junkyarddog

iTunes Breaks 6 Billion, DRM is Dead

$37 dollars in the past 3 years...

I mostly imported my physical CD's into iTunes (not a whole lot) and I keep buying a few songs here and there. Like you, I'm also past my music buying prime.

Options Trader: Monday Outlook

I see Phil's articles at Seeking Alpha as an incredible help to the average American, which is provided free of charge. I don't use Phil's options recommendations (they aren't posted hare anyway), so why don't you write your complains where they belong, i.e. Phil's stock world?

Five Reasons Steve Ballmer Thinks Apple's a Buy

Disclosure: I'm an IT professional and I DON'T care for Microsoft products. I think Apple offers a far superior operating system along with other products.

However, Apple is Apple. Always the promising company that will always be... second. As it was said, Microsoft can't be beaten in the O/S arena unless they make a mistake.

I have no idea what imurphit is talking about... I work for a Fortune 500 company and have contacts with many others of the same caliber. None is switching to Apple. None. Why would they do that? Again, only if Microsoft blows it. Maybe Vista was a mistake, but what does the author think? That corporations will give up their Windows XP's to Macs? Hardly. What I hear is about skipping a Windows version, but switching O/S is not on anyone's radar.

Finally, read my disclosure on the first line.

Options Trader: Wednesday Outlook

Phil, it's Interesting your prediction that oil will go back up to $130. What is your reasoning behind this since you were the first one to advocate it was a bubble? Is there another bubble being formed on oil / commodities?

Options Trader: Tuesday Outlook

I took a week of vacation and missed Da Phil's view on the economy. He doesn't have a crystal ball and he can't predict the future. So, he may make some mistakes on some calls, but I tell you... Phil's fundamentals are right on.

I really laughed when oil dropped so much last week! Reason? No one seemed to have believed Phil: the world simply can't support (afford) oil at >140 bucks. Inflation will eventually take us there, but right now it's pure speculation. Those who criticize Phil do me a favor: read his past articles on oil, just for starters.

Phil is human too (I think) and he's not perfect, so of course he ought to be wrong on a few things. One thing he's wrong on is to believe that this mess is all this administration's fault, although the Dems are the ones controlling Congress. Bush sucks, of course, but so do the Dems. Moreover, Dems == Republicans. The sooner people realize that, the sooner we'll move forward as a Nation with an alternative party, one who doesn't have any deals with the devil.

PS: devil == oil companies, GS, JP Morgan, LEH, IMF, and others. Utopia, I know.

Options Trader: Monday Outlook

Call me crazy, but I think this is all by design. No, I'm not a conspiracy theorist! I simply don't believe there is too much mystery behind the scenes.

1) Steep decline of the US dollar since 2003.
2) Mortgage rates at 1% variable, no money down to buy a half mil house (what did you expect?) Mortgage meltdown!
3) USA losing "market share" in the world
4) China's meteoric rise and influence
5) The EURO slowly taking place of the US dollar
6) US debt: 9 trillion and still counting
7) Lastly, war in Iraq.

So, if you look at this picture, what is the simplest 'solution' to the US problems?

I say, the US tells its creditors: you want US dollars, we'll give you US dollars! Inflation. Another benefit: kill the EURO. Lower the dollar and give free money (2%) to banks and help exports. Didn't the Japanese automakers do that to us in the 70's and 80's with their cheap and then piece of junk cars? The weak yen helped them. Cheap dollar helps the US in the short and medium term. Look at our trade deficit shrinking (discounting oil, minor detail...).

Italy, France, and Spain are struggling with the strong Euro, yet ECB is talking about raising their interest rates. You bet these countries won't be happy about that and it'll hurt their ability to compete in the international markets.

And then oil. What a better way to slown down the economy, make people forget about the war in Iraq, and help JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and the rest of the gang to recoup their money from the mortgage meltdown? What a better way to slow down China, even if momentarily? What a better way to restart drilling offshore?

In the end, look at who benefits the most with all of this. Is it OPEC? Maybe, but I still think they're peons. Could it be more power to Congress? Didn't Rep Watts already propose nationalizing the oil companies? Doesn't the SEC & FED have more controlling power and increased jurisdiction than ever before?

In the end, this is all my guess and it could be all crap. I simply believe there's too much "coincidence" on all of this. It could be very well our leaders are that stupid and this chaos is random.