Howdy!   

This is a relatively new discussion site so I'll just introduce myself and lurk until I get the feel of the place. If it rises to the quality of Mauldin's comment and letters, it will be a fine board.

I chose to use my real name for an ID because anonymity tends to encourage irresponsible posters and provocative rhetoric. I posted for several years on the Yahoo! message boards as TwoHoot920 and, more recently, on the Investor Village boards as TwoHoot. Anyone interested can do a simple search and see the things that interest me in the markets.

I earned BS and MS degrees from Texas A&M University in the 60s. I have been in and around the markets since 1974 when I got a CFTC ticket as a retail commodity broker. I retired in 1987 and have done nothing but manage my own (and no one else's) money since then.

A number of friends and relatives sometimes ask my opinion about the markets since they know I am actively involved. To answer those questions all at once, I maintain a personal website at http://www.jcharper.net. It is for fun and for free - I am not buying or selling anything.