Phantom Gremlin

Apple: New Mac Mini Could Be Sleeper Hit

The new Mac Mini is a nice product, but it's much too expensive to be a "sleeper hit". Especially in a recession/depression.

Constellation Energy: Well Below Its Intrinsic Value

The last time you discussed CEG you mentioned management, as did the comments. So, has anything changed? If not, why are you still betting on the buffoons that nearly destroyed the company?

What about investing in a company that has management that knows what they are doing? Surely those managers are out there; some may even be running utilities.

Clowns that nearly destroy a company don't deserve another chance.

Four Dying Silicon Valley Companies

I agree AMD will limp along, no Chapter 7 liquidation on the horizon.

HOWEVER, I've had a first-hand glimpse at the $millions of dollars and hordes of (mostly) very talented people that Intel can marshall during product development. No way can AMD compete with that. Even if every single AMD engineer were twice as capable as an Intel engineer, the 10x numerical advantage falls to Intel. Yes, occasionally Intel marketing so totally cripples the engineers that Intel stumbles for a few years. But AMD can't count on recurring Intel marketing ineptitude for their viability.

AMD is "dead man walking".

Disclosure: long INTC.

NVIDIA: Standing Tall in Semiconductor Purgatory

Why would the US DOJ allow Intel to buy NVIDIA? As you point out, there are only 3 big players. I don't think that even the Bush administration would allow something like that. Under Obama: not a chance!

Goldman's Compensation Costs Are Still Too High

You're looking at "compensation" from the wrong perspective. The entire purpose of GS is to enrich its employees. If a few leftover crumbs happen to be available to the stockholders, then great. But that's not why the company exists.

That's why, whether or not GS is a good company, I don't think its a good stock. I don't think there's any other industry where management and employees rape over the stockholders quite so brazenly.

Everyone should keep this in mind before they buy GS stock.