Read Larry Connors' blog – Short Term Trading Strategies
Sure, your portfolio is in the dumper, your house is now worth what you paid for it 15 years ago, and you're No. 127 on Wal-Mart's waiting list for greeters for the 2012 Christmas season.
It could be worse. You could live in Phoenix.
Ah, yes, the Valley of the Sun, where traffic at rush hour apes drive times in L.A. and they talk about 109 degrees as a cooling trend.
But that's not why I'm dissing Phoenix at this juncture, as the politicians like to say.
And say. And say. And say.
My friends, as another politico is wont to wax, you haven't lived political ads until you've seen the slop served up on Phoenix TV.
Once you do, you will fall down on your knobby knees and kiss your TV screen every time a Tim Bee, Gabby Giffords, or save-our-payday-loans-and/or-marriages ad pops up on the telly.
Here, we may be subjected to, oh, nine or 10 political ads an hour. In Phoenix, they churn out that many during every commercial break.
I kid you not.
Last weekend, we were up north, where our local cable provider offers only a Phoenix feed.
Which means we got a heavy dose of shootings, freeway pileups and near-drownings, delivered by the usual over-nipped, tucked and moussed talking heads.
That we can take, figuring, what the heck, we're looking at Tucson TV 20 years down the road.
What is hard to swallow, however, is the relentless stream of political ads right now -- one after the other and often supporting opposite views.
First we see Candidate A, dressed in denim and hobnobbing with ordinary folk over at the county fair, while the voice-over croons approvingly about how Candidate A took on the special interests and how "he'll fight for you in Washington."
Sounds good.
But then, lo and behold, not 60 seconds later here's the same guy popping back up on the television screen. Only now he's wearing a shiny suit and his face is pasty white and slightly sweaty.
Say, could it be from all that fighting for us in Washington? Hardly.
For this time the voice-over -- usually a disapproving female -- ticks off a list of no-no's, ones involving higher taxes, lobbyists and Washington insiders.
So now we're really confused. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? No time to dwell. For along comes another set of ads, pro and con, this time for a female candidate.
One ad paints her as a progressive who'll -- stop me if you've heard this before -- fight for us in Washington.
Right behind it gallops the rebuttal ad, stuffing her deep in the pockets of those danged special interests. And, yes, there's that disapproving female voice again.
Where do they get these dames from, and why do they all sound like Mrs. Smithers, your second-grade teacher who once caught you throwing a spit wad across the room?
Trust me. Somewhere, big bucks have been spent on research that determined that you would never, ever vote for someone Mrs. Smithers disapproved of.
One can only wonder what these ladies will do after the election.
Perhaps they'll go back to hawking discount furniture stores and appliance showrooms.
We can hardly wait.
--Bonnie Henry's column appears Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Reach her at 434-4074 or at bhenry@azstarnet.com, or write to 3295 W. Ina Road, Suite 125, Tucson AZ 85741.
To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
More News:
Market Updates |
Stock Alerts |
All Trading News |
Stock Index
About TradingMarkets | Contact | Advertise | Careers | Link to Us | Site Map | Help | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Return Policy | Testimonials | Feedback
The Connors Group, Inc. ("Company") is not an investment advisory service, nor a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer and does not purport to tell or suggest which securities or currencies customers should buy or sell for themselves. The analysts and employees or affiliates of Company may hold positions in the stocks, currencies or industries discussed here. You understand and acknowledge that there is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities and/or currencies. The Company, the authors, the publisher, and all affiliates of Company assume no responsibility or liability for your trading and investment results. Factual statements on the Company's website, or in its publications, are made as of the date stated and are subject to change without notice.
It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable or that they will not result in losses. Past results of any individual trader or trading system published by Company are not indicative of future returns by that trader or system, and are not indicative of future returns which be realized by you. In addition, the indicators, strategies, columns, articles and all other features of Company's products (collectively, the "Information") are provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Examples presented on Company's website are for educational purposes only. Such set-ups are not solicitations of any order to buy or sell. Accordingly, you should not rely solely on the Information in making any investment. Rather, you should use the Information only as a starting point for doing additional independent research in order to allow you to form your own opinion regarding investments. You should always check with your licensed financial advisor and tax advisor to determine the suitability of any investment.
HYPOTHETICAL OR SIMULATED PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE CERTAIN INHERENT LIMITATIONS. UNLIKE AN ACTUAL PERFORMANCE RECORD, SIMULATED RESULTS DO NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL TRADING AND MAY NOT BE IMPACTED BY BROKERAGE AND OTHER SLIPPAGE FEES. ALSO, SINCE THE TRADES HAVE NOT ACTUALLY BEEN EXECUTED, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE UNDER- OR OVER-COMPENSATED FOR THE IMPACT, IF ANY, OF CERTAIN MARKET FACTORS, SUCH AS LACK OF LIQUIDITY. SIMULATED TRADING PROGRAMS IN GENERAL ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DESIGNED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL OR IS LIKELY TO ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN.
The Connors Group, Inc.
15260 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 2200
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
© Copyright 2009 The Connors Group, Inc.
