RWCMom

One in Two Solar Firms Will Fail, Say Analysts

Just an FYI. Xantrex, (which makes inverters for Sunpower) was purchased by Schneider Electric. If you want exposure to solar with fewer risks consider some of these multichannel companies. BP & Kyocera in panels. Applied Materials in panel manufacturing equipment, etc.

Disclosure: long on Sunpower

Postal Service Set to Lead the Way in Deploying Electric Fleet

Because the USPS operates in such diverse geographic environments with diverse energy resources it may find that different alt-NRG vehicles will make better sense in different places. Electric near Niagara Falls, NG in TX-OK, etc.

Why Invest in Oil Over Alternative Energy

We need them all. Solar & wind are important options for those who can afford them and want some control over their costs instead of being at the mercy of utilities. The other piece of this picture is conservation. I like to invest in companies that are developing more efficient motors and any company that is reducing their use of natural resources in operations or production. Using organic material, buy more local products with less inherent transportation.

Sure It’s Legal … But Is It Right?

" What you need is an MBA who can withstand the lure of easy money, not better ethics teachers."

Amen to this. As a CPA I am forced to take bienniel ethics classes that only a lawyer could love for all the inane rules that say everything but, do the right thing. Ethics cannot be legislated, they must come from within but first they must be put there by parents, teachers, friends you choose, groups you affiliate with and, most importantly in business, the management.

I did IRS corporate audits for many years and encountered both ethical and unethical CEOs. The CEO sets the tone for the company. This is not to say that ethical CEO's bent over backwards to pay proposed tax assessments but their tax departments treated us respectfully and their responses were thoughtful. Being Silicon Valley their compensation was generous (all CEO's have egos) but so was that of their employees down the line and rank and file shareholders truly "shared" in their wealth. Comps were generous but not flagrant.

I read proxy statements faithfully, vote "no" if the compensation package does not include all employees and sell the stock when the CEO and Bd of Directors get overly generous with themselves. I vote with my shares

The Facebook 'Death Star' Moves Through the Web Universe

That Facebook is the most popular site should be no surprise. In the scheme of things people we know are the most important things to us - more important that celebrities, entertainment, hobbies, and yes... even money. Those things can make individuals interesting

VMWare Reaches for the Clouds

Hooray for Johnson & Maritz taking the acquisition into their own hands so more of profits go directly to shareholders and not to investment bankers, et al

Six Myths About Smart Grid

Readership of Seeking Alpha and most financial information probably have a profile that puts them in the top 10% in terms of intellectual capacity. You have been blessed. You have not only the ability to understand the information but to understand it quickly and process the possibilities. You are the decision makers for the rest of the world. Please decide wisely and careingly for the rest of the world who have ceded control of many aspects of their life to others. The mere fact of advancing in years has decreased some of my mental acuity & speed and I incrementally give up control of some aspects of my life though I wish I did not need to.

On Jul 13 06:18 PM ruval-dee wrote:

> Yes!! I want more of those really smart central planners from DC
> controlling my life. Oh, and please tax me some more to pay for
> all of this.

A Short Trip for Garmin?

Paul, I didn't see any discussion of the other branches of their product line which cater to GPS specific industry needs: aviation, navigation, hunting, fishing, hiking/orienteering. Do militaries use their devices. Do they have good maps for less urban locals throughout the world? While the personal GPS/phone market may be compromised, it seems as though they have a lot more to offer which has not been thoroughly presented.

Here's an Unconventional Idea: Sell Apple

Hey, Ryan got an excellent discussion going with information from many sides. This enables he, and each and every person taking the time to comment, to go back in, enter your own numbers and come up with your own valuations. It is not necessary to put somebody down to make your point.

"Idiot" and "stupid" are the two most overused words in every comment on every stock on this site (can we have a filter moderators?). These words do not give useful information, they indicate a limited vocabulary; they do not encourage dialog but result in testoterone-fueled bullying that changes no-one's mind.


On Jul 06 05:24 PM MikeSX wrote:

Come to think of it I hope
> he succeeds at least for the short term.
>
> On the consensus that this guy is an idiot, I don't think so, but
> he will sure look like one in a few months.

An Investment Thesis That's Right on Target

PS. Forgot to thank Shah for his excellent broad view on the 3 segments of TGT and their place in today's markets.

An Investment Thesis That's Right on Target

Madmilker, thanks for the good, if somewhat rambling, examples.

As a TGT shareholder and shopper I pay attention to product source when I shop there. There does seem to be a broad range of countries from which TGT mdse comes but still too little from the US. That being said, I'm happy to buy the TGT generic Archer Farms Fair Trade and organic coffees. What is more important to me that country of source is how the employees that make the product there are paid and treated.

There is an inherently big contradiction between paying the least for a product and the person actually manufacturing the product being fairly paid. The conscience of a shareholder is always compromised.

I find myself shopping at farmers markets, making more food from scratch. Arts & crafts fairs sell many local products; I've had to make the decision to buy less and pay more to know that more of my dollars go to the individual that produces the item. It is, however, hard to replace a crockpot or light bulb from a locally made source, and a bad job in China or Vietnam or elsewhere is usually better than no job. I usually start at Target and am happy with the service and selection. Personally, I don't like supercenters because they overwhelm me; I hope Target continues their commitment to their smaller venues.

Where is this going? Think about each purchase: Do you need it? If so, are there local or fair trade sources for it? How do you want to see the retail profits split? Do you see more products (at TGT or any other store) made overseas than you are comfortable with? Write them, stop buying there and tell them you are doing so. Buy a little stock so you have some clout: I start each letter to Target with "As a shareholder in TGT..."


On Jul 07 10:00 AM madmilker wrote:

>> People…its all about the currency and to keep a currency strong you
> got to keep it floating around the country you live in so it can
> work for you. For the past 12 years all them US dollars are being
> shipped overseas to a foreign bank and with the American worker not
> making anything for the foreigner to buy ...... Wake up! America
> and think “MADE IN AMERICA.”

> tat is $9 billion a year in hidden taxes to all Americans...
> cheap ain't chic and it cost America............jobs!

PetSmart Is A Good Purr-chase - Barron's

Puppies & babies, always good for the soul - and evidently the economy. I hear there is a boom in teen pregnancies - not good for teen mothers & their families but good for Gymboree, Kids R Us, Target, K-Mart, WalMart.

The Congressional Bailout of Madoff's Investors

Matthew, thank you for your prodigious research into this.

Madoff's Investors Don't Deserve Compensation or Sympathy

Imperfect as it is, Social Security has become the safety net for many of the average folks who invested indirectly or with incomplete knowledge. I heard of one former NYC businessman/Madoff investor who is now living with children in California. This economy may yet do more to restore the nuclear family and core values than anyone could suspect.

Justice for Tween Brands

Babies & toddlers grow faster in shorter periods of time than tweens so higher turnover. Also, parents are superfocused on doing everything "right" at the very beginning and spend more money until they figure out that good parenting cannot be purchased.