coffee is for closers

Barron's Calls a Bottom

At this point, the forever stamp looks like a pretty good investment.


On Mar 09 01:02 AM Mr. Ed, Jr. wrote:

> Ah, yes...One of my favorite party games, although we call it "Your
> stocks are cheap relative to...." and then you have to fill in the
> blank about your opponent's portfolio.
>
> Last year, we used answers like "Book value" or "Level 2 assets",
> but that always caused arguments, because it was all made up stuff.
>
>
> Nowadays, when we play, the winner says something like "postage stamps"
> and we all laugh so hard, usually someone's beer will shoot out of
> their nose.
>
> But we all agreed to pool what is left of our money and buy, buy,
> buy next week. Not stocks-- postage stamps.
>

Why Capping Pay Is Likely to Work

The government has to buy into these banks because the business model is broke already broken.


On Feb 04 02:08 PM Robert Perrego wrote:

> OK - you buy the New York Yankees - a historically winning franchise,
> cap all the salaries and let all your best players leave.
>
> What do you have left? The Kansas City Royals. And then it takes
> years to rebuild by waiting for players to come back on the market
> and back to your team. it's not like these producers grow on trees
> or are mid-level talent.
>
> This says that the government is buying into these banks and destroying
> their business models.
>
> Not too smart.

Why Capping Pay Is Likely to Work

Once the government's equity has been repurchased by the company or the public and the salary caps are still in effect, then I will get on my soap box and yell. As for now, I see no problem capping the salaries to what some would call a very generous amount. Regardless of, well everything, $500,000 per year is a lot of money. If the government wants to cap salaries to preserve its equity to ensure another bailout is not required, go ahead.

The absurd part is that the government's hand was forced to require these salary caps. Are there no morals on wall street or in corporate america anymore? If your company reported a net loss for 2008 and the company required additional capital from the government to remain a going concern, bonuses should not have been paid to any employee of that entity. Its is a bonus, by definition, a payment made above and beyond the required amount of salary, paid to employees because their efforts contributed to the company's profits being above and beyond the expected profitability. To require a capital infusion from the government just so your company can remain solvent is considerably below expectations.

Watching the Lehman Fireworks

Thanks Eli, as an investor, I do like to see what information is out in the market via any outlet possible, but also realize that I should take any information with the word "rumor" before it with a grain of salt and perform my own research before making any decision on a trade.

The Most Important Fact To Know About Oil Investing

Very, very concerning and true. Thanks for the post.

Oil: The Inconvenient Truth

Mr. Rewrite: "you looking forward to your descendants going to saltwater beaches in, say, Harrisburg, PA"

Great solution. Beach vacations closer to home=Less driving=Decreased oil consumption=less CO2 emissions.

All we have to do is melt the polar ice caps to get out of this mess, plus when the oceans retreat again, there will be a surplus of oil left over from the decomposition of the flooded civilizations. Everyone grab your household hairdryers and meet me in Alaska.