Archives

May 2007 Archives

Israel: In a League of Its Own - 2007-05-30
Many international soccer fans are surprised when they learn that Israel competes in the European league, UEFA. Though it is a Middle Eastern country, in sports and trade Israel plays best with the West. But you need a deeper understanding of Israel's position to tap its profit potential.

The Bloodless Battles of Cyber-Space - 2007-05-30
Like a stealthy member of the Special Forces, the first digital intruder slipped in completely unnoticed. A collection of ones and zeroes disguised like all of the rest, it sneaked deep within the system, riding in along with an endless stream of data.

Global Warming--The Great Vote-Getter! - 2007-05-25
There’s no doubt that the Democrats used the global warming issue to get votes. Whether they believe this stuff is real or not is irrelevant. Facts are facts. Global warming is a vote-getter. And job number one for a politician is to get re-elected.

Pain at the Persian Pump - 2007-05-24
This Tuesday, western news outlets reported the beginning of gasoline rationing in Iran with terse certainty. But the view from Iran is much more complicated, and shows the disarray of oil refining operations in the world's number-three oil producer.

The Blame Game Has Begun - 2007-05-24
As the housing market continues to plummet and the mortgage morass delivers one borrower after another into the pit of foreclosure, the blame game has begun in earnest.

24 Cents an Hour, 70 Hours a Week - 2007-05-23
Fluent in Mandarin, Benjamin Ross has conducted research for several multinational corporations involving migrant workers, cell phones, Internet cafés, and people with disabilities as they pertain to the Chinese market and its 11% annual growth.

Robotic Surgeons Answer the Call - 2007-05-23
For 54 years, Dennis Murray had definitely beaten the odds. Unlike most people his age, he had never been hospitalized, not even once. Sadly, though, his streak wouldn’t last. It ended instead with the news that all of us dread. He had cancer.

Cow Tongues and Chinese Funds - 2007-05-23
My dad always makes corny jokes that elicit groans from family members and chuckles from the uninitiated. One of my favorites is, "When you eat cow tongue, are you tasting the cow or is the cow tasting you?" The China-US investment relationship presents a similar paradox.

Israel: Money in the Middle - 2007-05-21
In Gaza to the southwest and Lebanon to the north, rockets and bullets are flying. In the middle of it all, Israeli scientists are launching the companies of tomorrow.

Top Docs Prep for Surgery on Mars - 2007-05-17
In the deep blue waters off the coast of Key Largo, NASA’s “aquanauts” are hard at work. Sixty feet below the waves, they are busy practicing the same types of tasks that they may one day be required to perform in trips to the great beyond.

Between Fossil Fools and Peak-Oil Prophets - 2007-05-17
There's a fine line between fools and prophets. Talisman Energy CEO Jim Buckee treads it boldly, and his recent Peak Oil proclamation is certain to ruffle some feathers.

1933 Law = Massive Profits Today - 2007-05-17
Unbeknownst to most, the Farm Bill--updated every five years or so--is hardly a bill at all. Instead, it's a long-running accumulation of many diverse acts subject to periodic review and modification by Congress.

The International Growth Wire - 2007-05-16
The force behind emerging market growth is not high-tech or infrastructure investment. Nor is it drug trafficking or organ smuggling. It's the $300-billion-a-year money transfer network, which The New York Times Magazine says churns three times as much money as the total world budget for foreign aid.

The Bulls Continue to Roam - 2007-05-15
Dow futures ran red this morning and for a moment it looked like the bears might actually have something to growl about. National giants Home Depot and Wal-Mart both managed to disappoint the Street, sending futures lower.

Record High Gas Prices Fueling our Profits - 2007-05-14
If you haven't noticed yet, gasoline prices have climbed again. The recent jump to $3.07 per gallon surpasses the record highs we experienced after 2005's devastating hurricane season.

Cisco Needs More Love - 2007-05-11
Networking giant Cisco Systems released earnings on Tuesday, and as usual, they jacked another one right out of the park. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were still looking for the ball. That's how good they were.

The Lender and the Louisville Slugger - 2007-05-10
Now that New Century Financial has finally crashed and burned like the Hindenburg, the gory details of its fatal business practices have begun to make their way into the light of day. And it’s about what you would expect.

Marbles in Your Mouth and Profits in Your Pocket - 2007-05-10
Molybdenum is a mouthful. But this important transition metal and alloy component should be in your commodity vocabulary.

Place Your Chips on French Success - 2007-05-09
You've probably heard, "the chips are down" to mean that times aren't good. But the original French phrase means all bets have been placed. This weekend, French voters put their chips down, and investors in France will win.

The Bulls, the Bears, and the Tea Leaves - 2007-05-08
In a move that has become entirely all too common these days, the bulls managed to do it again. The Dow closed higher yesterday for the fifth straight session reaching another all-time record, sending the bears even deeper into the woods.

"Growth" Is in the Eye of the Beholder - 2007-05-04
It may come as a shock to many of you, but I too believe that we are experiencing a "Goldilocks" economy. But unlike most on Wall Street, I do not define this as economic growth that is neither too hot nor too cold. I believe the analogy is apt simply because U.S. economic growth is a fairy tale!

EPA Guarantees Market for Ethanol - 2007-05-03
Because the mandate means a guaranteed market. Even if the price of oil drops and makes ethanol less competitive. Even if the price of corn goes sky-high.

Not Watch?...Fugetaboutit! - 2007-05-03
If you weren't watching, then you probably missed it. Last week was National TV Turnoff Week, an event sponsored by TV-Free America.

Coming Soon: Energy Tech Stocks from the Persian Gulf - 2007-05-03
Never say the desert can't bloom. From oil and gas engineering advances to solar panels outside the world's richest cities, tech is taking root in the sand.

Save a Tree, Make a Fortune - 2007-05-02
A new realignment of U.S. corporate accounting standards with Europe could halt the hemorrhage of companies now filing elsewhere. For the U.S.-based international investor, this adds up to enhanced profit.

Contrarian Island is a Lonely Place - 2007-05-01
Being a bear on the Street these days is some kind of hard business. While the bears continue to insist that the glass is half full and could shatter into a million pieces at any moment, the markets only race higher. Their dire warnings have turned up as empty as their honey pots.