Dan O'Leary

Unemployment Data: Exhaustion Rate Will Soon Lead To False Green Shoot Chatter

Kid - If MWSnap doesn't work, try SnagIt.

Who Will Supply the Batteries for Plug-In Cars?

There is one more and larger "fly in the ointment:" utilities and their regulators. As a forced participant in the annuity known as Puget Sound Energy, our state utility commission has (for a long time) approved a two-tier structure: the cheap rate (based on consumption) for which few qualify and the more expensive rate that most qualify for.

Podcast Interview with Teresa Lo: Portfolio Building with ETFs

Dave - thank you for sharing this fantastic interview!

Kanjorski and the Money Market Funds: The Facts

Felix - thanks for your usual cogent insight. I hope this is that easy to explain because the story is starting to gain legs if for no other reason as "evidence" that the Treasury/Fed team (finally?) did something right (apologies for my bias). Economist Diane Swonk mentioned it on CNN this morning (left coast time).

I asked "Where did the money go?" on Tyler Durden's recent SA post (2/10). With the exception of institutional funds, all the rest of us wanting to deposit funds in a money market have our funds transmitted over the Fed Funds wire system from our local bank or credit union. The system tells where the money went and when. And yes, I realize you can still put a check in the mail.

As far as I can tell this may have been "a run on the confidence of one more part of the system" but to call it a "run on the bank" seems to me to be a bit of a stretch.

How the World Almost Came to an End on September 18, 2008

I agree with Andrew Hughes and others in that the article begs other questions. Here's mine: Where Did The Money Go?

Your normal "run on the bank" has folks lining up at the door demanding cash. That's where the money goes.

Here you have electronic funds transfer from one institution to some other institution that accepts electronic funds transfer. Where did the money go?

The Great Awakening: Boomers, Your Crisis Has Arrived (Part 3 of 3)

Jim - Thanks for the insightful and thought-provoking post. While it is too easy to nitpick subset issues, as a boomer (I'm not sure it deserves a "B") I find it impossible not to agree with your overall conclusion. However, I also believe there is a "way out." Now if we could just get all the individuals either on-board or out of the way. Thanks again.

John Paulson's Year-End Letter to Investors

Thanks for the post.

Advanced Nonsense: The Politics of Alternative Energy

Very interesting stuff! Like Dick Streich above, I completely agree with the comments regarding the media and our politicians. Thanks much for the post.

Cleantech: The Sixth Industrial Revolution

John, Thanks for the excellent post and taking the time to share it.

The Five Most Important Energy Forecasts of 2008

WOW. Great discussion without any "attitudes" or "put-downs."

Ethanol: In the Tank

Response to SubsidyEye:

Thanks for the comments and more importantly the links!

I agree the corn subsidy should be abolished and maybe this would force farmers using corn for ethanol to switch to higher yielding crops.

Regarding the fuel for food argument, it is obviously intuitive but I've seen nothing empirical. Have a link?

Thanks again.

Dan

Ethanol: In the Tank

I disagree. It is not even an average analysis. Simply because VeraSun died does not mean ethanol is "in the tank." Try making that argument to ADM.

Regarding subsidies, corn was subsidized long before it was used for ethanol production. Corn was initially selected for ethanol becuase we had lots of it. They are separate.

Whenever I hear the food vs. fuel discussion I am always amazed at how the conclusions are drawn and then applied to the U.S. According to the USDA 70% of our corn production is used for feedstock (cattle, pork). Forget for a moment that just a small fraction of our agricultural land is used for corn. This connection is at best weak.

It might also be helpful to review the correlation between oil and other commodities. Is it new (this time it's different) that oil and corn (just to pick one other commodity) are dropping in price at the same time?

Not withstanding the fact that we have no (not yet at least) energy policy, the best source I have found for ethanol information is:
alcoholcanbeagas.com.

The Way Smart Money Diversifies Risk

There is no denying that expenses are a definite drag on performance. However, if the "smart money" considers a variable annuity an asset class, no one should follow the "smart money." It couldn't be "that smart!"

Google 'Violates' Apple's Rules - Unwarranted Hysteria Ensues

LOL............the headline was as good as the article!

And yes, the Eagles rock!

The Battle of the Batteries

Not a bad article for a top-down kind of approach. To get a different take on this market I suggest you read anything by John Peterson.at seekingalpha.com/autho...