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Ya' know, for better or worse, I've been in the investing business long enough to have seen, heard, and done it all (most of it at least twice). I'm grizzled to the point where I thought there was nothing left that could - metaphorically as well as literally - make me roll my eyes again. As it turns out, I was wrong. Some of the most recent bashing of Lihua International (LIWA) has just moved to the "too stupid to be permitted" stage.

I want to take a step back and look at a few of the dumbest and most desperate bearish arguments in a second, but first I want to make something clear...

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You know, nine times out of ten we'd say the longer a trend stays in place, the greater the chance of a reversal. There's that one out of ten times though (when a trend takes on a life of its own) that the longer the momentum persists, the more likely it is to last - a self-fueling rally. That's the current state of gold. The strength and persistence of gold has simply reached ridiculous levels... and that's exactly why we're counting on it giving us a lot more upside before the market comes to its senses. Seriously.

Don't think it ever happens? Think again. It's happened several times in just the last few years.

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It occurred to me over the weekend - after I posted Friday's pick of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services (LTS) - that we really haven't explained the latest evolution of our site and newsletter. I meant to give you the crash course in Monday morning's edition, but I was too busy busting Steve Jobs' chops in that write-up to do it then. So, I'm just gonna' have to carve out a couple seconds from today's newsletter to make it happen.

The SCN website is great. (I know - how modest of me!) But, if you really want the best of the best stuff like our newest stock picks and the apparently-controversial rant on Apple Inc. without Steve Jobs in charge, then you absolutely have to check us out each time you find our messages in your inbox.

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Ever notice how analysts start to fall in love with a stock well after the bulk of its move, and well after the company has started to fire on all cylinders? It's just pointless. If you really want to make any money in this game, the time to step in is once you get the subtle hints things are looking up for a company, but before the rest of the market (with the help of analyst upgrades and coverage) starts to take notice.

Right now, Ladenburg Thalmann Financial (LTS) fits that bill.

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I'm generally not a fan of personifying the market, simply because it makes it too easy move accountability from the trader (that's us) to something else. Sometimes though, the market really does take on a life of its own and behaves erratically, yet with a twisted agenda. This is one of those times.

Now, I said that so I could say this.....last week's 4.8% selloff after what was glimmer of bullish hope is the market's way of yankin' your chain.