Diary of a madman

When I first started writing this Taking Stock column/blog however long ago, it was intended to be a diary of sorts that would convey the average guy's attempts to beat the market, or at least stay ahead of the game. 

Well here's today's entry: I'm sick of it all. I'm sick of the question: "Do you see a bottom in sight?" Ditto: "Do you think we'll turn the corner soon?", "Is it too early to jump back into financials?", "What do you think the week's going to be like for stocks?" and "What do you make of this data?" I'll tell you what you can make of the data: Nothing. Because nothing makes sense. 

At midday last Tuesday the Dow rallied to 11,700. By midday Friday we were on the brink of breaking through the 11,000 floor again. I get whiplash watching it all. And of course, I followed the dumb herd and dumped what little I had "put to work" in the market before the selling subsided Friday afternoon. 

Already I'm questioning the move, and even though I promised my wife a stress-free weekend, I'm sure I will have internally beaten myself up by the time you read this. But was it the wrong move? Unemployment jumped to 6.1 percent last week, taking many by surprise. 

Some top economists have opined that even if the Fed cut rates again after their already aggressive loosening campaign, it would do little to improve the current economic picture. Apple (AAPL) is getting ready to unveil some super-duper, nifty, secret gadget on Tuesday. 

But how many of the thousands of people losing their jobs each month will want to, or be able to, pony up the money for it? I've just become incredibly frustrated of late and figure it's bet to sit tight until some type of clear signal emerges — if indeed it ever does. 

So as I write this entry on a Friday afternoon, I look forward to a relaxing weekend, free of any thought about the market or what it might be doing come this week. I won't be bothered by that nagging thought: "Should I have stayed in?", or even "Do you think we'll turn the corner soon?" 

Yeah right, who am I kidding?

Brian