Comments on Jesse Veverka's articles RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/author/jesse-veverka/articles http://seekingalpha.com/article/138389-how-the-u-s-profits-from-swine-flu?source=feed#comment-512965 512965 I'm not on board with the conspiracy theory of this article, but > I would agree that threat of swine flu is, at this stage, quite overblown. > It's already a non-issue here in Texas, where our proximity to Mexico > puts us at risk. But we'll see what happens come September...]]> Thu, 21 May 2009 11:53:26 -0400

On May 19 09:45 AM YoYoMama wrote:

> I'm not on board with the conspiracy theory of this article, but
> I would agree that threat of swine flu is, at this stage, quite overblown.
> It's already a non-issue here in Texas, where our proximity to Mexico
> puts us at risk. But we'll see what happens come September...]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/138389-how-the-u-s-profits-from-swine-flu?source=feed#comment-509496 509496 Tue, 19 May 2009 09:45:10 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-469634 469634 “It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt > it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand > around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars > would be scratching their head.” - Warren Buffett > > "short-term trades really don’t interest me. That’s the province > of gamblers, financial engineers, inside traders and people with > friends in government." - Jesse Veverka > > Are you serious ?]]> Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:40:58 -0400
Buffett. Isn't he the guy who lost about $15 billion last year?

What exactly is YOUR point?


On Apr 19 11:33 AM blog.kerdos.com wrote:

> “It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt
> it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand
> around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars
> would be scratching their head.” - Warren Buffett
>
> "short-term trades really don’t interest me. That’s the province
> of gamblers, financial engineers, inside traders and people with
> friends in government." - Jesse Veverka
>
> Are you serious ?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-469077 469077 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:51:01 -0400
But to really understand the intrinsic value of gold, try this simple experiment: Surprise your wife or girlfriend with a gift of a nice piece of gold jewelry, and watch her reaction. You will probably be very pleasantly rewarded with behavior that tends, under natural conditions, to propagate your DNA into the next generation. You may repeat this experiment as often as your funding allows, to collect a good statistical sample.

For a control experiment, try giving her jewelry made of, say, aluminum or copper or iron. Compare and contrast.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468967 468967 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:32:18 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468928 468928 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:42:42 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468786 468786 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:33:25 -0400
Remember, not long ago $855 was the all-time record for gold bullion, a price that only existed for a few moments in a chaotic market over 20 years ago.

Awhile after 9-11 gold was down briefly to ~ $270, below the costs of production.

If $855 holds as a support in the next few weeks, we may see a 3-fold upside for gold as inflation kicks in and as green mania drives up the costs of everything that could cost half as much if it just didn't have to be so green. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468746 468746 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:52:49 -0400
Gotta be portable, recognizable and outside the reach of Politicians.
Count your options.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468733 468733 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:44:31 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468447 468447 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:33:24 -0400
"short-term trades really don’t interest me. That’s the province of gamblers, financial engineers, inside traders and people with friends in government." - Jesse Veverka

Are you serious ?]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468427 468427 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:21:35 -0400 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468250 468250 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:42:15 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468247 468247 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:41:08 -0400 Well, here is your answer. I refer to a comment I made a while back:
Put one nice ounce of pure gold (a nice double eagle would do nice), and one nice pretty ounce of silver, ( lIke a silver eagle) in one of your palms, clink them together...[beginning to grin?], now put the equivalant value in USD's in the other palm, and you should have around $1000 in value in each hand. Now, both of those are mine, and I tell you you may keep either the gold and silver in one hand, or the dollars in your other hand as a gift from me. Which would you choose, the dollars or the worthless scrap metal in the other?
THERE.. you have answered your question of what to do with your hard earned savings, keep it cash, or go find a little precious metal.

Don't you hate simplicity, takes all the fun out of telling people why you were wrong. DO BOTH.... but don't get nutso about anything.

Happy retirement!

PS. I am buying PM's, now keying on platinum, and numismatics [because due to folks needing cash they are selling coins and numismatic value has dropped somewhat, check some old redbook prices with current prices, values have not gone up that much, so your numismatics will rise better during the recovery [if it happens] If you buy platinum, and we are okay financially, platinum will be needed in industry, and if we are not okay, it rivals gold in being a precious metal, so you possibly could win both ways with platinum, and not with gold and silver. (I am holding and accumulating all three, when I can get them decently)

Capt Brian

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/131564-gold-is-still-a-good-choice?source=feed#comment-468190 468190 Sun, 19 Apr 2009 08:57:41 -0400
Take a trip to any grocery store and see what the dollar actually buys these days....not much, now assume that your dollar buys 1/2 as much groceries as today. THAT is on it's way and much quicker (summer?) than anyone can imagine now.

The herd (the fed included) could not perceive the subprime crisis (is it "contained" ben?), nor financial meltdown until it was too late. why would recognizing serious and sickening inflation be any different. Picture going to the store and paying $5 for a can of soda, those with eyes to see already see it here.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/130969-how-america-s-economic-crisis-may-be-beneficial-to-china?source=feed#comment-465116 465116 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:02:06 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/130969-how-america-s-economic-crisis-may-be-beneficial-to-china?source=feed#comment-464590 464590 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:40:04 -0400
Your upcoming film looks to be an excellent one. I will be waiting to see it.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-422308 422308 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:43:00 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-420654 420654 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:53:50 -0400
These same test devices can be sold to anyone that wants their gps receiver to "be" somewhere it is not, or to not "move" at all. Taxation based on gps receiver location or speed or time of travel is as unworkable as launching garbage into the sun - possible but not practicable.

The title of this piece is misleading.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418853 418853 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:27:51 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418713 418713 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:22:40 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418505 418505 Since all states have annual vehicle inspections, the > mileage recorded at those > inspections could be used to calculate the VMT. ]]> Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:39:46 -0400
* Alaska
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Georgia
* Illinois
* Indiana
* New Mexico
* Nevada
* Ohio
* Oregon
* Washington
* Wisconsin


On Mar 08 10:17 AM HardToLove wrote:

> Since all states have annual vehicle inspections, the > mileage recorded at those
> inspections could be used to calculate the VMT. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418499 418499 >> HardToLove All states do NOT have a vehicle inspection program. ]]> Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:33:43 -0400 >> HardToLove

All states do NOT have a vehicle inspection program. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418151 418151 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:03:39 -0400
1. Each community should set both % mileage reduction and traffic conjestion goals and use various means for achieving them, since each community's need and situation are different. Reduction of conjection is important since 1 fast highway mile is not the same as 1 slow conjested mile. Award or penalty can be added to gas tax.

2. Individual's efforts should be awarded. An award equation can be setup for low mileage that include factors based on need, such as distance from work, distance from school, and distance from malls. Another special factor should also award those who make the choice to live closeby.

We probably want simple methods (e.g. company or inspection or repair shop verified mileage on car) to achieve these goals, instead of expensive or complicate means that may create other kinds of wastes or in-efficiency. An 10% improvement in efficiency in the economy means a 10% return, versus a 10% increase of in-efficiency with adverse effects.

Small reductions in oil consumption will accumulate into a large reduction of wasted resources, with big significance.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418148 418148 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:00:36 -0400
Heavy truck tires would be taxed more based on weight than little hybrid tires that float over the road.

Much simpler and seemingly fairer.
Don't make taxation systems more complex!


GPS will be in everything anyway. Especially cars. If your car knows where all the other cars are, it can intelligently improve your driving efficiency by routing and speed suggestions.. (it doesn't have to know who you are. Just where you are relative to where you were.)

Imagine if you car could tell you that you are accelerating towards stopped traffic ahead and that if you reduce speed to 40mph you will not have to brake!
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418077 418077 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:02:16 -0400
Much better would be lower tax rates, less government and more money in individual pockets. Then we could all afford GPS units on a whim. And they'd be designed to please us, not rob us.

Strangely, even the poorest would benefit as there'd be plenty of used GPS's available at yard sales.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-418031 418031 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:27:15 -0400
Unintended consequence if the above is adopted is a near-term spike in new car sales. The well-off are just as adverse to paying additional taxes as less affluent. So, Ford, GM, et al may have increrased chance of recovery in the near-term, giving them time to fully adapt to the new environment.

HardToLove]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-417895 417895 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:56:10 -0400
HardToLove]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124712-do-low-gas-prices-signal-big-bucks-on-the-horizon-for-gps-manufacturers?source=feed#comment-417839 417839 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:17:14 -0400
Error: GPS is not needed to do a fairly effective VMT. Since all states have annual vehicle inspections, the mileage recorded at those inspections could be used to calculate the VMT. This could then be collected either at the inspection station or as an addition to license tag renewals.

This eliminates the "Intrusive" section entirely.

The advantage is that systems to implement all this are already in place and require only software changes to implement.

Another scheme would be needed for foreign vehicles.

Before finishing your article, I had already began to think about the regressive vs. progressive and varying implied cost to the infrastructure issues. I was glad to see that you also had done so. My suggested solutions follow.

First, to cover the issues of varying fuel consumption and wear and tear aspects, EPA mileage estimates (which could include some way to allow for variations, such as fuel efficiency enhancements installed on the vehicle) and gross vehicle weight could be included as coefficients in the formula producing the tax. Other refinements might or might not be appropriate, but the rough idea should adequately address the issues of wear and tear and incentives for lighter and more fuel efficient vehicles.

The results of this could be posted on the vehicle new vehicle stickers just like the EPA estimates. This would promote the increased sales of more fuel efficient vehicles at the dealers.

As to the progressive/regressive issues: the adjusted gross income and reported mileage (from the inspections) could be used at tax filing time to provide an adjustment to gross income or a tax credit. Gross income and miles together should account for the lower-income/higher-mi... driven problem.

Further, since lower-income folks often have to buy used less efficient vehicles (an unfortunate conundrum - those who need efficiency the most can least afford it) another credit could be provided whenever a replacement vehicle (the prior vehicle must be sold and carry a lower EPA rating - maybe even a weight differential could be included) is purchased that has improved EPA numbers. Again, a simple addition to the existing infrastructure of tax collection.

These steps would lower the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) to the purchaser, providing some relief to these lower-income folks, provide a small improvement in living standards by freeing capital for other things, support national goals by encouraging purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles and effectively address the regressive nature of the VMT.

This leaves only the breaking of the directness of the current fuel tax linkage to miles driven from the "Perverse" section to address. In our "NOW" society, we may need to balance this somehow. But if the other steps are effective, maybe not.

HardToLove]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/121467-america-s-economic-problem-too-much-debt?source=feed#comment-396666 396666 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:32:37 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/121467-america-s-economic-problem-too-much-debt?source=feed#comment-396594 396594 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:02:14 -0500