The PC and Laptop is not dead Shirely and other stock talk.

Market Talk:

It continues the rise to all time new highs apparently being fueled by an accommodative Federal Reserve. I won't be a part of the pumping machine, but it seems like things can go on awhile, until things happen to affect sentiment. Something always happens. I'll speak in general for awhile. The Dow is at 16,097 at this moment. Can it go higher? Probably.

Stock Talk:

The pundits on Cnbc and in the media often say "the PC is dead". Not so Shirley. Today HPQ presented results of $1.01 citing an increase in corporate PCs for business use. The PC is still the mainstay for business. People still use Windows with Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. And laptops and PCs are much more affordable than the high priced Apple models.

I use PC's and a laptops and won't change. There are many, many people in the PC boat. The media gets on a theme and then they pump their stupid notion so they can pump their position in a stock. Guys like Cramer have done that. And I recall when they were bashing HPQ incessantly for a few months, everyday on the tube. Why? There must have been a heavy short element in the mix somewhere.

Cramer is just one example of many. The Motely fool, Seeking Alpha and many others all do the same. The market is made up of opinions much of the time. Opinions can be like Uknowwhat.

I recall when Cramer pumped solar panel company , First Solar, saying their solar panels soaked up the sun like a sponge better than all the others. That was by somebody who bought into some BS line. When you look into it, you see that FSLR' panels were the least efficient in converting sunlight to electrical energy. They were the cheapest though. That is because they used a process where they paint a formula of toxic Cadmium Telluride which has properties of solar cells, but were only about 5% efficient. Meanwhile silicon based solar cells were achieving up to 20 % and higher efficiency. The reason why companies use FSLR panels may be because they have a lot of space required and they probably received incentives for going green. But If I were putting solar panels on a home roof, I would not use First Solar panels,

Now don't get me wrong, Cramer is a sharp guy in my view. He probably is a stock genius. But sometimes the guy while entertaining comes out with stuff in a sarcastic way that just wreaks of nonsense because he is being fed misinformation and does not even realize he is putting out BS.

Well, on the other hand, he was the first pundit that I ever saw allowing himself to be drug out wearing a diaper on his show for making a bad call. I think it was for telling people to Sell Sell Sell Apple back in the day when it was struggling in the 20's or thereabouts.

I am not really picking on Cramer, but anybody who makes calls like advising people what to do with their money is going to have regretful mistakes at times. And that is where a little humility goes a long way. Anybody who puts skin in the game of the market will likely have times where the market will humble them and all glory can be fleeting.

And that brings me to this site and stock talk. I am of the notion that I don't want to be party of the pump and dump machine. I have tried not to be a stock pumper here and state what I see as the truth at the time. And sometimes the truth is hard to see. Something always happens and there are factors outside the realm of prediction.

For example, the FDA. It seems that the FDA has so many factors that affect how a compound may or may not get approved that is sometimes defies logic. One of these factors is not as much scientific process as it is bureaucratic delays and quite possibly conflicts of interest between competing companies. This can make stock picking in the biotech sector even harder. In biotechs, they are subject to the something always happens syndrome even more than other sectors. On the other hand, it is up to the individual companies to prove that time, effort and performance of their compounds are both safe and effective in treating whatever they are going after. That is not always so easy, especially when they are trying to break tough nuts like treating cancer.

Well, I have rambled enough for today. Happy Thanksgiving.







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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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Why I avoided Amarin (AMRN) and some other health talk too.

Stock Talk:

Recently, Biotech Amarin (AMRN) tanked from the 7's to now in the lowly $1's. The Company has approval of a fish oil based drug, Vascepa, currently approved by the FDA for use as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe ( >= 500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia. However the FDA panel advised against approving it for wider uses against heart disease and broader applications until more trials and proof is made. This is viewed as a serious setback to AMRN's potential revenues.

Awhile back, AMRN was in the double digits. I got into a debate on the message boards with some chap who claimed to be a money manager who was quite bullish on AMRN stock when it was in the $15 range. I tried to let him know that I thought it was a bad bet based on my personal experience.

I am advocate of taking some fish oil. My own doctor prescribed a hign grade fish oil called Lovaza. It did help reduce my numbers and I noticed that after about a month, my back ache got better. I read up om the benefits of fish oil and found that it is reported to reduce inflammation. While I can't prove 100 % that the fish oil was responsible for correcting my bad back with inflammation around my lower lumbar disks, it seemed to help so I stayed on it. But the problem was that my insurance changed and the Blue cross would not pay much for it and it was very expensive.

So, I got off the Lovaza and went to Krill oil. I am also on a statin that I take daily. So far, I have not had a heart attack, whereas some younger cousins have already had heart attacks and sadly, some have passed away young.

But getting back to AMRN and why I tried to explained to this money manager that AMRN may have trouble in that if they are likely going to charge even MORE than Lovaza, the currently prescribed high grade fish oil, that many will not be able to afford it even if they have insurance. I have a co pay HMO where certain drugs cost an arm and leg if they are not generic.

So, many people will just settle for over the counter fish oil if they want to try it. Personally, I now like the Krill oil because it is more potent in smaller capsule with no fishy aftertaste.

Well, this is an example where we can use our own personal experience to gauge a stock's prospects.

Health Talk

Now getting back to high triglycerides and Cholesterol, I will share another experience that seemed to work very well, possibly the best readings in my life. There is an over the counter fiber that comes in pill form called "Chitosan". This is a marine fiber made from the shells of crustaceans. The theory is that it is slightly charged and absorbs the fat in your diet. The fiber may line the intestines and prevent fat from being absorbed. But what I am getting at is that the times I steadfastly took 2 or 3 pills before meals resulted in the best blood fat readings I have ever had. The problem is that it's a routine that takes getting into the habit of following regular. Well, I recently decided to go back on this Chitosan and get back into the routine to see how it does for high triglycerides. Some say it helps reduce weight, but that's not my experience, but it did greatly lower my blood fat readings. If anybody wants to try it, Puritan.com is where I get my supply, It's very low cost and seems to work for me anyway. If you are allergic to shell fish, I would check with the doctor, it may not be right in that case.

Another thing that is very good for humans is to regularly ride a bike. Riding 20 miles a week has been shown to reduce a person's chances of heart attack by 50%. There is something about riding a bike that favors the human body.

Well, there's a bit of stock talk, mixed with some health talk.






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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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The earth has a big problem Scotty - and it is us.

http://news.yahoo.com/the-ocean-is-broken-133327474.html


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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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A Simple way to avoid the fiscal cliff

Fiscal Cliff Drama and a solution for compromise:

I have listened to both the Obama and Boehner differences enough to see an easy way to compromise. These guys are letting "ego" get in the way of a solution to the fiscal cliff.

First off, Obama thinks that just cause he won the election we voted for every detail of his talking points. Sorry Barack, it aint so. We voted for your ability to be smart and to lead and to find a way to work things out. I could go on about the republicans and Boehner, but will forego that to get to the points.

Proposed Simple Solution:

On Revenues:

Obama wants to increase taxes on people making $250K and above while maintaining the Bush tax cuts for those under $250K.

Boehner does not want a tax hike on the "wealthy" and would rather raise revenues by putting a cap on deductions at $25 K.

The first Fiscal Compromise could be a little of both notions.

1. Raise Obama's $250 K  threshold to say $ 1/2 M to 1 Million income earners.

2. Keep Boehner's $25 K cap on deductions.

3. Forget that idea about higher taxes on dividends, at least for now.

That would likely gain MORE revenue from the fat cat wallstreet execs who already benefited from previous government bailouts.

On Spending:

I heard Timothy Geitner say something disturbing. He said on the sunday talk show, he said they are going to let the Pentagon determine what they need for the military. BAD IDEA!

Why do we have an executive branch? The President is supposed to LEAD not follow carte blanche whatever the Pentagon wants. You can't tell me thare is no waste in the huge military budget!  (Do I need to remind them here of President Eisenhower's ( also a Great  WWII general!) warning to future Presidents about allowing the military/ industrial complex from getting out of control?)

Spending Cut Propsal:

Cut the Military by 5% starting Jan 1, 2013. Let them find new and creative ways to save the taxpayers. 5% is not that much. More drones, scale out of foreign wars faster, less aide to Egypt that's trending back to radical muslim tendencies, etc.

Cut NASA by 5% also. What the heck are we trying to put a man on Mars for? When they actually find a place worth going to that can sustain life in another solar system, maybe. But in the meantime, unmanned space travel works but these high budget plans to put people on Mars is a waste considering our economic woes here.

The President should also push, no make that insist, for less subsidies to big oil already making billions.

Well, that's a start. I think that may do it.

simple.

If you agree, email this link to your Washington representative or to the White house.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Thank you



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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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Can ONVO's 3 D Printer be used to help the paralyzed walk again?

Stock Talk:

I have been looking into the $2 a share ONVO stock that has a 3 D printer for human tissue. Last night, a notion came to me about the possibilties. The ultimate idea of 3 D printing of human tissue seems to be organ repair.

But what about people that break their neck or back and are unfortunate that spinal cord severed nerve injury leaves them paralyzed?


Here is my idea.

If you had to lose something to gain mobilty again, what would you pick?

Ok, how about a toe?

I think they should look into this. Take a person who has been paralyzed by a severed neck or back nerve and amputate the toe next to the pinky. We need the pinky for balance in my opinion. But that toe next to the pinky? or maybe the middle toe, or even a finger.

Now pull the nerve out and then wrap it with the tissue glue from ONVO's 3 D printer and include the patients own stem cells too.

Now you have a protected nerve wire to splice around the patients severed nerve.

Will that work?

Not sure , I am not a doctor, but electrically speaking I don't see why it's not worth a try.

Anyway, the point is to share an idea I had in a dream and to point out that the 3 D printing of ONVO must have inspired the notion.

Hmmmm -- lose a toe to gain a walking life again? I'd go for it.

Well, I am sure that ONVO's new technology is going to inspire a lot of new experiments.


Well, I posted yesterday a few stocks on my radar and ONVO is a speculation. Sometimes it's fun to speculate if you don't have too much skin (excuse the pun) in the game.

PS: Note to ONVO's team. get working on my idea!

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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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When Green Mountain Coffee goes below $30, watch that one

Stock Talk:

A stock I have watched on and off over the years is GMCR. I don't have a lot of time today to expouse on it.    All I'm gonna say is when GMCR is trading below $30 a share --  put a watch on it.

I will offer my view. I don't agree with short Einhorn.

People are very finicky about their coffee.  I brought the wrong brand home once and took a lot of grief over it.  Looking at even the low estimates of earnings puts GMCR  much higher than where it is now trading in the 20's. Competition on K cups may not be as much of an impact as the shorts have made out and there's a new Riva machine coming.  GMCR is a volatile stock. Thinking about some call options as a lower risk way to play the volatility. GMCR is undervalued on a fundamental basis in my opinion.

Market timing is not always very easy though. In any case, I have a watch on GMCR.

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ALL in my humble opinion, scroll down and read more..

This site does NOT make Buy / Sell recommendations.
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