Jun
28
Cheap as Cheap Gets – China Imports Tainted Fish
June 28, 2007 | 1 Comment
Today, the news in CNN say that the FDA finds a widespread case of poisoned fish from china. Earlier in the month, they discover tainted toothpaste.
For a long time the US economy has enjoyed a long period of extreme consumerism and low inflation. Traditionally the more people buy of something (more “demand”), the [...]
May
1
Piggybacking on Your Neighbor’s WiFi
May 1, 2007 | 1 Comment
In another May Day inspired article (one that goes along the laborious mind of the common people) I pose the question of the morality of using someone else’s WiFi signal (Wireless Internet)? Five cent nickel.com has posed the question before. Cnnfn.com has asked it to the public. I do have my own [...]
May
1
Life Too Short To Drink Bad Tasting Beer
May 1, 2007 | 2 Comments
Life is far too short to drink cheap beer. Unless, of course, that’s what you prefer. — FiveCentNickel.com in an article that invites debate.
I tend to agree on this advice, although I would change the “cheap” for “bad tasting” to make the argument simpler, as not everything that is cheap is bad. Beer (or [...]
Apr
28
The $100 Laptop Project
April 28, 2007 | Comments Off
The One Laptop Per Child Project is full of good intentions, but I wonder if it is the best use of someone’s money and effort. Everyone is entitled to spend his time, effort and money in any way they seem fit: that is one of the principles of being free. However, spending money [...]
Apr
22
Salary Differences
April 22, 2007 | 3 Comments
For years it has been argued that women get a lower salary than men even when they hold the same position, or even show the same results. In the case of the same position there can be an argument about how hard two different persons work or succeed at the tasks given, regardless of [...]
Apr
9
I Will Never Be The Same
April 9, 2007 | Comments Off
I spent 7 weeks in Australia, and I think that the experience changed my life in a way that made me different. It is not that Australia is a beautiful country where you feel like in America, but safer and everything looks cleaner – for they are like that, but that is not the [...]
Mar
21
Loans and Cigarettes – Both Turning Kids into Addicts
March 21, 2007 | Comments Off
I happen to invest in both loan and cigarette producing companies. You probably have seen my cash-cow portfolio. One thing that both banks and Altria/Phillip Morris (MO) have in common is that they make addicts of very young people: before they even have an income to buy their products.It is no secret [...]
Mar
20
Greenhouse Gases: Selling Credits
March 20, 2007 | Comments Off
I truly believe that Greenhouse Gases contribute to global warming, which in turn could create accelerated damage to our health, economy and society. We have to do something, and I find myself partially in agreement with proposals like the one presented by Senator Edwards of charging money for the “right” of dumping these gases [...]
Mar
17
Sub-Prime
March 17, 2007 | Comments Off
Sub-Prime loan customers, by definition, are risky business. Loaning to a sub-prime customer is loaning money to someone that has either been proven untrustworthy or is expected to be untrustworthy: someone who has failed on his payments before (broken a promise) or would be getting into such a high level of debt-to-income ratio [...]
Jan
25
Do You Pick Up A Penny?
January 25, 2007 | 2 Comments
I find myself lucky when I find a coin in the street. Not lucky because it has made me any richer, as we all understand the low value of a single cent. But lucky because I understand the value of jumping at the opportunities life throws at us.I am of the philosophy that [...]
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