Monthly Archives: March 2008

Rates of Return?

Friends, kindly answer the following, I’m curious: 1. What is your minimal acceptable rate of return, annually, pre-tax? (for those who don’t know, a MARR is what you would use to discount your own cashflows.  That is, what is money worth to you?) 2. In the following statement, what is X, Y, and A, B? “I think, for the [...]
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*Shakes Head*

This is funny, overheard at western. It’s sad, it does nothing about the stereotype that is Western University.  I’ve never been a believer in stereotypes, after all, they are derived from the wisdom of the masses.  When I came to Waterloo, I remember walking around in first year, I noticed so many kids making reference to jokes [...]
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Right, Wrong, & Long

I went long, highly leveraged gold, early 2007 – got out when we breached $950/oz, a week or two ago. A few days early, but still not bad.  Smarter men called a local top better than I, which was only 2 or 3 days later.  I proved to myself that it’s actually possible to triple your money in less than a year, but it’s [...]
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Businesses Built on Eyeballs, Disqus, Concentration of Value, Context vs Content

I’m just an observer in the space, for now…but an economist I know made me question the thesis behind those investing in businesses with only vague plans for revenue under the presumption that “money follows eyeballs”.There has got to be an upper bound to the number of businesses that can survive solely based on eyeballs.  I mean, yah, if [...]
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2008 Economic Predictions: By Other People

I’m so pumped to be working at Deloitte, here take a look at their 2008 Economic Predictions.  It was published in January, but the year’s not over, even if everything is coming true already – it’s still cool.  I’m going to be working right along similar teams working on similar stuff.   Also, I guess [...]
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3/4 point cut – Intraday Reflections

I couldn’t not watch the action today.  I swear I’m taking the next few days off from the markets – it has been intense.  I need to catch my breath and it’s only Tuesday. I got out of SSO for a nice quick buck, shortly after the open today, I didn’t think we’d see any higher [...]
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Predictions (I’m a Perma Bull Desperate For a Bottom)

I’m long stuff, stuff I should have sold. I want to believe in present value. I’m desperate to call a bottom, I want one so bad. I just about can’t take it anymore – That’s bullish. But this market is insane right now. No confidence in anything. As ‘they’ say, when [...]
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Internet Polls have Great Value: Results on Bear Stearns & More

I can’t wait to have a large enough network to harvest the wisdom of crowds on command. Those who have it, have earned it. Kudos. So…to summarize the preliminary results of this poll (the first 11 comments). Looks like nobody who voted thinks Bear Stearns is going to stay independent. And the leaders like [...]
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Go Long a Person – Watch What Happends

One person asked me what it means to be long a person. I take it quasi seriously, and of course joke when I mention “disclosure” hahah, but people should not confuse it with fan-boyism. All it means is I invest my time in listening to what that person has to say. [...]
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US Demographics Plus Flash

Everybody who knows me, knows how much I dig demographics.  I found this interactive flash map of the US census data, through Max’s site, while it might be nothing new, it’s new to me.  I’m adding it to my fun links, scroll way down.
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Networking & More In the 21st Century and beyond

Warning: It’s real late, and you should read the entire thing, before thinking less of me. I wonder what it’ll be like 50 years from now? Right now… Everything is digital. Everything exists permanently. Everybody consumes more information than they used to. Everybody knows more people. The revolution of the flow of information is upon & [...]
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What a Waste of Time, Some Might Say, Useless as Tits on a Bull

I’m glad I’m not popular enough to have ever been in a blog fight. They look exhausting. I’ve only witnessed two up until now, and I’ll admit, I almost started one myself, a while back, until I cooled off. But, I just about joined in the fun moments ago, about to side [...]
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And They Say the Consumer is Dead

The only thing America has left to sell the rest of the world is it’s flare.  The blood of American icons and fads will be the exports for years to come.  Case study 1: All rolled up into one nice blog and T-shirt company.  That’s right, the front door of this “multi-million” dollar enterprise is [...]
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