Bill,
I enjoy your photos and your writing. I'm quite happy both are back. Can't wait for your book to come out...great cover.

My workday ( in bed with my lap top on a bed tray ) isn't the same without you.

Sarah Hadassah

Bill,

Glad to see that you ae the mend. Existing Home Sales Actual for Dec came out today well below Concensus Forecast. Result: Home Constructors are down over 3% so far today. Tomorrow, New Home Sales for Dec are released. The current consensus forecast is actually ABOVE the prior actual. There is no doubt in my mind that the Actual for New Homes will be down sharply from consensus forecast as well, and that HB&B knows this number now. Ergo, the big drop today in Builders. The slide in housing is far from over. When one combines this with your rising Treasury yield scenario we have the makings of a "perfect storm" in equity markets. PMs will do fine in these troubled times.

Glad to see you're on the road to recovery Bill! I hear that living next to water or mountains helps your health. Keep watching the birds.

I hope your book cover doesn't give too much PR to the book located to the top right of it. Will definitely stand out on the bookshelves with that arrow though.

What do you think of Whole Foods at this point in the game? And Citigroup's wood-burning fireplace?

http://www.banknet360.com/news/NewsAbstract.do?na_id=7204&service_id=1&bi_id=

Thought you might find this funny when dealing with Novalawyer-like characters. (lawyers are #1)

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/10/you_have_to_lov.html

cheers

From what I have read, oil producing nations are selling Treasuries as the price of crude falls. This is raising rates. Since our economy depends on the symbiotic relationship of US customers buying their exports as our trading partners recycle their dollars into our bond market, a significant oil price decline as we have just had may be bad for our economy as it raises rates, which further pricks the housing bubble. In fact, the president may have decided to raise the strategic petroleum reserve in order to boost the oil price and stop the rise of rates. Or to prepare for war with Iran. My head is spinning. All I know is the bullish case for gold has a lot of support.

TerryC, good points about the housing market. But remember that those numbers are seaonally adjusted, so it could be higher.

However, the fact is earnings reports from builders reveal the true extent of the problems builders are facing -- which can be most easily summarized in their drammatically reduced backlogs and operating margins.

The shills for the builders posing as analysts (Whelan, Kim and Oppenheim) coincidentally work for the institutions who stand to lose the most from an ongoing downturn in housing. They have no credibility. Ivy Zellman of Credit Suisse is the only analyst covering this sector with consistent integrity and the courage to call a spade a spade.

Bill
Sorry to be the devil's advocate, but, as you know, I have done very well by the companies for whom I have engineered their particular images and strengths, and I have to say that the proposed book cover is totally wrong...R-O-N-G, wrong.
The worst possible image you could portrait is to be another "how to get rich" book, and the cover you and your publishers are proposing is (to my eye) the very thing that regularly puts me off in this particular genre.
Leisa, help.
I would prefer that you take a more conservative and intellectual approach and set yourself appart from the "get rich quick" melieu.
Why don't we all brain storm a graphic that is closer to your real soul?

Bill,

I tend to keep my comments to myself, for better or worse.

In this case I must agree with Rigdon. The first feeling I get from it is generic. It stands out, but in the way a lot of other trading books that I would not read stand out.

Just my opinion but I think maybe a reader "focus group" could help. Personally, I could careless what the dust jacket looks like though, as I am sure the experience/information within will be well worth the price.

In all honesty had I not been familiar with you I would probably not even read the dust jacket.

Bill great to hear your feeling better. My two-cents worth on the cover; first thought that came to mind was "text-book" (colorful, large logo/icon, etc...). As Prof. Friedman once told me in his ECON. 427 class down on the farm "the product should be able to sell itself." Then again got some good lookin "sizzle" there as well!

Bill,
Oh boy! Now you did it... here comes everyone's two cents!

Well, since you asked - I also think the jacket says "get your scientific calculators out kids".

After being a daily reader since '05, my favourite posts are the ones that start out with a simple RSI analysis of a well-known mining stock which reminds you of the time years ago when you first met the CEO before he was anybody and took him to lunch and ran into the ambassador of that small South American country who invited you both down for the weekend and you went, only to run into those two other guys from BigMiner Inc. who were down there trying to do their deal on the QT and after some things that really shouldn't be mentioned in mixed company transpired, you returned to the office Monday morning with more of an education than you could ever get at MBA school.

What you have been trying to teach us is how to "feel" the market and how people shape it.

Without having read it it just seems that the cover doesn't do justice to the treasure of information I'm sure is inside.

Just my .02

p.s. glad you are feeling better.

Just have to say...si, exactamente, CleanDeal.

Hi Bill,
Glad to hear you are on the mend! I have been following your Blog for 6 months now and learning lots.
I agree with rigdon and would be looking for a title that was different than the usual (stocks,trades,etc) maybe something a little sexy. something like ... "WHAT WE WHISPER TO OUR FRIENDS" how to win in the market.
Regards Brian