why are we measuring them two months into the year?

No time to lose, Steve. IIRC James, Dave Schuler and others at OTB have made their predictions for 2009. Time to evaluate whether they were right or insane. In times of bread and circuses, I know it makes me feel better to send in the clowns.

I mean, think about all the people to come on TV to give the year's closing DOW. They are wrong, except for some random SOB, but we keep tuning in, right?

Looks to me like when Cramer crossed the Obama administration he made some enemies. Lovely. I like to think my president's supporters are capable of character assassination since it bodes well for all critics and we know such dissent is the highest form of patriotism.

Who cares what the Daily Show is doing, it's comedy, not news. It's for kids and slackers who can't handle adult commentary on real issues.

Cramer, and most daytime financial channels, cater to the wrong impulses, the risks that are more likely to make us poor than rich.

The steady, sane, less emotional stuff of good financial planning doesn't make as exciting TV.

If I'm remembering correctly, Carmen Ulrich on CNBC is a little steadier and saner ... but less exciting, right?

Anyway, I've done a fair amount of reading on the boundaries of brains and money (Blank Slate, Winner's Curse, Descartes' Error, Fooled by Randomness, Cheating Monkeys Citizen Bees, etc.) and I'll say take Zweig's book over Cramer.

American Airlines traded at $11.26 per share at the close of 2008. Cramer is predicting the shares will hit $15.00 by the end of the 2009. As of 3/6/09, American Airlines is trading at $5.22 per share.

His prediction is well off if 3/6/09 is any gauge. As of 12/31/09, who knows?

On the other hand, Cramer isn’t merely a prognosticator, he’s the host of an insanely popular (by the standards of CNBC, anyway) host of an investment show.

Reminds me a little of Tim Taylor's description of Tool Time: the 3rd highest rated tool show in eastern Michigan on basic cable.