Mar

26

MiddleMan and Providing Value

March 26, 2008 | 1 Comment

I am an independent IT consultant. I think there are fewer of those than the industry needs. The important word here is “independent“. To me, an independent consultant or contractor is someone who helps advance the interests of the end client.
Sooner or latter a consultant finds out that they need more resources […]

Mar

26

Value : Recession Resistant

March 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment

CNN reported today that Nursing is a recession proof job.  While it certainly tops my list of recession resistant jobs, there are many others: and they do not necessarily have to do with the degree printed on the diploma.  Job resistance, in my opinion, is based on value and how much someone needs that value.
Value […]

Mar

25

Portfolio vs. Portfolio - 20 Days Later

March 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Just to keep myself honest, these are the two portfolios I started tracking (my recommendations since March 6 2008).
This is my poor’s man portfolio experiment:

Company
Symbol
Start Price Mar/06
Actual Price
Win/Loss

Pepsi
PEP
70.13
72
+2.7%

Walmart
WMT
50.04
53.11
+6.1%

Yum Brands
YUM
35.80
37.8
+5.6%

ATT
T
35.06
37.76
+7.7%

This is my Technocrat Portfolio experiment:

Company
Symbol
Start Price Mar/06

Actual Price
Win/Loss

Cisco
CSCO
23.90
25.62
+7.2%

Intel
INTC
19.87
22.11
+11.3%

Microsoft
MSFT
27.58
29.10
+5.6%

Apple
AAPL
120.93
139.98
+15.75%

Had I invested in the DOW 30 (DIA), NASDAQ 100 (QQQQ) or SP500 (SPY), this is how I would […]

Mar

25

Getting Paid to Learn

March 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I recently started doing tutoring to college students in exchange for money.  I do charge considerably less than my standard professional rate.  However, the benefits surely go beyond the pay:

Up To Date - The concepts in today’s software engineering courses (Computer Science and Electrical Engineering)  are the same they where 15 years ago.  The technologies […]

Mar

22

Supply Expenses: Gillete Razor Blades

March 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I recently started shaving my head. It will be the look for 2008. At the same time I started using the now popular HeadBlade system.  I did noticed that the triple blade one (I think they call it Sport) uses clones of a very popular blade:  The Gillette Sensor.  As it happens, Gillete Sensor was […]

Mar

20

Zecco: Free Trading and $100 To Top It Off

March 20, 2008 | 2 Comments

Long ago I had opened my Zecco Trading account lured by the Free trading offer. They still hold their promise and offer free trades if you hold a balance of more than a few thousand dollars. My initial visit to the website found it very cumbersome to handle. Way to many clicks […]

Mar

13

Money Zen

March 13, 2008 | 3 Comments

I have friends who tell me that they do not want to be like me. They do not want to worry about money or find a better job. Yet, they complaint that they do not have enough money and that they dislike their jobs but still have to do them to earn their living.
I advice […]

Mar

11

The Technocrat Portfolio

March 11, 2008 | 1 Comment

“I am a sucker for technology. I love gadgets. I can’t live without the fastest and meanest computer.” No, that is not me. That is America! I am a Computer Engineer, but I have lightly outdated hardware technology here even when I build state of the art software. But […]

Mar

11

The Value of an Idea

March 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Very often, especially during social activities, people start blurting ideas to me on how I can improve my business or new ventures I can undertake to make more money. The idea is usually summarized in one or two sentences, and the plan doesn’t go beyond what a drink can last. It irritates me […]

Mar

10

Dual Income vs. Stay At Home

March 10, 2008 | 1 Comment

Many people have made articles about the difficult decission families face when both of them work and they have kids. The article Dual Income Families and the Economics of the Stay at Home Parent suggests that for a $40,000 earner, the actual after-tax and after child care expenses take home amount drops to a […]

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