day related to the FED

so, as of today. Add BIDU to the list of Longs.
-play the earnings... upside is outweighs risk.

Short today?

So the FED has something to say today.

What to do? Wait? Another trader mentioned that 16 of the last 20 yrs, the market has fallen from mid-sept into october. He mentioned S&P in getting past 1490 could lead to a run past 1550 before october.

My (amateurish) view is be selective.
short/puts: BIDU & CMED (both had 10% gains ystrdy)
-wish i bot puts...but i worked last nite. so slept

wait on buys for solid companies:
-AAPL: just announced UK telcom. wait this out
-SNCR: somewhat overbought. AAPL deal wonn't kick in yet
-RIMM: earnings Oct 4. so stay tight til then
-VMW: if breaks below 13 EMA. then maybe buy in stages
-their earnings were awesome. already priced in

my "long" shorts/puts
-PALM: killing a dead horse. reminds me of Sun (JAVA)
-DELL: broke below it's 50 EMA.
-(MOT): can it go any lower? NOK/AAPL/RIMM rule

i'm totally waiting for another tank a la May 2006.

"Come on Down!!!" It's the Price is Right!

Financials are taking a beating as expected as well.
-It was one of those Guaranteed $$$ on the shorts/puts

As of now 551am HST, it's red across the board.
One "green" spot involves BIDU. the bulls are fleeing to China.

AAPL: holding up as news of it's mobile partners trickle. stay disciplined!
RIMM: let it fall a bit.
SNCR: redundant? yes. if they hook up w/AAPL's euro deal. it's a huge win
VMW: awesome earnings. and a 5% dip. another red day signals buy!

PALM: i hate them... no former AAPL exec can save them
DELL: i can't wait til tomorrow. hope to exit this trade w/minimal loss
CFC/LEN/DHI: yawn. they will be off my radar soon
MOT: look for any green day(s)...then short them

i'm leaving work soon...gota go

It's 0148... pondering...

the interesting part about today is where people will guess today. I for one will sit this one out and hope for a pull back. Of course, i hope it tanks this week... and this week only... as i have puts in PALM & DELL. i'll especially want to get out of DELL.

my eyes will be on those w/mad swings: MA, AAPL, BIDU, RIMM
i wud straddle to the cheap 5 cent contracts and hope for a boom either way.
paper theory only.

LEH reports this week. so i'll be watching that sector

i've been reading up (more seriously) on MACD/Stoch/RSI tools
i've read other places where these things are useless.
regardless, today will be another instructive day.

Beat Your Own Drum

As my self-education continues. Itʻs funny how the market can make even the most experienced traders look like fools. So, I donʻt feel as a bad.

So, whatʻs next for this week...eyes for me are on:
AAPL: possible deal with euro telcoms on Tuesday.
-so what does history show. buy calls today (Friday)... sell on day of
-buy puts day of or day after.

the timing seems right as the FED opens their mouth next week

RIMM: people still buying it up. must be patient. after FED - hope for pullback
- regardless, iʻm wanting to buy up calls day b4 earnings.
SNCR: nears new high
VMW: donʻt touch w/o a huge dip.

PALM: now we have a few people getting bullish with them. dumb...
- if stock goes up, iʻll buy LEAPS into ʻ09puts.

i wonʻt bother mentioning anyone else.
gota go...

What to do (paper) on Friday?

looking at Stochastics were interesting. but must be used with MACD

RIMM: failed to stay near high. look for cheap puts soon. wait patiently.


AAPL: look for huge dip before jumping back in. Sept 18 news. maybe Euro-iPhone
look for hype surrounding event 2-4 days prior. range 120 to 145ish


SNCR: buying volume picking up. look to PUT soon...


VMW: wait for a huge pull back before being one with the bull

PALM: oversold. donʻt touch if doing puts
DELL: see above...
CFC: spec puts!!!
LEN/DHI: do not touch..worse things ahead...

bull continues... "stoch" accurate?

itʻs 5 a.m. (my time). i figured, itʻs time to look at some technicals and see how it relates to fundamentals. so more charts!!! tho i may start getting rid of time wasters here: LEN/CFC/DHI. but iʻll follow tech, itʻs their time of the year. tho problems are on the horizon.

- CREDIT WOES, HOUSING WOES, OIL PRICES. All of which affect luxury purchases. FED is predicted to cut rates again, which has led to a rally.

so, weʻll see how the economy, company fundamentals & potential, technicals, and stock reputation affect stock price. here we go...

ECONOMY: potential rate cut next week. AP/Yahoo Finance reported: "The Labor Department reported claims for unemployment benefits rose by 4,000 last week to 319,000 -- the sixth increase in seven weeks -- but the number was less than the 325,000 claims analysts expected. Low unemployment, at 4.6 percent, has been one of the economy's strengths."

itʻs good bad news?

RIMM: as i watch another missed opportunity pass me by, having sold my calls too early. a good friend spooked me yesterday. then again a bad jobs report couldʻve sent things down.well, i wait patiently for another. it always seem bullish in general. you can lose your...well anyway, if you try to short them.
-Funda/Potential: still growing. best email software. only competition AAPL in the consumer space.
-REP: the tech bulls buy this stock 1st b4 elsewhere.
-STOCH, claims it still has room to move up.

AAPL: holding up.
-funda/poten: innovative, the ppl w/$ is who they target. smart huh?
-REP: lots a waves... best swing trading stock, manipulated everywhere. buy on upcoming news, then sell on report. buy prior to earnings then sell day of... if it goes green, then uʻll have a nice rally. MACWORLD definitely $$$.
-STOCH says still underbought.

SNCR: definitely kickinʻ butt.
-FUNDA/Potential: no competition. good position, huh...
-REP: follows AAPL... tho % change greater. itʻs waiting to break 40ʻs
-STOCH:it has entered overbought territory.


VMW: has no "stoch" yet. but itʻs been on fire. look for a breakout in the 80s
IDCC: i wonʻt bother til earnings... weʻll see if AAPL deal affects it

PALM: everything fundamentally says they stink, what does the Stoch say?


DELL: solid company really. maybe itʻs another emotional trade for me. maybe a spec. the STOCH says buy!, but i say no. fundamentally, theyʻre having to fighting off ACER, LENOVO, AAPL on the consumer end... now that theyʻre selling at Wallmart & Sams, i think thatʻs tough, WMT is a tough retailer who sqeezes margins. tho i must say Samʻs Club is a good place to buy iPods a few bucks cheaper. and HPQ on the biz side(which is where their $$$ is) Objectively, itʻs a wait and see. but i see how my Sept puts was a really bad trade. Jan puts still in play.


-The Losers
CFC, LEN, DHI... iʻll update this later...

Sold...by the dummy...

RIMM sold calls. i shoulda watched this thing closer b4 selling. alot of people were shorting it, and my best guess is that they're all covering. I couldve made 50% versus my 20% gain today alone. Nonetheless it's a win. I find some easiness in getting out b/cz of iPhone discount. I will get back to RIMM at earnings.

AAPL: up nice. will buy on dip.
SNCR: follows suit again.
VMW: can't stop this train

PALM: we'll see what PR they'll spin with the new board.
DELL: maybe i should get out of this trade (Jan puts)
DHI/LEN/CFC: marginal action.

I hope the FED to do no favors, or the minimal 1/4%. therefore, i'm lookin' for the next BIG dip. then go long on AAPL/SNCR/RIMM/VMW. with emphasis on RIMM earnings.

trouble?

AAPL: it was up solely on news ystrday. so nothing suprising here. patience will be rewarded come earnings...they will kick butt then... or prior to it... then the holiday hype will start. all the way to macworld
RIMM: if the FEDs say o.k. then weʻre off to the races. otherwise, iʻm near a sell, Gio says heʻs buying short-term puts. the charts tend to agree w/him & heʻs smarter than me. my plan as i said b4 was to buy calls day b4 earnings if this long put slides a bit.
SNCR: kickinʻ butt. itʻll also settle down soon.
VMW: crazy...i think i wudv made more than if i had options
IDCC: maybe iʻm wasting my time with this...

PALM: theyʻr actually setting up a nice board. a couple former AAPL guys. shareholders meet tmrw. they still stink if u ask me. oh, and the dudes that sued RIMM on patents are suing PALM now, way to drain more funds.
DELL: they claim they can grow through retail chains. YES!!! i mean, hey go ahead.
HOUSING RELATED: how low can you go?
NOK: buy volume picking up. watching closely for any sign of red
MOT: donʻt touch...yet...wait for earnings again.

iPhone (Apple) factor...

my call tracking:
AAPL: saw that coming
SNCR: see above
IDCC: wait and see
VMW: it may very well be the new GOOG
RIMM: Sept 27 earnings.
keep an eye on SNDK. flash memory will be(is) in high demand

put tracks:
PALM: should be lower if u ask me
DELL: finally logic
CFC/LEN/DHI... considering not even watching but they affect others
...adding MOT...to this list when i find out their earnings schedule

news to look at NOK reports Oct 18.


Theyʻre safe from Apple for now, but trading near their high/overbought. look to short these guys. iPhone news in Europe could cause problems for them.

sometimes things go right...

AAPL: i had a feeling it'll be up today...
SNCR: follows suit. huge winner 10% gain
VMW: shoot me please up 10%
IDCC: as expected, down after huge Friday
[RIMM]: nice. we'll see how the day ends.

PALM: iPhone news finally kickin' in.
DELL: FINALLY! unfortunately i see some buying the dip
CFC: not at all time low. should have bought puts
LEN: new low...it's been fighting to stabilize
DHI: i don't think it gets any better for them

once i take care of some business. i'll get the daily spreadsheet going

i got the night off...

wow my first weekend blog. so wut to look for tmrw? FED!
here we go again... upside??? or downslide? well...




hereʻs a hopinʻ short-term positive news(my RIMM needs help)
however, PALM, DELL... i need some bad news goinʻ their way eventually... i do have til January tho.

AAPL: got smashed(missed the calls on the hype and the puts thereafter) i continue to remind myself to wait.
RIMM: itʻs a bit distressing with the iPhone breathing down their necks. iʻm running away from these guys pronto if thereʻs a nice trend prior to earnings
VMW: itʻs got more competitors all the time. wait 4 earnings
SNCR: cʻmon european deals!!!
IDCC: WallSt still in?

PALM/DELL: PALM is dead, no doubt. Dell continues to fight, i welcome some bad news from the FEDs just please not right away...
CFC/LEN/DHI: near bottoms. how low can you go?

Adding to my tracking sheet... IDCC

this is from NEWS.COM "Apple signs iPhone patent deal with interdigital"

"IDCC (Interdigital) develops technology that gets mobile phones onto cellular networks. The company's products and designs are used for older cellular standards, like the EDGE network used by the iPhone, but is focusing most of its current development on designing technology for the WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) and HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) standards that power faster 3G networks"

when AAPL signs these deals and not try to just use the patent and then work the lawyer thing, then it means itʻs that much more important to Apple to get it done...thus profit from getting it done a.s.a.p.

itʻs more a curiousity. but involves royalties. the more iPhone sells (remember that discount), the more $$$. done deal. itʻs off itʻs high and this deal was cause a huge spike.

so this goes like this
BULLISH: AAPL, RIMM, SNCR, VMW, IDCC
BEARISH: PALM, DELL, CFC, DHI, LEN

iʻll start comparing the "what if" position regarding options when i got more time.

wow... yeah!!...????

AAPL: talk about a screaming buy. i do understand that theyʻre primarily a consumer company with niche in graphics and multimedia. but with the iPhone discount and new iPods for the holiday season. man... but as i said no way iʻm touching this. you could buy a 10cent call contract and hope for a bounce on Monday. but donʻt count on it. in terms of the straight up stock. you could start buying.
-remember Leopard OS is coming out. waiting to hear the European deals as well...

RIMM: whacked again. but my Jan113.5call sure got attention from some buyers. hold on tight for sept 27.
SNCR: follows AAPL. itʻll have a nice quarter come holiday season... and new european deals.
VMW: will be facing some competition with MSFT. but i laugh at MSFT... Vista is a rip-off of Mac OS X all over. Itʻs basically a bunch of nicer graphics...inferior to Apple of course... but useful. my wife still uses a superior OS... Win XP Pro.
- do not underestimate MSFTs ability to throw alot of bogus claims that people spin and believe...

PALM: irritatingly stable. it should be pronounced dead. iPhone $399 (phone + iPod) versus Treo 755/750 $199 or $299
DELL: finally some logic my sept25put still has a chance though i doubt it. sept22.5 still somewhat valid. loss for now
CFC/DHI/LEN: i donʻt know why i still bother mentioning them. but iʻd get out if uʻr shorting. if u got puts hold

Bring it in...

continuing to chart the movements of AAPL. itʻs weird how the latest reaction has brought the stock down. IMHO itʻs such a huge buying opp, but as i said b4, i ainʻt touching it til MacWorld. if i play it, it will be during earnings with a straddle.

RIMM: itʻs following the pattern of a slow decline. but jus when u think itʻs headed lower, they report earnings or recently split then BAM!
VMW: huge move, i donʻt see why it go pounded recently. iʻll wait 4 earnings
SNCR: itʻs getting whacked b/cz of AAPL, but itʻs totally illogical. iPod Touch wonʻt take $ away from iPhone. thereʻs still deals to be made in europe. but iʻd wait for it to touch hi 20ʻs b4 i play them again

PALM: wateverz...
DELL: no real changes... been running flat.
CFC/LEN/DHI: has it reached bottom? no, but i no longer see huge movement til one of these guys report earnings. which wonʻt tell us anything different. CFC let some of itʻs people go. buying time? i donʻt care anymore - i missed the boat.

Apple will sell tons of phones... and other stuff

Appleʻs been hyped up due to this event and lost $8+ including afterhours. see why Apple makes so made traders big $? Itʻs now primed to be bought again...

Having seen Appleʻs new Nano, i must say itʻs kinda ugly. i would have to see it in person. The iPodClassic and Touch are cool, if not expected. The biggest news...iPhone 8GB is now $399!!! can u imagine whatʻs going on in the minds of those who bought their iPhone for $500 - $600? Had Apple originally sold it @ $400 it wouldv sold a million the 1st day. It makes me wonder what their original margins were.

AAPL PLAN: seriously look at this Q earnings (2wks prior) for some hype. then play a straddle. definitely a play late Nov into Dec then again at MacWorld. Iʻve come to learn there are many opportunites in volitile AAPL. today wudv been a nice time to buy. but if i had free $. iʻd wait another day and get in late Friday...

RIMM: iʻm a little worried about my JanCalls here. the iPhone could really cause problems. Hereʻs hopin that RIMM continues a runup. iʻd sell the position prior to report and reposition a wide straddle

SNCR: Theyʻre loving the new iPhone price for sure (so is AT&T)
VMW: back to earth

PALM: ends logically red (no change in Jan10puts)
DELL: see above (gaining back my loses in Jan22.5puts)
CFC/LEN/DHI: what do u think... i wish i held... iʻll never let it down

A day that couldʻve been a disaster where iʻd sell in a panic in the past wouldʻve haunted me had i done so. it still could...

Ouch!!!

Market is kickin' my butt. RIMM is going down on crazy Forbes article.
The one time i step into RIMM and i get shot. argh!!!
It's gonna be a rough week...

SNCR/VMW: yawn...barely red
AAPL: trying to buck the trend

DELL: minimal downtrend as usual
PALM: makes no sense, it's green! why? out of all the stocks this should go down!
LEN/CFC/DHI: wish i kept this position longer...

developing...

missed opportunity...maybe

LONGS:
AAPL (sigh) up huge on speculation of what will be released tomorrow. new music, iPods... more importantly possible iPhone news. i will not touch them til January... or during the holiday run-up if something significant is indeed released.

RIMM didnʻt participate w/the rest of tech, but held itʻs ground. iʻm waiting for the run-up(about 2wks) prior to earnings sept 27.(doing this by the book). the only downfall would be news related to iPhone sales clobbering Crackberries. plan: sell JanCalls if loses >20%. straddle RIMM for huge movement day b4 earnings.

VMW the hype is gone. options are available tho. just wait for earnings.

SNCR no attention here. the bad news is iPhone is unlocked, so less biz for them, if they get in on the european iPhone activations then theyʻr back in biz.

HOPE THEY "DIE"
DELL: iʻm jus gona let the sept puts die. holding JanPuts tho, hope more bad news regarding marketshare being lost to HPQ, Lenovo, Acer, AAPL.

PALM: with the news of itʻs Foleo being cancelled reaffirms my JanPuts

LEN/CFC/DHI: i ainʻt playing these guys...no way... govʻt can step in anytime and throw things off.

just "mapping" out my positions...