mbr

Bemused by GDP Figures

Would some of the very knowledgeable people here tell us what fraction of the 3.5% GDP figure is due to banking revenues? These seem to have jumped in the 3rd quarter and I read somewhere that banking services had quite a large weight in GDP. As we all know banking is a very productive activity.

Large Caps Could Lead the Market Much Higher

The weak link in this demonstration : "the typical forward PE is 15X". Forward PE is based on projections and we know how wrong these can be. Show the trailing PE and we will see. Actually it is close to 20 vs. a 15 historical average. The wall street bandwagon uses whatever it can.

Capstone Turbine's Rebates: Good News but What's California Thinking?

Disagree with Pierre, the article concerns Capstone. A rebate is good only if it can be paid and California is broke. Fortunately California is not the world and Capstone has many other opportunities

Why Is Congress Agnostic About Natural Gas?

Just read this: "by Aurelia End Aurelia End – Wed Sep 9, 11:06 am ET BERLIN (AFP) – An ambitious project was unveiled in Germany on Wednesday to install mini gas-fired power plants in people's basements and produce as much electricity as two nuclear reactors within a year.

The Hamburg-based renewable energy group Lichtblick and its automaker partner Volkswagen say the plants would produce not only heating and hot water but also electricity, with any excess power fed into the local grid.

The two firms said the concept of "SchwarmStrom" (literally, "swarm power") would allow Germany to abandon nuclear and coal power stations sooner and help compensate for the volatility of renewables like wind and solar power...."

Not only do the US have huge nat. gas reserves they are also ahead of the competition for most efficiently converting it to power. Just check Capstone Turbine Corp. In other words the US could easily beat in efficiency the "SchwarmStrom" system, not writing about the most efficient hybrid vehicles (see GreenCar.com
August 31, 2009 Title: Ford S-Max Hybrid Uses Advanced Capstone MicroTurbine Power).

Unfortunately "Dereliction of duty" also abounds.


Long CPST of course

Case Shiller Index Has First Monthly Increase Since 2006

The chart is misleading. How can a mere 0.5% one month increase in an index with steps of 20 on the Y axis and steps of one year on the X axis show such an upturn in the curve?

T. Boone Pickens' Epic Wind Fail

Wind turbines are expensive, energy inefficient, idle 75% of the time for lack of wind, require large grid investments and lots of maintenance, create new hazards. Solar is less idle, requires little maintenance (dusting), can be distributed thus avoiding costly grid investments, can use surface of existing buildings. The facts against wind turbines are clear and their future is only a matter of lobbying but not usefulness.

Investing in the Pickens Plan, One Year Later

In discussing natural gas effectiveness the article misses a new technology which is electric hybrid vehicles with an onboard microturbine. See www.capstoneturbine.co...

Wells Fargo's Record Quarter - Really?

How much is all this due to the repeal of the mark to market rules?

The AIG Bailout: Why Was the Onus Placed on Taxpayers?

Another scandal in the making: doing away with mark to market accounting. See www.marketwatch.com/ne....
The lies go on and the dupes do nothing.

WFR: Value, Or Value Trap?

Useful article and comments.

America Frets About the Economy as China Buys 'Stuff'

Amazing how all the comments here miss the main and overwhelming reasons of the US depression. I will leave all of you to think what these reasons are. Only one clue: they are political. It is also ridiculous to try and make China a scapegoat for your home made difficulties.

Thank God for IBM

Isn't IBM selling mainly to big corporations and government? So it's performance does not tell much about the overall economy.

Barclays: Crushed

This is not a solution but only a contribution to reduce the problems and for the future.

Exclusive Interview with Jim Rogers: Inflation Is Coming

Faced with the state of the US of North America what would you do if you had to decide about using your USD reserves? Keep buying US treasuries to preserve exports to the US? But US demand is going down and the fed prints whatever money is needed, so what is the point? Instead it would be wiser to spend the reserves buying hard assets, patents and products that can be used to develop china's internal economy. Guess who the beneficiaries might be...

Barclays: Crushed

One way for the taxpayers to stop the recurring banking scams is to stop investing in shares of financial firms, directly or indirectly.