High finance

So I take in my little paltry IRA contribution this morning. I'm going to D.A.Davidson. Dad has had Jim Fleck as an adviser for about 35 years or so, and I'm dealing with the next generation, Jason Fleck. I don't know, I doubt I'd get much attention except for Dad's estate.

Anyway, I'm standing at the outer counter for several minutes, before my wife figures out there is an inner sanctum (which is why I brought her along). Silly. So I sign over the check, and Jason comes out to greet me, and I hurry away. (we were late for work) I'm sure they were rolling their eyes after me.

It's not much money, but I figure I can do this for another 8 or 10 years, 12k per year, and maybe I won't be depending solely on S.S. We made a full contribution for 2008 with Linda, but at the last minute I held back on my contribution because it would've brought my operating expenses way down, and I've sworn to keep a nice cushion for the sake of keeping the stress at bay.

And as long as I'm making contribution, I decided I would indeed 'time' the market using my own instincts. Last time, I did it in mid-March, and my IRA increased nearly 1/3rd, despite missing the bottom by about 10 days. As I've mentioned before, I think the economic news is suddenly going to 'look' good for a few months, as we start to double up on last years collapse.

Not that I think the economy is actually improving by much, but that the stock market will think it is. The 'experts' are now calling for a 10% correction, and I'm prepared for that to happen, but I think the next quarter is going to be up.

If nothing else, it gives me a reason to check stock prices every day...

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Speaking of reality vs impression, I pick up the Cascade Arts and Entertainment magazine once in a while as a lark, and came across this statement in the article, "GALLERIES SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL."

"Cautious Optimism' seems to be the buzzword at local art galleries, with an uptick in sales in recent months daring many to hope that the worst of the recession might be over as consumers reject the resounding negativity in today's media and start to pry open their wallets with a renewed sense of confidence."

Hoot! There are so many things wrong with this paragraph, I don't know where to start. I really shouldn't pick on the reality challenged, but come on.

I especially love the juxtapositions of two different levels of adjectives in the same phrases:

"pry open -- confidence"

"uptick -- hope that the worst might be over"

That paragraph is just plain conflicted.

But, hey, maybe they're right. All the galleries quoted in the article at least were doing well enough to advertise in the magazine....

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