bluesmoke

The Case Against Diversification and Holding Cash

Good article. I agree 100%. Now if I could only find my crystal ball...

A Deflating Bubble Can Lift All Boats

Excellent article! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Letting the free markets fix this is a much better solution. Getting all the "experts" with their big egos to agree on anything as practical as this is a tall order I'm afraid. Seems to me it's easier for them to watch the country go bankrupt.

Wal-Mart Remains Undervalued

Good posts. WMT does seem to be doing a lot of things right lately. And seeing how many people shop there, it sure looks like a bellweather in this market.

It's Time For Economists To Make Way For Pragmatists

Good article. It's a shame our "leaders" won't make the hard choices the country needs so desperately. And the press does nothing to educate or advance this cause. My feeling is, the USA gave the rich the opportunities to become wealthy. In times of need they should be more than willing to give something back.

Music Sales Fall For 7th Consecutive Year

Hey Barry, excellent analysis. Now that the industry has been turned completely upside down (or should I say on its ear), it still clings to its old school marketing concepts, refuses to listen or innovate, and can't figure out why they keep losing market share. Looks like a trainwreck to me.

Exposure to International Stocks: A Challenge for Investors

In my view International holdings are becoming ever more important in a portfolio. The US is becoming a shell, saddled with enormous debt. We are outsourcing labor, and not spending enough on education. Gridlock is the norm. In many cases, foriegn countries seem to be more nimble and creative, and are catching up. It's also a play on the dollar. I'm no expert, I don't have an MBA, but isolationist theories don't fit my definiton of diversification.

CD Sales Plunge 20% From Year Ago

If the music business doesn't get its act together soon, it will be out of business. This unraveling is somewhat poetic. The internet is ultimately handing the power back where it belongs - to the artist. Simply put, let's look at radio, another sick puppy. Content is king. Talk radio is doing fine. Music radio, not so good. Playing the same crapola as everyone else is leading to their ultimate demise. The industry can try and spend millions of dollars trying to squash the internet but in the end they will lose. Until radio figures out that the only solution is to grow organically, (just like the ethanol equation), they're not fooling anyone but themselves.