AIG

In advertising there is a thing about truth in advertising - not that anyone really looks closely anymore (yes they do! it was a tongue in cheek comment honest!!)

There is a parallel in things related to the financial markets as there is a straight up area of hype potential and instead of some bad pasta sauce you'll never buy again in the financial markets you can loose your shirt if the other guy isn't telling the truth about the smallest thing.

When I read an article like this one in Forbes, my first thought is, well it's Forbes (I mean Steve Forbes - the apple that fell  soooo far from the tree).....not the Encyclopedia Britannica. But then I think about the mix that occurs in between advertising and "news" and financial matters.

I almost went to work for AIG years back writing research and POV papers for management. I didn't. For investment purposes I'm glad that fell through as I would have probably bet the farm on that rock solid company (then) and now would be looking down the abyss. Now I wonder what I would do if I read the article mentioned above.

I know enough now to know that if you are buying into AIG or the gov. mortgage companies you have to have rocks in your head and that some people are buying...well my opinion is that there are two kinds of buyers right now. One buyer is the "me type" who thinks this phoenix will gain rise from the ashes and the other buyer is probably the guy who thinks that if he keeps this stock alive some guy like me will come along and buy (from him).