babajay

Trying to Understand Airline Executive Compensation

This "Ive got mine" mentality will ultimately be the undoing of this great country of ours. These guys see no problem with paying themselves this way while they cut jobs willy nilly. It is evident to me that there is an airline business model that works, but it just doesnt"PAY" some to operate using that model. We see the same thing in the financial industry where everyone rushed to get TARP money until they realized that it could lead to pay caps for top executives. Look how fast some of these companies paid back the funds (Citing unreasonable government restrictions). No one has checked, but I bet they are back to ordering Gulfstreams and planning more downsizing to pay for the Gulfstreams.

Gulf Island Fabrication: Value with Deepwater Exposure

Devon, Tom and Harry thank you for a civil and well carried out discussion on ATPG. I was also quite alarmed at Tom's paragraph on ATPG and felt that some clarification was needed. Having followed the thread, my concerns have been set aside. Tom is obviously approaching this from the viewpoint of a GIFI shareholder. While ATPG shareholders may take a littule umbrage at the paragraph, it is important to note that Tom's view is probably what makes ATPG a good investment. management that uses creative financing that they understand is obviously preferable to management that takes on a lot of debt that they dont understand. ATPG managements strength lies in the acquisition and development of reserves. Financing is key to their activities. Their strategy so far has proven to be a win-win for shareholders and suppliers alike. Will it continue.? I beleive it will; Others may not, but then thats what makes a market.

Is Hedge Fund Clarium Capital Being Punished for Pessimism?

It might be important to note that these structural problems have existed for quite a while, and Mr Thiel made money... ergo He had to have been long. Now that the structural problems have been exposed to the public through forums like this and CNBC et al, Mr Thiel will have us beleive that the market is NOW irrational. I would suggest that the market has always been irrational, Mr Thiel simply was on the right side of that irrational behavior for a while, This time, he is on the wrong side of that irrational behavior. My advice...... Focus on getting on the right side of the irrational behavior. You cannot change the market but the market can certainly change you.

Julian Robertson: US May Face 'Armageddon' If China, Japan Don't Buy Debt

Theres a revelation.... Also I dont think the active descriptor here is "MAY" if I had to pick, I would use "WILL".

Chart of the Week: Performance by Country, YTD

Not sure this is a comprehensive list. Are we to assume all markets are up this year..? or are you showing us only markets that are up this year..?

10 Upcoming Catalysts for ATP Oil and Gas

In light of this weeks news, I would expect that your many beleivers are expecting an update to your valuation. I rode the stock from 7 to 13 and I got out. I am looking for a spot to get back in (I didnt see the news when I sold the 12.5 calls against my long position). All in all, the company continues to prove that their model works and that management seems to be quite competent. Your faith in the company is obviously paying off in spades.

US Poverty - Exceeding Expectations

If you were making 23K.. TRUST ME.. YOU WERE POOR. I dont know what it costs to commute in North Carolina, but if you deduct the cost of your commute and your rent from that figure, then factor in healthcare, theres not much left. We have to consider that just because one is young doesnt mean they shouldnt be saving for retirement etc. With 23K in income coming in, the rest of us are viewing you as a "Ward of the state" in a few years if anything at all happens to you.


On Sep 11 05:13 PM Jasper M wrote:

> I must take exception to one part of this: the notion that a single
> person making $23K/year is poor. Back in my working days, in 2001,
> I was making less than that, in a fairly high cost of living metro
> area (Raleigh, NC), and I was living quite well.
> I don't doubt for a minute that it would be hard for even a single
> person to make ends meet on that income in, say, New York, or pretty
> much anywhere in California. But they are Not the nation.

Cash for Clunkers Coming Soon to Your Kitchen and Laundry Room

Had the same problem also... I had to go into my temp files, find the offending program and delete it. It took me several tries to get rid of it as it crashed explorer every time I tried to delete it. Malicious lil thug...!


On Aug 21 06:38 AM basehitz wrote:

> As a heads up to SA readers, earlier this morning I sent SA an email
> of a suspected virus infiltration of SA’s website. Last night I read
> comments posted from other readers who have been having similar problems.
> At least one acknowledged they took the bait presumably planted by
> the virus and infected their machine.
>
> Subject: Suspected virus on SA website
>
> A pattern of virus threats has developed in recent weeks that only
> happens on SA. My system is Vista OS with Norton security. All SW
> is regularly updated and system scanned for viruses.
>
> The presumed virus attack begins with a screen pop-up type display
> alerting that my system IS infected and that I should activate some
> program that presumes to be anti-virus scanning SW. As you are aware,
> Windows requests user permission before the program is allowed to
> run. I have read about this type of threat hackers use and didn’t
> take the bait. But it is persistent and has tried many times over
> the recent weeks.
>
> My practice each time is to shutdown all internet operations and
> unplug the internet connection. Then I have Norton quick scan the
> system, update SW, and rescan. Then I check Windows Defender. Often,
> it is found disabled when this happens. So I reactivate and scan.
> Several times since this has happened I do a complete system scan
> both with Norton and Windows Defender. If any risk is detected, it
> has always been determined by Norton as “low risk” and “resolved”.
> As far as I can tell, my system is OK.
>
> Yesterday I read several other posters comment about similar problems.
> That confirmed my suspicion that this only happened when accessing
> SA’s website. My perception is that this event occurs when accessing
> SA articles both directly off your home page as well as thru emails
> from you. It is not limited to one author. So it appears this threat
> may have spread through your system.
>
> Naturally, I have curtailed my use of your website. I trust you will
> get this resolved or I am sure you will lose many readers. That would
> be unfortunate, because you provide a worthwhile service to fill
> the void of the agenda-driven financial media.
>
> Note, as I accessed your website this morning, the moment I hit “Contact
> Us” I got another attack. My curtailment of your service will become
> more so as a result. Please email me for updates on the status/resolution
> of this issue. Thanks.

Bank of America Is John Paulson's Second Largest Holding after Gold

Maybe its a hedge against shorts of the US as a country....? He figured if this Ponzi Scheme doesnt unravel, then why not hedge yourself..! My only question is ..When is he going to unveil his Citigroup stake..?

Meritage Homes Does Face Plant on Earnings

Today .... 8/12/09.. it appears this stock is telling us something. I know that some say chart patterns dont count for much in this new world of ours but the strength in this stock albeit on declining volume is intriguing.

PS I have no position... but that could change if this comtinues

Cash for Clunkers: What Can the Government Buy You Next?

Thank you..! Well said. While we laugh at the French, Cubans, Venezuelans, British, Italians, Poles etc, it is quite obvious that he joke is on us. Those of us that saved religouly, depriving ourselves of this or that to buy a moderately priced car, so that we can afford to own the house we live in ..... WE LOOK LIKE FOOLS.... Why not be as profligate as everyone else ..? I own my car free and clear. It is 7 years old, well maintained with just 50,000 miles. Now I am being told to trade it in get $4500 towards a new car that will obviously cost $30,000 or more, pack on leverage to top the whole thing off (Someone needs to make up the difference between 4500 and 30,000) while the value of the house I bought 10 years ago continues to plummet. And this is the GOOD NEWS. What if this new crop of buyers starts defaulting on all these cars...? Does the government then buy the cars back...! Incredibly noone is asking this question.
WOULD IT BE A SHOCK TO FIND OUT THAT ANYONE THAT HAS A CLUNKER PROBABLY DIDNT HAVE THE DOWNPAYMENT FOR A NEW CAR TO BEGIN WITH..? I cant tell you how frustrated I am with us as a people. Who does everyone think is paying for this..? HELLO... THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO MONEY. Every program is being funded with printed money. Let us all tighten our belts as a nation. IF YOU CANT AFFORD A NEW CAR, $4500 IS NOT GOING TO HELP AS MUCH AS YOU THINK. YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENTS ARE NEW DEBT YOU DONT NEED. You are teetering on the edge to begin with; New debt will only push you over the edge when you lose your job (Which is certain to happen if this continues). We need to realize that we HAD been enjoying an unsustainable standard of living, and we will now need to tone that down.



On Aug 02 11:51 AM The Aft Deck wrote:

> The Govt subsidizes your car,your house and gives you the money to
> shop, all sounds familiar. Communism does the exact same thing.

Kinder Morgan's Dividend Payout Rate Is Unsustainable

Pretty amazing... I thought I missed something... What the HECK does EPS have to do with it. As long as Cash flow can cover the dividend, there is nothing to worry about. This article however does not cover Cash Flow at all. Simply saying the payout ratio was 700% tells me nothing. That is obviously an aberration. Could there have been a non recurring event that quarter..? Clearly the possibility exists that this is sustainable since the author himself points out that they have been paying continuous dividends for 10 years.


On Jul 28 07:06 AM Justinthyme wrote:

> Drivel is the correct characterization. Why would SeekingAlpha print
> something so silly.
>
> Sustainability of an MLP's distribution (it's not a dividend) is
> a function of distributable cash flow, not net income.
>
>

The Consumer Is Not Back, But Thanks for the Markup in Stock Price

Enough Mike..! Youre preaching to the choir. I wonder when our "Ivy League educated" management teams will realize that the more you cut benefits at your firm, the more the other "ivy league educated manager" down the road will cut benefits at his firm. What does this all mean.. Well those workers that are getting their benefits cut will not be able to buy fridges, cars, computers, healthcare, etc. Funny how that works. But as youve rightly said, Economics class is for nerds... why not wait until CNBC tells you what the news is. We are at a frightful time in this country, Management will do everything and anything to beat expectations, get the stock up and cash in their options. Soon we will hear screaming from the ramparts when the govt decides to intervene on executive pay. This obviously cant last, but it can last long enough for the few to get paid while the many suffer.
Bottom line this past quaters earnings have been a joke in most cases. This will not end well.

A Look at Caterpillar's Blowout Quarter

"while building up an expected future revenue stream when inventories become flush again"
Pray tell sir...! When will that be..? I have looked at my crystal ball, and it is a little murky. Early Cycle... Is that what we use to describe a stock that guides 1.25 to 2.25 with 75 cents of 1X charges embedded in there..? This is exactly why the country is in the shape its in. Almost 1 dollar of 1X charges so far this year (and who knows what else) and everyone celebrates by propelling the stock higher...! I will wait for the inevitable meltdown when "expected future revenue stream" doesnt pan out, and I will pray that this sucker is still up here or higher. Luckily there is no borrow issue with this thing (unless the SEC rides to the rescue).

DCT Industrial Trust: A Best Buy Among REITs

Financials look sorta messy...! Numbers jumping all over the place. Looks like they cut dividend also(Am I right.?). Then there is the matter of the "other" figure in their operating expenses. Always a material mover. All in all not as clean as I would have thought given your ringing endorsement. Maybe compared to other REITS this is a screaming buy, but that doesnt say much for the space.

You should look at GTY..