Itsonlymoney

The Topsoil Crisis: Dirt Isn't Cheap Anymore

@Dan S1, welcome to the planet Earth. Other peoples problems are your problem, like it or not. We are interconnected and you can't just enjoy the benefits of other peoples success without sharing in the obligations toward the less fortunate. Someone once said "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

I agree that population expansion must be curtailed for the long term survival of our planet. In the mean time, free universal education has proven to limit population growth not encourage it. "Socialist" Europe has a declining native population.

The Topsoil Crisis: Dirt Isn't Cheap Anymore

Topsoil may have been more important to American economic expansion than oil.

American corn-centric farming has been mining topsoil for generations and in the process has been flushing this precious resource down the Mississippi to everyone's detriment. What hasn't been flushed has been rendered into a largely dead substance useful only for holding agricultural chemicals.

We need to preserve and build our topsoil and ensure that it is alive and healthy again. The growing organic movement promotes this trend. Our very lives depend on it.

Offshore Drillers that May Profit from End of Ban

paulk8756,
If you are speaking for the next generation you might want to consider a longer time frame. I think we've had our wake up call and now need to get on with the business of non-carbon based sustainable alternative energy. The oil must be our bridge to a sustainable future otherwise we will not have the capital to make the change. Time and oil is wasting and history books are full of failed civilizations who could not adapt.

China, by the way, is a good example of what you get when environmental considerations are neglected. They exchanged their clean rivers and air for a cash horde that should have been spent on pollution control. These days it is unhealthy even to eat the fish from their waters. Of course the same can be said of shell fish in San Francisco Bay.

Eagerly Awaiting Monday's Market Decision

Hey Georealist you made some good points. I like the comments about managing our lives with less. Sometimes "less is more." I'm not suggesting that poverty is ever good, but simplicity and understanding value are virtues.

Am I the only guy out here that thinks Hank Paulson has turned the US Treasury into his own hedge fund? He is now obviously in the market for toxic debt and I hope he knows what he is doing. What was his record like at GS?

Apple: Leading the Way to a Total Tech Breakdown

Someone else said it here, that the stock price and the company are not the same thing. Zack offers an interesting assessment of the stock price short term. But the Apple Stores are the only stores I've seen lately with throngs of people in them and are places of real excitement. This says something good about their long term prospects. If you are a long term owner of AAPL take your short term lumps and wait for another entry point to add to your position. If AAPL would part with some decent dividends, they have the cash, it would make the wait a little sweeter.

Apple Investors: Fasten Your Seatbelts, Put On Helmets

AAPL is one of those stocks like V where owners can not accept any commentary that does not confirm their dreamy idea that it will only go up in value. It is an object lesson to investors not to "fall in love". Check the charts guys, no stock is an unending stairway to the stars. Investing is not a faith based activity. And Seeking Alpha is not so influential that someone with a contrary point of view will move the market. Sure you are angry and disappointed that "your precious" is losing value. Don't take it out on the folks describing the story.

Mexico: Running Out of Oil and Options

The best strategy for US interests is to increase real investment in Mexico. Most Mexicans would rather stay home if the jobs were available. Mexico is seriously underemployed so they will go where the jobs are, that's the way markets work. I recently vacationed in Mexico and encountered a growing number of Mexicans who spoke English and learned it in the United States. They returned home and brought skills learned here with them. I also met many US citizens who are retiring in Mexico for obvious reasons. This cross cultural movement is good for both countries.

Some of that $40B in drug money is spent here in the US on guns which are used against the Mexican police. We could help the situation by following the money to the gun dealers. I'm with Stephanie and think that decriminalization of drug use will deprive the bad guys of funding. But not in this administration even though legalization is pure Reaganomics.

OPEC: The Saudis Have Left the Building

The Saudi's lost control of the price of oil some time ago ($45)and are just now reasserting themselves. It remains to be seen if they can. Their intentions are the same now as they have always been; to keep the price of oil high enough to make money,stable enough to maintain the current world order, and low enough to discourage alternative energy.

Rough Seas Ahead?

Very interesting!

Euroseas: A High Dividend Dry Shipper

The hard thing to remember when the stocks are tanking is that the fundamentals of these stocks are good and the dramatic volatility results from the traders who currently move the marker with their fun and games. My strategy is to enjoy the dividends and wait for opportunities to add to my positions. I just wish I were better at taking some money of the table at the tops.

Apple: Great Company with Lofty Valuation - Due for Pullback

To all the responders who accuse the author of writing an article to improve his short position: as if an article in Seeking Alpha could move a stock. At least he has his money on the line when he makes a call.

Options Trader: Friday Outlook

I saw Obama's speech last night and liked what I saw and heard. He plans to mend fences with former allies, will end arrogant overreaching in our foreign affairs, plans to rebuild our army so we can actually stand behind our statements, aims to reduce our debts to China and others(can you believe that we did not even issue 30 year notes at the end if Clinton's term), will take steps to reduce dependency on foreign oil, and will attempt to sort out the health care mess. And he can speak in sentences longer than 4 words.

McCain is an admirable person and I don't even resent his owning 7 houses. But he has moved from the center to garner votes from the party's Right Wing and has taken stands on issues he never would have taken were he not running for President. His maverick image takes a beating when you consider that he has voted with the Bush White House 95% of the time.

The Republicans have always served this country best as the party in opposition. When they get control of The Presidency their unwavering party loyalty turns them all into lemmings. How odd that fiscal prudence, restraining foreign adventurism, and domestic energy independence are now Democratic issues after this administration has undermined them all.

$125 Oil Not Sustainable for the Time Being

It is now August and the price of oil is falling, at this moment below $120. For how long, who knows. Maybe Obama's jawboning about releasing oil from the SPR woke energy traders up to the idea we might have a president who is not complacent. Anyway it looks like speculation does play a big part in the price of oil. Who knew?

Chesapeake Energy Pre-Call Notes: Another Quarter, Another Beat

CT, if you are looking for dividends I suggest you look to the Royalty Trusts highlighted by Kurt Wulff at www.mcdep.com. They have taken a beating along with most NG plays so this could be a good entry point.

10 Best Returning Upstream MLPs

Gray Bear, I own FEN which has taken a beating this year. Why do you think this is?