"I wish i had traded POET!  I’d have made a tidy fortune in shorting and selling into run ups."

Careful, VanVillain, the above sounds fairly easy, but looking at something in retrospect usually makes it appear so.  Trying to figure and catch those ups and downs is not at all easy.  You need a special type of character/mindset (not necessarily a good or bad thing, just a type), and in my experience, not many have it.  I certainly don't. 

I've often thought that one way to invest is with a trusted friend of more or less equal investing acumen as yourself, agree to manage a portion of each other's portfolios.  My guess is that over five years, that portion of your portfolio will outperform the part you self direct.  I've never tried this, just a theory.