WTJ

FBR Launches Internet Coverage; Bullish on Google, eBay

So true!
Too many stories of lost paypal payments for misrepresented or NONEXISTENT purchases on EBAY.
Mandatory wait times for complaints crossing paypal expirations, "mediations" and "up to.." refunds.
Ebay's on the way out for sensible shoppers.

eBay Asked to Pay $63M in Fraudulent Merchant Suit

It's about time somebody put a prod up ebay's arse abput the thieves that they give quarter to!

Why isn't the US Attorney General doing his share?

Altria: Talk About Profit Margin!

Bought some yesterday to take advantage of the spin, but a worrisome thought interferes with the joy of my winsome purchase.
It's assumed that the spin-off will indemnify PMI from the increasingly successful tobacco injury torts here in the U.S.

However, litigation in European courts have emerged
and I worry that our neighbors across the seas will find fashion in blaming their self-imposed respiratory damage on vendors like PMI.

The big one for Altria, here, in the US, was lost in Oregon.
It's being kicked around the courts ONLY to determine the exact punitive damage amount.
The last appeal court returned the case suggesting that the punitive damages accessed may be excessive
and also suggested ,
NOT ORDERED however,
that 9 times actual damages might be more reasonable.

If you consider the million dollar-plus medical bill that's possible for treatment of lung cancer
and the number of folks that were told that
Marlboro lights were safer when the tobacco execs knew better,
9 times damages can destroy this cash cow before it can be milked.

A Radical Option for Yahoo: Out-Open Google

Most of us couldn't care less what algorithim is used as long as our search produces reasonable and probable (if not exact) answers to our query.
Habit and simplicity dictate most users preference and Google won way back when they were a gui newsgroup reader of sorts.

What is really silly is the way everyone, INCLUDING YAHOO ITSELF,
ignores the one area where Yahoo dominates:

FINANCE!

Unless you're a broker with a Bloomberg account,
you use YAHOO.
Even with information layouts from Scottrade, Schwabb, and Ameritrade, the millions of us who manage our own accounts
CONSTANTLY refer to Yahoo's wealth of quick info
about the company's we invest in.

And, the millions who 401k with the Fed's TSP,
flip to Yahoo just to view delayed S&P and NASDAC numbers.

Yahoo's Finance page should be touted for
the highest advertising fees and every click on analyst estimates or
company's balance sheet should ka-ching loudly.

But I guess the powers that be at Yahoo are asleep.

VanceInfo IPO Off To Strong Start

As soon as they were mentioned on CNBC,
the morning of their offering,
I and thousands of others began researching the two IPO's:
VIT and ZIN.

VIT seemed without substance.

ZIN, however is a real estate developer
with several completed
and currently under-construction developments.

ZIN gave guidance with their offering that they would have serious competition in China's 2nd tier cities for the fast growing middle class market.

VIT promised nothing but success.

I went with ZIN,
and I'm sure glad that I did.
Although it was already up to $14.60 when I came in,
(The others that heard the CNBC report read faster than I did)
It's well over $17 today.