Fair enough, Bruce.

I admit I haven't offered every reason I've decided to purchase each stock, and you're right to be skeptical (this 27 year-old punk thinks he can compete with professionals).

Between my family and day job, I'm doing my best to make an effort to research appropriate investing techniques...currently digging through The Intelligent Ivestor (http://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Investor-Definitive-Invest...) and trying to familiarize myself with rudimentary technical analysis (http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Analysis-Works-Institute-Fin...). Given my background in Software Engineering and Mathematics, this stuff is right up my alley.

That said, I see nothing wrong with piggy-backing on the ideas and research of others as long as I'm able to verify the information presented. As Rick Munarriz wrote in the front page article Monday (http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2011/01/03/this-is-how...), "online discussion boards -- including the dedicated forum for Motley Fool Rule Breakers subscribers as well as the free community hub at Fool.com -- are there to cash in on the wisdom of crowds."

This is why I decided to ask you all for potential ideas or thoughts on mine....no sense in inventing the wheel if someone else has already done so. I have no intention of blindly stepping into someone else's "hot" stock idea without researching it first. Sometimes I'll watch a particular security for six months to one year before I decide to take the plunge (LL, for example)...sometimes it will only take me a few weeks to decide (TNDM, for example). I try not to brag, and will give credit where credit is due (thank you, by the way, to Rich W. for your email suggestions!).

With all due respect, Bruce, I believe it's certainly possible (and highly probable) that I will continue to beat the market. I refuse to put my money with that "majority [who] cannot even out-perform even their own indexes." I'll make some great picks and some terrible ones along the way, but you can guarantee I will learn something from each and every one (and I've already learned NOT to ignore or rationalize my losses...I don't mind admitting defeat if something changes the fundamental reasons for my owning a stock...or doubling down if I believe a drop is unmerited).

In any case, let's give it 30 years and see whether you're right about me. Either I'll be a happy man, or I'll be thinking about catch up contributions to my retirement accounts.

:-)