Future1Investor

Chrysler Leaves United States In the Dust

2009-11-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

While Chrysler refocuses its capital and development plans on the people of China, it leaves the United States scuttled in its wake.

In a recent statement, it said that electric vehicles would only represent 2% of its sales by 2014. So in a bold move, it is now the only top selling automaker in the U.S. without a hybrid offering.

Chrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa said on Friday that an in-house team of electric car development engineers had been disbanded in favor a more traditional organization.

This after the company took $12.5 billion from the U.S. taxpayer and another $70 million in grants from the Dept of Energy.

Chrysler again disappoints and finds itself on par with the Reserve Bank & friends' abuse of the U.S.A. and its diminishing financial and market oversight.

(BAC) Is It All A Scam?

2009-11-03T13:42:00.001-05:00

Who is Karl Denninger? He is like most of us, a normal guy, a computer geek, who happens to enjoy sharing his thoughts on the market and politics among other things.

One has to wonder, when you start hearing of things like this....

In a $2.8 trillion municipal bond market that more than doubled in just over a decade, public corruption, officials’ mistakes and lack of disclosure cost taxpayers as much as $6 billion a year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

What's going on here?

Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- At the end of a March 6, 2000, conference call with the financial adviser David Rubin, city of Atlanta officials disqualified the winning bid for a $453.3 million investment-management contract.
The decision shaved $58,000 off what Atlanta taxpayers would have earned from the $13.5 million high bid and awarded the account to runner-up Bank of America Corp., according to a copy of city documents obtained under the Georgia Records Act.
Only after the Internal Revenue Service investigated five years later did local officials learn that Rubin’s firm, CDR Financial Products Inc., had entered into a secret side agreement with the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank. CDR’s share would be worth as much as $340,000, based on city and federal records.

This, ultimately, is the sort of result that one can expect when we refuse to stop the looting and start prosecuting.

There have been many over the last two years who said that the "subprime (and stated income) borrowers deserved it" - referring to the loss of their houses, of course.

Perhaps they did.

But the bigger issue here - the societal issue - is how crooked the entire marketplace has become for securities in general. Not just for end-user mortgages but also for securitizations, municipal bonds (as outlined in this article) - virtually everything!

“We need a worldview change about transparency and that includes municipal finance,” said Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, in an interview with Bloomberg last month.

Indeed. But so far we see zero indication that we're going to get it. Municipal finance is just one tiny piece of the scam-ridden world of financial back-room deals.

Witness the mortgage-backed bond business, where firms such as Goldman Sachs have admitted shorting the very mortgage-backed securities they were packaging and selling! McClatchy ran a story this weekend on the matter which I opined on this morning; the salient factor here being not that McClatchy picked this up, but that it took two years for the so-called "mainstream DC media" to do so!

We continue to see the fraud-and-pony-show throughout Wall Street and Washington DC - and there is no indication anywhere that anyone gives a damn. Amnesty, as given to Bank of America in this case, is an outrage. Remember that the allegation in the instant case is that:

“IRS believes that CDR, Bank of America and possibly others may have colluded to fix pricing,” an unidentified Atlanta employee wrote in an undated internal memorandum after city authorities met with IRS investigators in September 2005.

Got it? Fix prices, and if you're a big bank you get amnesty. Even though what you did is under black-letter law felonious, you will not be prosecuted so long as you are one of the favored few.

How much more of this is hidden under the rock of bribes, er, "campaign contributions" and lobbying? The answer is likely to surprise, but what's also likely to surprise is exactly how little of this we the "little people" will ever hear about.

Sustainable economic growth does not come from scams - it comes from honest deals. So long as the way Wall Street "makes money" is to rip someone off, and those who engage in such activity are given "amnesty" instead of losing their corporate charters we will simply continue robbing the common man for the benefit of the few banksters among the "privileged elite."

Special Guest

2009-10-29T11:08:00.001-04:00

First of all I want to thank you for having me as a guest today!

My name is Adam Hewison. You might want to Google Me to confirm what I am about to share with you.

There are plenty of people out there that create “exclusive email courses” with little or no credentials to actually backup their teachings. So, I think it’s right that I share a little bit about myself with you before we even start.

I was a former floor trader on the IMM, IOM, NYFE and LIFFE as well as a risk manager of a large, multinational corporation in Geneva, Switzerland. I also have written books on forex trading and trend following. In 1995, I founded INO.com and later co-founded MarketClub. I’ve been in the trading biz for over three decades and have seen it all. I created this course as a way to give back and share trading tips and techniques that I still use in my trading today.

Rather than repeat what is already here, just look at the article below.

Every success,
Adam Hewison
President, INO.com & Co-Creator, MarketClub

Free Trading Course

2009-10-29T10:51:00.003-04:00

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GM Says "American Cars Are Back"

2009-10-28T11:24:00.002-04:00

If thats true, where have they been? My friends have the answer...they tell me that GM and other American car companies have been clowning us all these years. Now that they're status and reputation has dropped to all time lows, they claim that over-night they've found quality!!! Except of course for Ford, whom for many years have proclaimed "At Ford...Quality is #1". So we say, what about outside the Ford facilities? Or do they only really mean that with their F150 line?

Maybe they mean the F150 line here and all their flex fuel car line in Brazil. Americans can be convinced to buy crap if the commercials are both sexy and macho. In Brazil however, Ford doesn't advertise because the people demand of manufacturers that they want highly efficient cars, so voila! you have flex fuel cars which run on highly efficient low cost bio fuel.

In the late ninety's, the State of California on behalf of its people mandated highly efficient vehicles be sold. Voila! GM produced the very popular EV1, only to spend more time and money poo-pooing its own product and only allowing folks to lease, not purchase this coveted car. They couldn't afford having this engineering marvel outsell its other lines. GM couldn't afford to allow the EV1 popularity in California to spread across the U.S.A. They were making too much money producing inefficient, poor quality vehicles which saw more profits from a shorter owner lifespan and a booming parts 'n service business.

Should we applaud car companies for selling us products that leak dollars from our pocket while we drive, then turn around and make a better product only when we stop buying from them? We are not free of blame here however. Business marketing dictates that they will sell and charge what the market will bear. If we are too dumb to demand far better and if we are willing to part with our money for anything less, even using credit, then we're as much to blame here too. The only American car companies who should be applauded are the innovators. Take Tesla for instance. Ok, right, their first car, a very exhilarating, fantastically fun-to-drive model is over $100k. Yet this tiny car company makes one of the fastest cars on the road and it runs on batteries. It can beat nearly any sports car the world over with its 0-60 mph in 3.9 secs. with batteries! It can be fully charged in only 3.5 hours at home. It can go over 240 miles on a single charge! Tesla started out in 2003! Yes, that we can applaud! Tesla is going to produce another model at less than half the price and be more available to the family market. While the price tag sounds ominous to us during the recession; coming from a very tiny company like Tesla, it can be applauded! They don't have the advantages of the economies of scale like Ford and GM, so in comparison, Tesla can be applauded! And they are an American company...yeah!

But GM with their anticipated 2010 release of the Volt, carrying a $40k price tag? Come on! Lets look at Toyota who has been making the Prius Hybrid since 1996. Who still to this day ranks among the most efficient and pollution clean vehicles in the world. Currently they are 2nd behind the Smart Fortwo. Then Toyota places in the winners circle again with the Toyota iQ. Back to the Prius...in price comparison the Prius even when maxed out fully loaded with options, cost a clear $8k less than a base model Volt from GM. Don't need all the bells and whistles? Then you can get the Toyota Prius for a whopping $18K less!!! Mind you, Toyota has been doing this since 1996 with this car, which is now in its 3rd generation. We can applaud a car company who has been doing the right thing for the people and stand as a shining example. Even when GM was busy laying off American workers and closing plants, Toyota was sending employees on leave fully paid! Then when the worst hit, they did it again, but then asked its employees to volunteer in their communities. For this, we can applaud a car company who does right by the people!

Then theres the Ford Fusion. At $27.3k base or $36.6 fully loaded, it gets 41 mpg or possibly 48 if you drive it nicely. Do the same thing with a Toyota Prius and you get about 60 mpg by comparison. Ford was making all electric vehicles all the way back...believe it or not...from 1890 through to 1930. So you tell me that we the people haven't been clowned? We have had the ability but since the advent of dirty, filthy oil, they just didn't want to produce anything that was exciting to the buyer using electric technologies. They could have all this time but instead, we have paid for and paid for, and paid some more, for cars and the service of those cars which just don't last. It took a massive mistake through war (Pearl Harbor), by the Japanese in defeat, to learn that the best way to get to the top is with quality, efficiencies, and caring for its people.

We recently heard that GM has good sales in China. Question...does this help the U.S. side and its workers? No? Ah Shucks! We also heard that GM is going to be building the largest GM manufacturing facility in China. Is that where our bailout money went...to China???? Does this benefit the U.S. taxpayer? No? Ah Shucks! Then why did we bail them out?

Why don't we the people of the United States demand the same of our American companies as with Toyota; as with home grown Tesla? If we would and if they responded...even if mimicking Toyota, who has been doing it all these years, then we could applaud the Americans. But we'd have to ask ourselves, was it worth the wait? Could we have spoken up far far sooner and got a better deal for us and our planet? Why aren't the Americans leading the technological innovations and why must we get the old bits while the rest of most of the world benefit from the newest technologies??? Its because we'll buy anything...we'll buy crap even. We need to clean out our old expectations and start up a new and healthier lifestyle of expectations for our country. And we need to demand it from all our businesses. Will you speak up?

Special thanks to Art for inspiring this story; you really have interesting and great on-target perspectives...and to Gary, burning oil and billowing smoke from his car as he drove down the highway late one night.

WAKE UP & SPEAK UP AMERICA!

FINALLY! No Up Front Costs to go Solar!

2009-10-23T11:39:00.002-04:00

There is a company now that has a solar lease product which makes solar affordable now for every homeowner who wishes to save money on their electric bill and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time! This is an exciting discovery...

US Coal Plants Dump Thousands of Gallons of Waste Into Drinking Water Supplies a Day!

2009-10-23T10:55:00.002-04:00

This next article comes to you thanks to Treehugger. The video at the end shows the visual consequences of this problem as well.

Why is anyone fighting to save these things again? A detailed report in the New York Times just revealed that hundreds of coal plants across the country are routinely dumping thousands of gallons of waste water into rivers and lakes--rivers and lakes that millions of people get their drinking water from.

So here's why all that dumping is going on, in a nutshell--coal plants, as you well know, are extremely heavy polluters. Some plants pollute so heavily, some even spewing sickly yellow smoke, that little coal waste chunks litter nearby residents' yards and coat their property in a thin film. So when a community gets tired of this--and gets sick of the respiratory illnesses and intermittent acid rain the plant creates as well--sometimes they're able to get the state to insist on stricter pollution regulations.

If they're lucky, as in the case of the super-polluting coal plant in Masontown, Pennsylvania, they're successful, and the coal company installs 'scrubbers' that trap up to 150,000 tons of the pollution and keep it from entering the air. Hooray! Right?

Not so fast. Since the scrubbing process creates waste water from all that pollution, it turns out that the coal companies are simply dumping all of into nearby rivers and lakes, many of which Americans get their drinking water from.

And if you're anything like me, you're first reaction will be something like, "how the hell are they allowed to do that?" The answer is, oftentimes they're not. But they're getting away with it unpunished. You see, there's no federal regulation--at all--that specifically determines how much, if any, waste coal plants can dump into water sources. There are state regulations, and restrictions set by the Clean Water Act, but the Times found that while the plants are receiving notices for violations, nothing is being done about it:

Ninety percent of 313 coal-fired power plants that have violated the Clean Water Act since 2004 were not fined or otherwise sanctioned by federal or state regulators.

It also notes those few plants that have had to pay fines--but they're egregiously low, even for excessive violations:

Hatfield's Ferry has violated the Clean Water Act 33 times since 2006. For those violations, the company paid less than $26,000. During that same period, the plant's parent company earned $1.1 billion.

In other cases, there's no existing framework at all to prevent companies from dumping harmful chemicals. This, for example, is particularly alarming:

only one in 43 power plants and other electric utilities across the nation must limit how much barium they dump into nearby waterways ... Barium, which is commonly found in power plant waste and scrubber wastewater, has been linked to heart problems and diseases in other organs.

The atrocities go on and on. No wonder coal companies are balking at the prospect of limiting their pollution under a climate bill--they're evidently entirely unfamiliar with taking the environment and/or people's health into account at all. So allow me to hark back to my opening question: coal plants pollute the air, give people heart and respiratory problems, contribute to climate change, and now, dump tons of dangerous waste into our drinking water every day. Why is anyone trying to save these things?

People that are the closest to the issue say it best:
jakkman69 wrote:
I live right here. We have our corrupt officials to comfort us and tell us it's all A-OK. As long as those people are rich and happy, we are all OK. ALL the creeks in knoxville run grey with polluted waters. Way Way before this spill happened. We are so polluted u would shit ur pants if you knew what oak ridge and our corrupt officials have done here. Cancer all over the place here. Thank God we have corruption to protect us.......

Is Cleantech Just a Myth?

2009-10-23T01:25:00.009-04:00

We don't think CLEANTECH is just a myth; not at all! But from the deplorable action of big oil, coal, and nuclear power companies you'd thing that it was. See the next article (coming soon, above this one) on Coal Companies deplorable reaction to being asked to clean up their act and install air pollution equipment.

Some of what you see on this blog is not new but we'd sure like to help spread the education to those who haven't exactly been finding truths in all the usual places:

The 4 Biggest Lies Told about Alternative Energy

So let's just clear the air. Those public relations hot-shots at Big Oil spent years trying to convince investors and consumers that "cleantech" was really just a myth. A crazy idea with no basis in reality.

It's pathetic, really-- when you think about the depths Big Oil's sunk to in order to keep its massive pockets padded. Of course, their distractions, diversionary tactics, and -- outright lies -- have now been exposed. Take a look. . .

* Outrageous Lie #1 - Wind energy is inefficient and only provides a small amount of electricity.

Absolute hogwash. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates America's wind energy potential to be larger than total U.S. electricity consumption today. Financial News Online estimates the wind sector, which has been developing for more than 10 years in Europe and for about five years in the U.S., could bring in annual revenues of $10 billion to $12 billion.

* Outrageous Lie #2 - Renewable energy can't survive without subsidies

Right. . . that's why "Big Oil" invested more than $58.4 billion of its own money into alternative energy from 2000 to 2008. And, as I mentioned earlier, more than $155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide. Does that sound like an industry that can't survive without government handouts? Didn't think so.

* Outrageous Lie #3 - Solar energy can only serve a tiny fraction of U.S. or world electricity needs

Actually, the truth is. . . solar photovoltaic (PV) technology can meet electricity demand on any scale. The solar energy resource in a 100-mile-square area of Nevada could supply the U.S. with its entire electricity demand using modestly efficient commercial PV modules. Bear in mind, the market capitalization for pure-play solar companies has jumped from $1 billion in 2004 to over $118.3 billion today. The carbon based energy companies in the State of Florida which is dubbed the "Sunshine State" keep utility rates artificially low just to thwart interest in alternative energy development. Sad...don't you think? The Sunshine State isn't a model for solar usage in the U.S.A.???

* Outrageous Lie #4 - Geothermal energy is still new and experimental

It's exactly the opposite. Geothermal energy has been used to generate electricity since 1904. Today, the United States has nearly 2,800 MW of geothermal electricity connected to the grid, which generates a yearly average of 15 billion kilowatt hours of power. That's comparable to burning about 25 million barrels of oil... or six million short tons of coal per year.

It's easy to understand why lies like these would be spread.

But now that you know the truth — Want in on a couple more "truths" that might surprise you?

*According to Morgan Stanley, banks will soon become reluctant to lend money to fossil fuel projects. Take a look at this from a Morgan Stanley press release:

Leading Wall Street Banks Establish The Carbon Principles

"The Principles are... Energy efficiency. An effective way to limit CO2 emissions is to not produce them. The signatory financial institutions will encourage clients to invest in cost-effective demand reduction."

Seems that the banks have made their decision — and they're placing their bets squarely on renewable energy.

*Think coal is still our future? Consider this: since 2002, 100 coal plants have been cancelled in the U.S. alone. This trend "demonstrates an undeniable trend of American communities moving beyond coal and toward clean, renewable energy," according to Reuters.

*And don't even think about coal as a possibility in Los Angeles:

"Los Angeles will eliminate the use of electricity made from coal by 2020, replacing it with power from cleaner renewable energy sources, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said."

-- Reuters, July 2, 2009

As you can see — the evidence is truly overwhelming. And our future is crystal-clear. Question is; will you be able to find which solar, which wind, which geothermal will shoot to the top of the charts and will you get into the market near the bottom? Or will you catch the wave just before it breaks and miss the next new wave rising from the bottom? This is where most individual investors get in. If you want to make big money, you have got to spend more time researching and watching potentials via a watch-list of ten or fifteen in each category, weeding out one by one as new confirmed data comes in on each company.

Interpreting Government or "Official" Reports part 2

2009-10-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

The person overseeing the TARP funds says that they can not account for 350 billion of the then 700 billion given out to the financials as bailouts. Much more money is unaccounted for or it could be thought of as simply stolen from the U.S. taxpayer. We say that it is stolen from U.S. Taxpayers since as you now know, all money printed in the United States for the Federal Reserve banking system is a debt immediately attached to the tax payer.

The following is a video about the Pentagon which addresses routinely cooking its books:

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says the current crisis is much broader than anyone could have imagined...a state of shock and disbelief. This is the same man that accomplished gross financial deregulation that then translated out into our own financial downfall. A financial deregulation on a scale never before seen.

How can this man, not know what is going on when he and his fellow Fed handlers see what the direct result of deregulation causes across the entire country? He was Fed Chairman during the Saving & Loan debacle. How can he not have seen this economic crisis coming after that? He says that we have the highest standard of living...based on what?...the credit program that has enticed every working man and woman to spend beyond his/her means???

We looked to this man as did the rest of the world, as some financial genius...yet he did not see this coming. This is a lie. And before you blame him directly, let not. He was only face and the mouth for the super secret Federal Reserve Banking System. The same system that is not part of the United States government. The same system that no independantly assigned party nor the U.S. government itself can audit by order of pre-agreement. So how can you believe anything that the Fed reports? How can you stomach the creation of money at your expense, the massive bailouts of financials at your expense, the pushing of credit and mortgage at your expense and peril? With the advent of the Federal Reserve Banking System, we have done away with the Free Market Pricing System of Money which has allowed this financial cartel to make money out of nothing and then charge us for doing so. Its like some kind of fairy tale gone quite mad! We are like Alice in Wonderland, in both awe and confusion at what we see and at what we have happening to us...as if on some kind of drug that we can not say no to (Credit). We then listen in nearly total belief when they say that they are doing something about it and will get things back on track and that things will be better in our lives. When will we stop believing that this is some sort of official report? One that means what the face and mouth of the Fed says? Why do we continue to allow them the power to disrupt our lives in this way?

Its just too easy for reports to say that earnings are coming in above expectations when in the first place; expectations have been lowered to the lowest point in how many years???? And what of the housing situation? They don't seem to be reporting on the rising foreclosures in many areas. What of actual bankruptcies? The non-Fed-family banks are expected to go belly up in the hundreds if not possibly a thousand or so. That would not be happening if it was happy days here again would it?

Americans have been lied to now for so long that you just believe anything you hear on the "Official News" or in the daily news papers. So next report that comes out, don't just believe it. Think about it and know that it is NOT a factual report but that of propaganda-speak. Something that those in power feel that they must do in order to keep the peace.

Americans need to take back the power we've entrusted in such people. We've given away our powers as a people for so long that it has been taken for granted and become corrupted. They tell you what you need to hear in "Official" reports so that you do not rise up, like others the world over when corruption goes too far for too long.

Interpreting Government or "Official" Reports part 1

2009-10-21T11:46:00.006-04:00

From now on, when you hear that this report or that report came out...you should think about something before you take it to heart. You should think about how many reports come out looking rosy in relation to what actually is. Then, just a week or two or a month later the same report looks quite the opposite. Another kind is where the report says that previous data will be changed (in order to make good the numbers in the current report).

So perhaps it would be in your best interest to view these reports as "What is plausible" or "What we'd like it to say" or "What you want to hear" or "Your Title Here". Because if everything was the way they reported it, things sure would be different around here wouldn't they? Instead these seem to be marketing type reports are made specifically for public consumption, not factual ones which tell it like it is. It seems that those who run the government no longer put out those kinds of reports.

Whatever happened to Just the Facts Jack! ??? Instead we get clobbered 24 hours a day via the media to "think" its okay to part with more of our money and put it into the market because the recession has hit bottom and look to the end of the fourth quarter for happy days here again. Have we hit bottom in the market? Maybe, but that doesn't mean that happy days are here again by a LONG SHOT. What with rail shipments down 20% from last year's levels, UPS package levels down 4.7% from last year's depressed levels, unemployment's continuing new claims (how about the massive number of people no longer on benefits but out of work still? How about those who have only been able to obtain part-time employment?) and all these numbers which are not reported because it would look too close to reality which isn't very good!

Hidden Facts:

The number of unemployed persons increased by 466,000 to 14.9 million, and the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage point to 9.7
The number of discouraged workers in August (758,000) has nearly doubled over the past 12 months.
Big layoffs at major automakers, suppliers and dealers are just one of the latest signs that the recession is still hitting the U.S. economy fully
Related drops in consumer spending will continue to affect corporate earnings that will be hard to continue hiding, perhaps even among financials
The majority of this recession was caused by the greed of Federal Reserve leaders and their banking friends via the whole subprime mess and longstanding credit pushing policies.

There has to be 150,000 new jobs each month just to keep up with population increases. Job growth over the last five years has pretty much been wiped out. It took 4.5 years to recover from the job losses of the 2001 recession. With this being the worst recession since The Great Depression do you think we'll be out of the woods in any less time? We would have to add 17 million jobs over the next five years just to get back to the levels we had in 2007 of 4.5% unemployment. Do you think that is going to happen any sooner? Like in 2010 or 2011 at the latest as they are saying on the boob-tube? Really? Oops! There goes another 12,000 jobs...this time from AT&T.

Add to those numbers all the people that aren't reported on any longer, including those who have only part-time work but want full time and those numbers rise to like 23 million new jobs needed to get back to what is normal. So perhaps those in power will come up with a "New Normal" to define so that we won't fret and get upset at them. But wait until "normal" taxation returns! When the need to return to normal taxation levels can no longer be denied. OMG! What will you think then? Your decreased pay-check, or the pay-check that didn't see a cost of living increase in over five years will suddenly be like...OMG! But then it will come from other taxes as well, not to mention the indirect tax incurred because we have allowed the Federal Reserve to put more and more newly printed money into the system from which you are directly indebted for!

Add to this the baby boomers who, thanks to regulatory decreases in the stock market and financial sector, can no longer "afford" to retire because their investments have been largely wiped out. Which puts us on another topic we won't cover here...programs which will be needed by the elderly but will be cut despite the need. A whole new can of worms opens up here, that which would include new poverty reports, not the "official" ones. The last recession "ended" in 2001 as goes the "official" report but unemployment continued to rise till the middle of 2003. Again, this doesn't bode well for us in this...not this bad since The Great Depression-recession of 2009. If only that ringing of Change which ushered in a new U.S. President could have the power to put this country back in the great race to be #1 again. So far we're being out-performed by the likes of China, Germany, Spain, and even South Korea while we're still stuck, sucking on the oil nipple for all that its worth.

They...the U.S. Oil companies want you to be mad at the Saudis for the price of oil. Who made more money last year than any other time in their history???? (U.S. Oil companies) We are the Saudis!!

We've been told from those in the Mid-west that insurance companies are freezing their own clients out of their Annuities for up to twelve months! If you need money and your sources are dried up, demand a hardship dispensation from your insurance company. Does this sound like happy days??

We've also been reminded of how those on Social Security have received notice that their payments won't be adjusted upwards now for several years. This is being blamed squarely on the baby boomers. But in-fact...Social Security has been raided every year to pay for part of the government debt and received nothing but I.O.U.s which have not been honored in a very long time. So its not the Baby Boomer generation that is the problem with the government not being able to do cost of living increases to SS recipients. Whatever happened to Social-"Security" for the lifetime worker in America???

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Happy days...normal times...won't be upon us until these numbers return to pre 2008 levels. That is when business is doing well again, and orders are being placed regularly for goods and services by business and by the people. Not just because we've run out of inventory which sat for months and now we have to order more or we'd be completely out of business.

World’s First Solar-Powered Car Carrier

2009-10-18T12:08:00.001-04:00

The Auriga Leader, the world's first partially solar-powered pure car carrier vessel, docked at the Port of Long Beach for the first time. The ship has been contracted by Toyota to exclusively carry Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles to the west coast from Japan.

The 656-foot, 60,000-ton vessel's deck is outfitted with 328 solar panels that can generate up to 40 kilowatts. Unlike other ships outfitted with solar panels that feed power directly to accommodation and cargo-hold lighting, the Auriga Leader feeds power to the generator, which contributes to the whole ship.

The Auriga Leader, operated by NYK Line, was launched in December 2008 and can transport up to 6200 vehicles. NYK Line has set a goal to reduce car carrier energy consumption by 50 percent by 2010 through solar power generation, ship operation improvement, redesigned hull form, propulsion systems energy savings and improved cargo handling.

Larouche, on The Dollar, Jobs, and Healthcare

2009-10-16T13:07:00.001-04:00

The video comes from the Larouche political action committee.

Recession IS Ending, DOW 10,000 ...Right?

2009-10-16T12:47:00.001-04:00

We've been getting e-mails and voice mails all asking: "how can you print that the recession is far from over, when the DOW has hit 10,000?

Larry Levin says it best in his daily comments:

Dow 10,000! Uh Really?

This has happened before, not too long ago in fact. Each time I turned the channel from one financial station to the other yesterday and this afternoon, I thought I was watching a scandalous XXX movie. I kept hearing, "Oh Yes!...OH GOD, OH YES! That's the stuff 'Big Ben and Timmah'...you know how I like it. Oh my GOD!!" Was I hearing an audio replay of Mr. Spitzer's liaisons with his high priced call-girls? Nope. I was once again witnessing the on-air hosts experiencing multiple DowGasms.

After all, isn't Dow 10,000 exciting? Dow 10,000? Uh, really? Not so much. As usual, the so-called financial experts are not giving you the whole story. And why would they? The truth sucks.

The truth lies with the value of the US dollar. Another great illustration of the amazing loss of purchasing power by the US public are the recent ignorant statements about the Dow at 10,000. While in absolute terms the Dow may cross whatever the Fed thinks is a sufficient mark before its quantitative easing begins to taper off (Dow crosses 10k just as Treasury purchases expire), the truth is that over the past 10 years (the first time the DJIA was at 10,000) the dollar has lost 25% of its value...TWENTY FIVE percent!

On a real basis (not nominal) the Dow at 10,000 ten years ago is equivalent to about 7,500 today! In other words, not only have we had a lost decade for all those who focus on the absolute flatness of the DJIA, but it is also a decade where the consumer has lost 25% of its purchasing power from the perspective of stocks! You won't hear this fact on TV.

You don't believe me? The value of the US dollar only effects high-flying world travelers you say? Huh - that's odd. Then why did President Obama give a special $15-billion "bailout" to the elderly this past February? It was part of the "spendulus bill" in case you forgot. By definition they're already retired so they haven't lost their employment. They are losing their purchasing power, like you, so the Pres stepped in for a lil' bailout.

What else should we expect with trillions upon trillions of new dollars flooding into the system via the Fed's printing machine? It makes the money supply that was available before the money & credit that was created out of thin air worth less than other wise would be.

President Obama, Helicopter-Ben at the Fed, and Tax-Cheatin-Timmy at the Treasury all apparently want the U.S. currency to be used as Kleenex and toilet paper.

With such a great reaction by the media to Dow 10,000, Big Ben and Tax-Cheatin-Timmy must be receiving many messages: "Hey big boy, voulez vous coucher avec moi?"

Trade well and follow the trend, not the so-called "experts."

Do Banks Make Money On Foreclosures? JPMorganChase Does!

2009-10-16T11:47:00.007-04:00

Consider this - JPM Chase bought WAMU in September of 2008 for all of $1.9 billion dollars. For that they got a bank with almost $310 billion in assets, $188 billion of it bank deposits. Now Chase will tell you that the deal wasn’t that great as they had to absorb a hemorrhaging mortgage portfolio of $176 billion that they immediately wrote down by $31 billion. That’s true, but hides what really is going on.

If you ignore all the other debt and assets, Chase got $176 billion in home loans for $1.9 billion. That’s just over 1% of face value. Assuming an average loan balance of around $300,000, that’s almost 600,000 mortgages and corresponding homes. That means they paid an average of only $3,000 for each of those loans. Even if they foreclose on the ENTIRE portfolio, do you think they can make money by reselling houses they got for $3,000 each? -Loan Survivor

The Recession Has Ended They Say Part 1

2009-10-16T10:08:00.002-04:00

Fact: US foreclosures jumped to an all-time high of 937,840 in the third quarter. According to RealtyTrac that's a 23% rise from the same time last year.

Fact: According to the Mortgage Brokers Association, 58% of the foreclosure starts are now in Prime Loans, not subprime loans.

Fact: 46% of Option Arms are currently 30 days past due. An Option Arm is A monthly adjusting adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) which allows the borrower to choose between several monthly payment options.

The bottom line is that far too many Americas, not simply those with low credit scores, have borrowed more money then they are realistically capable of repaying. The credit boom was created by initially low adjustable rate mortgages, interest only, or negative amortization loans, and an appreciating real estate market that allowed homeowners to extract equity to help make mortgage payments. Now that real estate prices have stopped rising, and mortgage payments are resetting higher, borrowers can no longer “afford” to make these payments.

According to the Financial Times, JP Morgan's U.S. credit card division lost $700 million in the quarter, it wrote off $7 billion in noncollectable consumer loans. So how is it that they are making profits? JP Morgan took bailout money, paid bonuses, then played the stock market before paying some of the bailout money back which was the profits it made in the market. They also got some multi-billion worth of mortgages for a song and then wrote down some $31 billion of that which means that their profit was a sure thing from the get-go. Yet despite the bailout, JP Morgan is not lending much of anything to spur the U.S. economy. It made more profits recently trading the stock market instead.

Tale of Two Stories

2009-10-13T10:14:00.003-04:00

Yes there are two sides to every story, sometimes more. But one thing you can count on is that one is right and the others are wrong. Why are they wrong? Because they are telling you a tale, a fictional story. The tale they tell is intended to lull you into believing everything is working out the way you nearly want it to. Don't Worry...Be Happy! Don't Worry, Be Happy! Its like a trance or a song line that repeats to the point that you can't get it out of your head and eventually, you start saying it over and over to yourself. That was the design of the story and you believed it. Now that you're baited, they can tell you anything. You have become the drone captive audience of their lies. Yes, I know...you've heard it here before, but get it into your head...you've got to question everything that they tell you because much of it is no good, still more of it is not the whole story...not the true picture, just twisted-wrung-out tiny truths that you should question how much is just plain baloney!

Hey! If you don't believe me, then I've got some AAA rated securities from 2007 and 2008 that I'd like to sell you!

The Federal Reserve Bank or Fed (not a U.S. government entity but a private syndicate/cartel/group) wants you to believe in all their stories and diversions from the truth. "Things are now much better" they say. "Don't worry. Everything is going as planned and the recession is soon ending, so give us more of your money (via your credit card purchases) and we'll get back to business as usual. Good times are coming soon." But step away and the reality speaks the real truth in both Asia and the West:

Continued weakness in consumption spending in the world's largest economy, the U.S, the consumer sentiment index unexpectedly declined, economic data released one recent Friday in New York revealed.
Exporters, automakers, trading companies and banks declined on concerns about economic recovery.
In China, sea ports are full of product which are not leaving port because the U.S. consumer is not buying. This has forced closures of Chinese manufacturing facilities which produce goods specifically for the U.S. market.
Bank deposits are on the rise which is no longer a good sign within a financial industry that has grown from encouraging customers to buy what they can't afford using credit cards, home equity loans, and the like. Deposits, (those that come in and don't go out in bill payments) mean people aren't spending. It means that they're doing the right thing for a change. Meanwhile bank's non-performing assets are also on the rise which will continue to hurt these institutions in the coming quarters.

Banks which are not intimately connected to the Fed, hence not one of the Friends of the Fed are going to be failing in large numbers. They aren't privy to the bailouts already given to the Friends of the Fed.

Its a Game & You Are the Pawn

2009-10-11T09:24:00.007-04:00

We know that the Federal Reserve has inaugurated a policy of aggressively buying Treasury bills, agency debt, and mortgage-backed securities as part of what is often described as Quantitative Easing. The numbers are hard to absorb: $300 billion of Treasuries, $200 billion of agency debt, and $1.2 trillion of mortgage-backed securities, all between March and September.

The Fed doesn’t tell us whom they buy their Treasuries from, but it seems likely to be the same big banks that serve as primary dealers buying the debt from the government. The primary dealers appear to be holding a slice of this paper for only a short term before selling it on to the Federal Reserve. The net of those transactions becomes a further monetization of the federal debt. So whats going on here?

Lets see:

Banks buy debt and sell it to the Fed for profit.

Banks take the extra money and invest in a distorted market for more profit.

What have they actually done? Essentially nothing. All that really happens is that the banks get free money from the Fed so that they can "legally" make more money. The Fed takes the debt and contracts it to the U.S. Government/The Tax Paying U.S. Citizen. The Tax-Payer is on-the-hook for his/her lifetime including the lifetime of their children. Yet another scheme to make banks even more money!

Remember: The Fed makes money from nothing. It costs them only a few pennies to have their own Federal Reserve Notes (not backed by anything of worth/value, it is FIAT money). They loan out this paper via contract to the government who then guarantees that every U.S. citizen will be taxed in some way and that money will go to the Federal Reserve Banks. The IRS is a tool that exists only to serve the Federal Reserve Bank obligation.

Trouble Playing Video? Pause it and let it buffer down to your computer. When the line is fully red, it is all buffered. Now click play button to watch.

So even in times of recession or economic downturn, the Federal Reserve & Friends are making money on the backs of the same people it busted in causing the recession, in order to make even more money. I hope that is simple enough for most of you to understand.

The Fed is also buying even more mortgage-related debt. With the government now guaranteeing mortgage-backed securities, those securities are not that much more risky than actual government debt. This gives the Fed further rationale for having purchased almost $600 billion of mortgage-backed securities since March. Which brings us to a likely connection to the speed of the stock market rebound since March 2009. Looking through the evidence today, we can see that the Federal Reserve has purchased close to $250 billion in Treasuries, and that may have provided the liquidity needed for the big banks to turn around and dump new cash into stocks. Goldman Sachs made upwards of $100 million (per day) on many days through its trading activities in just one quarter alone.
You can compare the surprising stock market rally to the Fed’s purchases of Treasuries. You can likely suspect despite what they say in the media, that our stock market is far more manipulated than most people realize. As a cautionary note, many of the emergency programs of making direct loans to financial institutions are being wound down by the Federal Reserve at the same time it is focusing on direct purchases in these specific markets. Those countervailing actions have kept the total balance sheet of the Federal Reserve relatively stable since it doubled in the second half of 2008, but that could quickly change if the Fed wanted to launch new programs.

So we are the Fed's important game pieces in a giant profit-making game. The Fed is the game's creator, rule-changer, banker, and extra player, all rolled up into one entity. The Friends of the Fed are additional players in their game. Try as we might, or not so much, the odds are heavily stacked against us (the tax-paying American). In fact, the way the Fed writes the rules, there is no way that You and your family members have any chance to beat the game. And to not play?? Well, its not an option at this point because your leaders have opted you, your family, friends, and co-workers into the game. After all, your leaders are your representatives and they do so on your behalf. Don't you like those odds?

WAKE UP AMERICA!
WAKE UP UK!

What The Banks Don't Want You to Do!

2009-10-10T21:58:00.006-04:00

American consumers are in debt to the tune of $2.5Trillion dollars. This is part of what makes the Fed & Friends continue to find new ways to entice you to buy even more of what you can not truly afford. It is why they lower interest rates. It is why they shower you with credit card offers with perks for using them. But what the banks don't want you to do is to save your money and liberate yourself from your credit cards.

What is the fastest way to save money? Stop using credit and pay off your cards. Those little devils in your purse or wallet are constant temptations to buy something today and pay for it tomorrow. Problem is...you pay, and pay, and pay some more for the privilege of a little piece of plastic. Is it really worth it? Since the start of the recession, banks have been raising interest rates on the average consumer. They know that many are in trouble (reduced wages, hours, or both) they know that you will rely on the card for quick cash or that special present to yourself, even groceries this week and next. So they're jacking up the privilege as much as 29.9% for many. Banks aren't your friend, they only pretend to be.

They fill your statement envelopes with more offers and ways to get the most out of that card and to get the most out of you! They'll even offer to have you skip a payment or two...isn't that nice of them? What they will ever rarely do is suggest that you stop using the card and save hundreds to thousands of dollars a year in interest payments. Even carrying a fairly low balance can eat up valuable buying power if your interest rate is in the double digits.

The banks won't tell you to follow their lead. Banks got overly greedy again and continued with criminal-like zest despite the risks. They got themselves in trouble. What to do? Walk away from the problem/or shove it to the consumer, the tax-payer, the hand that feeds them. The very financials that walked off with big bonuses did so at your expense while your buying power diminished further and your investments shriveled under the heat. You could follow one from their own play-book and walk away from this wholly lopsided obligation. Why should you pay when they addicted you to easy credit? These dealers are the bad guys here, not you. You are just weak minded and they like that an awful lot don't you know? So stop paying more interest on owed interest and fee upon fee. Or what about this: How much are all the bailouts worth on a per tax-payer level? Thats your leverage, your credit, your payment towards the account!

War...Its All About Money, Even At The Cost of Lives!

Think of what you could do with all the money you will save by not using credit. My Father never borrowed money. He wasn't interested in credit. He saved for his homes, cars, and vacations. The savings he amassed by not paying for what he could not afford, allowed him to invest and have a decent retirement account for himself and his wife. While he enjoyed working, he did not have to ask his wife to work because of necessity, except in the very beginning, nor did he need to seek part time work to make ends meet. Not borrowing from the banks or living with credit was a financial boon for he and his spouse. Sure they worked

hard and pinched pennies when needed. But in the end, they didn't need to worry about not having enough to take care of themselves.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

Smart or Irresponsible?

2009-10-10T16:09:00.009-04:00

"Mr. Geithner, in a letter to U.S. lawmakers, said that the Treasury projects that the current debt limit could be reached as early mid-October. Increasing the limit is important to instilling confidence in global investors, Mr. Geithner said. The Treasury didn't request a specific increase in the letter."

Do you think this is a wise move? Our debt with respect to GDP is currently reaching into the 90% range with the U.S. expected to be fully extended by some time in 2010.

It seems that this is a blatantly irresponsible move from a fiduciary standpoint. So I guess the question is: Does Mr. Geithner have an ethical duty to act in the best interests of the people of the United States?

Obviously the Federal Reserve wins by the debt limit being raised again but do the people? What happens when debt to GDP reaches 100% or more?? This means even more than saying that your personal credit is maxed out!

Since the Federal Reserve makes money from absolutely nothing, (we are not on the gold standard anymore) it would be a huge deal to forgive all debt to-date owed to the Fed. It would do an awful lot it seems to help this country out. After all, its not like the Fed is in any kind of financial trouble. After all, they got us in this mess with their money-making schemes. It seems only fair!

Now on the other hand we've been hearing from the media in an almost droning-like way, that the recession is near its end. Even Bernanke says that the recession has ended. They say that all reports indicate this...well, those reports as we all know have had their data skewed and manipulated in order to make things look rosier than they really are. AND...when the new report is dramatically different than the previous report, they have to re-manipulate all the past data to come into line with the current report. See what I mean?

As recently in 2005-2006 Bernanke said that the U.S. Housing Market is fine and is properly valued. He said that the U.S. is on the path to full employment. Bernanke said that we have a strong future economic growth and boom in exports. To that we simply say: HUH??? Whats you talkin about Bennigins? He obviously doesn't have a serious clue in his body about whats going on unless he's told by those who are really running the show. He's just the puppet on the marionette stage.

Then they point to a lower unemployment claims number and say that this is the biggest proof. Well it seems to us that all that means is that the big wave of layoffs deemed necessary by companies as a cost-cutting device is slowing. It does not mean that near 15 Million people are not still out of work, it does not mean their lowered hours, trimmed wages, or reduced benefits have returned. It does not mean that consumer spending in the retail sector has returned either, nor has discretionary spending. How do we know this? Because brand new manufacturing cities in China had their gates closed to workers returning from Holiday.

This means that the west is not buying. Furthermore, sea ports in China have containers stacked as high as they can possible go and they're filled with product for the west. But it isn't being shipped because there are no buyers. Many real estate markets in the U.S. are still seeing record foreclosure rates. Global shipping companies are bobbing in the ocean rather than going full steam ahead because there is little to ship now a days. Banks still are not lending and this is the biggest indicator! Sadly even banks and mortgage companies are being caught trying to lend to people who shouldn't be borrowing. Those financials should be closed and taken over immediately by responsible institutions. When all this reverses, perhaps then we can say that the recession is ended. Why must they put the proverbial cart before the horse?

Others are pointing to the recent stock market rally saying that the per- severance of the bulls is proof that the recession has ended. Seems to me that maybe this is just another but rather longer bear rally. Even though economists are all calling for the end by the fourth quarter of 2009, these folks almost always lag the market with their opinions. Wasn't the economists that were partying over the economy in 2007 when the market was at all time highs? This was also the point where it all started unraveling.

During the Great Depression, there were eight distinct stock market rallies. The rallies lasted an average of 11.3 weeks during which time the average increase was 52.6%.

The rally that began in March of 2009 is now 29 weeks long and has seen the S&P 500 rise 58. percent. Which is to say, it is now double the average duration of the average bear market rally during the Great Depression.

More interesting is that the current rally is eerily parallel to that of the longest bear market rally of that era – a 52% rally that came at the very beginning of the depression and lasted 22 weeks.

Since history has a way of repeating itself as it has time and time again...the folks here at Future1investors group will wait for something much more indisputable before we start saying and writing that the recession has indeed ended. Until then, we are preparing for a longer road back to recovery. A road we feel must include one well traveled by new innovations and technologies that have mass benefits as in things like alternative energy. We are quick to blame the Saudi's for the price of oil, yet our very own American Oil Companies just saw the most profitable year in the entire history of the black gold!

Seems more responsible to work this way rather than throw caution to the wind, only to be let down yet again. Aren't you tired of it?

WAKE UP AMERICA!

Proof You Only Want to Be Mediocre!

2009-10-08T09:15:00.002-04:00

The United States of America was a great country because it strived to make technological advances ahead of the rest of the world. The USA wanted to be #1 and for all accounts and purposes, it was. Lets see that word again....WAS!

What has happened to the USA? Has the credit card charge abilities of the mass public made you mediocre? Is the only thing you think about; that next big screen HD TV?

When the US wanted to be #1, it put massive resources into technological research, seeking breakthroughs and viable products that could propel it into the future. That future is now its past, and very little advances have taken place since. It still uses an un-godly amount of crude oil to propel your transportation system and most of that oil is imported. Yet your American owned oil companies made their biggest profits in the country's history. Guess what America? You are the Saudis!

They calm you by repeatedly telling you that the recession is ending yet there are nearly 15 million out of work families. Salaries are falling, as are work hours for the hourly, companies are going part-time without benefits. People are just getting by while others are not. The country's GDP is still falling and debt is rising like a rocket into space. Your country is so out of kilter that without Social Security to steal from and pay some of the debts, you are already in way over your head. Meanwhile, rather than being a country to compete against, the USA is just a country to sell to because there is little here left to buy. Most notable companies have moved off the US shores and taken their jobs with them. All thats left is just an addicted public that frequently over-doses on anything attached to credit, forever the slaves to your financial masters. The same masters that came up with the invention of the Internal Revenue Service; the tax collector that exists solely to pay for money borrowed from the Federal Reserve. Money that makes money from absolutely nothing. Boy! the Fed & Friends have it good don't they!

The U.S. claims that it is spearheading a major effort to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in order to build a new energy economy. It accompanies that to the tune of $777 million dollars in backing (U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science). Hmmmm how many dollars has it spent on the financial debacle lead by the Federal Reserve? Oh you remember, all those banks that made billions off of selling bad loans, and then putting them into a package that carried a AAA rating to sell to unwitting investors, many of the same financial firms who then where handed over how many billions to prevent them from loosing their ill-gotten gains? Money you gave them, so that they could also turn around and pay themselves historic bonuses! You people are out of your minds for letting that happen. You must be a glutton for punishment. Its like the USA is the wild-wild-west of the new criminal world.

Going back to that spearhead....Hmmmm $777 million towards something that might bring the country into sync with some of the rest of the world? Germany, Spain, China are the top three leaders in solar energy already. China has made a mockery of your spearheaded announcement for funding such research. China's effort will equal an impressive $220 BILLION! Just mentioned, China is #3 in Solar. As for Wind energy, the current goal is set for 100 Gigawatt by 2020. They've already begun construction on the first of seven 10 gigawatt wind projects.

South Korea is investing 1.2 percent of its total GDP, or about $30 billion, into new green strategies to drive their own economic recovery. Meanwhile, the United States is investing less than one half of 1 percent of our GDP on clean-energy stimulus programs. But perhaps less than $10B is all the U.S. needs to leap forward technologically, and be #1 again with everyone back to work, the country and its people prosperous once again...... ahem!

Then I guess you believe what they are saying on the news; that your recession is already coming to an end..... ahem!

Your people make me laugh! You are your own reality TV show! Each episode is more outrageous than the last. And while the rest of the world looks on, you are the only ones except for those in the U.K. that don't know what is going on right under your noses because they tell you lies and you think.... What do you think? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? HELLO! ANYONE IN THERE WITH A BRAIN IN THEIR HEAD?

Who wants to be mediocre? Wait...don't say anything. I'm going to tell you cause you believe everything anyway and this is the real truth. You are mediocre. You've proved it to the rest of the world. You don't care what those Banksters do to you because you are oblivious to the truth. What do they candy-coat their lies with over there with anyway?

Who pity the fool? We don't, not anymore anyway. How sad are you?

Update:
In the weeks since I prepared this, a few new bits have surfaced: $3.4 Billion for smart grid investments grant, $6.3 Billion for improvement of bio feedstocks, $32 Million for improved hydro-power. So lets say approx $10 Billion on behalf of the U.S. for alternative energy advancement. Problem is, there seems to be a lack of thrust and importance of this movement. Perhaps the administration is taking the lead from the current energy manufacturers meaning the big U.S. Oil companies...some of who are diversifying into these areas. It is clear however that if this is true, big oil isn't in any big rush to deviate from the product that made historic profits for them last year. And that is despite the fact that there hasn't been any significant oil finds since the late 50's and early 60's. That is with the exception of Alberta Canada!

Alberta Canada has seen major oil companies moving in and literally stripping the land (Alboreal Forest) and turning it into a dump of toxic waste water and cancer killing environment for its residents. But hey! Even the Canadian local government doesn't care because it has brought them the first real significant revenues ever...so why should we care eh? What you can see going on in Alberta is like a fast forward movie of what the planet has undergone in the last million years or so. Amazing how it can take thousands and even millions of years to produce a fossil fuel like oil. Yet put humans into the mix and they can suck it all up in about a hundred years or so, and at the peril of their own health, the health of the animal kingdom, and the health of the environment which is supposed to sustain them both. Well guess what? When you take without providing equally in return, you wind up with devastation. The only thing is how long that devastation will take and will anyone care if they aren't alive when it happens? Do they not care about the unborn and the children now growing up in this toxic world we've created? Wheres the profit in that?

Clearing the Air

2009-10-08T09:01:00.003-04:00

Please do not be put off by the negative air that you'll read in the upcoming articles. We are in a recession which was caused by entities who were way more concerned for themselves and cared not for the masses that their work affected.

It is necessary to clear the air so-to-speak and allow folks to know what part they played in it and who where the game designers.

Much about the operation of a large country is about sedating the masses. In doing so you limit the uprising, something the USA has not seen in a very long time. This they've mastered, to the degree that we all just keep turning the other cheek. Well our cheeks are battered now, all black and blue. Its time to put a stop to this and wake us the hell up. We need to know the truth and start to think about what to do in order to make things better.

Back With A Vengeance!

2009-10-07T10:35:00.006-04:00

Take a chance but live and learn. Good intentions do not always payout.

First, we left this blog in limbo to be the main contributors to MarketEDU, then when that went by the wayside, brought into MarketDiscoveryNetwork, then that went by the wayside. Thousands of hours spent writing, maintaining, and promoting, all for not.

Of course the reasons are much deeper and while intentions were good, it is unknown weather our so-called partner would have ever come through with the promised reward for all the work. Signed a virtual contract, a verbal contract, but who knows?? Of course I'm not blaming our partner who by the way is hundreds or thousands of miles from this computer. I blame the economy, and the usual and obvious suspects which put us here.

To put things straight, when I say "I", it is the part of Future1Investor that directly puts the content here. Future1Investor however is more than the product of one individual. It started out as a tiny group of anonymous contributors, then evolved to be the world! thanks to Google. Now content comes from the original group but also from hundreds of resources, from individuals to large organizations.

The focus of Future1Investor is of course to save and make money. But the twist is, that this won't just be trying to sell you something. Rather, it is to educate on the cause of money made or lost!

The cause will involve politics, individuals, controversy, innovation, persistence, passion, and more.

You can join us to become an even stronger collection of thoughts, facts, and education for the masses. Set aside your individualism and move into a higher train of thought brought together by many minds. Just send your words to: future1investor@gmail.com

Join us here once again but also share your thoughts in form of comments to the articles brought forth by you and the world at large...
Future1Investor Is You !!!

2008-07-20T00:29:00.003-04:00

Rethink, Relearn, Revisit

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We have taken up residence at Market EDU. Click the link at left to be transported to this up and coming social web site. Visit and enjoy all our latest articles. While there, check out MarketEDUniversity, MarketEDU TV, or visit other bloggers in the Community!

AudioCasts of Future1investor Friday Morning

2008-06-27T20:15:00.000-04:00

Future1investor Investing For Normal People Each week we will summarize all the posts into a one or two week AudioCast page here. You can subscribe to podcasts as they become available or wait for this update and listen to them all easily with one click of the mouse or a'la carte!



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“What is good for General Motors is good for America” link Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:32:29 -0700 (2845 KB) Download MP3 Friday 5 link Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:24:56 -0700 (326 KB) Download MP3 Response To Article Post: Wow that Sox! link Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:42:35 -0700 (1439 KB) Download MP3 Goldman Sachs Changes Tune link Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:40:13 -0700 (281 KB) Download MP3 Thurs Top 5 link Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:35:38 -0700 (343 KB) Download MP3 UK Prime Minister Vows Dramatic Renewable Energy Program link Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:22:12 -0700 (885 KB) Download MP3 Alaskans Gets A Royal Screwin & Big Oil Smiles With Pleasure link Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:49:19 -0700 (2187 KB) Download MP3 Tuesday Top 5 link Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:04:18 -0700 (371 KB) Download MP3 Social Networking Power Seeps Into Applications link Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:02:53 -0700 (2077 KB) Download MP3 Doesn't Hurt to Ask! link Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:10:40 -0700 (386 KB) Download MP3

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“What is good for General Motors is good for America”

2008-06-27T20:14:00.002-04:00

For those of you who did not take advantage of the FREE look into MarketClub, a tool we live by and for those who have but have not had the time to really get into all they have to offer, I am reposting a blog post written by one of the founders Adam Hewison. I'm doing so because not only does it follow-up to my previous posts regarding electric vehicles and our country's need to get on the ball, but it shows how MarketClub can be used when a stock is going down, as well as up! This is the case for General Motors (GM). You can read the entire piece here too if you like.

“What is good for General Motors is good for America”

Back in 1955, Charlie Wilson, then chairman of General Motors Corp. made this somewhat pompous statement. Here we are, some 53 years later and look what is happening to the stock of General Motors (NYSE_GM). This stock is at a 53 year low and shows no signs of turning around.

So the question becomes, what happened to America and General Motors? How did this company lose its edge in the marketplace?

HOW DID GM GET IT SO WRONG?

Digging through the history of GM, I found one fascinating item. GM developed an electric car back in 1996 when gas was $1.28 a gallon! They named the battery powered car the EV1 and then basically scrapped it in 2002.

Today there is very little evidence that this car was ever in existence. I am sure you’re thinking right about how we could sure use a car like that today with gas prices trading over $4.00 a gallon.

When you look at the stock of General Motors, you’ll see that the high for the stock in the last eight years was around $68 in 2002. What’s interesting is that high point in the stock was right around the time GM scrapped its EV1 car.

So what happened to GM’s first electric car? GM claims there was not enough public demand. That could be, but I think the story is a lot more complicated than that.

You can see all the GM - Big Oil conspiracy theories in the movie

WHY KILL THE GOLDEN GOOSE?

From a business standpoint, why would GM want to improve something that would kill the goose that lays the golden egg? General Motors tends to make most of its money on sales of replacement parts. Up to 40% of its profits come from selling replacement parts for existing GM automobiles, so why would they sabotage their own cash flow?

Unlike a gasoline driven car, which has many moving parts, an electrical car like the GM’s EV1 has very few parts to go wrong, so therefore part sales and cash flow would go right into the tank for GM. The other perception problem GM has with an all electric car with zero emissions is this: if GM produces an all electric clean car with zero emissions, it’s making an admission that all of their other cars are dirty, spew out harmful emissions and pollute the planet.

But look at how GM got it wrong. This may be one of the biggest blunders ever in American corporate history. GM took the lead in electric car technology (smart move), but was not convinced that they as a company could be profitable selling electric cars.

WHO OWNS THE MOST ADVANCE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY?

One fascinating piece of information is that GM acquired advanced battery technology from Ovonic’s in the form of a NiMH battery. This battery produces a stronger, longer lasting charge, and was the ideal battery for their second generation of EV1 cars. What came out later was truly a shocker, GM sold this amazing battery technology along with the patent (dumb move) to Texaco who was later taken over by Chevron. Now Chevron owns the technology and the patent!

You have to ask yourself the question… why would an oil company be interested in purchasing advanced battery technology from a major car producer like GM?

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

Fast forward to 2008 when everyone is mad as H#LL for having to pay over $4.00 for a gallon of gas. Back in 1996 when GM launched the EV1 with very little fanfare, the cost of gas was around $1.28 a gallon.

EVcrush

Why GM decided to scrap the EV1 and look for short-term profits in big cars as opposed to building and preparing to adopt a different business model is still a mystery and one that has decimated GM’s stock price in the last five years.

The automobile business has not changed in almost a century and the industry appears reluctant to embrace change. It would now appear that GM’s business model like many of its big cars is rapidly becoming outdated and destined for dinosaur land.

LET’S LOOK AT THE STOCK OF GM

EV1

Let’s take a look at the GM stock chart and see how you would have fared had you purchased GM stock at $68 in 2003. Then let’s look at the same stock using a MarketClub’s proactive approach. As you can see the results of a buy and hold strategy have been a disaster losing 79% of its value for all share holders while the proactive results have been quite stellar.

EV2

If a major company like General Motors can fall to a 53 year low, so can any stock on the big board.

Readers of this blog know that MarketClub uses a proactive approach when taking positions in the marketplace. The world has changed, and it has changed not only for GM but for many other mature companies that are using business models and products that are rapidly becoming outdated and will prove to be noncompetitive in the long run.

Original Posting

Friday 5

2008-06-27T20:14:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a top ten list so we are going to have one each day too! These are our top 5 stock picks with volume exceeding 1 million.

* Sport Supply Group (RBI)
* Spectra Energy (SE)
* National Oil Well Varco (NOV)
* Atwood Oceanics (ATW)
* Royale Energy Inc (ROYL)

These are stocks we like as a buy. Watch the technicals closely as they may turn quickly.

Response To Article Post: Wow that Sox!

2008-06-27T20:13:00.002-04:00

Soxdummy

Niclas Winblad of MarketEDU writes regarding Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).
"The act was implemented as a reaction and means to control companies involved in fraud, such as Enron and WorldCom. Despite the good intensions, the question is whether SOX actually exerts a cost or benefit on companies and society.
....However, all the “suffering” may be worth it in order to catch the single bad guy who tries to cause trouble. So overall, airport security or SOX, as annoying as it is to the honest people or the world, may in fact be a huge benefit considering the possible price to be paid for poor security or lack or financial reporting laws."

We agree that such controls can be annoying and We agree with Niclas that it may be worth it. We also know Niclas, that there are plenty of companies who will make a wide berth in order to skirt the question of weather their company would pass even a minimum SOX audit.

No company will use it unless it is absolutely required of them. Even if required it may not matter if they fail an audit. If the SOX audit is not reported on and turned into an actionable matter unless there are grave problems which were seen in Enron and other notable news, then why would they care to do it at all?

Sarbanes-Oxley in our opinion is a far too difficult means of preventing a wrong. This is one clear example of why companies show disdain and disrespect for formalized Quality and quality employed individuals and teams. Quality professionals face a continued upward battle in corporate America because it has not seen that the best way to improve is to respect the fact that people can be taught to improve their work processes if allowed, given respect and given the proper and sufficient resources. Also, much can be gained from employing 'best practices' from a wide range of process improvements and solutions to problems.

Take for instance the global success of Toyota (TM) as just one example. The United States was once the leader in innovation, in fact the leader in many things. Now it seems to have lost the pioneering spirit and support of government. Instead the U.S. sits back and watches as the rest of the world especially developing countries, grow, innovate, and prosper. It sits back while jobs are lost to those same countries and sees more venture in war and oil.

Perhaps the U.S. should find a new focus on excellence rather than go on with the idea of capital expansion at all cost including that of the workforce. Perhaps a new focus has to take place in the workforce by companies honoring employees and then perhaps companies will find that profits can rise from employee loyalty and the attainment of excellence!

With this attainment, wrong-doing will dramatically decrease as excellence will not be conducive to wrong-doers.

Goldman Sachs Changes Tune

2008-06-27T20:12:00.001-04:00

In a couple short weeks following our outcry over GS downgrading Solarfun Power (SOLF) and suggesting that they took the opportunity to buy into the stock for themselves and their customers...

Goldman Sachs upgrades Solarfun Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: SOLF) from Sell to Neutral.

Makes you go Hmmmm?!!!

UK Prime Minister Vows Dramatic Renewable Energy Program

2008-06-27T20:11:00.000-04:00

Prime Minister Brown today reaffirmed that the UK will spend $100 billion on a dramatic new energy program. The $100 billion will come from private business and encouraged through financial incentives in a speech to come from its business secretary, John Hutton.

Thousands of new wind turbines could be built across the UK as part of the program. Prime Minister Brown says: "It will require real leadership from government - being prepared to make hard decisions on planning or on tax for example. It will mean new kinds of consumer behaviour and lifestyles. And it will demand creativity, innovation and entrepreneurialism throughout our economy and our society."

The announcement comes on the heels of the U.S. announcement of a paltry $100 million toward renewables and after the defeat of bill H.R. 6049. The bill would have had legislation to extended the residential and commercial tax credits for solar energy for eight years. The bill was supported by a diverse coalition including manufacturers, construction firms, environmental groups, electric utilities, chemical companies, banks, investors, labor, public health and religious organizations, trade associations and many others. But sadly the U.S. Senate defeated it.

Meanwhile, the U.K. says that this new renewable energy program will bring 160,000 new jobs. It plans that the North Sea will be turned into "the equivalent for wind power of what the Gulf of Arabia is for oil". Wind turbines will also be built inland, but with sensitivity towards local communities.

Alaskans Gets A Royal Screwin & Big Oil Smiles With Pleasure

2008-06-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Did anyone drop their bagel mid-bite or spit out their coffee when the news Exxon was getting a pat on the hand came through today?

Not long after our dear President Bush indicated that he wanted to put the pipe to more pristine Alaskan territory in that bravado tone he uses...
The $2.5 billion in punitive damages formerly decided against Exxon for the sea of thick black crude it disastrously puked upon Alaska's wildlife and way of life was all but dropped today.

Tax paying Americans, and every TV watcher with a heart and soul worldwide, wept tears of sorrow for the countless suffocating, devastated, and dead creatures of God's design.

The persons of the Supreme Court of the United States deemed that the original ruling should be slashed because it was excessive under maritime law. Instead it has lowered the punishment, not in half but less than a fourth to just over $507 million dollars.

Big oil must be smiling with supreme pleasure. Exxon earned just over $40 billion in the year 2007 alone. Which basically amounts to a minor traffic violation fee for what it was responsible for. The amount won't even come anywhere near to covering the losses families have been forced to endure as they themselves saw their way of life literally drown in the thick, sick sludge which poured from the tanker at 11,300,000 gallons in just a few hours. The result was an oil slick the size of 3,000 sq. miles which has caused a lasting effect still 19 years later.

We can not embed the video here because while they have not been able to prevent the video from being archived, they have managed to prevent the video from spilling out all over the internet. Instead, you'll have to see it by clicking on this link.

If you are a stock holder of Exxon (XOM), you have Supreme Court Justice David Souter to thank for keeping your stock price where it is at today.

Tonight we pray for the souls of the Exxon Board of Directors.
However we doubt they will put things right because they take pleasure in the now and obviously are not worried for their future.

Punishment for the damned (see also the last paragraph)

As of last August 2007, the Exxon Valdez still rode the waters of the world as the S/R Mediterranean. The new name was given in 1990 after 1,500 metric tons of steel were removed and replaced in repairs following the incident.

FROM Wikipedia:
The Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, representing approximately 40,000 workers nationwide, announced opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) until Congress enacted a comprehensive national energy policy. In the aftermath of the spill, Alaska governor Steve Cowper issued an executive order requiring two tugboats to escort every loaded tanker from Valdez out through Prince William Sound to Hinchinbrook Entrance. As the plan evolved in the 1990s, one of the two routine tugboats was replaced with a 210 foot (64 m) Escort Response Vehicle (ERV). The majority of tankers at Valdez are still single-hulled, but Congress has enacted legislation requiring all tankers to be double-hulled by 2015.

In 1991, following the collapse of the local marine population (particularly clams, herring, and seals) the Chugach Native American group went bankrupt[26]

Many of the real estate appraisal methods used to value contaminated property and brownfields were developed as a result of and following the spill. The use of survey research (e.g. contingent valuation and conjoint measurement) became a well-accepted appraisal method as a result of the complex valuation problems associated with contamination.[27]

According to several studies funded by the state of Alaska, the spill had both short- and long term economic effects. These included the loss of recreational sports fisheries, reduced tourism, and an estimate of what economists call "existence value," which is the value to the public of a pristine Prince William Sound.[28][29][30]

WikiScanner discovered changes made from within Exxon Mobil, altering this article's descriptions of the oil spill and down playing its severity.

Social Networking Power Seeps Into Applications

2008-06-27T20:09:00.002-04:00

I have been letting my views and opinions out onto the vast WorldWideWeb now since before most of you readers were even born! I organized the largest number of System Operators (Sysops) ever to meet in one place. Now that says quite a lot as my learned scholarly and entrepreneurial business friends would say.

It would be nice to know that some of my rants and raves such as the one which took out every point of Microsoft's first online published ROI white paper was read and understood. That an intelligent person or team of individuals would find great value in my quality assurance background and position as a consumer advocate.

Well years later, it seems that Microsoft is now attempting to be a little more consumer caring. And it looks like possibly my rant on the uselessness of FaceBook but promotion of social networking sites is being heard.
There are many who are against the internet and use of the web as a way to meet others and collaborate without being able to physically touch or sit in the same office. Some of those concerns are quite valid BUT there are too many positives as well as practical needs for it not to be pursued and developed. No matter how much we wish to prevent Pervs, stalkers, and other negative people in our physical and online life we will never be rid of them no matter what is done. In fact trying to do so online may prevent great productivities from being achieved.

Today we have help (sometimes questionable) from telecenters in India, we have distant learning of which I participated in one of the few way back in the '80s. Do you remember the early online virtual worlds?

I was also part of those early renditions which were exciting but clunky attempts to bring people together online. Well today, Sony and a couple handfuls of other companies have gotten behind the dream to develop this further. And we will eventually see truly productive applications linking people together in both a purely social as well as purely business, educational, and entertaining ways.

One of my Canadian friends turned me onto BlogTV. This is a social networking site that has been around awhile and allows anyone to use their web cam to host a show and even have a co-host on with you from anywhere else in the world! Granted some of the blogTV hosts are quite lame but it gives them an outlet for social interaction which can be for pure fun or for other things. I plan on using blogTV as a way for my online neighbors and friends to chime in on my interest for trading/investing and all things technology. Of course there are other ways but this is simple and fun!

BlogTV Weekly

This this month we were delighted to stumble upon a brand new site that gets to the point of what we want in a social networking application. It uses an educational bent along with the social networking attraction. The site is called MarketEDU. The best way to describe it is to quote directly: "MARKETEDU.COM is the first financial education website to combine Interactive Rich Media Technologies and World Class Finance Expertise together in one expansive online community. 30 Years of financial experience has been combined with cutting edge award winning, interactive design to deliver the most accessible user friendly financial web community on the globe."

If you have any interest in investing or trading, then I encourage you to become a registered member. You'll find a site that is rich in multimedia and friendly, hence the social networking side of it.

MarketEDU

Since technology is constantly improving and people wish to further push the limits of possibility; social networking will become a key feature in more and more applications to come. I for one look forward to the next pipe dream becoming reality. Perhaps you'll play an integral part and have your fifteen minutes of fame!

There Is NO Energy Crisis_What "They" Don't Want You To Know Part 1

2008-06-27T20:09:00.001-04:00

These two Australian partners have come up with a generator that creates power infinitum and can be used in your household to generate free power. What will be the key thing to watch is how quickly this invention is squashed! Yes folks its been done many, many times before. Whenever an invention that can put some big business out of business comes to reality, it is quickly squashed as we call it and that invention is never talked of, seen, or heard of again. That is, until folks like us bring it back to life.

Long Life Electrical Generation For Home

100% Efficient Water/Steam Generator

A Look Inside The Almost Fuel-less Boiler Pump

There Is NO Energy Crisis _ What "THEY" Don't Want You To Know Part 2

2008-06-27T20:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Google for all the fantastic educational videos we get to see here. Thank you Google for backing Nanosolar. Thanks to GENI and Buckminster Fuller for bringing us these next videos...

There is no energy crisis, just ignorance and a lack of proper leadership among countries, governments, companies, and people. The solution has been around but we have been blinded by politics. We have had propaganda of government and its big business puppeteers turn us into sheep. That same propaganda would have us believe that it just isn't possible to have clean and renewable energy today. Oh! but we have companies like Nanosolar, Energy Conversion Devices (ENER), and many others with individuals that see the need and are trying to fulfill it.

We have what we need to be oil / coal independent far sooner than we have been told. We have the ability to make a better life for ourselves and our children today and in the future. So cry out to your leaders, your representatives in every government in every country on the planet. Lets make this thing work and lets get on the ball already!

A Win-Win Solution

Thirty experts from the United Nations, engineering firms, environmental and electrical engineers gathered to discuss the social, political, environmental and economic benefits of the interconnection of electric power grids across borders with an emphasis on tapping remote renewable energy resources. Hosted by the Winnipeg HVDC Research Institute and Manitoba Hydro, these findings offer a strong case for accelerating the GENI Initiative between all nations as a win-win solution for everyone.

Solar Energy Cost Reductions

2008-06-27T20:06:00.000-04:00

Thanks for this in part go to EVangel who read the last post and commented. EVangel's suggestion to check out Nanosolar prompted this post.

Nanosolar

Company reduces cost of solar, Nanosolar

An American company is producing a solar product that reduces the cost of solar energy production down to 99 cents per watt. This is a huge leap over the current cost of about $3 per watt. Also, energy payback is almost immediate or less than one month!

The technology used is called (CIGS) photovoltaic. CIGS stands for Copper indium gallium selenide. What reduces the cost is that there is no silicon (a big material cost) and it doesn't have to be mounted to glass (a weight factor).

Two things that bum us out:
1) Nanosolar is not a publicly traded company.
2) The product is not initially being used in our own country but rather in Germany. This underlines the fact that we as a country are far behind not only Germany, but that we are not leading the world through strong government backing in this very important area.

The first 100,000 cells produced were slated to be shipped to Europe, where a consortium will be building a 1.4-megawatt solar power plant located on a former landfill owned by one of the largest waste management companies in Eastern Germany.

According to the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, production of photovoltaics jumped to 3,800 megawatts worldwide in 2007, up an estimated 50 per cent over 2006. Photovoltaics is growing by an impressive average of 48% each year since 2002, doubling every two years, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy source.

The Nanosolar product touts these features:

- the world’s first commercial solar panel based on a printed solar cell

- the world’s first thin-film solar cell with a back-contact

- the world’s lowest-cost solar panel –which they believe will make them the first company capable of profitably selling solar panels for as little as $.99/Watt

- the world’s highest-current thin-film solar panel – delivering five times the current of any other thin-film panel on the market today and thus simplifying system deployment

- an intensely systems-optimized product with the lowest balance-of-system cost of any thin-film panel – due to innovations in design

British scientists called the Nanosolar product "a revolution" in generating electricity.

Why Are We So Contradictory?

2008-06-27T20:05:00.000-04:00

Never have we seen such double-talk / double-action in this world as we are seeing in our own back yard. USA and China are the two largest producers of energy now in the world. Though out of the two, the USA remains king of the hill for energy consumption per person. Of course along with that, pollution and climate degradation goes hand in hand.

Earlier in this blog, we brought back the story of how our government along with the car manufacturers and oil companies killed the electric car some years ago. Killed it because it didn't suit the profit model of the car companies and big oil. Killed it because some of the government puppeteer positions are partly held by both these industries.

Born unto a country whose government cares not for my future or that of my brothers and sisters...

1 comment

On one hand, government spouts ecology, conservationism, energy independence, and having a people's choice in all matters. Then they go and do the exact opposite. Or better yet, they say they are for this or that, while doing little to bring it to reality with the importance and time-frame required to make it actionable. The only side that really seems to do anything of purpose is the people's side. More exactly, individuals and their companies who see the obvious needs and strive to fulfill them. But the problem to that is what also needs to happen is that government needs to take a true stand, and then either support efforts by these people or oppose them rather than double-talk and double-action.

For instance, this month, the US and China held the fourth China-US Economic Dialogue. The so called purpose of this is to promote long-term co-operation in energy, the environment and other related areas.

The Chinese government gives high priority to energy and resources conservation and the protection of the environment. They are speeding up the demonstration and promotion of the industrialization of energy-conserving and pollution-reducing technologies and adopting higher standards on energy conservation in major energy-intensive industries, such as iron, steel, non-ferrous metals, coal, electric power, petrochemicals and building materials, as well as in the construction and transport sectors. They are vigorously developing the circular economy and working to reduce energy consumption per 10,000 renminbi of gross domestic product by 20% by 2010 from the 2005 level.

The Chinese are developing renewable energy, promoting the use of hydropower, wind power, solar power, methane and biomass energy. They are planting more trees and better protecting natural forests and increasing the percentage of natural reserves.

What are we doing in our back yard?

President Bush wants to drill for oil in Alaska's pristine ecologically sensitive areas.

Washington's energy policy is to tax successful energy sources and subsidize unsuccessful ones.

A recent poll showed that 94 percent of Americans feel it is important for the U.S. to develop and use solar energy. A vast majority supported extending Federal tax credits for renewable energy.

H.R. 6049, a bill that would extend solar and other renewable energy tax credits would have legislation to extended the residential and commercial tax credits for solar energy for eight years. It is supported by a diverse coalition including manufacturers, construction firms, environmental groups, electric utilities, chemical companies, banks, investors, labor, public health and religious organizations, trade associations and many others.

What happened to the bill?

U.S. Senate, defeated it!

What happens now?

The loss of more than 116,000 jobs and $19 billion in investment in 2009 in the solar and wind energy industries alone!

What could this bill bring?

Tens of thousands of American jobs
Stabilize rising energy costs for families and businesses
Help us achieve national energy security

We are no longer a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" Not unless the people spoken of are the rich minority, the corrupt politicians, and those in government that stay but bend to the will of the rich and corrupt.

Makes Me Crazy!

2008-06-27T20:04:00.000-04:00

You have to eliminate emotions from your trading decisions which is one of the biggest advantages of using MarketClub (see previous post).

You also have to eliminate the NOISE which there are tons! of when you watch CNBC and especially the CNBC Jester they call Cramer. The video here is the best example of how noise can deter you from making a trade decision based on "doing your homework" vs. giving up and letting someone else TELL you what to do. If you want to see red, if you want to feel what its like in the House of Pain, then by all means, do what Cramer says and get back in line with all the other sheep who won't do their own homework.

Note:
We'd like to thank Don Harrold and of course Jim Cramer for helping us see the light...Hallelujah!

Manipulation Continues

2008-06-27T20:03:00.000-04:00

We for one are firm believers that insiders associated with Goldman Sachs are taking advantage of GS market manipulations. Just days after good news of a merger nearing, a GS analyst downgraded the stock saying that demand for satellite has diminished. Again, walking the line of truth, the effect of this sent the stock into a glorious discount as millions of shares were sold at the current price and then slowly re-bought. It is our opinion that this was done with intention and those privy to the pre-announcement bought into SIRI after the 28 million share sell-off..giving

SIRIguarantee

buyers a serious discount.

During the Future1investor's Conference in Cabo this spring, several folks talked of their appreciation of satellite radio with one of the investors saying that he could never go back to the old radio. In fact he and his wife purchased a life-time subscription to satellite radio and they say that they can't wait for Sirius Backseat TV. "With two young children who you have to drive around all the time, this is a must!" said the investor. His family enjoys satellite radio in all their vehicles and while sunning and swimming at their back yard pool.

Sirius is featured in over 150 new car models from 24 different brands from Audi through Volvo.

SIRIUS Backseat TV is a pioneering service that delivers live TV from three of the best family networks — Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network, to the video screens of select vehicles equipped with a SIRIUS Backseat TV receiver. For added flexibility, rear-seat passengers can enjoy SIRIUS Backseat TV while front-seat occupants listen to SIRIUS Satellite Radio. The system can be operated from either the rear-seat entertainment unit or the radio head unit in the front of the vehicle.



		Nickelodeon service includes popular shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius.
		Disney Channel includes popular shows like Hannah Montana, Cory in the House, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and My Friends Tigger & Pooh.
		Cartoon Network Mobile includes short-form programming ranging from two to eleven minutes each, and includes Chowder™, My Gym Partner's a Monkey™, and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends™.

The company also has 37 job openings with the majority in its New York operations. It also has a fall internship program.

Top 5 Picks

2008-06-17T11:24:00.001-04:00

Top 5 Picks

Everyone has a top ten list so we are going to have one each day too! These are our top 5 stock picks with volume exceeding 1 million.

Canadian Solar (CSIQ)
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
Wyeth (WYE)
Monsanto (MON)
Sociedad Quimica Chile (SQM)

These are stocks we like as a buy. Watch the technicals closely as they may turn quickly.

Heavenly Bodies Finally Get Approval!

2008-06-16T13:13:00.003-04:00

SIRI

Sirius

XM and Sirius (SIRI) satellite radio FINALLY got approval today from the FCC after a long, long 16 month review.
Now we'll see how long it takes to do the actual deal. Hopefully its very soon so that we can see a huge pop! in the stock price. As of right now the stock is at $2.66 with over 53,650,000 shares volume!

Sirius1

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin confirmed published reports that he would support the transaction, with the companies agreeing to a series of conditions.

Those conditions include a pledge to make 24 radio channels available for noncommercial and minority programming, according to FCC sources. In addition, the companies would agree to cap prices, provide interoperable radios and offer programming on an "a la carte" basis.

"I am recommending that with the voluntary commitments they've offered, on balance, this transaction would be in the public interest," Martin said in a statement.

Martin's proposal to approve the deal could be circulated among the other commissioners as soon as this week, the FCC sources said. As the number of cars with built-in satellite radio has increased, both services are still adding subscribers, who pay about $13 a month for more than 100 channels of music, news and talk programming. XM ended the first quarter with about 9.3 million subscribers, vs. 8.6 million for Sirius.

Last year one of the companies announced subscribers would be able to choose 50 channels for $6.99 -- a 46 % decrease from the current standard subscription rate of $12.95. Customers could then add more channels for a minimum of 25 cents each.

Happy Fathers Day!

2008-06-15T09:08:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed if you ever click on the first link near the top of my recent entries here that it directs you to another site of mine. I prefer writing my blog over there but try to maintain it here for those of my readers who are primarily only Blogger.com folks.

Fathers Day

For our readers (Fathers and family members) today on Father's Day we are giving you a one day advance access to the two weeks FREE at MarketClub.

MarketClub is a tool that we use in our trading that utilizes what they call trade triangles to help you find enter and exit points that weigh heavily in your favor bringing you the most profits for your trades.

Without further fan fare..here you go!

Happy Father's Day!

P.S.
If you have any questions just send them here and we'll help you.

These 3 Markets Will Change Everything

2008-06-15T09:07:00.000-04:00

June 13

In preparation for the 2 week FREE trial at MarketClub that we told you about recently, Adam produced the video below to help prepare members for what he, and MarketClub, believes will be the direction of three very important markets: US Dollar, Gold, and Crude Oil

We are sharing this with our readers because we know that MarketClub has helped us normal traders/investors and that it can help you too! Check this out and see how simple using MarketClub makes it for you and how these support videos are a valuable training and reinforcement on the use of an already simple service, plus gives you additional insight for making more money in the market. You will get a personal email with a special page embedded video. They wish to know how many people and where in the world you are viewing this video from; and its a promotion now to our Future1investor readers to this wonderful service which we use!

Every once in a while there comes a time in the market when you
get to see some amazing trading opportunities.

I believe this could be one of those times.

In this special private video I analyze in detail the
upcoming major moves in three major markets. This just
maybe the most important video I have ever made on these
three markets and I want you to see it.

Adam Hewison

President, INO.com

Capital Gains & Windfall Taxes

2008-06-10T14:44:00.001-04:00

Today, the subject of oil company windfall taxes was defeated by the Republican party. We hope that it will come up again and be passed though we suspect that they will go easy. Of course I'm all for increasing taxes on the huge profits that oil companies are making. Why not? Its windfall profits that we are talking about.

Then, if Obama gets the vote for President of the United States, he proposes to fix the capital gains tax at 28%. Of course this will hurt us as independent traders but I think it is something that we need. We've been hurt by lower taxes as seen with the numerous budget cuts to worthy programs, continued cuts on military health benefits for our soldiers and their families. Of course the crazy war that we've been in on the false face of weapons of mass destruction has not done a bit of good for us as a country either.

The United States of America operates on taxes, gives us our many advantages as U.S. Citizens, and some day will hopefully once again use our tax base to fund alternative low/no damage power technologies. It was once used with our space program (the space race). Instead of hurting others globally, we the citizens, our state and federal representatives, should be using OUR tax money to help the world advance technologies that help the entire planet and everyone living on it.

There is no reason why we can't still make profits from our innovations, improvements, and ecologically safe products while helping even the poorest of the poor in this and in every country!

Apple Stock & Free MarketClub For You!

2008-06-10T13:39:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we reiterated the announcement of Apple's new 3G iPhone. Yet the stock dropped $4 bucks! Whats up with that? Today we have more details on the announcement below and then we'll have a video from MarketClub that talks about the stock price.

One other thing that you might well be excited about is that MarketClub is going to be offering their once per year absolutely FREE use of MarketClub for you! This means that you'll have access to many of the members only areas of the site and allow you to get acquainted with the service and even take advantage of its Trade Triangle technology which gives members buy and sell signals on thousands of stocks.

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First the details on Apple's new iPhone:

By JORDAN ROBERTSON
AP Technology Writer

(AP:SAN FRANCISCO) The iPhone will soon be $200 cheaper _ and come with satellite navigation, faster Internet access and other new features _ but higher monthly service charges are likely to erase most of the savings.

Apple Inc. revealed Monday that it has scrapped its pricing plan for the iPhone as it unveiled a model that works over faster wireless networks, addressing key criticisms about the device that have hurt the company’s foray into the cell phone industry.

An 8-gigabyte version with the new features will go for $199 when it goes on sale July 11, and a 16 gigabyte model will cost $299, the Cupertino-based company said.

Current iPhone owners who buy a new model and sign up for a new AT&T contract won’t have to pay any penalties to get out of their current contract, AT&T spokesman Michael Coe said. And anyone who bought an iPhone in an AT&T store after May 26 can return it before Aug. 1 for full credit against a new one _ less a 10 percent restocking fee.

Apple plans to make up the difference in sales revenue with volume _ and with subsidies wireless carriers will now pay for the right to carry the gadget.

In changing the pricing arrangements, Apple is pulling out of revenue-sharing arrangements with some wireless carriers, a move that frees the carriers to charge higher prices for the service.

Apple shares fell $4.03, or 2.2 percent, to close Monday at $181.61 on the news, a sign that some investors were hoping for more and others were taking their profits after a four-month run-up in Apple’s stock price, which leaped from $120 in March.

The new iPhones, initially to be introduced in 22 countries, are designed to work over so-called 3G, or third-generation, wireless networks and have global-positioning technology built in.

iPhone

They will also support Microsoft Corp.’s Exchange software, an addition that puts the iPhone in more direct competition with Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and Palm Inc.’s Treo smart phones and is intended to appeal to the business market.

Analysts have said Apple needed to slash the iPhone’s price and make it usable on faster networks to hit the company’s target of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. Apple said the 3G iPhones download data twice as fast as the older ones.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Apple has sold 6 million iPhones since the first model launched nearly a year ago and 700,000 since March. That points to a steady slowdown in sales starting in the fourth quarter last year as customers waited for a 3G version.

Jobs showed off the new models of the iPhone and about a dozen new applications for the device at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

New applications range from video games that use the iPhone’s motion-sensing technology to guide characters to study tools for medical students and a program that allows users to find nearby cell-phone-carrying friends on a map.

One program brings real-time video highlights and game stats from MLB.com; another creates an Associated Press news feed based on the user’s location and lets users submit news tips to the AP.

Apple also announced a new Web-based service called “MobileMe,” which the company describes as “Exchange _ for the rest of us,” a consumer-friendly way for people to link their iPhones to their home and work computers so updates entered into one device automatically appear in the others.

MobileMe will cost $99 per year and come with 20 gigabytes of online storage.

AT&T Inc., the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone, said service for it will start at $39.99 per month, plus $30 for unlimited data. That works out to a $10 increase from the cheapest plan for the first-generation iPhone; over the course of a two-year contract, that increase wipes out the savings from the price cut Apple announced Monday.

AT&T’s pricing covers only U.S. residents. While iPhone prices will drop outside the U.S. too, it was not clear whether other carriers would raise monthly fees to compensate.

AT&T also warned that it will take an earnings hit due to the pricing because new subsidies it agreed to pay will produce the iPhone price cut _ not a reduction from Apple.

Apple said in a regulatory filing that under most of its new carrier agreements, it will not receive a share of subscribers’ monthly service fees as it has under contracts for the first-generation iPhone.

Jobs said Apple waited to improve the iPhone for use on the faster network because the chips available when the iPhone first came out sapped too much battery life and were too bulky to fit the iPhone’s slim design.

The addition of global-positioning technology improves the iPhone’s accuracy in locating users. Current versions use a combination of cell-phone towers and Wi-Fi locations to help users figure out where they are.

The 1.73 million iPhones Apple sold in the first three month this year gave it a 5.3 percent share of the worldwide smart-phone market, according to research firm Gartner. Apple has been adding overseas markets gradually with carrier deals.

Click Here For the Apple Stock Video

Battle of the Titans

2008-06-09T20:46:00.002-04:00

The new Apple 3G iPhone was announced today just a month after RIMM announced the 3G Blackberry 9000. Last week Google said that they would have phones running their new Android software out sometime this year but without committing to an exact date.

Titans

While the Blackberry has been the clear winner for quite some time in the corporate world, the iPhone holds a lot of promise since Apple is known to constantly innovate and please its customers. That however should be interesting. Interesting to see just how far the newest iPhone has come.

On the other hand, the Google Phone for a lack of a better name at this point, also holds tremendous promise due solely to the powerhouse which is Google. Googlites are not known for doing anything just half ass. That is the brains working at Google are huge crowd pleasers when it comes to applications on the web. Google is thought of as the great leveler. Meaning that they always go one further for the people!

And as this is being written, I'm awaiting yet another phone altogether, hardly mentioned around these parts. Its the Helio service by Samsung phones. I have the model called the Fin, the worlds thinnest clam-shell phone with internet, GPS, texting, emails, rss feeds, camera, games, videos, and music. The only thing that the Fin is not good at is web surfing. Another thing its not good at is swimming. I took mine swimming the other day and now I find myself having to order another Helio until my contract is up. So I chose the Helio Ocean. The Ocean promises a better web experience over the other Helio phones and with its Qwerty keyboard, better texting and email response functionality. The reason I've chosen the Helio service over any other is the one price gets all. I pay $99 for all services all the time rather than a la carte or minutes only but extra for data. Helio says they are a virtual phone company but gives you everything easily. So for now, I'm a Helio subscriber.

The kicker comes in the price tags. Helio Ocean is about $300, Blackberry is around $350-500, but the new iPhone is but $199. It is for this reason that I hope to find that when my Helio contract is up, that the iPhone will have gone a few more improvements and that there will be tons of great apps available. On the other hand, the Google Phones should be no less a functional powerhouse but that remains to be seen.

RIMM has been a good trade for most and Apple too.

A Head Scratching Event

2008-06-03T18:02:00.001-04:00

June 3rd (originally written here)

This morning we are scratching our heads over some number which was released yesterday.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $130 million over three years, subject to Congressional appropriations, to advance the development and use of fuel cells for automotive, stationary, and portable power applications.

The head scratching comes into play when we take the other side and say: the government is perhaps doing the right thing to get us away from our addiction to oil. Away from the devastating effect that has now been proven to destroy our environment. A step towards the promise of a far cleaner future.

But then we see the number which is $130 million dollars of your tax paying money, over 3 years.
Wait just a sec... didn't the government spend some $1BILLION dollars beginning sometime near the President Carter administration to develop Hybrid Technologies? As seen from another fairer perspective, $130 million X 3 which is the nine years for the $1 billion formerly used for hybrid technologies... comes out to a small $390 in today's money. Hmmm...390 million in today's money vs. 1 BILLION dollars starting in the Jimmy Carter era.

Perhaps even with the flawed idea of fuel cell technologies, perhaps this is just a diversion making it look like our leadership is doing the right thing when in fact it may be quite the opposite.

This can be seen as a way to prolong the use of oil and combustion engine production until we can show as we have here that we already have proof that this isn't the best way to go in reducing our addiction to oil. That perhaps then, we throw some paltry amount of money at another idea that doesn't quite fit the Eco bill and even further prolong our addiction. A kind of bait and switch tactic if you will.

What was the effect of the U.S.A. producing a clean electric car all those years ago?
It scared Toyota and Honda to produce a good electric car on their own w/o anyone's help.
They only took it off the roads when our government was willing to sue it's own State of California to cause the electric car to disappear off the roads. Why? Because there was not enough profit in it for the car manufacturers and most especially for the big oil companies. Some of you may argue that BP and perhaps other oil companies now have an alternative energy division. So why aren't they using these windfall profits to boldly and swiftly change from oil addiction to a healthy future for all? Because it isn't as profitable maybe?

Hmmm

Shows you how an effective Leader and administration can be changed away from doing what is absolutely right for the consumer, for our health, for the environment, and for our entire human population and the planet.

We are in a sad state of capitalism when leaders have to create laws to help capitalists get away with criminal and some would say immoral acts. Acts which hurt the entire planet and put billions of people at great risk just for a few more years of windfall profits.

This is what has prompted the head scratching event today.

Also, did you know that the White House once had solar panels on the roof? It did during the time of Jimmy Carter but they were removed when Ronald Reagan and his Vice President took office.

More head scratching.....

If you can possibly take one more minute; watch the first minute of this video before it disappears.

If You Say It Enough They Will Believe You

2008-06-03T18:00:00.006-04:00

June 2nd (originally written here)

Or some semblance of those words. This comes supposedly from one of our current leaders as I'm told. Well luckily every piece of actual evidence can not be destroyed. I found this at Reuters and Planet Ark. I had trouble highlighting to show the differences between the pros and cons. You may wish to go to the original site that I published this on. To do so, just click on the date link above.

This article is in its entirety.

WASHINGTON - Supporters of ethanol like to describe it as a cleaner-burning fuel additive that helps keep the air clearer, but critics say its environmental drawbacks may outweigh some of the benefits.

While ethanol made from corn gives a boost to the incomes of American farmers, the alternative fuel poses complex trade-offs for US oil refiners, environmental groups and federal regulators trying to find cleaner gasoline to curb pollution.

"The short answer is ethanol is both good and bad for the environment," said Daniel Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming and energy program.

Ethanol is in the spotlight because Congress and the administration of President George W. Bush are grappling with US energy problems, and supporters of ethanol tout the fuel as one of the solutions.

Unlike other fuel additives, ethanol does not contaminate ground water supplies but it produces more smog in some circumstances and tiny amounts of sulfur result when it is blended into gasoline.

"The benefits are that ethanol does reduce carbon monoxide when used in the winter time, but it increases smog when used in the summer," Becker said.

That's because a key drawback to ethanol is that it evaporates more quickly in certain conditions, which results in higher emissions of smog-forming compounds, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

When compared to conventional gasoline, ethanol yielded lower emissions of carbon monoxide than motor gasoline but higher emissions of nitrogen oxide that causes smog, EIA said.

"We are more concerned about solving the smog problem than about solving the carbon monoxide problem," Becker said.

Ethanol is a renewable resource that the Bush administration wants to help reduce US dependence on foreign oil imports. It also can raise octane in gasoline and prevent annoying engine "pings."

Ethanol is one of the main so-called "oxygenates" or oxygen booster added to reformulated gasoline to meet federal clean air requirements. The extra oxygen helps the fuel burn cleaner.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires most major US cities to use the cleaner-burning gasoline with more oxygen by weight during the hot summer months to reduce smog and air pollution.

Ethanol is the second most popular oxygen booster for fuel among refiners - ranking only behind MTBE, which is now used in almost 9 out of every 10 gallons of reformulated gasoline.

However, Ethanol use will soon soar now that a dozen states have decided to ban MTBE because that fuel additive can leak from underground storage tanks into drinking water supplies.

ETHANOL AND SULFUR PROBLEMS?

Separately, finished fuel-grade ethanol contains small amounts of sulfur, between 2 and 8 parts per million, to help distinguish it from drinkable alcohol, according to EIA.

This could become a problem for refiners when they begin meeting new federal low-sulfur requirements in a few years, EIA said. Beginning in 2006, the sulfur content of gasoline must be reduced to an average 30 parts per million.

In addition to environmental concerns, ethanol blended gasoline is more complicated to transport to markets.

The additive poses logistical problems because gasoline containing ethanol cannot be shipped in the nation's vast network of multi-fuel pipelines.

Moisture in pipelines and storage tanks causes ethanol to separate from gasoline.

As result, the petroleum-based gasoline components must be shipped separately to a terminal and then blended with the ethanol when the product is loaded into trucks.

Those higher shipping costs, which would likely be passed on to consumers, are a major reason California sought a federal waiver from having to use ethanol after the state banned MTBE.

The Bush administration denied the request last month, even though environmentalists insisted the White House decision would spew additional smog-forming pollution into the state's air.

"This will mean dirtier air and price hikes at the pumps in California," said Frank O'Donnell, executive director of the Clean Air Trust.

The ethanol industry defends the environmental benefits of its product.

The Renewable Fuels Association, the industry's trade group, acknowledged that when ethanol is blended with gasoline it slightly raises the volatility of the fuel that can lead to increased evaporation of smog-forming emissions.

However, blending ethanol reduces carbon monoxide tailpipe emissions that are responsible for 20 percent of smog formation, the renewable fuels group said.

TRADE GROUP SAYS ETHANOL CUTS OZONE

In addition, ethanol-blended fuel cuts tailpipe emissions of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that form ozone in the atmosphere, according to the trade group.

"Thus, the use of ethanol plays an important role in smog reduction," the association said.

However, some of ethanol's VOC reduction benefits have been scaled back.

Last week, the EPA finalized a rule allowing ethanol-blended gasoline sold in Chicago and Milwaukee to contain larger amounts of VOC pollutants.

The VOC standard was raised to 0.3 pounds per square inch Reid vapor pressure - a measurement of the volatility of fuel - from the previous 0.2 pounds. The EPA move was intended to reduce the cost of gasoline in the two cities, which depend almost exclusively on ethanol-blended motor fuel.

Environmentalists are also concerned over the amount of energy, and therefore the pollution, needed to make ethanol from processing corn.

The industry's trade group said ethanol generates more energy than used during production, and cites an 1996 Agriculture Department report that found ethanol contains 34 percent more energy that is used in the production process.

Story by Tom Doggett

Story Date: 16/7/2001

P.S.
Thats just 34 percent or barely over 1/3 more energy than that used to produce the product. So in other words, we must additionally continue to create a significant debilitating carbon footprint in the production of a product they are saying is better than say: electric vehicles or versus another bio-fuel which can produce far more energy than this from corn which produces only 34 percent.

Criminals Tend to Repeat Offenses

2008-06-03T17:59:00.001-04:00

June 2nd

So now that you've watched the documentary entitled "Who Killed the Electric Car?" guess what happened today?

The President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative was re-announced today. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $130 million over three years, subject to Congressional appropriations, to advance the development and use of fuel cells for automotive, stationary, and portable power applications.

I'll make this as short as possible and instead of giving you my rant on the topic; I present reports from apparently reliable sources. But regardless, as in the Iraq war, when heavy research and experience has been reported to some of our key leaders, the research/reports have been ignored, joked about and/or ridiculed at great expense, consequence and death.

Title:		Environmental Impact of H₂ from Hydrogen Fuel Cell on the Stratosphere
Authors:		Tromp, T. K.
Affiliation:		AA(California Institute of Technology, Mail Code 170-25, Pasadena, CA 91125 United States ; ttromp@dar.caltech.edu)
Publication:		American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2002, abstract #A72C-0192
Publication Date:		12/2002
Origin:		AGU
AGU Keywords:		0330 Geochemical cycles
Abstract Copyright:		(c) 2002: American Geophysical Union
Bibliographic Code:		2002AGUFM.A72C0192T

Abstract

Hydrogen fuel cell technology seems poised to replace the internal combustion engine in the upcoming decade. Environmentalists tout the technology as environmentally friendly and stress its low tailpipe emissions resulting in cleaner urban air. At face value the technology should have a negligible impact because the major byproduct is water. What has not been considered is that it will take billions of liters of H₂ to power the future national (and international) fleet of fuel-cell vehicles and that the leading contenders to make that H₂ are the very fossil fuels that cause smog and greenhouse gases. If that does happen, there will be two important consequences. First, the current fossil fuel pollutants will not disappear, rather they will be shifted from tailpipe sources to where the fossil fuels are extracted and the hydrogen is made. In addition, the fuel to make the cells work, H₂, is an important trace constituent (~0.5 ppmv) of the atmosphere [Novelli et al., 1999] and participates in reactions involving pollutants and greenhouse gases [Crutzen, 1977]. Thus, anthropogenic H₂ emissions could have significant indirect environmental consequences. The global annual H₂ production from current sources, anthropogenic plus natural, could be doubled in coming decades with the development of a hydrogen fuel economy [Zittel, 1996]. Such an increase could significantly impact the hydrogen cycle and other cycles with which it interacts in both the atmosphere and biosphere. We have examined the potential environmental impact of additional H₂ release for several emission scenarios. We calculated the ODP of H₂. Given that the oxidation of H₂ is an important source of water vapor in the stratosphere, which is otherwise isolated from direct sources of H₂O by the `cold trap' at the tropopause. We calculated what kind of elevated concentrations of stratospheric water vapor could occur for the different emission scenarios. Not only will additional water vapor cool the stratosphere, but also it will allow heterogeneous chemical reactions to occur when it forms PSCs in polar regions. H₂ also reacts with atmospheric OH radicals, the premier oxidant in the earth's atmosphere. We will calculate how increasing fluxes of H₂ to the atmosphere will shift the balance of the earth's oxidation chemistry, potentially increasing the lifetimes of other more harmful gases.

Until next time:
Nuff said!

Enough Already

2008-05-31T14:25:00.000-04:00

May 31

Enough already with my seemingly open complaints about government not doing (barely) anything to spur the growth of alternative energy and energy saving measures that we need here in the U.S.

As I was thinking of ways for government to strongly encourage private, corporate entities, and individuals to do the right things on their own, I started thinking tax incentives. Since there are so many tax deductions for big business and the rich, why not for the regular guy/gal?

Then today as I was pouring over the Financial Times; in the Thursday edition I spotted an article with the header: Solar energy investor presses for extension of US tax credit
In summary, a leading US private equity group last November said it would team up with Lockheed Martin, the defense company, to develop solar energy fields in the southern U.S. They figure the solar market could be worth $30bn in 10 years but the deal hinges on the extension of a 30 percent tax credit for solar investments.

Again, why can't our government take lessons from Germany who has been doing so since the middle of the 1990's? Why can't it be a semi permanent part of the taxation policy until our country is well entrenched in solar and other alternative energy solutions? This week, Germany announced it would peel back a small percentage of incentives. Far from eliminating or severely curtailing the incentives. Why is it so hard to do the very same thing here? Is it the overly generous salaries and pensions paid to our government leaders? Is it some ridiculous program that we are funding? Is it just the war and the billions/trillion we are wasting in the name of "national security" over-seas because a handful of men and a woman have some sort of twisted plan to play out?

Why is it we don't offer complete tax deductions for putting energy saving light bulbs in our homes, meaningful deductions for going to hybrid vehicles over our 100lbs. per week carbon producing gasoline powered vehicles. Why should property owners pay higher taxes for erecting wind energy mills on their property and feeding electric back onto the power grid? It seems in this last example that the savings are reduced greatly through additional taxes. Where is the logic in that???

Enough already...

Who Killed the Electric Car? parts 1 - 9

2008-05-31T00:12:00.001-04:00

May 30

I have been telling people about this for a couple years now and for some reason, people don't believe me and won't even rent it from Netflix (NFLX)to see for themselves. Yeah! what the frack! its a SciFi film. WHAT?!!?

NOTE: if you find that the videos sound funny, scroll down to the next article "You Gotta Love 42 MPG With Today's Gas Prices and click the stop button on the video in that article. Also you can hit the pause button on the video and wait for the whole thing to get downloaded to your computer's cache before playing.

from FreeGlobalEnergy:
The GM EV1 had a $4000.00 incentive to buy this car forced to build by congress yet (GM) gave $100,000.00 tax incentive to buy the largest most gas guzzling vehicle on the road, the Hummer, otherwise this would have been merely impossible to sell such a rediculous concept.
An electric car is 35% - 97% cleaner than a comparable gas car, including the pollution generated by the electric power plant. The 35% number applies to states using a lot of "dirty" power, such as coal-fired plants. The 97% number applies to states like California that use a lot of "clean" power, including hydro, nuclear, wind, and solar.
Also, there is ongoing research to make flywheel energy storage systems that can replace conventional chemical batteries for mobile applications, such as for electric vehicles. Proposed flywheel systems would eliminate many of the disadvantages of existing battery power systems.

They started out with defective Delco batteries when they already had access to better batteries, after many complaints they switched to the better batteries, everyone who leased them loved them, GM almost always builds superior American cars and built this one too good, it was definitely a threat to oil as a solar charging infrastructure was already being built. When GM pulled the plug so did Toyota's Rav-4 EV which gets equivalent to 154MPG comparing grid KW to gas at 2005 prices.

Also check out this supporting site from Sony (SNE). It gives the whole time line and data seen in the film for more ponderous reading and exploration. Click Here

You Gotta Love 42 MPG With Today's Gas Prices

2008-05-31T00:08:00.001-04:00

May 30

I went from a Chrysler New Yorker to a Toyota Echo, the one all gasoline car from the same company that competes with the Toyota Prius (TM) which gets somewhere between 52 - 60 MPG depending on who you talk to. I'd love a Toyota Prius if it were not for the $25,000 plus price tag. I'll keep my $10,500 42 MPG Toyota Echo for the time being. Its no wonder that Toyota discontinued the Echo for the heavier, more expensive, lower MPG replacement.

Little did I know that in North Carolina, a company of a little over 300? employees is making all electric vehicles. Perhaps we should start focusing on them and also put them on our watch list or in our stock portfolio.

Hybrid Technologies Inc OTC BB:(HYBR)

This company just announced it is working on a new supercar using a gas-electric hybrid engine and that should hit 220 mpg. Hybrid Technologies is aiming for a 150 to 180-mi. range per charge from the all-electric model, while its lithium-ion model meets gas hybrid needs to hit 220 mpg—minimum.

You will be able to purchase this car the company says in either late 2009 or early 2010. We can't wait!

HT1

HT2

Indiana Wind Farm Set To Be Largest In the Nation

2008-05-31T00:05:00.001-04:00

May 30

At 462 wind turbines; the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in Fowler, Indiana may be the largest in the nation when completed by 2011. That is unless the 667 turbines of the Pampa Wind Farm in Texas get there first.

The Pampa Wind Farm is just a first phase in the T. Boone Pickens saga. When all four phases are completed, it may be the largest in the world. However I hope that everyone else doesn't just sit back and watch.

The Texas project is a (GE) and Mesa Power one whereas the Indiana project is a (BP) and Dominion Power one. It is great to see projects now on the road or in the field so-to-speak. Just yesterday we wrote about the John Deere (DE) projects in Missouri. And lets not forget the solar farm project in the Mohave Desert. If our own government is too greedy and stubborn to do the right thing, at least we have our big business who now have the blinders off and are leading the pack. Sad though, for if our government would take the lead when it should, we would have had this activity long ago. Look at Germany for example, by far one of the world's leaders in alternative energy usage. To think that Germany was a country we defeated in war and now they are one of the clear winners in this race for a better world. Is the U.S.A. only good for making war and depressing innovation and technologies now?

e2 energy — Harvesting the Wind with Suzlon..one of the big players today

As BP North America President Robert Malone pointed out: "the United States has 5 percent of the world's population but uses 25 percent of its oil." It costs our government and every tax paying citizen far more than it should for our energy. The government refuses to implement effective mass transportation while Europe, Japan, and now China lead by example. The company claims: If 10% of the world’s energy was generated by wind it would be equivalent of replacing all cars in the world with hybrids. Wind is an abundant domestic resource and is among the most cost competitive sources of low-carbon power. The company also thinks that it can develop 100 wind energy sites in the U.S. alone but it does not give a time frame. It too has a project in the great state of Texas, some 80 miles southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. It expects the project to be completed in the second half of this year.

Its a long time over-due; our leaders must step out from their comfort zone and make positive and substantial steps for our future. Run, don't walk or stop on GO! says both the Chance and Community cards...

Good for the community, Good for the Farmers

Germany teaches...will the U.S. learn??

Deere Rides the Wind to Beat Boone

2008-05-29T17:53:00.000-04:00

May 29th

Make no mistake. We're still swooning over T. Boone Pickens and his great Texas project (see the May 15th article), the largest wind energy project in the world. But on a smaller scale John Deere & Company (DE) is working to affect more communities across the country. As a result, more U.S. citizens will be able to spot the tall but small footprint wind energy mills across the country.

Two such projects have been completed in King City, and Rock Port, Missouri and soon in Kansas, City.

And just completed outside of Missouri this month is a utility-scale 52 or 53-megawatt project in Huron County, Michigan. One of the project partners and general contractors is a division of Alliant Energy (LNT) on which 32 wind turbines were erected. This project is also owned and developed by John Deere & Company (DE). Generally, the role of John Deere Wind Energy is that of both a debt and an equity investor. John Deere enters into agreements with local developers and landowners to facilitate the development and operation of wind energy projects.

So we hope that T. Boone Pickens is able to complete his worlds largest wind energy project soon. Meanwhile companies like John Deere are working to develop and complete smaller projects which will be seen around the country. This work increases employment and spurs the economies of the towns these projects are close to.

Just yesterday, Market Club calls a BUY for (DE). Market Club is one of my worthwhile indulgences. It is a tool that we greatly rely upon to help us choose good entry and exit points on the stocks that we're interested in. Market Club helps us trade with little to no emotion which greatly adds to our profit taking. We've written about INO TV twice here this week and Market Club is its partner site. One day soon, we will write an article to tell you more about the Market Club tool that we use in our daily trading.

Future1investor’s Indulgences

2008-05-29T17:52:00.000-04:00

May 28th from my Vox page

There are very few things out here on the internet that I am genuinely excited about. My Father taught me about the importance of value for your money or in other words "bang for the buck". With that in mind, there is quite a lot to disappoint you. You'll waste hundreds and likely thousands of dollars because giving this trading system, that trading system, an online seminar here, a hotel seminar there, books, lots of books, CDs, DVDs, a try.. is like going to a casino.

You get to put down your money for a chance to win some knowledge. A chance to beat the house, or a chance to do better than the average guy/gal. A chance, just a chance and no guarantees either. Its all just a crap shoot!

Then every once in a blue moon, you might come across a site that delivers all those things, and has value to boot! One such a site is INO TV. I wrote about it a couple days ago here when I talked about Linda Raschke. Hers was one of the totally free video seminars that you can watch on the site even before plunking down even a dollar.

Then if like me you decide to plunk down some cash, you'll find that it is a most reasonable offer. And what do you get? YOU GET A LOT !!!!

For one, you'll find that this is universal training. It isn't tied to just our market here in the good ole U.S. of A. You'll find that it works for people in the U.K., Canada, Germany, China, Australia, simply everywhere.

And if you've ever taken an online course at a college, you know how expensive that can be. And you know that you are limited on time and the course will soon end. So you better have your entire schedule clear so that you can concentrate on your studies and nothing but. Otherwise the money will be gone before you know it and so will the training. INO TV gives you an Ivy League education and you can train at your own pace w/o the fear that it will be gone if you happen to get tied up with real life for a few weeks.

Huge Library!
Thats right, you aren't limited to a small selection of seminars. One price gives you access to this whole huge library of trading seminars. When you were in college, did you ever have a teacher that you just didn't get? That no matter how hard you tried you just weren't going to benefit from attending his/her class? Well my friends, that can happen at a seminar too! But with INO TV, if you find that you just don't "get" a particular trainer, guess what? You can search for another trainer on the same topic! They have a functioning search engine that helps you find exactly what you want. And if you aren't the type to use online search tools, the seminars are laid out in a very logical index as well. So you'll be sure to find the education that you want and need!

Real Life Experience
Unlike some college professors who just learn how to teach and the subject they are teaching in college before they themselves start regurgitating it back onto you; the trainers at INO TV are professionals with real life experience. They are some of the most well known traders in the world and they're available to teach you when you are part of INO TV. There are literally experts on every topic!

Eleven Channels
If you are a beginner, this is the best channel to start with. As you wish to learn more specific topics then move onto such channels as Charts & Analysis, Day Trading, Futures/Commodities, Options Trading, and more.

Great Way To Learn About Trading Systems!
Rather than waste lots of money trying this system or that system, you can find out all about trading systems at INO TV. It will help you choose the system that is right for you and eliminate the random chance. Discard all those trading systems spam emails. Go here first, find out about them on INO TV and decide which one is right for you. You could be saving yourself a huge chunk of change in this area alone! Again, that is what my Father calls value.

Help From Real People
This is the first of five promises you get as an INO TV subscriber. It isn't just a web site that is put up there for you to take down information and then have no support system should you need it. It is run and maintained by real people who are accessible to you either by email (the very most other sites ever offer you) or by phone from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST Monday thru Friday.

He Rested On the 7th Day
As you can tell, when I believe in something, I can be pretty passionate about it in my writing. Zig Ziglar once taught me that you can not truly convince others how good a product/service is unless you yourself use it on a daily basis. I use MarketClub and INO TV six days a week (Mon-Fri, Sun). Unlike God who rested on the 7th day, I do my R&R on Saturdays. Sunday, I'm preparing for the market on Monday.

Have you ever known you can trust someone just by the way they talk? There are those who you know are not selling you something but showing you common sense. Watch this short video and you decide. You'll meet Adam Hewison one of the co-founders of INO TV. Listen closely to his voice and you'll know and hear exactly what I mean.

Take it from me, one of the normal folks out there. If you tend to have a few indulgences in life, you'll not find a more invaluable indulgence than this one!

Most Discussed S&P 500 Companies

2008-05-29T17:50:00.001-04:00

May 27th

Sentiment on S&P 500 Companies

The embedded widget below helps traders/investors to understand who is driving opinions about the top S&P 500 companies. Quickly learn who the opinion holders are that lead conversations versus those that follow.

About Jodange Inc.

Leveraging off the significant investment in sentiment analytics to date by Cornell University, co-founders Larry Levy and Claire Cardie established Jodange in early 2007. The goal was to develop business applications that drive tangible value by allowing knowledge workers to better understand who is influencing their customers, competitors and marketplace in an environment where information continues to originate from an exploding number of information sources.

Linda Raschke Is One Smart Gal

2008-05-29T17:49:00.000-04:00

May 27th

I have not had the pleasure of meeting as many professional traders as Adam Hewison from INO has. The good thing is that with the free version of INO TV, you can meet four of the world's top traders and have a front row seat to their seminars for free.

As a regular user of the INO TV service, I am a huge fan of professional trader, Linda Raschke. Honestly, I don't know why I put her in a class of her own among the other many amazing seminar authors.

It could be that she has had continued success in the trading arena for over two decades. It it could be that I am drawn to her superior presentation skills. It could also be that she is a great role model for young women pursuing a career in finance and/or business.

Ok, ok... I won't play the gender card. I am completely aware that over 91% of you individual traders out there are men. However, no matter what gender you may be you can recognize Linda's trading intellect and appreciate the tips and strategies in her seminar presented in the complimentary version of INO TV.

LindaRaschke

"Classic Indicators - Back to the Future"

About Ms. Raschke:
Besides lecturing to thousands of individual traders in over 18 countries, Linda is a principal trader for several hedge funds and is president of LBR Group, Inc. She was profiled in Jack Schwager's book, "The New Market Wizards," and frequently is featured trader in numerous financial publications and on national radio/television programs. Currently she is the vice president of the American Association of Professional Technical Analysts.

Self-directed traders have spent big bucks to learn from Linda, but INO TV is offering one of her lectures for absolutely no cost.

She is one of my INO TV personal favorite trading experts and I hope you will become fond of her as well.

Watch her seminar, "Classic Indicators - Back to the Future" today at no cost on INO TV.

Enjoy Linda's Seminar,

Future1investor

The Recession Question

2008-05-29T17:47:00.000-04:00

May 26 on my Vox site

Warren Buffett says we are in a recession. The financial media will not say so as they do not want your dollars to stop flowing in to the markets. The question may be better put: Is there are recession in your area?

A drive out to Kings Island Amusement Park just north of Cincinnati, Ohio would indicate a big NO! But there could be other factors involved. We went to the park just last Saturday to find that no matter what vehicle entrance you entered, the park was wall-to-wall cars. You would have been directed to the far end of the property which is a green zone of grass just before the property ends. One reason may have been that part of the truck/bus parking lot was closed for the Robbie Knievel event (see below). But this lot is seldom seen by most park goers. Still, maybe this was the reason.

Then as we approached the park entrance we saw a continuous line of people that stretched 1,068 feet. I say

Goldpass

continuous because this line existed for no less than four hours! It could have been longer but we did not arrive before then. This line was for season ticket holders to get their picture taken. It ended inside a building that is only used for taking season pass holder pictures. Many of us were in awe. There did not seem to be a recession in the greater Cincinnati area. Adults gold passes for instance cost almost $100 each.

The park is owned by Cedar Fair (FUN) and is only one of eleven parks across the U.S. and Canada. Its chart looks like one of its famed roller coasters but if we are in a recession, then maybe this is the answer. With fuel prices going up steadily, people may be choosing to stay close to home and give the family season passes to amusement parks like those owned by Cedar Fair instead.

If you have not been to an amusement park in several years, you'll should not be surprised at the cost of games and souvenirs. Most carnie type games cost $5 a pop. Course any parent would let their children know ahead of arrival that games and souvenirs are off limits if they want to reap the value of a close to home family outing. Parks easily recoup any special discounts to draw them to the park when these same people start playing games.

If amusement parks are the answer to recession, perhaps FUN would be a stock to trade for the summer season. Not only does it operate the mass of roller coasters and stage shows but it also has six water parks.

The Goldman Sachs Manipulation

2008-05-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

May 23rd on Vox

Just as I said, it is a great time to get into solar especially now since G.S. turned the solar sector inside out with that negative rating yesterday! What do you wanna BET! that their clients have now bought into solar????????

Did you get in yesterday or today as I suggested? You're sitting pretty about now if you have!

The news has been so good for most of the companies that they have been running hot for the past week giving traders some much appreciated action.

It just makes me say "What the FRACK!" when a company like Goldman does something like this. Even though I'm making money, it isn't right that a big company can easily get away with market manipulation but the little guy gets the big fly swatter.

In fact, when we were in Cabo, a new buddy said that the rich paid for the majority of the tax base in this country.
I laughed so hard inside that my brain almost squeezed fruit loops out my ears! Ain't that right Brian? I love ya man but what the frack are you talking about?

Goldman Sachs Manipulating Market?

2008-05-29T17:45:00.001-04:00

May 22 on Vox

DARTS! DARTS! DARTS!
-To Goldman Sachs for downgrading Solarfun (SOLF) to a sell.

Despite few analyst reports and ratings, this company's stock has been a solar trader's playmate since middle of last year. And now that the solar sector is back in the light for all to see due to the high price of oil, Goldman downgrades the stock? This sent the entire sector down because people tend to listen to G.S., a company whose own managed funds are not all that stellar. Well some have been good but that's not good enough for bragging rights and certainly not good enough to command swaying the market with negative comments when the whole sector is kick'in ass no matter what solar stock you are looking at!!!

Goldman said "the premium valuation of (SOLF) is unwarranted given muted top-line growth and looming margin and cash flow pressure."

I agree totally with the StreetInsider.com who recently said today: "Why follow Goldman's advice on the stock now? Goldman, considered the ax in many stocks they follow, completely missed the run-up in Solarfun Power. Goldman had a Neutral rating on the stock since June 2007, meanwhile SOLF moved up over 100% since that time." And when nearly every one of the solar companies is reporting excellant earnings and/or new sales and supply agreement contracts.

That guy got arrested in Europe for making comments which hurt a stock so I think Goldman should be equally punished for this comment today given their apparent influence on the markets. Though the actual statement could be correct, it turned the whole sector inside out. Wanna bet they're going to BUY Solarfun now??? Huh? Huh? Giving them a nice entry point and as a way to settle the rift with its investors who rightfully don't know why the company was staying away from solar for so long?

If you want to make some money, get into solar and you won't be disappointed. Now the time is ripe for an infusion of cash into the sector due to this G.S. upset today. It has turned a recently too hot to handle market into a limitless buffet line of offerings at a very cheap price. Remember, the China market which is one of the largest for solar stocks, has gotten its due correction already and prices have been reset which is a plus for traders. And again with the stupid move by G.S., the stocks are value priced just for you! Just remember to do your homework first! Fundamentals then the technicals. Honestly though, it will be hard to loose in this market with proper money management stops.

DO NOT LISTEN TO Goldman except to give you a boost on your entry, exit, and re-entry points!

Failure and Success

2008-05-29T17:43:00.001-04:00

May 20 from My Vox site

I've heard it, I've read it and I've experienced it. To be a stock trader you have to be comfortable with failure as much as you are with success. In other words, accept that there will be losses. There is no perfect system, no analyst, consultant, fund manager, or individual who is going to be right 100% of the time. You will probably loose money more times than you make it. The key is loosing less money than you make.

Losses are a hard hard pill to swallow but as long as you've done your homework on the sector, the stock, the trend, etc. if you have a loss you just have to learn to wash it down and move on. You need to find out if possible why it failed, or if it was you that failed to enter and exit properly or that you didn't do enough homework before jumping on a the leaking ship in the first place. We must learn from our failures so that they help us make better moves in the near future.

The government will only allow you to take a $3,000 investment loss. The rest is on you to learn from bad trades so that you don't make it a recurring action. Failure goes hand in hand with success. Lady luck is great but she is spread too thin as it is. Be accountable for every action both in your private life and in your career. The ultimate opportunity is to learn from your failures so as to continually improve the process so that we can reap the benefit of experience.

When DJ Slips, Sale Signs Pop!

2008-05-29T17:41:00.000-04:00

May 20th from Vox

DOW JONES INDU AVERAGE NDX

When the Dow slips like this, many people stick their head in the sand. But for the predator traders out there, this may be the best time to pick favorite stocks with strong fundamentals and technicals up for a nice discount from previous days action trading.

Thursday and Friday were great trading days and up until Monday afternoon, the trading action was fantastic. Then things started slipping and today (Tuesday) the Dow was down firmly between 60 and 199 points. Which translates to stock prices dropping. This was a perfect day to sit back and diversify your holdings with a number of stocks at a better buy point.

Stock Sale

Discount Stock Price

This is why some advise that you do not take part in pre-hours trading in order to see where the market is heading. This can prevent a trader from buying only to see their stock price drop after the opening. However, if the Dow will be moving up that day; pre-hour trading can get you into a stock before the heavy volume buying begins. Its considered a crap shoot by many, so the best you can do is to go with your gut. Jump in early for high risk/reward or patiently wait to see were the market is heading before buying and catch a better deal.

Still others will rely on their systems to tell them when to buy. Systems can provide better educated guesses, still however systems will have bad signals and you'll loose some percentage of the time, so be prepared to take a bath now and then. The market has history and history has spawned systems which are plentiful and come with a nice price tag. The market holds experiences along with history and those who have time to watch, study, and gain experience of their own will use this and their gut to make buy/sell decisions. The rest is up to lady luck!

Willing to Risk Failure and Learning All the Way

2008-05-29T17:40:00.000-04:00

May 16 from Vox

Much of our every day lives has to do with the failures and successes of the little person. People like you and I who make our opinions known, others who see a business opportunity and are willing to stick out their neck and give it a go. Tonight I was watching The BIG IDEA and was reminded we desperately need to promote and encourage peoples ideas and business attempts so that we as a nation can get back to what made our country a power house.

So much of our former glory has been lost and I feel it is because many have lost the vision, the drive, and desire to create, innovate, improve, and celebrate the uniqueness of our minds. This is what we once called the American Dream.

Cw1

It can be as little as a bit of underwear err excuse me, lingerie' . Take for instance the story of a girl who shared a living space with Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy). The girl Robin Antin was a choreography of music videos, who wanted to do something different. She invited over some friends (music video dancers) to play around with various types of music and choreography. Applegate suggested they do their thing in public at the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip. That was the birth of the Pussycat Dolls.

Then over the years they had celebrities guest sing/dance in the group and it became ever more famous. Now on the CW network we see Antin riding the coat tails of Coyote Ugly with her own version called Girlicious.

Cw2

It seems like now there is no end in sight to the increasing success that Antin could achieve.

She recently came out with her own line of lingerie' to play up the strength of women, the girl next door, and sexual attractiveness
that almost any woman can have if they don't already have it in their lives.

Pcd1

Almost every person has the potential to create and those who don't can give their opinion to help shape an idea or existing product. Some people create by experiencing failure and discovering a side benefit. Others create through food and offering comfort. More others bring excitement to our lives with a huge variety of products and services.

Still others have perhaps a bit more stuffy services but are nonetheless very important to someone like me who for example is trying to make a living in the stock market.

Whatever the case, these people take an interest, a passion, a need and make it happen by giving it a go despite the high risk of failure.

Pcd3

Pcd2

Whatever your passion, please let it be known to others or step out of your comfort zone and try to make it a business. You never know what you could have done unless you try! Above all, learn from your experiences and accept critique of your work to learn from others then continually improve! Even if you aren't the creative or business type, you can still do this in your job and make that job better, easier on you, and more productive.

Social Networking Power Seeps Into Applications

2008-05-29T17:39:00.000-04:00

May 16

It would be nice to know that some of my rants and raves such as the one which took out every point of

Bill

Microsoft's first online published ROI white paper was read and understood. That an intelligent person or team of individuals would find great value in my quality assurance background and position as a consumer advocate.

Facebook

There are many who are against the internet and use of the web as a way to meet others and collaborate without being able to physically touch or sit in the same office. Some of those concerns are quite valid BUT there are too many positives as well as practical needs for it not to be pursued and developed. No matter how much we wish to prevent Pervs, stalkers, and other negative people in our physical and online life we will never be rid of them no matter what is done. In fact trying to do so online may prevent great productivities from being achieved.

Sony's Virtual World

I was also part of those early renditions which were exciting but clunky attempts to bring people together online. Well today, Sony and a couple handfuls of other companies have gotten behind the dream to develop this further. And we will eventually see truly productive applications linking people together in both a purely social as well as purely business, educational, and entertaining ways. One of my Canadian friends turned me onto BlogTV. This is a social networking site that has been around awhile and allows anyone to use their web cam to host a show and even have a co-host on with you from anywhere else in the world! Granted some of the blogTV hosts are quite lame but it gives them an outlet for social interaction which can be for pure fun or for other things. I plan on using blogTV as a way for my online neighbors and friends to chime in on my interest for trading/investing and all things technology. Of course there are other ways but this is simple and fun!

BlogTV

You can have audio, draw on the screen, kick people out for inappropriate behavior and build a network of followers. Unlike Facebook you don't have a zillion widgets wanting your attention. It is purely an audio/visual world where the host creates whatever kind of show he/she chooses.

Since technology is constantly improving and people wish to further push the limits of possibility; social networking will become a key feature in more and more applications to come. I for one look forward to the next pipe dream becoming reality. Perhaps you'll play an integral part and have your fifteen minutes of fame!

Obama on blogTV

Swooning Over Boone!

2008-05-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

May 15, 2008

Boone

My new favorite person is former oil man Boone Pickens!

My man is going to spend some $10 billion dollars on a wind farm the world's largest.

Today the news reported that he has just ordered some 667 wind turbines from GE for his wind farm in Texas. This order alone is worth $2 billion dollars.

Rather than wait on the incredibly stubborn, selfish, and morally corrupt top U.S. leaders to lead us on the right path, this successful businessman has stepped up to the challenge.

The scale of this project is the equivalent to building one to two nuclear power plants!

One way I'm looking to play the green market is with a company called Woodward Governor (WGOV) they not only provide products and services for electrical power generation but also for diesel, gas, steam engine systems; aircraft and gas turbine systems as well. This company has just the right volatility for trading the way we do.

China Quake May Shake Stocks

2008-05-29T17:36:00.000-04:00

May 14, 2008

With the exception of solar stocks, we are tip toeing around China stocks until we can see what the affects of the quake are on investing.

Below is a video showing some of the disaster from a June 2007 quake. Watch and observe how we in the U.S.A. with all our government's power and money takes a back seat to China when it comes to disaster relief. When I saw this, I felt again for the victims of Katrina and those who are still awaiting government assistance as promised.

Here is something of this week's quake that just occurred.
A powerful earthquake struck southwestern China on Monday, toppling thousands of homes, factories and offices, trapping students in schools, and killing a feared 50,000 people, the country's worst natural disaster in three decades.

The quake, which was estimated preliminarily to have had a magnitude of 7.9, ravaged a mountainous region outside Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, just after lunchtime Monday, destroying 80 percent of structures in some of the towns and small cities near its epicenter, Chinese officials said. Its tremors were felt as far away as Vietnam and set off another, smaller quake in the outskirts of Beijing, 900 miles away.

Manna From the Heavens

2008-05-29T17:35:00.000-04:00

May 14th, 2008

This week so far has been like receiving manna from the heavens. Everyone made money in our stock pics. It was trader's nirvana. Especially fruitful were the solar stocks. Even the dogs came out to play and we watched harvesting at its finest as percentages went up like plants on some really good fertilizer enriched water. The charts were oozing green and this was a sure sign that spring was here. The only thing dampening the spirit of the day was the rain outside and that made me wish that I was back in Cabo.

By the way, more pictures are on the way but I've been fighting a long lingering cold and I just don't feel like doing much beyond cultivating my stock garden and sipping on a nice glass of Sangria which makes a great hot tottie. I know, hot totties aren't made with wine but mine are! There are several recipes for the drink that cures all that ails ya but it depends if you like wine, whiskey, or something non-alcoholic.

Something else that has had my interest this week is social networking. Most of you know that I think that Facebook is useless, but there are other sites that seem to have done the social part very well. One of them is HouseValues, Inc (SOLD). HouseValues, Inc. provides real estate professionals with the tools and services they need to manage and grow their real estate businesses. HouseValues's subscription software products include RealtyGenerator, a turnkey lead generation and lead management system for real estate brokerage companies, and MarketLeader, a customer relationship management and lead management solution for real estate agents. The Company also provides real estate

ActiveRain

professionals with access to media buying and lead generation services to help them attract clients and promote themselves throughout their community. Additionally, HouseValues provides consumers with free access to the information and tools they need throughout the home buying and selling process.

HouseValues tools include Coaching & Community - Through a wide range of networking, professional training and personalized coaching opportunities subscribers refine their sales skills, learn new productivity techniques, define business goals and strategies, and share best practices. The company has invested nearly $3 million dollars to help further a product called ActiveRain.

Rather than focus on home builders as an investment, I'd would prefer a company such as HouseValues which focuses on the broker agents who sell the homes out there. (SOLD) is one such investment that may pay off nicely and it has a price that is too irresistible to pass up. At under $3 you can build up a nice position in this stock. And because the price is so low, so low in fact the market doesn't think its worth anything, but Cantor Fitzgerald is rating this stock as a buy right now according to Barron's. And at under $3 most of us can afford to gamble a few grand to see where it can go from here.

I think that any company that is trying to help agents and buyers alike is on the right track. I told my buddies a few years ago that despite the low interest rates the cost of housing was too high and that they were foolish to buy. Well many have lost their homes and others are struggling to hang on. I hate moving too! Still others are setting fire to their homes thinking that the insurance will pay. Now that is what I call desperate and foolish!

Everything has its true value. No one should ever talk you into what you can't afford and couples shouldn't have to struggle just to have a decent home.

Cabo Pics

2008-05-29T17:33:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the pics from our recent conference in Cabo. I've been sick since returning and haven't had a lot of energy of late to get it all together.

Music Sees the Light

2008-05-29T17:32:00.000-04:00

People in the U.S. are ever so slowing beginning to see solar power as a viable source of power. Over the course of the year, we'll feature many people making use of the sun for their power needs. BTW: thars money in dem solar stocks!