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Non-Tech : Bill Wexler's Dog Pound -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Bill Wexler who wrote (8762)2/9/2003 4:55:11 PM
From: RockyBalboa  Respond to of 10293
 
Bill, I found a small application on the internet, I'm not sure whether it would ever run on a machine (I'm not a programmer...). Have fun!



dim sheep dynamic array values [to be found];
dim revenues int value 0;
dim sharecount longint;
dim pr_text char[1024] value ".... .... ....";
static year;
static cash, consulting_expenses int;

program init;
set year = 1965;
set cash = 100;
set share_count = 1;

repeat until cash = 0

refr(0;share_count);
cash=cash-1;
year=year+1;

end repeat;

exit(printf ('Ch.7'));

#functions

function refr(revenues(), share_count)
do hype (sheep, cash);
underwriter= rnd(0,1);
do placement(underwriter);
return 0;

function hype(sheep, consulting_expenses)
consulting_expenses=-1;
printf ('pr_text';year+1);
reshuffle(sheep, sheep);
return 0;

function revenues(void)
# (code missing in text)
return 0;

function placement(underwriter)
if underwriter = true
cash=+rnd(0,1)*share_count
sharecount=+rnd(0,1)
endif;
return(nothing);



To: Bill Wexler who wrote (8762)2/9/2003 7:39:43 PM
From: Kevin Podsiadlik  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 10293
 
Were you around when I was shorting the Y2K frauds (such as Zitel, Tava, etc.)?

You bet. I came in a little late to get much out of Zitel but I did short Tava in summer '98.

What's truly amazing are the similarities between Dixon's and her posting style

Yes, and another woman going as "alien" (with a bunch of numbers) does much the same on the ZIXI board, though her style is more like post the news article verbatim and implicitly dare anyone to question its relevance. I guess there's one in every crowd although why it always seems to be a woman I have no idea.



To: Bill Wexler who wrote (8762)2/9/2003 11:03:03 PM
From: N. Dixon  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 10293
 
Bill,

I was around when you were posting on the REFR board in 1998 to short at 8 and it would soon be under $1. It went to $40. I'm sure everyone has made money and lost money in the market. But that is not the issue. You stated in this post to me:

Message 18546173

2) How do you explain the extraordinary number of picks that you and West Highland have in common? Especially your ability to post a message with nine picks, every one of which was a West Highland holding.

IT'S CALLED COINCIDENCE. I TRADE A LOT OF STOCKS, I SHORT A LOT OF FRAUDS...MANY OF THE FRAUDS ARE UNDER ATTACK BY MANY SHORT SELLERS. JUST ABOUT ANY ACTIVE TRADER WILL HAVE A PORTFOLIO WHICH WILL MATCH UP WITH SOME MUTUAL FUND'S POSITIONS, HEDGE FUND'S POSITIONS ETC. I HAVEN'T STUDIED WEST HIGHLAND'S POSITIONS, BUT I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET THAT THEY HAVE TONS OF STOCKS WHICH I NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT.


Maybe you should take another look at the circumstantial evidence and then figure out the odds of this being a "coincidence."

asensioexposed.com

Another observer pointed to a recent message that named nine short picks. Wexler was asked to explain the astonishing coincidence of all nine turning up in the holdings of a hedge fund located in the city where he lives. And not just any hedge fund, but Asensio's longtime client, West Highland Capital.

Wexler never answered the question.


Coincidence? Or Smoking Gun?

The nine stocks were just the beginning. Wexler actually commented on 41 stocks held by West Highland between 1998 and 2002. Often (though not always) its position was fairly small for an institutional investor. Such a holding is frequently a marker for a far larger short position.

The 41 stocks are shown in the chart, which includes both long and short picks. Obviously, many are small, little-known firms. Is it mere coincidence that Wexler knew enough about every one to offer an opinion? And that seven of the 30-odd short picks were targeted by not just by Wexler, but by Asensio as well?


3Com
Earthshell
Med-Design

Able Telecom
Egghead Software
Research Frontiers

Actrade
Gardenburger
Smart Serve Online

Altair
GummTech/Matrixx
Turbochef

Aremissoft
Hemispherx Biopharma
Valence Technologies

At Home
Hollis-Eden Pharma.
Viropharma

Avanir Pharma
Identix
Visionics

Avant
IFX Corporation
Waverider

Biotime
Intel
Xybernaut

Britesmile
Keravision
Westell Technologies

Chromatics Color Sci.
Lernout & Hauspie
Zi Corporation

Covad Communications
Macrochem
Zixit

Data Race
Mannatech
Zonagen

Dell
Mechanical Technologies


Just as striking are Wexler's messages that name multiple stocks. With thousands of stocks trading on U.S. exchanges, someone who picks three to 10 has very little chance of having even one match with a small hedge fund. And infinitely less chance of matching the fund three times out of three, or four times out of six, or seven times out of nine. Yet, Wexler repeatedly beat the extraordinary odds and did precisely that.


People Are Talking

The finding of so many matches between Wexler's picks and West Highland's portfolio has fueled talk on Internet message boards that Wexler is a pseudonym for someone at the fund. The odds-on favorite for "Most Likely to Be Wexler" is Mike Wilkins, manager of West Highland's short portfolio. Former SEC accountant Robert Lowry describes him as a "personal acquaintance" of Asensio, who has acknowledged working with Wilkins on reports about one target.

Wexler is aware of the talk that he is actually Mike Wilkins. Evidence that he has either admitted or denied the rumors appears elusive.

The Bottom Line

It looks fishy, to be sure. But determining who Bill Wexler is with certainty will probably require filing a subpoena for records from Silicon Investor.

Until someone does so successfully, investors will have to reach their own opinion about Wexler. Was he truly offering independent advice? Or presenting himself as a crusader against deception while promoting the fortunes of an undisclosed institutional investor?
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ND