Added to BAS for $19.37

I stepped in and nibbled on BAS for $19.37, taking cash down a couple percent.

I am furious with myself for missing the bloodbath in HCLP this morning. Work had my full attention, and if I had known that HCLP was down another full 10%, without hesitation I would have stepped in and bought even more.

Cava…

I made small adds today to HCLP and BTU.

I added to HCLP for $49.73.

I added to BTU for $11.97.

Cash stands at 20%.

Today I started the building of a new position in the VOC Energy Trust ($VOC) by trading 5% of my cash position for units costing $12.68.

The exact details of the trust are nuanced and I will get into them later. The high level overview is that VOC has profit rights to a percentage of several oil & gas related assets until a pre-arranged expiration date or a total level of production is attained and sold, whatever comes first. I’ve reviewed the arrangement and believe that at current pricing, with the amount of time and volume remaining to the trust, it’s a no brainer investment.

At $12.68 and the most recent distributions to unitholders, the trust was yielding 12.3% annually.

If you look up the chart, you’ll see some extreme volatility. That makes perfect sense, as VOC is a leveraged play on the price and volume of oil. But over the remaining life of the trust, I think today’s prices are a solid bet.

More detailed analysis will follow. Cash stands at 23%.

Now before bed, after having been up writing all night, I say good evening.

I made a few trades this week and, unless there is something dramatic unfolding, I will likely stay low tomorrow. This weekend, I have one final push of work to complete. Then things should break steady.

Or, well…stead-ier, I guess. The busy season in my industry is almost complete, as is a time stacked project I am working on. Throw in the usual academic pursuits and a few nonprofits I board and I was never exactly blessed with free time.

But the uninterrupted 11 and 12 hour days should be just about over. The wife is more or less done with them, and with me being preoccupied. I have been directed, without any room to interpret, that I am to be a family man until Christmas. To make sure I toe the job description, my duties have all been conveniently written and meticulously planned for me.

The schedule is quite something to behold. Long work hours are to be cut short. Late work nights with cups of tea have transformed into tea parties and chaperoning little princesses around the state, to all their most pressing affairs. Vacationing in the north is being explored.

Actually Madame de Thaler has been most good about the past few years, when I have been just dreadfully preoccupied. I will be happy to accommodate her, with quiet dignity. Even if I’d much rather be in the company of gentlemen, conducting business affairs, than in the company of children, conducting games of merry-go-round.

I made purchases of CCJ, taking the position to 20% of assets once more.

The terror of the crowd notwithstanding, the stars are aligning.

It is time for the days of CCJ, my child.

Wow…

There is just no avoiding a hit like today. In terms of pulling it together, we just need to hope there’s a bounce near term to organize. Make no mistake that following action like we’ve had the past week, there’s not going to be an immediate turnaround. We’ve done some damage and people are hurting.

My guess is we get a bounce here shortly, and that gets faded hard and fast. I made a round of purchases in HCLP today, taking my cash balance down a few percent. Honestly, I almost regret even that (although that’s what the most profitable trades usually feel like).

Keep your eye pegged on the EURUSD. That’s the tell here.