I most appreciated all the responses to the 'ranting Andy' article. Objectivity is very healing. For myself, it helps to recalibrate my compass even though my boat is leaking and lies low in the waves. It did occur to me that 'Andy' has prejudices towards the metal now.

I find I am more indeciseive than ever after all the years of following the PMs/JPMs and losing a ton of $ in the process: Pigheaded to the point of stupidity? Dedicated to a fault because I have followed and believed so many flag bearers of respect and distinction? Disbelief that the 'Cartel' could influence the PM markets for so, so long? Impulsive and irrational? Impatient? Ignorant because I held long and, until recently, have not sold the peaks and bought the dips...because of the hollow faith that 'one day the 'catapault' would be triggered and then it would all be worth it...and I would not be 'chasing' the stocks higher?

Oh yes, and then there is all the 'advice' I generously gave out to friends and relatives on the merits of investing in gold silver and various stocks...the very worst being ECU and SFMI. I'm afraid most out there do not have the 'long term' horizons that most here do. I know many of you have experienced similar adventures.

Looking back over the many years I can clearly see the missed opportunities. I made a major tactical error in not 'playing with the boys'. We have all had the monthly roadmap for the options expiry dumps etc. for a very long time. Many much more objective and astute than me have done very well by simply observing and acting upon that which was most obvious to them. The 'insiders' on Wall St. etc., must have made gobs of profits on all this...laughing all the way to the short side ... and then the long side...and then the short side... at the pathetic 'goldbugs'.

The Dennis Gartman wry smile ...which oddly seemed to navigate from the lower left to the upper right side of his face...comes to mind. Bill Murphy always liked Dennis because Dennis is the quintessential 'gentleman'...so there is a respect there. What I think Dennis was projecting was that he 'knew' the scoop, so just listen and go along. He even sacrificed himself on his own altar multiple times. I would be most curious to see his personal investment strategy. Many of 'them' were trying to send the signal and were derisive to the extreme of their detractors. Having the media on your side helps just a tiny bit of course. All the while the game has been fixed some really were trying to throw out the Olive branch...to those that listened and wished to follow the dark side. "Play ball with us. We will win".

Okay, okay. The grieving process is over and anger has developed into buyer's remorse. Too late. Time to be 'cold blue steel' calm and cleverly work my magic. Time to attack the future. It's almost time to buy the present 'dip'...and take it up to sell in the second week of Feb....wait and do it all over again. Then I hear that 'little voice': "But Sinbob. This could be 'IT'. This next move could be 'The Catapult'! The naked shorts/shorts could be explosively squeezed! You could miss the boat and end up clawing your starved ego up the battlements after the winners ahead!"

Ahhh, the dangers of working from home!

Thanks for all the information, passion, objectivity and opinons to all who post here.