If you are interested in Battipaglia's record, you're
going to love this:

On February 4th, 2000, he was fielding some questions on CNN:

http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/02/04/investing/talkingstocks/

Excerpts:

Name: Gigi, Mass.
Question: What is your opinion long-term?
I would like to purchase a "budding" CMGI
or other cheaper stock preference in this communications group.
Battipaglia: Long-term we're very bullish on CMGI.
We believe the company has a very bright future.
It's hard to put a value on it; assets are real,
the potential is quite large.


CMGI!!!! For people who don't know, CMGI is one of the poster child
for the dotcom crash. On Feb 4th, 2000, it closed at $118 and change.
It is now worth $2.75 (the decimal is at the right place)







Name: Ali, United Arab Emirates.
Question: I would like to know your opinion
about Lucent Technologies.
Battipaglia: We have been given an excellent
opportunity to buy the stock again. We're confident
that the management can correct their operations
problems, and at the same time, we're very excited
for their fiber optical area, which might spin off soon.
It's a great time to buy some more of this stock at these levels.




Lucent was $53 then. It is now $7.43.



I was just starting to invest when I read this. I was tempted
to follow th advice. You know the mentality: just follow the
recommendations of the "experts" so you won't have to make
any effort to find good stocks.

Fortunately, there's one good thing I learned from the Fool.
Make your own dd, and don't take for granted that the analysts
are wiser than yourself. So, thank God, I did not buy CMGI or LU!
(I bought other stuff which has gone done, for sure, but not as
much!)

Patrick