Archives

November 2006 Archives

The Jokers, Fools, and Wolves in Home Finance - 2006-11-30
As the ultimate showman of his time, P. T. Barnum sure knew how to draw a crowd. In fact, as he lined his pockets with their dough time and time again he became famous for his quip that “there’s a sucker is born every minute.”

The Conference Room Revolution - 2006-11-29
For years now, in conference rooms all across the country, the video teleconference has been wanting. The equipment was clunky and complicated. The video was jerky and in reality the entire setup was more of a distraction than a useful tool to conduct business at a distance. As a result, the original conferencing equipment has since not only been gathering dust, but has been relegated to the closet of bad ideas.

Canadian Energy's "Exit Stage Right" Plan - 2006-11-29
Despite the impending explosion of world energy demand, many Canadian energy companies are choosing to reorganize themselves into trusts. Perhaps they know more about Peak Oil than the rest of us and are making a break for the door while they still can.

Flagging Faith and Credit - 2006-11-28
You may not worship the almighty dollar, but money is as faith-based a paper product as the Good Book is, and it's causing just as much of a stir after the turn of the millennium.

The Dollar's Woes Accelerate - 2006-11-27
While I have been talking about the problems with the dollar for many years now, alarming red flags regarding the dollar are suddenly showing up in the mainstream media. This is a major shift in reporting and a strong signal that changes in the dollar's value against all currencies, including gold are in the works.

Thankful for America - 2006-11-23
The Mona Passage, the strait between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, is a dangerous place. It is here that the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea in a swirl of currents that are among the most difficult and treacherous to navigate in the world.

Ideas Rule in the "Knowledge Economy" - 2006-11-22
When Isaac Newton published his seminal work, “Pricipia Mathematica,” in 1687, it set the foundation for the classical mechanics that would rule physics for the next 300 years. But as good as classical mechanics was in predicting the actions of relatively large bodies such as planets, its laws proved wholly inadequate to account for the motions of the newly discovered subatomic world.

The Iraqi Pullout No One Debates - 2006-11-21
Politicians and strategists argue about the utility and strength of coalition forces in Iraq. Numbers are compared and considered with thought to stability and security. Meanwhile, an exodus of Iraqi professionals from their homeland reflects increasing anarchy and dwindling economic hope.

A Liquid-Filled Future for Our New Age of Technology - 2006-11-21
Being taught something new by a ten-year-old will certainly bruise the ego. But when it comes to operating high-tech toys like TiVo and iPod, they have most of us beaten, hands down. That’s just the way it goes. But there’s hope.

Rhodium Rodeo - 2006-11-20
With demand for rhodium still high and producers unable to make with the goods, rhodium is poised to break its all-time high of $7,000 an ounce over the next few years.

Detroit's Depressing DC Ride - 2006-11-14
It was a promising Tuesday for mammoth New York stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and its 30 blue chip companies have led a recent valuation rally through record levels. Too bad, then, that on the same day the pillars of American industry acted like orphans in the Oval Office.

Life on the Courthouse Steps - 2006-11-09
The story of Zudhi Karagjozi is as old as America itself. From a modest beginning selling real estate in Queens, NY, Mr. Karagjozi grabbed his first rung on the ladder, continued to climb, and when he was done he was the proud owner of Kara Homes, one of the largest builders in New Jersey. Like so many before him, he too rose from his immigrant beginnings to the very zenith of the American Dream.

The Hydrogen Highway - 2006-11-09
Long before the Internet became the "Information Superhighway," it was nothing more than the odd realm of scientists, academics, defense types and computer geeks.

The EU's Dark Age - 2006-11-07
Though the European Union has attempted to address topics of trade and economic sustainability as a solid front, a half-hour blackout this weekend laid bare the day-to-day frailties of the continental body and its components.

Why I Stayed Up All Night Working on this Letter - 2006-11-03
Well, I actually did sleep-from 4 am to 6 am-but it felt like I was up all night. It took a lot longer to review than I thought it would-primarily because there are so many exciting things to say about what we're doing.

An Avalanche of Mail - 2006-11-02
When I introduced the “Mortgage Matters” aspect of this column last week, I was prepared for a fair amount of interest. But what has come in since that column ran has been nothing short of an avalanche of inquiries.

Bill Gates on Technology - 2006-11-02
It's no secret that I think the future of technology stocks looks very good. But it's not my involvement in the sector that makes me say that-it's the potential of the sector that got me involved.