Today's playoff action

So Obama wants the bears in the SuperBowl---So throw them out now--take the Pack!!!

And as far as the Jets go--well after today, you won't have to see anymore terrible  towels waving on Heinz field as Brett Michaels did.

Steeler fans have already had their moment!

Look what Serby of the NY Post had to say:

"Every man wants to have a beer with Rex. Every woman wants him to be her podiatrist. Every Man wants access to the Sanchise's address book. Every woman wants to be in it."

Heck--look at the sacrilege that was in the Boston Globe!

I’m in. I’m on the Jets bandwagon. I’ve been carrying Fireman Ed on my shoulders all over Pittsburgh, and let me tell you, he’s heavier than he looks.

The Jets are fun. The Jets have a coach who says what he thinks without regard for the consequences. The Jets lack self-importance. They do backflips in the end zone.

Oh, and the Jets have fans who have suffered for years, just like Red Sox fans up until 2004.

If you are a Patriots fan still smarting from the shocker last Sunday, you should be rooting for the Jets tonight. The better the Jets do, the more the Patriots will be driven to beat them. If the Jets win the AFC Championship at Heinz Field, perhaps the Krafts will be inspired to spend a little more money on payroll next year (are we supposed to feel good that the Patriots have the third-lowest payroll in the NFL?).

Last night, I played blackjack with a bunch of Jet fans, who made like Jets every time they hit, and chanted J-E-T-S on blackjack!

It reminded me of the anticipation I had, back in the day, when I was a suffering Packer fan, until Favre and Reggie White helped turn the franchise around!

Now its the J-E-T-S turn today!!

Blackjack!!!

Goldman's option grant timeline

For those with a short memory:

On November 9, 2008 our Government decided to bail out AIG's counterparties, and one of the chief counterparty beneficiaries was Goldman Sachs.

On December 17, 2008, Stephen Freidman, chairman of the board of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, and a member of the board of directors of Goldman Sachs bought 37,000 shares of Goldman Sachs for about $3 million.

During the House Oversight Committee you had this conversation regarding Stephen Freidman:

Committee chair Edolphus Towns
"At a time when Mr. Friedman was prohibited from owning Goldman Sachs stock, he proceeded to buy 37,000 more shares of it anyway." "That strikes many Americans as unjust, unwise and unfair."

Representative Lynch
"Here's the problem...As a member of the board of governors you're making decisions on matters that directly affect Goldman Sachs, and you're a former shareholder, current shareholder, and then you buy 37,000 more shares of that company that you're overseeing?"

Stephen Freidman
"Yeah."

Representative Lynch
Friedman was "obviously in a position of extreme conflict and was given full opportunity for inside trading." "I mean, think about it." "He asks for a waiver; he knows there's a conflict. Then he gets the information that the Fed is going to pump this money into AIG and the positions are going to be covered 100 cents on the dollar. And so with that information, what would you do? Buy another 37,000 shares, baby."

Freidman had to resign.



Now let's go and look at Goldman's latest money grab. In the NY Times, yesterday, it was shown that on December 8, 2008 Goldman Sachs awarded 36 million option grants to it's partners at $78.78 a share, after Goldman Sachs was bailed out by AIG, and 8 days before this bailout was announced in Goldman's December 16 earnings report. This option grant was 10X the amount of the previous year, and it was 1000X the amount of shares that Stephen Freidman had purchased--the same conflicted purchase which caused him to resign!

To paraphrase Gene Simmons, "It's good to be Goldman!"

Cargill to sell it's stake in Mosaic

Finally!! I said that this deal was supposed to happen here.

It finally did.

WSJ
Agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. said it plans to give up its majority stake in fertilizer company Mosaic Co. in a transaction worth about $24.3 billion. The move could make Mosaic, a leading seller of potash and phosphate, a more attractive takeover target.

The transaction also foretells a significant reordering of Cargill, a closely held company that is one of the largest but least-known U.S. corporations.

In addition, the move will allow Cargill family members and trusts to effectively cash out of some of their holdings in the company.

Companies involved in producing crop nutrients are seen as takeover targets in light of increasing food demand from countries such as China and constraints on global food supplies.

Players like BHP Billiton Ltd., which launched a failed $38.6 billion bid for Canada’s Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan last year, and Brazilian miner Vale SA could be interested in Mosaic, people familiar with the situation said.




Of course, now the chart looks different than when they were giving the stock away!!

Give the J-E-T-S respect

Steve Jobs takes a medical leave of absence at AAPL

PRESS RELEASE: Apple CEO To Take Medical Leave

Apple Media Advisory
–(BUSINESS WIRE)–January 17, 2011–

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today sent the following email to all Apple employees:

Team,
At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Steve

Jets back up their mouths with smash mouth football!!

Well, now it's time to cheer the J-E-T-S.

Got to give it to them.

They dismantled the Patriots!!

Footie vs Hoodie

Look at the New York Post:

Give me a break!!  Steve Serby has gone ballistic once again with the below story in the NY Post. He's bought into the Rex Ryan hype, hook, line and sinker, as he thinks the Jet players will be so loose on the field, that they'll be able to take down the Patriots.
---------------------------------------------------

Time for Jets to bring home heads of Belichick and Brady!
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For Rex Ryan, for Antonio Cromartie, for all the Jets, the talking is over.

Now go win a game nobody thinks you can win except you.

Go into the Patriots’ hostile, inhospitable house and beat the Hall of Fame coach and the Hall of Fame quarterback and the roadblock team you hate.

Go win the kind of big game this franchise hasn’t won since Super Bowl III, from the Mud Bowl to the 1998 AFC Championship to the 2009 conference title game.

Go march toward history.

Go make New York proud.

Go bring home the heads of Belichick and Brady.

Go keep the Empire State Building lit up green and white.

Go capture the imagination of a town that worships miracle teams: the Miracle Mets, the Willis Reed-Clyde Frazier Knicks, the Messier Rangers. The Joe Namath Jets.

It’s your chance now to be Miracle Jets.

Go bring a miracle home.

You can do this.
---------------------------------------------


New York is just so full of themselves; thinking that the Universe revolves around them and their sport teams. The top two teams in the league are the Packers and the Patriots. The Jets? Give me a break.

But that's New York, and that's the blow-hard Jet fans. Giving us all this media blitz, thinking that wins games, when they should leave the blitz for the field.

You know who Rex Ryan reminds me of? I got a whole plane of Rex Ryans.

Fly into Vegas one day. The whole plane is giddy with excitement, they are all drinking, and everyone has these visions of glory where they're going to take down the casino, or score the hottest babe on the strip. Or for that matter, the babe with the hottest feet. Do you want to see how the people on that plane look?

Like Rex.

Now do you want to know how the folks who flew into Vegas will look on the way back? The same way coaches look after a game at Foxboro!

Packers crush the Falcons 48-21!!!

Hah!!

Was there ever any doubt??????

First Obama touted Vick, and then the Eagles and Vick got toasted by the Pack; and now Matt Ryan and the Falcons got absolutely destroyed, with another "career day" by Aaron Rodgers!

Booyahh Baby!!!!



Now that was free money from the bookie!!

We may have a Pack vs Patriots Super Bowl!!

Packers vs Falcons

Is there really any doubt on who I like for this game??

Bull market has bears spinning n circles

Heck, they can't even see straight!!

BooYah Bears!!!

David Rosenberg touts Wile E Coyote again!!

What a LOSER!!!!

He brings out the same old tired bullsh*t but just dresses it up in drag! To wit--today he came out with this beauty:

While Bob Farrell’s rule number nine warns us to be wary of widespread consensus opinions, it may well turn out that all the bullish Wall Street analysts end up being correct that 2011 proves to be another wonderful year. But the one thing we can assure you, as was the case in 2010, is that it will not be a straight line up. In fact, we would argue that there are more headwinds, potholes, and event risks this year than there were last year. Enjoy the picture show.

The only problem is, Mr. Rosenberg trotted out Wile E Coyote on April 16, 2009! Which, of course, I chronicled! Read it and weep, Rosie!!!

But for those that don't want to click, because your ADHD won't allow you--here's what Rosie said back then--in his there you go again moment!!  He was as right as Jimmy Carter!!!



And back then, Rosie had this to say:

1. Whenever the S&P 500 slices to a new low, it’s time to cover shorts. Every new low in the past 18 months was met by a vigorous bounce, especially the last two.

2. Be wary of upward spasms where financials and consumer discretionary lead the way, because they typically go into these bear market rallies with the largest short positions. Also, be skeptical when the rally is led by low-quality stocks.

3. Investors seem to be enamored with the second derivative (rate of change in the rate of change) in the economic data even though bear markets usually end just in advance of a turnaround in the first derivative (the rate of change itself).

4. There seems to be confusion between an actual improvement in the economy and an improvement relative to the post-Lehman trend, when the economic indicators began to implode at annual rates of 30%-70%. Even Wily Coyote hits the ground at some point.

5. The profits recession is two-thirds of the way through; there is another one-third to go. Equity investors pay for profits, and with one-third of the downturn still ahead of us, it is difficult for us to be excited about any sustainable rally in the stock market.


And back then, I used this video to respond to snarky Mr. Rosenberg!


It still works today!!!

The Chicken Sh*t market!!

Oh My!!!


This market is best exemplified by Cheesecake Factory!! Remember this name that was given away at 7? Of course, back then it was touted here at $7.37 when Wall Street was despairing and losing their heads!

But remember when Cheesecake started to rally? What did the talking wags on Wall Street have to say? Didn't they say that Cheesecake would miss numbers because the cost of chicken was going up???

How did that work out???

The cost of chickens on Wall Street will always cost you!!!

If you haven't realized it by now, Wall Street is run by a bunch of pussy cowards, who need inside information and who need to prey on others, because they are constantly scared of their own shadow.  And the biggest shadow on Wall Street are the journalists!  Who always see another shadow around the corner!!

The shadow of the previous bear market!!

When it really is just another yeast infection. And if you didn't understand that, you didn't read this shadow story!!

So how about AAPL? Any technology company that spends money on another tablet is just wasting their money. The tablet game is OVER! Gone. Kaput! AAPL owns it! Forget about the next best thing in tablets--it ain't happening!!

But you could of course, turn to the WSJ--so why don't we when AAPL was panned by this illustrious crew from the WSJ in July of 2009. How did that sale of AAPL work out for the chicken journalists???

In fact--how about all the times that the WSJ said that this bull market wasn't real? Read em there!

You know what it was?? It was just chicken sh*t!!!

And now today, we head the head pimp ogf the bears, Meredith Whitney--who after missing the entire move, and then stating she was never so nervous, and then stating that the states would default, and then stating that she said that the states wouldn't default, and then stating that with 1,000s of hours of research, she has some more chicken sh*t research showing that the municipalities are going to default!!

And this nonsense gets a front row seat on CNBC!

So you know what all this chicken sh*t is?

It's just bullsh*t!

Spread by chickens!

Who don't know sh*t!

But of course, you had that, at the bottom of the market!

As advertised again!!

Goldman raises AAPL's estimates again

GSJan12 -

AAPL is Goldman's single best idea for 2011, and now they have upped their estimates for CY 2011 to $23.05, and Calendar year 2012 is upped to $27.82.

(page 9)

Goldman: Sell some NVDA

GSJan11 -

It's extended up here.

Falling wages for the long term unemployed

WSJ

In California, former auto worker Maria Gregg was out of work five months last year before landing a new job—at a nearly 20% pay cut.

In Massachusetts, Kevin Cronan, who lost his $150,000-a-year job as a money manager in early 2009, is now frothing cappuccinos at a Starbucks for $8.85 an hour.

In Wisconsin, Dale Szabo, a former manufacturing manager with two master's degrees, has been searching years for a job comparable to the one he lost in 2003. He's now a school janitor.

They are among the lucky. There are 14.5 million people on the unemployment rolls, including 6.4 million who have been jobless for more than six months.

But the decline in their fortunes points to a signature outcome of the long downturn in the labor market. Even at times of high unemployment in the past, wages have been very slow to fall; economists describe them as "sticky." To an extent rarely seen in recessions since the Great Depression, wages for a swath of the labor force this time have taken a sharp and swift fall.

Seismic activity during Marshawn Lynch's TD run

Vidale said (from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network) a seismic monitoring station located about 100 yards west of the stadium registered seismic activity during Lynch's run. The shaking was most intense during a 30-second stretch about the time Lynch broke free from the line of scrimmage, finished off his touchdown and celebrated in the end zone with his teammates.


Another view 


And here's the seismic on the run

101 - 103: Ball hiked.

105 - 107: Marshawn Lynch hits the hole.

107 - 109: Lynch breaks through the line.

110 - 112: Lynch breaks another tackle.

112 - 114: Lynch shoves Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, knocking him 5 yards downfield.

117 - 119: Lynch crosses the goal line, corresponding to the biggest burst of energy.

159 - 161: Extra-point is kicked by Olindo Mare.

179 - 181 Possibly the replay was shown in the stadium.

168 - 170: Replay possibly shown in slow motion.

213 - 215: Seattle kicks off to the Saints, play resumes.

Aaron Rodgers doesn't have Tony Romo's ole Jessica Simpson curse

He went out with Gossip's Girl Jessica Szohr in Philly.

Oh my!!

And last week, she watched the Bear game!

Remember the Jessica Simpson curse??

Wisconsin girls don't have that!!

Goldman ups MGM target to $18 from $14

gsJan10 -

"We continue to view MGM as the best gaming opportunity for participation in broader business travel and consumer recovery with an improving corporate finance story"

Full story on page 20

Citi sees a surge in M&A

Sunday night's Las Vegas Sands conference call

Highlights:

Sheldon Adleson said he was doing "the Lord's work" around the globe.

Macau market--site 7&8--what does that mean? What is their view? What will happen to the Cotai strip.

Sheldon doesn't really know what the Macau Government is thinking. Wants to develop critical mass. Wynn originally said it was stupid to develop Cotai--Now everyone sees Sheldon's vision. Sheldon doesn't care who develops 7&8. They have site 3--and it will add to their convention center. So who cares who develops 7&8? Sheldon would prefer someone else to develop 7&8.They also have 5&6 to develop. (Now of course, Steve Wynn, in his public pronouncements has been kissing the ass of the Macau leaders.)

So Sheldon would rather spend the money elsewhere, and let someone else have it. By capping tables--the good news is that LVS has the only must see property in Macau. Cap tables--so what--it will bring more margin expansion to LVS.

In regard to 5&6--(they are, of course are separate from 7&8) and they won't have labor issues in regard to 5&6.

Galaxy Cotai--in phases, will have 2,000 rooms, and they have 3,300 workers that LVS will be able to use.

Site 3. LVS owns the site--it can't be taken back.

Junket reps--they "own" Macau. You work with them. They didn't get "respect" from Steve--so Sheldon's mandate is to stick with the junket reps, as good partners.

Singapore:

Haven't yet determined seasonality, and they are still ramping up. They are getting enormous amounts of publicity.  Getting players from the Indo-Chinese market, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, etc and other developing markets who are coming in with huge amounts of money, the haves, who have been sucking the money out of the have nots for years--and then, they are telling their friends.

The players are "incomprehensible" as how much they bet and how much they play, and how much they "challenge luck."  They'll play for $5 to $10 million a night!  Staggering amounts of money are coming in. 1,000 names of players that can lose $10 million a night--and building. LVS is much more conservative than other casinos in issuing credit. They are "very happy" with the progress--and when we release our earnings, you'll find that we will increase our earnings "a lot."  Said with a hearty laugh!

Junket reps for Singapore--doubtful.

Started at 50-60% occupancy at $200 a night--now 85% occupancy at $265 a night.

And in the years ahead--Japan:

Bottom line--a draft of the gaming law will be submitted and voted on before June--and then, they'll make comments. Legalize gaming and change the laws.  Sheldon thinks Japan will be the "golden ring."  Right now, there are 4.5 million pachinko "slot machines"  and the potential in Japan is bigger than Singapore--since those machines just pay out "trinkets" and then, they sell these trinkets to the store next to the pachinko parlor. So legalized gambling will be huge.

In regard to Vegas--I can tell you, that when I went to CNBC on Friday, (CES Consumer Electronic Show) and I went around the convention center, it "felt like the good old days."  Thinks the year "looks and feels pretty good."

Sheldon said  that there 30-40% more bookings at this time versus last year--and that number, was corrected and is really lower than what Sheldon said--it's up over 60%!!!

That's a very good indication where the future is going.

Sheldon: "growing all the time, and people will be very happy when we release the numbers"

Singapore "greatest reference site you could ever have" "convention business differentiates us from other competitors" and "there is no city in the world that doesn't want conventions"

And that's what the stocks say.

LVS


and MGM!


Going higher!!!

And breaking out!!

Booyah Jim Cramer!!!

How your Eagles doin'?

Booyah baby!!

Packers vs. Eagles

So Obama endorses Vick, and suddenly Michael loses a bit of magic. On this game, I like the over-- 47--since I have Packer blood in my genes, it's the only bet I can make!

Ravens and Chiefs? Forget about that game---It's the late game that counts!!

And it's time for Aaron to light it up!

Seahawks and Jets win outright!! As advertised!

Hah!!

Picking football games is as easy as playing this market!!

And the Jets, of course, win with the kick of a foot in the last seconds!

How tough is that?

Easy money!

And the Seahawks whip the Saints!

Come on---the Saints had one so called "miracle" season.  So what. The perma bears got lucky also--And now look at them!

Nothing!!

Once again, easy, and free money for the taking!!!!

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords shot in Arizona

On her website, she said that the federal debt is the single biggest threat to our national economy.

It's not.

The single biggest threat to the national economy isn't health care, or taxes, or Obama; but the angry unemployed, who don't value life, taking matters into their own hands.

Six dead, 12 injured; shot outside a Safeway grocery store.

Remember this???

Take the dogs!!!

In playoff action today, the Saints are 11 point favorites over Seattle and the Colts are 3 point favorites over the Jets.

I like the dogs!!

Take the points!!!

Because if the Jets don't win, all we will hear about his Rex's Ryan's wife's feet!

And that story, just doesn't have legs!

Take some $$$ from Vegas!

Vacation's Over!!

Time to get back to work!!

After a Griswold style vacation!!!

Homeless man with the "radio voice"

Goldman tips GM to 43

GS 1 (2) -

And Morgan Stanley tips GM also:

To trade what Patel calls the rebirth of GM, J.P. Morgan's equity derivatives strategists are advising clients to buy GM's March $38 calls for $1.55 and sell Ford's March $17 calls for 91 cents. They call the strategy a "call switch" though it is a derivative version of the classic pairs trade long used by investors used to take advantage of perceived pricing irregularities among related stocks.

In a pairs trade, an investor buys the stock of a company perceived to be undervalued, and shorts -- sells the stock in anticipation its price will decline -- the company believed to be overvalued. If all goes as planned, the stock that is bought increases in value and the shorted stock declines.

2011--It's Goldilocks with a possibility of overheating

Three scenarios from the WSJ.