Professor Elam

Accounting & Investing Info for San Antonio A & M

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  • Professor Elam

    Another DVD for our Library

    Thursday May 3, 2012

    Screen shot 2012-05-03 at 7.44.33 AM
    Thanks to  Ed Carlson of Seattle Technical Advisors Ed donated his DVD on Three Peaks and a Dome, a  discussion of the technical methods of George Lindsay. Mr. Carlson's book on George Lindsay was named Best Investment Book of the Year by Stock Traders Alamanac for 2012. 

    We are in the process of creating a first class trading room and investing learning platform for our students. This should be a valuable addition to our store of knowledge, which is exaclty what a University should be. 

    Thanks Ed!

  • Professor Elam

    I’ll See $30 M and Raise to $50 M

    Wednesday May 2, 2012

    An alert student notes this article about Rita Crundwell.

    As he said, how did everyone miss this?

    She began at an early age.

    She was trusted.

    She appeared to be successful at the horse business.

    con men are called that because they get

     

    your confidence.

  • Professor Elam

    Accredited Business Accountant ABA

    Wed May 2, 2012

    An alert student has brought the Accredited Business Accountant ABA to my attentinon. This is a new one to me but agai it illustrates how these certifications continue to grow in number. Take a look

    Here is more on the actual program of testing. ! 

  • Professor Elam

    Barnes and Noble Spins off College Division, MSFT antes $300 M

    Monday / April 30, 2012

    Business nsider takes a look at the announced investment of $300 M by MSFT into a Barnes and Noble spinoff.

    Is this the desperate marrying the hopeless as they suggest?  Mergers occur when markets are high as they are now. And both companies have terribly lagged the digital revolution, remember Zune? Barnes Noble has 30% of the digital book down load market while Amazon has 60%.

    Will this  work or is this Sperry Meets Burroughs to form Unisys?

    What do the analysts mean 're arranging the deck charis?"

  • Professor Elam

    SA Ragtime Festival

    Monday April 30, 2012

    We certainly enjoyed our last outing to a SA Ragtime Event. We are delighted to feature this annoucnement about theiir next event.

    Hello all!  The San Antonio Ragtime Society will be hosting the San Antonio Ragtime Festival this year over the course of three days (roughly).  On the evening of May 18, from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm, at Wonderland of the Americas Mall, we'll have Dr. Ezequiel Palleja (a professor at the University of Buenos Aires) and Ms. Larisa Migachyov performing a variety of old ragtime pieces as well as some of their own compositions.  The next morning, at 11:00 am, we move our performers to Market Square downtown, with non-stop performances till 5:00 pm from Dr. Palleja and Ms. Migachyov and several other pianists including Brian Holland, and Dr. Mark Morton (a professor from Texas Tech University).  That same evening (7:30 pm to 10:00 pm), our performances return to the Wonderland of the Americas Mall.  Finally, on Sunday, May 20, our pianists return to Market Square from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.  I hope you can make it!  Bring a friend or friends and family.  I am providing a link to a performance from last year's festival as a sample of the quality of performances you'll get to see.  Enjoy, and I hope to see you there.

    Wonderland Mall is also known as Crossroads Mall located on Fredricksburg Road Hwy 345 just south of North Loop 410

    Market Square is at 514 Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX

    Mimi Blais and Brian Holland play Bele of Louisville at this You Tube Link

  • Professor Elam

    Underemployed College Grads

    Wednesday April 25, 2012

    Some 53% of recent college grads are either underemployed or not employed at all. 

    Plan to amke your degree marketable now. This is another reason I emphsize examining various certifications. I urge students to begin working towards a professional certification while they are still in school. 

  • Professor Elam

    Smart Thinking, No You can’t Multi Task

    Tuesday April 24, 2012

    Check out What Cocktail Parties Teach us. This article in today's WSJ points out that the brain is wired for just one thing, trying to do multiple things at once simply results in a lower overall results. Talking on the cell phone while driving results in more accidents.

    As it happens, I just finished reading Smart Thinking.  I have already suggested to colleague Sam Rock Professor of Psychology, that we do a joint Faculty Seminar on just this. 

    There is nothing radical in the book, at least not to Sam and I. But apparently those ideas would be pretty radical to the students. Yesterday i asked both classes how many watched CNBC in the morning. the answer was, no one. 

    I got comments like, I don't have time. Well, when are you going to have time to learn what you need to learn to function in a financial world?

    I am also thinking the move to iPads is a mistake. I strongly suspect many students are e mailing and surfing rather than following along in the e book. I suspect a Kindle that is e book only would be the better idea. 

    Both the WSJ article and author Art Markman agree, multi-tasking does not work. 

     

  • Professor Elam

    Tom Sowell

    Tuesday April 24, 2012

     

    Tom Sowell's Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene are susally better than anyone else's focused thoughts. Note his suggestion about a commencement speaker. 

  • Professor Elam

    WMT Drops $10 B in Market Cap

    Tuesday April 24, 2012

    The NY Times reports that WMT possibly violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act FCPA passed in 1977. The allegations suggest bribes supported WMT's rapid expansion in Mexico. 

    Mark Hulbert describes an academic study on bribes. The magnitude of the drop in WMT stock price monday suggests there is worse to come.

    The big drop in WMT helepd contribute to the drop in several stock averages on Monday.  

    FCPA was passed in 1977 during an economic downturn. Now decades later the same allegations appear during another ecnommic downturn against the major retailer in the USA and Mexico.

     

     

  • Professor Elam

    Math Matters Update

    Monday April 23, 2012

     

    Orrin Hatch, six term Senator from Utah, is in the fight of his life, as is Sen Richard Lugar from Indiana. This weekend Hatch's challenger, in the Republican primary managed to stay in the game. Hatch fell short a mere 32 votes out of 3,908 cast to obtain 60% of the vote.If Hatch had done that he would be home free, no Republican challenger. Well math matters.

    I had an earlier reference to this in a post March 19.I asked the two undergrad classes to comment. Not a single person in either class has done so. I added a site to the graduate class for them to read the article. 

    Here is the link

     

    We instructors regularly get e mails at or around Sunday night deadlines that a student was unable to finish an on-line assignment. Now what has the re election of Orrin Hatch, a gambler in Vegas and his results, and students failing to complete on Sunday night all have in common?
    Don Johnson, the gambler not the actor, only plays when the odds are on his side. That is how he wins. See my March 19 post. 
    That is why I wanted all of you to read the article. Ask any accounting  student about their career goals and they quickly recite completing a certified exam. Well, if you plan to do that, you will need every possible factor in your favor. The difference between passing and failing may be one or two multiple choice question. Or as Hatch learned this weekend, 32 votes. 
    As Mike Phelps swim coach observed, if you want to win at swim contests, first, get in the water. 
    Too many students put off until tomorrow what would be advantageously done today. If anything is going to go wrong on-line, waiting till the deadline means the student sill certainly run out of alternatives, or the ability to start again. The wise student starts early, on everything. Yes there are breakdowns in on-line exams, exams mysteriously disappear around the appointed time, before they should.
    I have no control over that and neither do you. And that is the point. Start early. Get the statistical advantage on your side. 
    I have never met a student who expected to fail a certified exam. But half of all students fail at a part of the exam they take, every time the CPA exam is given. Clearly 50% have grossly unrealistic expectations. 
    Repent now, 
    or as Glenn Steinle used to say
    I don't know what it means to be a CPA
    But I sure know what it means not to be a CPA.