Tuesday Nov 11 2014 Michael Lewis forte is books about Wall Street beginning with Liars Poker.  Here is a list of his reading recommendations.  I have read Reminiscences of a Stock Operator Huckeberry Finn The Right Stuff all on the list. If someone asked, what books would you have them read?  What has influenced you.  Here…

Tuesday Oct 28, 2014 Apple has a new system named Apple Pay. As always it is simple and elegant.  Meanwhile Wal Mart has spearheaded another approach labeled Current C. Current C requires several steps to complete a transaction, Apple only requires one.  But CVC and Rite Aid shut out Apple yesterday. Asked if Current C woudl…

Friday Oct 24 2014 Some Tech INVestors are expressing doubts about the boom. Shades of the dot.com bust are returning.  Airbomb at $13 billion Uber at $17 Billion Snapchat worth a billion valuation with no earnings. We have been discussin the turn down in Blue Chip fortunes, the positive social mood has given rise to…

Thursday OCt 23 2014 Oscar de la Renta's death this week marks the closing of a design chapter. He dressed First Ladies and Hollywood stars. He was an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. One line in this article caught my eye, when he advised, 'know your customer.'  Apparently he cast a wide circle, even Kissinger dedicated his…

Monday Oct 20 2014 For a look at a true cost is no object project check Jay Leno drives a Woodie Ladies how would you like a den with this kind of wood detail in your house? There is a market for cost is no object toys.

Monday Oct 20 2014 Here is an interesting analysis of three coffees.  I aksed Whataburger why they were not in the upscale coffee business at a recent gathering. Oddly the lady cited the high price of coffee makers. Coffee of course carreis a far higher contribution margin than food.

Weekend Oct 19 2014 Of Two Minds suggests there is a third type of capital. And that it will be increasingly important in future years.    In the past we have had cheap labor and monetary capital. Now Smith suggests that innovation, robotics, and creating value will be the new capital. Thegarage door opener is a…

Tuesday Oct 14 2014 It's Tuesday which is the day for Brett Stephens Global View column in the WSJ. For a look at what the nest two years may hold, I highly recommend today's column. His title is  Obama Survival Manual, Intl Edition in which he describes POTUS as  a self-infatuated weakling Now before you accuse…

Monday Oct 6 2014 German factory orders just experienced the biggest slowdown since 2009. This is more evidence that the markets are topping around the world amid a slow down not a speed up. 

Monday Oct 6 2014 The split up of HP may be more about layoffs than anything else. Companies sometimes feel that splitting into two companies will increase the net total shareholder value.  Here is the official story on the split.