99% of the conversations I have about the markets are a waste of my life. They usually go something like this:

Person #1 (lurking in doorway/hallway/over computer):
“So what do you think about the market?”

Person #2 (making eye contact):
“Oh, I’m bearish.” or “Oh, I’m bullish.”

Person #1 (nodding seriously):
“Ahhhh, why?”

Person #2 (holding that eye contact):
“Well, what with peak oil, the commodity cycle is blah,blah,blah.” or “Economists are still expecting Canada’s economy to blah, blah, blah.” or
“Oh, the fundamental story remains very —”

And so on….

At the end of the conversation – whether I’m Person #1 or Person #2 — I realize I’ve once again lost precious moments from my day. Not that I’m complaining. I’m always looking for ways to waste time. I’d just prefer to waste it in more productive ways.

There’s so much spin out there: glib opinions, flawed logic, incorrect data. It’s practically impossible to stay on top of things or — at the least — form an intelligent opinion of your own. In my own attempts to stay on top, I try to screen the truth from the talk via those “clickworthy” articles that contain information that added a little value to my day. In my previous incarnation as a research analyst, writing investment reports was a great way for me to organize my thoughts. This blog should help in that respect, as well as allow me to occasionally vent about something that has raised my ire. Hopefully, it’ll add value to your day, or at least waste it as well as Keyboard Cat.