Sitting Bull,

Thanks for your comments.

Part of what I hear you saying is "calmly study the whole picture", "meditate upon all you see", and build intuitions about the entire scene.

Many have used the metaphor of "rearranging deck chairs on The Titanic" before; the trick, I find, is finding the means by which to gain a perspective "ex-Titanic", i.e. far enough away that one can ascertain all that is happening and make decisions in light of the whole situation.

What's required also leads me to the "mind like water" analogy, whereby a pebble tossed into a pool of water will create the amount of disruption necessary to absorb it, nothing less, nothing more. Gradually, with help from the likes of you, I am learning to better judge what constitutes a "real" pebble and what does not relative to the world of the markets.

As you have implied, if one is confident in his knowledge, only the odd "pebble" will disrupt it, and only to the degree that one must constantly re-evaluate and learn.

Let's face it, those who uniquely consult "bubblevision" for their information on the markets are essentially having a torrent of pebbles thrown their way daily.

Your thoughts are always much appreciated, and I wish you well.

Somehow, I get the feeling you are a good doctor to seek help from in an "emergency."

Cheers,

Stone