tree_toe_bandito

Obama 'Shines' Natural Gas

Pressurized natural gas for autos is a non-starter for safety reasons.

We have plenty of offshore oil. Drill, drill, drill. We can be energy independent for 30 to 60 years.

CO2? No problemo. It's a trace gas that has been proven harmless to animals at concentrations thousands of times higher than already exist in the atmosphere.

CO2 is good for agriculture. CO2 increases crop growth rates, increases crop resistance to drought and cold, and expands the range over which crops can be grown, and reduces water requirements.

CO2 a greenhouse gas? No way. Water vapor already absorbs all of the energy in the CO2 absorption band. Increasing CO2 does not increase the heat retained by the earth's atmosphere.

The earth's climate is most affected by the radiance of the sun. Current radiation from the sun is at an all time low, which explains the harsh winter we are experiencing around the world. Check out the sunspots. 2008 was the year of the fewest sunspots in 100 years.

Turbo diesel and hybrid vehicles are the best ways to reduce our need for gasoline. Increasing the price of gasoline for transportation hurts the entire economy. Our economy depends on our ability to move from our homes to work and the stores.

Summary: We live in a CO2 deficient atmosphere. We need more of this harmless, benefical trace gas. Abundant supplies of oil exist off our coastline. Utilization of this oil will lead to prosperity for America. Drill, use.

Alpine Global Dynamic: High Yield Fund at a Discount

This is not a moral question. I am concerned that a portion of the dividends might represent a return of capital. Since May '07 the NAV has dropped about 40%. By comparison, ETV NAV has come down about 12%. In that time AOD paid $2.88 in dividends, and ETV paid $2.38 in dividends. Please check my numbers, I'm not good with numbers, but what I am saying is that it seems to me that the ETV strategy is better than the AOD strategy. When I try to understand why, it seems to me that the dividend capture plan is not working well. I would appreciate any ideas, comments, corrections. This is not a moral issue. This is an issue of what is the best investment for us, where "best" is the most return on investment.

Alpine Global Dynamic: High Yield Fund at a Discount

If I am wrong, let me know and I will buy the CEF.

Alpine Global Dynamic: High Yield Fund at a Discount

I think what is going on is that they buy the stock before the x-dividend date, and sell afterward. Since preferred stocks trade flat, the stock price drops by the amount of the dividend on the x-dividend date. So you are getting a dividend that is really a return of capital by another name.