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To: Sig who wrote (11045)	7/30/2003 10:28:33 PM
From: pbull	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13815

"Defensive investing does not work." Man, that's the truth. I had a big position in HUM (Humana) back in '87. I knew the market was having quite a run, but I liked the dividends and it was a turnaround story, so I thought I could hang with it in a decline. I sold half the Friday before Black Monday, and sold the other half in the morning of Black Monday. Sold my KO, sold my DJ, even sold my CCON. I thought I had a good port, with a couple of blue chips, a turnaround story and a spec. After a big decline, you make your money by buying the specs, not the defensive issues. But I didn't know that then, so I bought WDFC (WD-40). Niche product with huge market share, with about a 4.5% yield. The stock didn't go up, didn't go down, didn't do anything. Anyone who shorted PG during the recent bear didn't make a stinkin' dime. And you don't make much, usually, by buying quality on dips, but that's what any broker will tell you do. PB

To: Sig who wrote (11045)	7/31/2003 12:02:11 PM
From: im a survivor	Respond to of 13815

<<I've had several cases of those, but Prilosec can keep them under control and avoid trips to the emergency room. The VA has free ulcer pills, so I get mine there and save $2 per day Sig . >> I'm on Aciphex and Sucralfate, as well as a bunch of other junk, for a multitude of Gastrointestinal problems recently diagnosed. Certainly not due to the market, though. I really don't watch the market like a hawk, like I used to, and try my best to not get stressed about it. I may be confused, and have no idea what to do <ggg>, but I really dont stress about it much anymore. Now, if I stay fully vested as I am now, and I see my money cut in half, then maybe I will stress.....Thats why it's so hard to figure out what to do. Nice gains and too many times I have watched nice gains turn downward and turn into nice losses. But at the same time, I like and believe in 98% of the stocks I am invested in, so it makes it hard to sell anything. But then again, I'm not a fool and know that the old bull is not back, and probably never will be, and more then likely, some world event will cause the markets to get whacked. So, I am basically clueless as to what to do <ggg>, and am just holding and waiting...and praying we have seen the worst. Don't know if that is the right thing to do...as I said, too many times in the last 3 years I have had nice profits, didnt sell, and watched stock tank. Now sitting on very nice gains again, but half of me wants to sell and lock in profits and wait in cash for cheaper prices and the other half wants to just hold and hope rally can break upper resistance levels. So then I thought abouyt going to 50% cash, but then I have to figure out what to sell, which is tough. I have some that are at 52 week highs, with very nice gains and alot of MO MO behind them. Hard to sell winners that are performing nicely. And then I have some laggards that haven't performed as well as some, but I feel price is still low and selling now would be a mistake. Again, many times I have watched a stock do nothing, and sell it, only to see it finally move a huge % after I sell. So again, I am clueless as to what to do....but I am not stressing out over it. Like I also said, if I hold, and market gets whacked and my money is cut in half, then I'll be stressed.......and I can't help but think some awful world event will happen, or economic calamity will continue and all these gains will disapear and/or turn into losses. Hell, I dont know what to think, or do, as evidenced in my posts <ggg>