Disqus - Latest Comments for anysunday

Re: Should I Earn Points or Miles with Marriott Rewards?

anysunday — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 10:58:17 -0000

One caution on Marriott -- you can't easily churn its Chase Visa card. I used to do this once a year, but after canceling in Jan 2015 and renewing in Feb. was sent a notice saying the 50k points bonus on the new card would not be permitted. The rep said their policy now is an account must be closed for 2 years (!) before reapplying for new card and earning the bonus.

I tried arguing for an exception, since the only fine print I remember said must be a new application or must not have applied within last year (which worked before). No dice. You literally can't have an active, open card account for 2 years if you want to get a new card bonus.

I still occasionally stay at Marriott brands, and the 10x pts are helpful. But the card policy is making me reconsider.

Re: US Airways Grand Slam 2011 Master Guide

anysunday — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:42:42 -0000

I'm late to this promotion and hurrying to complete several categories. Lots of free/low-cost ones that are easy. Have a few questions, sorry if repeating earlier threads:

1. Magazines for Miles -- comes up blank (no mags listed) via the link in the threads. can't find a link on USAir site.
2. hotels - the point transfers all look too high, except for Starwood. and they currently are giving a bonus for AmEx transfers, 1800 AmEx=999 points (don't ask about how they came up with that ratio)
3. SkyMall - I thought this was all expensive shlock but there's decent cheap wine, gift, and video choices
4. Audience Rewards - I did the trivia 2 weeks ago but no points credited yet
5. Wine Insiders - is a subscription really required?
6. Energy Plus - like other I got suckered into this before. STAY AWAY, the rates are double what you normally pay.

any other last-minute tips?

Re: Its a Wrap Daily Options Report

anysunday — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:19:41 -0000

hey Adam I will miss the site ... it's the optimized mix of wit, trading, and pix... but crap now I have to learn the whole Twitter thing.

what did Neil Young say about theta, "it's better to burn out than decay"

Re: Viewer Email Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:06:47 -0000

saw your Twitter comment on the J-E-T-S chants in Egypt, lol.

reminds me of the 1980s Pirates utility player Sammy "Walks Like an Egyptian" Khalifa. still the only MLB player of Egyptian descent and apparently the only Arab Muslim player.

couldn't hit a lick but would draw a walk, lifetime BB% of 10%. compare that to the Mets alleged table-setter Jose Reyes, whose walk % is a gaudy 6.8%.

Re: VIX-Plosion 2011 Daily Options Report

anysunday — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:43:25 -0000

besides SPY and IWM what other index options do you like to trade on vol spikes?

QQQQ is just so AAPL heavy that it's tough to handle.

and there's not enough premium in EEM to sell that, even though you'd think the Egypt-type blowups would put more fear into it.

Re: What Can We Learn From Mike Tomlin? Daily Options Report

anysunday — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:38:03 -0000

just catching up on this thread as we are now officially in Super Bowl week... I definitely liked Tomlin's call, the chance to end the game was right there. and he didn't want to give the Jets the ball back, even with 90 yards to go.

also, he (or the offensive coordinator) made a different call in their playoff game vs Jax a few years ago. almost exact same spot, Steelers up by a few points with less than 2 mins, 3rd and 6. he had Ben run, he got stuffed. they punted and Garrad scrambled his way to a Jax TD to win it.

now looking ahead ... don't know why Packers are 2.5-3 pt favorites, I guess bettors love Rogers and their higher-octane offense. but I'd think this game will be dictated by defense and turnovers. so I'm tempted to try to get 3pts on Steelers... or over the total of Troy P/Clay Matthews hair references...

Re: Is 80 Volatility Ever Cheap? Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:39:24 -0000

I've been trying to figure out a way to play MCP but it's just too dicey, short or long.

now maybe if they figure out the rare earth elements can be used as a breakthrough biotech drug... that can be sold using social media to China... then I'm all in, baby!

Re: The Fan Experience Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:29:49 -0000

as a fellow Pittsburgh native I can sympathize with Cuban on seeing the Bucs (good then) and Steelers (terrible then) as a kid with my older brother. I don't think it cost us more than paper route money to get good seats and a few drinks (sodas, sir).

as someone who did not sell an Internet company for a bajillion $ I can't identify with Cuban to do this today. at least in NY, no way I would spend $300-400 to bring 2 kids to any baseball game. my kids aren't really fans but they won't have a chance with my spending habits... my God, that’s one NFLX put contract you’re charging for a box seat!!

Re: Deep Thoughts | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:47:03 -0000

thanks Adam for paying attention to the Bucs -- next week they will clinch and extend their loser's record to 18 seasons in a row below .500. I still blame it on Dave Parker buying coke from the Parrot.

but they finally are getting together some good young talent on the field. just painful til they can get a few starters as well.

I am suffering on the short side of NFLX. classic case of the market telling me I am totally wrong, as you note. meanwhile I stream their movies to TV via our kids' PlayStation (higher def than using the Wii). d'oh!

Re: WeeklyOptionPalooza | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:12:20 -0000

I think I asked before and maybe you answered -- where are you trading these weeklies?

my two-buck Chuck broker (Schwab) doesn't show 'em. guess I'll have to call the options desk and ask for the secret password.

and where do you think the volume is coming from? can't be retail. but is it hedging, pure speculation, dispersion trades, boredom between monthly expiration, etc.

Re: Jamba Juiced | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:37:25 -0000

wow, great pix... I remember Bonds when he came up in his lithe form. he originally was leadoff hitter for the Bucs based on that profile (good ave, speed, but not huge power).

must be all those fatty tuna rolls he got addicted to when he moved to SF... Sandoval presumably caught the same bug.

Re: Apple Tonight | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:34:37 -0000

where are these weekly options of which you speak? my Schwab screen won't show them to me. probably safer that way!

ended up selling the AAPL 195s last week. good timing, the premium collapsed pre-earnings faster than Carlos Beltran's knee... will look out to Oct if there's a selloff tonite.

Re: Holy Apple! | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:51:57 -0000

I would love a hard selloff on tomorrow's mea culpa that won't admit much -- Jobs' ego won't let him. dropped calls, who knew?

so any chance to sell some Aug puts below 200 for decent premium would be great. will even look at Oct... their cash position can pay for a few million antenna-helpers.

Re: Some Extra MSG | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:42:54 -0000

yep, this is a good example of markets creating an opinion based on ... what exactly? I guess the Bosh signing is a tilt in Miami favor. but should not be moving the price so dramatically.

so what is moving InTrade betting? leaks? how many people really know where he will go? and of those would have any incentive to leak? and are the GMs of the all the teams going to be on live links so we get the 6-way reaction shots when LeBron announces? can DeBusschere be resurrected to pump his fist again?

NBA needs it own version of Reg FD lol... that would also get enforced about as much as it does on the Street...

Re: Some Extra MSG | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:53:20 -0000

I couldn't resist, have to have a reason to watch the full hour tonite, so I sold the MSG 20 calls. still a nice bit of premium there, way beyond even Greatest TV Event in history, as you note.

also expecting Stoudemire's knee to give out when he bends down to shake Dolan's hand. that will definitely get MSG through my strike!

Re: VIX Divergence | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:54:50 -0000

what do you think has greater chance of default, Greece sovereign debt or Mets 30yr payout to Bonilla?

if I were Bobby I'd be looking for some counterparty to take the other side of the Wilpon CDS.

(and to show you how old I am, I remember when my non-relative Wayne Garland got a 10yr, $10m deal from the Indians. thought that was insane going so far ahead for a pitcher... but good for him...)

Re: VIX Divergence | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:22:54 -0000

totally unrelated -- great article in WSJ today on a Mets player who will be paid $30 million starting next year. but per this excellent "lede" to the article, he will never pick up a bat:

SAN JUAN, P.R.—One year from today, the Mets will add to their payroll a 47-year-old, past-his-prime power hitter who has a reputation as a malcontent—a player who has been retired from professional baseball for nine years and won't play another game again.

see if you guess who before clicking thru the link:

http://online.wsj.com/artic...

Re: Friday VIX Thoughts | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:17:55 -0000

your photo almost made me miss the Russell 2000 spike at end of today. up nearly 2% when almost all other indices barely budged.

apparently whole lotta rebalancing goin' on... so I bought TWM afterhours for a back-to-reality Monday.

Re: Day After RIMM | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:12:54 -0000

agree chart is awful and the Blackberry looks like best of class, circa 2002. they better smarten up their smartphones pronto... but still growing 20%+ (for now), unlike negative numbers out of NOK and MOT, and sitting on $3b in cash (which will buy back 10% of the float).

but hey what do I know, I tilted to selling more puts than calls yesterday, figuring that the skepticism was already price in. wrong again, lol.

Re: Volatility Chart Du Jour: SPY | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:52:36 -0000

hey it's iPhone4 release day... I can see the lines around the 59th St store from my office 3 blocks away... so of course what better time to release RIMM earnings?

implied vol elevated to mid50s, about where it usually goes pre-earnings. selling put spreads, but not getting much premium. maybe sell some naked puts/calls for Aug and then cover when the vol comes in.

Re: Paging Al Roker | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:22:39 -0000

speaking of forecasts, how about a little pin action?

some possibilities are CME at 310, AMZN 125, GOOG 500. maybe even BP 32, how much more news can come out now?

and huge contract volume for AAPL 270... seems likely unless Oprah pre-orders iPHones for the planet...

Re: FlashCrashForward .......To the Extreme! | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:57:52 -0000

you do wonder why banks fall in love with this crap... if I'm reading the description correctly (probably not) it seems to be a convoluted way of buying protection. which it ultimately failed miserably at.

just like the VAR models they all use. they project your exposure to the 99th percentile or whatever. but it's that last 1% you really need to worry about.

why not fire all the rocket scientists and sales guys making millions off this junk and just buy some plain vanilla futures, no?

Re: More Flash | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:53:35 -0000

Fat Finger will enter the urban myths legend, watch for it in snopes.com.

meanwhile back at the options desk... how about BIDU, splitting 10-1 tomorrow? I'm sure that's part of the reason for its continued surge, now past 700 to a new high. maybe Blodget called for 1000 lol.

I do think the vol compresses after the split. more liquidity, tighter prices -- just like last week!

I'm short a wide May strangle... but on a short leash with it.

Re: Our Illustrious Leaders | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:36:13 -0000

wow, I wonder if any of them shorted ITMN...

great example of another binary biotech that blows past the options premium either way.

may be worth a look in the wreckage tomorrow.

Re: A Thread About Nothing | Blog - Daily Options Report

anysunday — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:27:47 -0000

Babu's Revenge

ArtVandelay (I think there actually was a horse named Vandelay)

Fusilli Jerry

Hoochie Mama

Papi's Pride

and the winner:

WhyDon'tYouJustTellUsWhatMovieYouWantToSee

would love to see that one on the silks...