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Bob O'Brien's Sanity Check Blog

Author: bobo Created: 1/10/2006 10:09 AM
This blog is dedicated to Bob O'Brien's Sanity Check editorials, and discussions about the Market Reform Movement, the SEC, failing to deliver/naked shorting, etc. It was created so that his many detractors and fans can tell him that he is full of it, correct his mistakes, rant and rave, kowtow, preen, or whatever seems appropriate. The only sins are being boring, or inarticulate, or dim. Humorous pieces can be found in the new Funny Bunny Blog area above, for a lighter-hearted take on being a bunny. Older Bobo blogs can be viewed by selecting a month under the calendar to your right.
Weekend Update: Milberg Guilty, REFCO Revelations, CXN Firestorm
By bobo on 4/29/2006 4:00 AM
Is that bad, when the attorneys suing companies that are shorted by powerful hedge funds turn out to have been violating the law, and inventing cases? How about when the biggest broker blowup scandal in history gets uglier? Or what about when a test of the system has the bashers working overtime? The Bunny has it all...
Comments (54) More...
Circle Group Holdings Declares War On Naked Short Selling
By bobo on 4/28/2006 4:00 AM
A small company out of the Midwest, listed on the AMEX, detonates a nuke in the ongoing battle against naked short selling.
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Judge stalls discovery in OSTK suit until appellate court can rule on tossed SLAPP motion
By bobo on 4/26/2006 11:00 PM
The Marin judge in the OSTK suit against Gradient and Rocker ruled that discovery had to wait for the appellate process to go through the motions on the SLAPP aspect. So we have to wait a few more months before celebrating Rocker and Gradient's innocence in this ugly stock manipulation scandal...
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SEC A Contemptible Boot-licking Lackey of Wall Street Special Interests? Canada May Run A Close Second...
By bobo on 4/26/2006 11:00 PM
A series of articles from the Vancouver Sun should serve as a wake-up call. Apparently money and power buys privilege, influence and special treatment up North as well, eh?
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Columbia Journalism Review Chastises NY Press For Treatment of NSS/Sedona Story; NASD Sanctions Broker for NSS
By bobo on 4/25/2006 11:00 PM
The Columbia Journalism Review. They hand out a little something called the Pulitzer. Are considered the quintessential observer and evaluator of the press in this country. And they don't seem thrilled with the job that the NY press corps is doing WRT Sedona, or stock manipulation via NSS. UPDATE: And breaking NASD news on a broker fined for NSS, incorrectly marking NSS orders long...
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Senator Bennett Covers A Lot Of Ground On Naked Short Selling
By bobo on 4/25/2006 4:00 AM
Today, Senator Bennett pretty much said it all in the hearing with SEC Chairman Christopher Cox...who basically said we are looking into all that....
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New NASD Bulletin on Naked Short Selling
By bobo on 4/24/2006 11:00 PM
A new issuance from the NASD underscores and highlights the SEC's recent declaration...
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The Harsh Truth From The Most Unlikely of Sources - Thestreet.com
By bobo on 4/24/2006 11:00 PM
Arne Alsin writes the first in what should be Pulitzer Prize pieces - from a "part-time" journalist. Roddy? Floyd? Jesse? Carol? Herb? You should hang your heads in shame...
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New Crosscurrents Yet Another Erudite and Succinct Commentary - On NFI and NSS
By bobo on 4/24/2006 4:00 AM
Hey, what's a little failing to deliver between friends? How about millions and millions, just in one company...?
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Brilliant Pieces of Journalism Today
By bobo on 4/22/2006 11:00 PM
This is yet another must read piece - from Philadelphia, not NY. And the second article sheds some light on why Spitzer is not coming down on hedge funds...
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Fabulous Op-ed Piece - A Really Good Read
By bobo on 4/22/2006 4:00 AM
I was emailed this today, and it was as though someone was writing for me - I found it to be a great read. Maybe you will too...
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Weekend Roundup - Hedge Fund MB Bashers, SEC Extends No-Uptick Trading, OSTK Proxy Critical Test Or System
By bobo on 4/21/2006 11:00 PM
You know all those fine folks (invariably bashers) who claim there is no such thing as paid message board bashers, and that the boards don't influence anyone? Think again. And the SEC has extended the "do whatever you feel like" trading "test". Most importantly, OSTK shareholders aren't getting their proxies.
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Floyd Norris of NY Times Offers Ominous Observation On Hedge Funds; Dr. Byrne Swats Flies
By bobo on 4/21/2006 4:00 AM
Today's installment has the NY Times making some rather ominous noises about hedge funds, lack of regulation, fraud, and possible dark days ahead - which sounds suspiciously like an aviso about systemic risk. And Dr. Byrne responds to the WSJ. UPDATE - BYRNE ISSUES ANNOUNCEMENT RELATED TO PROXY FRAUD IN OSTK
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Another Article Using the Words Systemic Risk; Hedge Fund SRO Considered
By bobo on 4/20/2006 4:00 AM
The Tinfoil Hat crowd has been using the term systemic risk for a while. Now it is appearing in Fed language. Huh. In different yet related news, Marketwatch discusses a hedge fund SRO. The Bunny's thoughts on that are predictable...
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Yet another hedge fund goes after brokers for naked short selling
By bobo on 4/20/2006 4:00 AM
Where are all the apologists who were around explaining that this just doesn't happen now? 'lilGW? Jeff Mathews? Remember, we are full of baloney, and wearing tin foil hats? Add yet another group of industry insiders to that group.
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New Article On Dr. Byrne and NSS - Great Read
By bobo on 4/19/2006 4:00 AM
A thorough and fair article on Dr. Byrne of OSTK's battle with a corrupt and complicit system.
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Canadian Firm Fined, for Among Other Things, Naked Short Selling (gasp)!!! Oh Canada...
By bobo on 4/18/2006 4:00 AM
Yet another case where a broker gets a wrist slapping over a host of issues, and buried in the middle, is naked short selling - repeatedly, and with impunity. Funny how so many Wall Street folks are saying this doesn't happen, and yet now we have the hedge funds suing the prime brokers over the issue, and Canadians shown to be knee deep in it...
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Astoundingly Well Written Report On The Anti-NSS Broker Lawsuit And The Implications Thereof
By bobo on 4/17/2006 11:00 PM
This is an absolutely must read. I differ in opinion in one small area, but overall, by jove, I think he's got it!
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From TheStreet.com - The Last Honest Man?
By bobo on 4/17/2006 4:00 AM
If you haven't read it, you should. A guy with intelligence, finesse, and basic integrity tackles an issue that the rest of Wall Street wants to keep in the dark. All I can say is, hats off.
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Roddy Boyd On NFI, OSTK and Biovail, And One Of The Easter Bunny's Favorite Chestnuts
By bobo on 4/16/2006 4:00 AM
I do so enjoy the time of year when the scribes come out and advance the short "wisdoms" - it's Spring, so fighting back against stock manipulation must be bad...
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Arizona Paper Does Puff Piece on Gradient Being Victims...
By bobo on 4/15/2006 11:00 PM
Seems like the spin machine is working overtime this weekend. Wonder why all the effort? Something dark and ugly this way comes?
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Blog Wars Continue, With The Opposition Shooting Blanks
By bobo on 4/13/2006 11:00 PM
I try to avoid getting into the mud and wrestling with pigs, but it is Easter, and what the heck, why not...?
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More On Rocker, and A Conversation With A Friend
By bobo on 4/12/2006 11:00 PM
The Bunny takes a moment out from his busy Easter plans, and offers some thoughts for your enjoyment....
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Rocker Announces Retirement, Hedge Funds Sue Brokers Over Naked Short Selling, SEC Issues Guidelines
By bobo on 4/11/2006 11:00 PM
I think the headline about covers it all...
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WTF? WTFF? The Tune Changes Again...
By bobo on 4/10/2006 11:00 PM
Interesting info from Charles Gasparino - apparently some hedge funds are making noise about suing some brokers for.....naked short selling...
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NFI - Preliminary analysis shows ugly patterns
By bobo on 4/9/2006 11:00 PM
I am on the road, but this is an absolutely damning indictment of the system's willingness to allow rampant abuse of the FTD system.
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In case anyone was wondering where I am this week
By bobo on 4/7/2006 11:00 PM
A small docu-drama on my life when I am not blogging....
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A Template For The NY Financial Press To Use When Writing About the Lawsuits/Subpoenas
By bobo on 4/5/2006 4:45 PM
The Bunny has collected the "must have" statements that are required in any self-respecting hatchet job...er...unbiased article about the Biovail/OSTK lawsuit and resultant subpoenas...
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WSJ Issues Forth One Millionth Defense of Short Sellers Article
By bobo on 4/5/2006 4:00 AM
Is it just me, or does the WSJ contain a "Short sellers are good for the country, and build strong bones and teeth" article every three days or so? This latest is almost textbook, like from some sort of short seller's PR firm's template...
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Huge Naked Short Selling Prosecution - Finally
By bobo on 4/4/2006 4:00 PM
Sedona. The case that resulted in the only naked short selling prosecution by the SEC. And here we are with them finally going forward after how many years?
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New Alan Newman Crosscurrents, and NFI Drops Off The SHO List
By bobo on 4/4/2006 2:00 PM
Alan has a spectacular new article out, and the Bunny is scratching his head over NFI dropping off the SHO list...
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Mark Cuban Misses The Point - Again.
By bobo on 4/3/2006 11:00 PM
Mark Cuban, celebrated owner of the Dallas Mavericks, occasionally chimes in about naked short selling. His observations are usually verbose, and in my opinion, badly off the mark. Here's his latest, along with my response...
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The NFI Naked Short Selling Story - Is it bad when 12.5% of all shares are FTDs?
By bobo on 4/3/2006 4:00 AM
The 2004 FTD numbers are in, and guess which company had as many as 3.143 million FTDs in October - around the time when everyone was saying that FTDs aren't a big problem? That would be in addition to the 11.3 million legit SI shares...
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The Bunny Wonders Aloud At the Latest from The NY Post, Carol...and Dan Dorfman!!!
By bobo on 4/2/2006 11:00 PM
Poor Wall Street. They are victims. Boo hoo hoo. Bad bad regulators. Bad bad attorneys. Bad everyone. Except for hedge funds and their journalist choagies. Good them. Check your gag reflex at the door, and join Bobo in his appreciation of all the innocent men...
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Part Two - Experts Speak Out - Dr. Susanne Trimbath
By bobo on 4/2/2006 12:00 AM
This is the second part of the ongoing series of questions and answers with Dr. Susanne Trimbath, a recognized authority on the clearing and settlement system.
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Jeff Mathews chimes in, again, parroting the party line, and making things up
By bobo on 4/2/2006 12:00 AM
Jeff has a new flight of fancy, a not-particularly graceful attempt to spin the truth and distort the facts beyond any recognition - not particularly noteworthy, other than because it is presented as a letter to the SEC..
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Roddy Boyd, Master Of the Obvious, Exposes Biovail Investigation
By bobo on 4/1/2006 4:00 AM
The NY Post had a delightful piece by Mr. Boyd today. Read the bunny's thoughts on the shocking revelations.
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Lapdog sighting at Marketwatch - bemoaning the fate of all the poor analysts
By bobo on 3/31/2006 4:00 AM
This is a very odd performance - I think Herb may be coming apart a bit. It is, well, lacking in coherent reasoning, from what I can tell. See if you can follow it - there is name calling, and insistence in Herb's innocence - all the usual chestnuts - but also an odd sense of being a little unglued. Maybe it is just me.
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On Gradient's supposedly automated, impartial research; Byrne; and Herb
By bobo on 3/30/2006 4:00 AM
Just some fun bits of stray data I thought I'd throw together for an afternoon sandwich...
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Is Gradient Guilty Of 17b Violations? Is CNBC Engaging In a Cover-Up or Manipulation?
By bobo on 3/30/2006 12:00 AM
The Bunny, as always, has fun questions for the fine folks at CNBC...
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Jesse Eisinger Is Again Outraged, Outraged I Say - Part 1,498...
By bobo on 3/29/2006 4:00 AM
More "how dare they" self-serving rationalizations amounting to "journalists should be above the law and investigation, even though I don't come out and make that preposterous statement out loud." Not surprising given that Jesse is one of the targets of the SEC in their latest info quest.
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Today's Squawk Box with Gasparino and Gradient
By bobo on 3/29/2006 12:00 AM
If you like the fullthroated braying of a rabid mule, then you will love the Gradient shill trying to tapdance her way around being caught in "misstatements." Where do they find these no-talent hacks?
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NFI FTDs for 2005 and part of 2006 show gross abuse - 5% of outstanding shares as of Feb, 2006
By bobo on 3/29/2006 12:00 AM
Tommytoyz just got in a FOIA request showing the FTD level in NFI - and the number is staggering. As of February, it has 1.5+ million FTDs, more than virtually any other point - and yet it has been on the SHO list since day one...
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Were You Lying Then or Are You Lying Now Redux....
By bobo on 3/28/2006 12:00 AM
Not a great day for the hedge fund/research firm being sued. First we hear about all the journalists being examined, and then the PR woman from Gradient blunders through the CNBC interview...And the Bunny brings his own unique thoughts to the party.
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A Primer for Members of the Media, and Hedge Funds, Accused of Wrongdoing
By bobo on 3/27/2006 4:00 AM
Getting subpoenas? Being investigated? Not to worry. The Bunny has a Top Ten List just for you.
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Brokeback Camelback Mountain
By bobo on 3/27/2006 12:00 AM
The Bunny's tender, often poignant exploration of the forbidden relationship between a journalist and a researcher...
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Roddy Boyd’s NY Post Bombshell, and a translation of yesterday's bits and pieces from Herb, Jeff and Mark...
By bobo on 3/27/2006 12:00 AM
Roddy is part of the gang that the SEC wants to examine in connection with Gradient – he broke more subpoena news today. In other news, the whiners are all out. The short version of the latest from Herb et al? I'm a victim, it's all innocent, and never trust CEOs who fight back. For a longer analysis, the Bunny has spent time in his rabbit hole working to interpret the latest from, “Team Tripe.”
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Lapdogs Are Also Outraged, Outraged, I Say!!!
By bobo on 3/27/2006 12:00 AM
Herb has issued forth yet another pearl before us swine. Join the Bunny in savoring its every absurdity, like a connoisseur appreciates a fine wine...
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60 Minutes Airs, and It Just Got Hotter In Hedge Land...
By bobo on 3/26/2006 11:00 AM
Tonight on 60 Minutes, mainstream America got a rare glimpse into the workings of a stock manipulation scheme. The Bunny shares his first impressions in his latest blog.
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First In The "Experts Speak Out" Series - Dr. Susanne Trimbath Knocks One Out Of The Park
By bobo on 3/25/2006 11:00 AM
Rarely is something required reading. This is one of those rarities. Dr. Trimbath candidly answers the first in a series of questions in an online interview with Bobo, and the result is spectacular.
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