Remembering Pearl Harbor – 39 Years Ago Today – December 7, 1941

If you would like to check out my remembrances from 2009 and 2010, please click here and here.

Cassy Fiano, who’s husband is in active duty service; remembers and points out some disturbing things happening at the Pearl Harbor Memorial:

Today marks the 69 year anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The surprise attack shocked the nation and catapulted the United States into World War II. It was, at the time, the worst attack on American soil. 1,178 were wounded. 2,043 were killed. The water itself burned and bodies of the injured and the dead piled up.

As more are more Pearl Harbor survivors and World War II veterans leave this Earth, it becomes more and more of a distant historical event that we no longer honor and no longer remember. Each year, Pearl Harbor gets a little closer to becoming one of those events that we will only know of thanks to a few pages in a history book. The vast majority of survivors are gone now, and when there are none left, who will keep their memory alive? Who will honor the sacrifices of the fallen? Where survivors once fought the Japanese, they’re now fighting time — fighting to keep the memory of their fallen brothers alive, fighting to ensure that we continue to remember and honor Pearl Harbor always.

This summer, my husband and I chose to go to Hawaii for his pre-deployment leave. One of our first stops was at Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. We had the honor and privilege of meeting several survivors before riding out to the watery tomb of the 1177 American heroes killed that day. 33 survivors of the bombing of the Arizona chose to be interred with their shipmates.

[…]

Seeing the names of these heroes was an emotional moment. Far more saddening was the behavior of the people at the memorial. The park ranger on the boat on the way to the remains of the Arizona laughed and joked about partying that weekend. When learning there were service members aboard — my husband, a sailor, and an airman — she said nothing and continued laughing about her weekend party plans. Once we arrived at the memorial, I was appalled at the lack of respect shown. People ran around the memorial, laughing and joking. I couldn’t understand how anyone could treat the tombs of American heroes so callously. It was a warning sign, in my eyes, that too many have stopped seeing the attack on Pearl Harbor as the horrific day that it was, a day that deserves solemn remembrance and honor.

We can still make a choice, though. We can choose to remember the sacrifices of the men who fought valiantly and died with honor in service to their country.

We can remember men like Frank Flaherty. When it became known that the USS Oklahoma was going to capsize and the order was given to abandon ship, Flaherty chose instead to remain at his post with a flashlight, illuminating the way so that the rest of the turret crew could escape. Flaherty perished with the ship and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

We can remember men like Doris Miller, Navy Cross recipient. On the bridge of the USS West Virginia, Miller refused to leave his mortally wounded captain, despite enemy bombing and strafing and heavy fire. At great risk to himself, he moved his captain to a safer place and then returned to the bridge where he continued to man and operate a machine gun until ordered to leave the bridge.

We can remember men like William Turner, awarded the Bronze Star. Stationed at the Ewa Marine Corps Air Station, he jumped into the rear cockpit of an airplane with a fellow Marine, Master Sergeant Peters. Both men used the rear machine guns to fire at attacking Japanese planes, and despite being wounded, managed to shoot down one of the enemy planes. Private Turner ultimately died of the wounds he received that day on December 12th.

We can choose to let their memory fade away. Or we can choose to honor their valour, their bravery, their sacrifice.

Remember Pearl Harbor. Remember the men who fought and died 69 years ago today.

Amen and Amen. 😥

Books on Pearl Harbor

The Feckless Far Right: Exhibit SWOG: Stupid White Old Guys

An alternative headline would be “What I hate about White Christian Conservatives.” I saw this, and first thing I thought was, “does this old man ever get out of his house and into the real world?”

Now, at first, I wanted to just say this guy was being a straight up racist. However, I do not know that to be a fact. I think it is more of that stuffy old white Conservative Christian stupidity that the Republican right is known for.

Anyhow, here is Dennis Prager being as old, white, and Christian as he can be:

The nominees to receive the most prestigious awards in the music industry, the Grammy Awards, were just announced. Among the five nominees for Record of the Year is a song titled “F— You,” with the F-word, of course, spelled out and pronounced.

Here are the song’s opening lyrics:

“I see you driving ’round town

With the girl I love and I’m like,

F— you!

Oo, oo, ooo

I guess the change in my pocket

Wasn’t enough, I’m like,

F— you!

And f— her, too!”

The next lyrics add the S-word:

“I said, if I was richer, I’d still be with ya

Ha, now ain’t that some s–t? (ain’t that some s–t?)

And although there’s pain in my chest

I still wish you the best with a

F— you!

Oo, oo, ooo.”

And shortly thereafter, the N-word:

“I pity the fool that falls in love with you

(oh, s–t, she’s a gold digger)

Well

(just thought you should know, n—-)

Ooooooh.”

Dennis Prager is, of course, referring to this video here:

This video and song, of course, is about a young man, who has a crush on a young girl; who, of course, could care less about him. As someone who knows a little about that whole thing. I believe Dennis Prager needs to relax a little and maybe lighten up.

But wait! It gets better!

Quote:

It is also worth noting that the video of this song includes children who appear to be under 12 years of age and all the performers are black — a point I will address later.

I have long believed that MTV has done more damage to America’s young people than any other single institution. I am referring to the music videos, in which most images or scenes are shown for less than two seconds and thereby numb kids’ minds, and to the sexual imagery and sex talk that permeate the music videos and much of the rest of MTV programming.

But while MTV should be singled out for the damage it has done to America, the music industry in general has been equally guilty.

How does a song replete with expletives, whose very title is “F— You,” get nominated for a Grammy Award as Record of the Year?

The answer is that the music industry, from producers to artists, is largely populated by people who regard social and cultural norms as stifling. Their professional lives are dedicated to lowering that which is elevated, destroying that which uplifts, and to profaning that which is held sacred.

There is no better explanation for “F— You” being nominated as Record of the Year. It has little, if any, redeeming moral, social or artistic (to the extent that this word retains its original meaning) value. The lyrics are as vapid as they are obscene; the video further degrades that part of black life that is already too lacking in elevation; and there is the participation of children in a profanity-filled video.

For most of American history, a child who used such words was punished by his parents, and society instinctively knew how important it was not to expose children to obscenities. Today, adults in the music industry reward children for participating in videos laced with obscenities.

Nor is the nomination of “F— You” as Song of the Year an aberration. Two of the other four nominees are rap “songs” whose lyrics are also vile.

12 year old children!

Black kids saying “F— You!”

What’s next?

Your little 12 year old white daughter being gang raped by a group of wild black man? Horrors! 😯

Please. 🙄

I think Dennis Prager needs to relax and loosen up a little and realize that not everyone in American, including most black people are not out to get every Conservative White girl in America knocked up. Prager might also want to put away the Klan uniform, that decade ended long ago.

You say, “Hey! I thought you were a Conservative!?!?!”

Well, I am; albeit more of a fiscal Conservative, a libertarian-minded person. I find the good majority of social Conservatism to be downright hypocritical. Bristol Palin being a perfect example, not to mention her screwball Mother. (UGH!)

In closing, I believe if Dennis Prager spent more time fighting to define what the Republican Party is supposed to stand for; like trying to move it away from the George W. Bush warmonger Neo-Conservatism that it has been ensconced in since 2000 and back to the traditional Conservative, which is represented by sites like this one here. Then Prager might be doing something. Until then, he his just blowing Hot Air around and acting a bit like a Religious Holier than thou as well. Which, in all honesty, is doing nothing for the Republican Party. Well, except for making them look like total idiots to Independent thinkers, like myself and the rest of the Country.

OH PLEASE! Robert Stacy McCain: Levi Johnson Seduced (or Raped) Bristol Palin

Oh.My.God! The desperation of the Palin-Bots is becoming almost laughable.

You might think Hollywood liberals would embrace it as a feminist Cinderella success story: The teen mom, seduced and abandoned by a two-faced cheater, gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance at a nationally televised dance competition

via Bristol Palin, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin and the Politics of Sexual Destruction : The Other McCain.

I got news for you Mr. Robert Stacy McCain, you Neo-Nazi turncoat fuck.  Bristol Palin MORE THAN WILLINGLY spread those legs and those twat lips for Levi Johnson.  Anyone, and I mean ANYONE who believes anything other than that, has got their head planted square in their ASS! …or at the very LEAST is some sort of Sarah Palin Fan boy or possibly….or more than likely both! 🙄

Jesus freaking H. Christ on a freaking Crack rock!  The stupid on the right is becoming SO very hard to bear anymore! 🙄

Yes Please: Ron Paul says Wikileak the Fed!

Via Alternative Right:

Update: Thank you to voters at Reddit! You all are amazing… 😀

Here’s my stats screen as of a few hours ago:

Thanks so much you all. I will try to continue to post stuff like this, that everyone over at Reddit can enjoy. 🙂

Jeff Kuhner takes it to another level: Kill Julian Assange

I figured someone in the Conservative media would say this sooner or later. I thought about it, but I really do not like the idea myself.

Jeff Kuhner at the Washington Times writes:

Julian Assange poses a clear and present danger to American national security. The WikiLeaks founder is more than a reckless provocateur. He is aiding and abetting terrorists in their war against America. The administration must take care of the problem – effectively and permanently.

The recent WikiLeaks document dump is the latest example of Mr. Assange’s dangerous behavior. His release of more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, many of them containing classified information, is a major blow to our foreign policy. The essence of diplomacy – especially that of a great power – is the ability to conduct negotiations and hold talks in secret. Foreign leaders will not be willing to engage in sensitive discussions with American emissaries if their words are going to be splashed across the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Officials in autocratic and Islamist states often risk their lives to cooperate with Washington, usually by providing vital information or advice. They now face a further disincentive to help us: The U.S. government can no longer guarantee the privacy and secrecy of their discussions.

American diplomacy has been crippled. So has our ability to conduct the war on terrorism. For example, the cables cache reveals that the United States is working closely with Yemen’s dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, in launching drone strikes against local al Qaeda bases. Al Qaeda has spread to Yemen. Its insurgency is growing. Yemen risks becoming what Afghanistan was before Sept. 11, 2001: a vast sanctuary for jihadists. Mr. Saleh insists that Yemeni public opinion – insular, xenophobic and increasingly Islamic – will not support the U.S. military presence on domestic soil. Hence, he says the pretense must be maintained that Yemen is firing the missiles, not America. This pretense has been shattered – and with it, perhaps, a key ally in the struggle against al Qaeda. Mr. Assange is helping chase the American infidel out of Yemen’s desolate deserts.

[………]

The United States is paying a severe price for Mr. Obama’s negligence. This is the greatest diplomatic crisis since the late 1940s, when communist agents in the U.S. government provided atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The world is witnessing the absurd, almost surreal spectacle of the American superpower standing helpless in the face of a lone hacker. Her diplomatic secrets are no longer safe; her allies and friends are being betrayed; and her cyber-enemies are free to roam with impunity. America is no longer feared or respected.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. vows that he is looking into possible criminal charges against Mr. Assange. It is too late for tough talk. At this point, we are beyond indictments and courts. The damage has been done; people have died – and will die because of the actions of this puerile, self-absorbed narcissist. News reports say the WikiLeaks founder is hiding out in England. If that’s true, we should treat Mr. Assange the same way as other high-value terrorist targets: Kill him

Okay, here is the question that I feel the need to ask. Are we going to kill someone every time some whistle blower decides to speak out and expose some corruption in Government? Because if that is where we are headed, that is a slippery slope we can never recover from. Like anyone else, I am for open Government, I am also for seeing elected officials held accountable. However, if the United States Government and more importantly the United States Military is being put at risk, then by all means, arrest this guy and put him away.

I have no idea what Julian Assanges motivation is; whether it is conspiracy theory, politics or if he is just a pompous ass.  But the idea of KILLING someone, just because decide to release some confidential information is not something, as a Conservative; who believes in rule of law and not Governmental treachery, that I can support. Because once you unleash that monster onto the American and World Wide Community, it cannot be stopped.

I would think that Jeff Kuhner would be a bit smarter than that. However, when you are working for a paper that basically was a cheerleader for the Bush Administration during the lead up to and during the Iraqi Invasion, one can expect only so much.

Others: Reporters Sans Frontières, Hullabaloo, Harry’s Place, Guardian, New York Times, News: News blog and The New Republic

Anti-Semites at Reddit show their true colors at Reddit

You know how the left likes to say that it is the right who is racist and Anti-Semitic?

Well, I just proved that wrong.

As you know, I wrote a Blog entry here about Helen Thomas and her Anti-Semite comments about “Jews controlling everything.”

Well, I submitted this entry to Reddit and as I expected, it was voted down. What I did not expect is this, click the picture bigger:

Nice. 🙄

I wonder if the owners of Reddit would be willing to stand behind those sort of comments?

I explained as to why I called Helen Thomas what I did. Not because she was an Arab, but because of what she said, and this is the sort of hate that I get in return? I find it appalling that Reddit would allow such hate on their site. Unbelievable. 😯

So, the next time some idiot liberal tells you that the Republican Party is the party of hate — show them this blog entry, please.

Also, please note; this is not the first time this has happened to me. This is just the first time that I have chosen to go public with it. There have been times, when I have writing positive stuff about Conservatives, only to have it voted down. However, I have written stuff critical of Sarah Palin and Republicans and had it voted up. That my friends is bias and it needs to be stopped at Reddit, Period.

Check out my account at Reddit, it will show that I am telling the truth.

Arab Dog Helen Thomas reverses her apology and attacks rich Zionists

(H/T Yid With a Lid)

I put that headline up there intentionally, because Helen Thomas IS a Arab dog in my humble opinion. Anyone that would make an asinine comment like the one that she made, is a damn dog in my opinion.

So, what did this flea bag old biddy say now?

Via The Detroit Free Press:

Striking a defiant tone, journalist Helen Thomas, 90, said today she absolutely stands by her controversial comments about Israel made earlier this year that led to her resignation. But she stoked additional controversy with new remarks, claiming that “Zionists” control U.S. foreign policy and other American institutions. The local Jewish community strongly condemned her remarks.

“I can call a president of the United States anything in the book but I can’t touch Israel, which has Jewish-only roads in the West Bank,” Thomas said. “No American would tolerate that — white-only roads.”

Thomas, who grew up in Detroit the daughter of Lebanese immigrants, was in Dearborn today for an Arab Detroit workshop on anti-Arab bias. The Free Press asked her about her comments, which critics have said were anti-Israel.

“I paid the price for that,” said Thomas, a longtime White House correspondent. “But it was worth it, to speak the truth.”

“The Zionists have to understand that’s their country, too. Palestinians were there long before any European Zionists.”

Thomas claimed that “You can not say anything (critical) about Israel in this country.”

In a speech that drew a standing ovation, Thomas talked about “the whole question of money involved in politics.”

“We are owned by propagandists against the Arabs. There’s no question about that. Congress, the White House, and Hollywood, Wall Street, are owned by the Zionists. No question in my opinion. They put their money where there mouth is…We’re being pushed into a wrong direction in every way.”

Using this flea bag old biddy’s logic, Helen Thomas herself is indirectly responsible for 9/11. What am I talking about? Helen Thomas is a Arabic woman, she is Palestinian; so were the men who hijacked those planes on 9/11, so that makes Helen Thomas indirectly responsible for the terrorist attacks on 9/11. After all, if we are going to go the collective route and blame everyone for everything, why not blame Helen Thomas for 9/11?

In case, your one of those slow people; what I just wrote was sarcasm. Because it is, in fact, that stupid. But Helen Thomas has all that covered:

In the interview, Thomas talked about the problems that Palestinians face, saying that “Arabs are not terrorists.

Which is quite funny, because it is the Arab Muslims that are doing the acts of terrorism —- not Jews, not Hindus, not Buddhists, not Christians; but Arab Terrorists. What Helen Thomas is referring to is the fact that a good majority of Americans believe that ALL Arabs are terrorists. There is a reason for this perception, it is because the majority of peace loving Muslims in America and abroad steadfastly refuse to stand up against those who choose to engage in terrorism, and chose to take a extremist stance on the Koran. Now, there is a defense for that, and I know what it is; it is because if these peace-loving Muslims abroad do speak up, they could be killed by those who are taking the extremist position.

There is a solution to that problem —– numbers. That’s right numbers. There is an old saying, “There is strength in numbers.” Peace-loving Arab Muslims in mass numbers need to rise up and take their Religion back from these cold blooded killers who have hi-jacked a Religion away from those who simply want to practice their religion in peace. Which is why the good majority of Muslims migrate here to American, so that they can do just that.

Now I could go on about what Helen Thomas has said, but I have to honestly ask myself. Is she worth it? The smart answer is no. Helen Thomas is just asking for the attention. I will not give it to her. She went on about the Iraq War, and repeated the liberal talking points about that war. Which is to be expected by her; as she herself, a liberal.

I called Helen Thomas an Arab dog, because that is what she is acting like — a Dog. This is not to say that I actually believe that ALL persons of Arabic decent are Dogs, as I do not. I believe that there are respectable persons of Arabic decent; I also believe that there are racist Anti-Semite Arabs as well. Helen Thomas is quite obviously one of those. Thus the reason why I called her an Arab Dog.

That is all….

Others: Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org blogs, Pajamas Media, Elder of Ziyon, Solomonia, The Daily Caller and FrumForum

Stock, Gold and Oil Trading Advice: Gold/Silver – Controlling Your Trades, Money & Emotions

Last week we had typical pre-holiday light volume trading going into US Thanksgiving. The previous week I warned every one to trade with extreme caution because of the light volume and the fact that the market is on the verge of a sizable drop for both stocks and commodities. Any price action could not be taken seriously because of the light volume. We will not know until later this coming week what the big money wants to do… Buy or Sell, also what the manipulators will do… Seems like there are a lot of wild cards out there with Europe issues and both unemployment and payroll numbers out on Friday morning.

Below are a few charts showing my intermediate term outlook for gold and silver.

Gold & Silver Futures – Daily Chart
You can see both metal are showing a possible reversal head and shoulders pattern. While they have yet to confirm and close below the neck line we must be aware of this pattern and the risk/potential it provides us with. Both metals are still in an uptrend but showing signs of weakness.

US Dollar Index – Weekly Chart
This chart is not really that helpful for trading stocks, commodities or options right now but I wanted to post it because it allows me to show you how I analyze the market and my trades.

As you can see, the past 3 weeks have been in a strong uptrend reaching the first resistance level. The point of this chart is to show you that if you step out to the next longer time frame you can get a solid feeling of where an investment will find major support and resistance levels. Any investment not matter if it’s a stock, commodity or currency, if the price is trading in the middle of a large range like this chart you should not be taking large positions because it almost becomes a 50/50 bet on the market which is not a good winning strategy unless you are very experienced at managing your trades and money.

If you are going to trade then you want to focus on the underlying trend and you do that by looking at the next larger time frame. For example: if you focus on trading the daily chart, then you must step back each week and review the weekly chart to be sure you are trading with the underlying trend which is up for the dollar right now.

Weekend Trading Ideas:
Tuesday morning we saw the SP500 gap lower and continue to sell off. Traders started panicking out of their long positions and we could see it using the intraday market internals charts, which I cover each morning in the pre-market trading videos. Me being a contrarian (buying into market fear, selling into market strength) I used that high level of fear in the market along with the expected light volume holiday week ahead as an excuse to book profits near the lows on SP500 using the SDS bear fund allowing us to profit from the falling market. I feel we are going to have some crazy moves on the markets going into year end and it should be a lot of fun if done correctly.

Trading in general is a very difficult task especially if you are doing it for a living and planning on using your monthly income to pay bills, salaries etc… We all know the stress which comes with trading and if do not have a solid trading strategy, rules and cannot properly manage yourself (emotions) then you are most likely running into problems like over-trading, getting shaken out of trades easily, and taking bigger risks than your account can handle. Each of these cause more traders to blow up their accounts and big up on trading.

I am giving away my book on how you can control your trades, money and emotions. This short and to the point guide is full of my trading techniques, tips and thoughts which will help you get a handle of your emotions turning the market noise into music.

For great stock, gold and oil trading tips; Please, click here to sign up for this great service for the day trader!

Hmmmmmm: Video: A Constitutional Case against term limits?

I found this to be quite interesting… I did not watch it all. Tell what you think, please.

Via Liberty News Network:

Not sure if I agree or not. On one hand, I see his point and on one hand, I don’t.

Video: Max Keiser’s Call: Crash JP Morgan Buy Silver

This comes via GoldSilver.com:

Quote:

Mike Maloney was recently in Europe working on his next top-secret project. While passing through France, Mike got the chance to visit with the one and only Max Keiser.

Intelligent, witty, and never bashful, Max Keiser is pure financial entertainment. With over 25 years of experience with markets and finance, Max often draws from first hand experiences when providing his listeners explicit insights on how the financial markets truly operate.

He has been described as a film producer, a journalist, and as JP Morgan and friends are now finding out, an activist investor with powerful ideas on how the masses can help themselves in taking their financial power back.

The Video:

The time in invest in gold and silver is now! Click here to find out how!

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

Greetings to all the readers of Political Byline. However many there are of you left. 😉

I just wanted to wish everyone that happens to read this blog a very Happy Thanksgiving. 😀

It has, for many, including me, a very rough year. 🙁

The best advice I can give you, is to be grateful for what you do have. 🙂

Believe me, when I tell you this, we all could be much worse off. We still are a free Republic. We are in a dark time, but I still in believe in this Country of ours. We have weathered many a dark storm and we have come through; a little broken and bruised — but we have always managed to find our way back to the right path.  I do believe that is what will happen this time as well.

Because while money and fortune are nice; there is nothing like family.  I think it would be entirely appropriate to remember that there are some out there, that have no family, and will be spending the holiday alone. Keep those people in your prayers.

I also would to mention that we should all keep in our prayers, the many, many, many men and women serving in our Armed Forces around the World, who will not be home for Thanksgiving this year.  They deserve our best, and all of our prayers. May they come home soon and may God protect them during their tour of duty.

Last year, I gave a list of things that I am thankful for. I still feel that way. 🙂 Even more so this year. The Lord has blessed more than I can ever repay. Those are not just hollow words — those are the truth feelings of a man, who has been blessed beyond measure.

I leave you all with the words of President Ronald Reagan:

May you all be truly, truly blessed this Thanksgiving Holiday. 😀

In closing, I leave you with the TRUE message of Thanksgiving. Please, click here to read it.

Stock Advice: S&P 500, Treasuries, Gold, & Dollar are At Key Price Levels

A new article by a new author:

Thursday was another example of Mr. Market playing games with traders and investors as equities and precious metals took part in a strong rally. Some market prognosticators noted short-term oversold conditions across the board while others discussed the potential for a strong reversal that could potentially take out recent highs. In addition to the regular banter, to the average retail investor the market sure looks rigged when the government decides to sell a large stake in a massive IPO offering and a shaky tape suddenly becomes stronger than garlic.

There is a lot going on in the news as of late, and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts looms large on the minds of many, particularly small business owners. So the real question becomes, what should traders be watching or paying attention to before the light volume Thanksgiving week? The answer is simple, watch the tape! The market will provide plenty of clues and it will eventually tip its hand, experienced traders will wait for this process to unfold.

At this point in time, it is a bit early to begin making predictions as to which direction the equities market will go. What we do know is that the market was oversold in the short-term, so this could be a pause before prices turn lower. In contrast, this could be the beginning of another bullish move breaking recent highs on its way to a “Santa Claus” rally. My stance is neutral at this point in time; S&P 1200 should offer significant overhead resistance while S&P 1170 / 50 period moving average is near term support. The chart listed below illustrates these key levels:

S&P 500

If price were to break out above S&P 1200 on strong volume, it is likely that we will see a retest of the recent highs around the 1220 area. Consequently, if price tests the S&P 1170 area and fails price will likely be magnetized to the 1140-1150 area. We will have our answers in due time, but until a definite direction is known, patience is warranted.


Treasuries

As discussed in my previous article, the ProShares Ultra Short 20+ year treasury ETF (TBT) bounced off of the 36 level and put on a short lived rally only to settle toward the bottom 1/3 of its recent price range. After the recent breakout, it would be constructive to see TBT consolidate before confirming a direction. The chart below shows the key levels on TBT:

U.S. Dollar

Instead of illustrating a gold chart, let us focus our attention on the U.S. Dollar Index. The chart below shows the dollar has pulled back and is now testing the 50 period moving average. I am anticipating a retest of the recent breakout over double tops and this key level is illustrated below. If support holds firm, higher prices for the U.S. Dollar in the near term will be likely.

The Contrarian Trade

Thursday’s price action in the S&P 500 offers a great example of the power of options, which are traditionally overlooked by most equity traders or investors. While I did not personally enter this trade, I did enter a short position with tight stops around the S&P 1197 level using futures contracts for a short term trade. I was looking for a short term decline which we subsequently received in the aftermarket and my limit orders were triggered.

The option trade that I discussed with one of my trading buddies and mentor, involved getting short Apple (AAPL) when its price was around $309.50/share. While I did not place this trade as I felt I had plenty of short side exposure via my e-mini futures position, the trade would have worked quite well. So the trade listed below is not a recommendation, but an illustration of how options can be a contrarian traders’ best friend.

AAPL has been trading in the $300 – $320 per share range for several weeks having broken out above $320 only to be smacked down into the range. During the recent selloff, AAPL crossed down through the $300 level only to encounter strong buying that pushed it above the key $300 area by the close of trade that day. Thursday’s rally had AAPL trading above $309.50/share and the 20 period moving average was right around the 310 level as can be seen from the chart below.

The 20 period moving average provides an adept option trader with a key level which he/she can define the risk of a short position using options. Through the utilization of a contingent stop based on AAPL’s stock price, a trader using this setup could place a stop around the $311.25 area to define their ultimate risk. As of Thursday, the AAPL weekly options that expire November 26 began trading.

The trade listed below is a put debit spread:

Buy 1 AAPL Nov. 26 310 Weekly Put – $5.00 / contract based on Thursday’s close
Sell 1 AAPL Nov. 26 300 Weekly Put – $1.47 / contract based on Thursday’s close

AAPL stock closed around $308.43 / Share

The profitability chart reflecting this trade is below:

The maximum risk this trade has per leg was around $350, however through the use of the contingent stop around $311.25, the risk per leg is around $150. The maximum gain would be $650 per leg if at expiration in one week AAPL was trading below $300/share. In the first hour of trading, AAPL sold off below $306 per share. If an option trader had more than one contract on, he/she could take partial profits and place a stop at the entry price insuring a winning trade and allowing room for the trade to run.

Obviously the trader may want to adjust his/her stop based on market conditions, but this is simply an example of what can be accomplished with options. Once the trader understands how to determine the risk that an option trade assumes, he/she can build trade constructions to fit nearly any trading style or strategy. For a contrarian trader, options offer an unbelievable opportunity to mitigate risk and maximize profits. Learning how to trade options does take time and effort, but the potential returns options offer when they are used appropriately are unparalleled.

Get more great articles like this, by going here.

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Quote of the Day

“These men are NOT incompetent or stupid. If they were merely stupid, they would occasionally make a mistake in our favor.” That comment was made by James Forrestal concerning International Communism being promoted by our politicians in the early 1950’s. It isn’t being politically correct to refer to SOCIALISM as COMMUNISM, however, according to the Communist Manifesto the United States has already become a communist nation. If you have your little pocket size “CITIZENS RULE BOOK,” look on page 8, at the SUMMARY OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO, which states “The Communist Manifesto represents a misguided philosophy, which teaches the citizens to give up their rights for the sake of the common good, but it always ends in a police state. This is called preventive justice. Control is the key concept.” In the September issue of NEWSWATCH Magazine titled “The Ten Planks That Are Destroying Our Country – COMMUNIST MANIFESTO.” The article warns us that Americans believe that Communism is dead, but Communism has just become more politically correct.

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The Church was composed of benefactors who did not exercise authority but provided all the social welfare of the people through the perfect law of liberty by faith, hope and charity. That took real faith and doing, forgiveness and giving, sacrifice and love. Being a Christian was not as easy as modern Christians would like to believe.

Instead the modern church sends people to eat at the tables of those socialist benefactors who exercise authority one over the other which makes the word of God to none effect. They were warned that those tables served deceitful meats,[34] that they were a snare[35] and a trap.[36]

The religion practiced today is done at the government temples which provide for the needy of modern society. Those administrators are the priests of the people’s true religion and their government is the new Pharisees of the Coercive Church established by men. Their schemes of social security are formed like those of Herod and the Pharisees and again make the word of God to none effect. What they do on Sunday is just to ease their own conscience or tickle their ears with false hopes so they may give heed to fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.[37]

Christ meant His Church to set the table of the Lord through faith, hope and charity. To depend on the welfare of rulers was to again become entangled in the bondage of their world.[38] Christ came to open our eyes to the sin common in the history of men and to set us free if we will repent.[39]

As we see the unrighteous mammon failing,[40] it is time for the people and the ministers of their church to repent and seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness so that they will be suitable for more righteous habitations.

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Please Note: I do not agree with all of the viewpoints presented in this video. Like the one that says A.D.H.D. is a myth. I’ve had A.D.H.D. for all my life. I know it is not a myth. However, there are some things in this video, that are not a myth and are legitimate viewpoints.  As always around here. I post and report and you decide.