An Interesting Development

One of the worst investments I ever made was in Harley Davidson (HOG), back around the 2008 crash. The thing I learned was that when Net Profit Margins are projected to narrow, you had better pay attention to getting out of one of these Holy Grail approaches I take, until the stock reaches a 70% discount to Working Capital, or Net Quick Assets, which ever calculation is available. I made a killing on General Electric (GE) later on with this new educational insight.

Corinthian Colleges (CDCO) is in one of may favorite industries, Education. It is trading at $1.87 per share with a Working Capital per share of $2.35. If it gets to a 70% discount to Working Capital, I'll buy a bunch of it; if not, I'll skip it.

Cliffs Natural Resources

I just checked out the September "Value Line" presentation for Cliffs Natural Resources, and it is booming right along, even while the stock price dropped to around $50 a share. The Net Profit Margin is projected to widen and earnings expectations are moving upward from the previous presentation. This may be one of those rare deals where we want to hold it beyond the 100% pop, as it appears to have an economic engine without visible end.

Market Dive

Well, the market is taking a big dive today. I suggest that the Fed's announcement yesterday of a further purchase of US debt ($400 billion) in their "twist" is evidence that the US is grasping at straws. Our debt has caught up with us, and now all the stuff I've been railing against is coming to pass. Glad I focussed on a Welding degree and a Motion Picture degree over the past two years. I have options that I would not otherwise. Get ready for the Great Depression II.

Gene

Christian or Gandhian

I was just watching a PBS special on the "Pentagon Papers," and I began to contemplate a Buffett axiom that in order to be a great investor, we must first be absolutely honest with ourselves.

In that vein, I have been troubled with my Christian background since the reading a few years ago of a book entitled, "Jesus, Interrupted," by Bart D. Ehrman. I can no longer defend the pretense that Christian Truth is equivalent to Gandhian Truth. There are real problems in Christian Truth that are quite subjective and quantifiably errant, and I will allow the above described book speak for itself. Gandhi stated, "I worship God as truth only." I do believe that there exists a spirit about the universe that is both math-centric and truth-centric. This spirit seems benign, other than to say that there are laws based in math and cause-and-effect truth. This is what drives me into the study of economics. I must conclude that I am no longer to be classified as Christian but Gandhian: "I worship God as truth only."

Gene Chapman

CFA

I just requested clarification on taking the CFA exams. They propose that in January, 2011, one must present an International passport in order to sit for the exam. I asked if a religious exception is made for anyone, as I am too committed to my world view to throw it utterly to the wind, just to take a test (see: Revelation 13:16). This world is becoming too hard to navigate in a religious context, I fear.

Today's events reminded me of why I went to school for the host of off-the-grid degrees I hold and pursue. Maybe auto repair is a better investment for the years ahead, but I imagine that economics will be of use no matter what doors the Global Marxist government may close.

S&P Downgrades US Debt

Well, it's a first in United States History, I understand. Standard and Poor's downgraded the US National Debt from AAA to AA+. I cannot imagine that this will put upward pressure on stock prices, so I'm glad I'm working a job so i can buy stocks over the next year or two.

I was looking at my opportunity cost of the Welding Degree I finished in May, and I'm $85K in the opposite direction I could have been in had I kept working those two years. Also, had I put $30K in Crocs in 2008 and just walked away, I'd be well on my way to my first million dollars. Funny how life turns on such small dimes.

I'm still pushing for an economics degree to carry through my investing the rest of my life. I guess you'd say that I've entered the "Gravy Phase" of my life. It's all "building up wealth" from here.

Gene

I picked up shares of Medtronic (MDT) for $35.75 a share on yesterday, as the market responded to the failure of Congress to fix the National Debt problem.

My Economics degree continues, as I push toward a Ph. D. in Econometrics way down the road. I'm Pi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Physics Student of the Year and Welding Student of the Year at the Community College I just graduated from, and now I'm trying hard to stay at the big university without financial support from outside. Education is the best investment; they can't take it away from you. I'm 30 hours from Law School, my university advisor tells me, but I don't want a "Dispute Resolution" degree; I want an Economics degree (69 hours). Its' hard stuff, but the Ph. D. is only attainable via the math based BS, MS and then Ph. D. My credibility as a thinker on monetary matters in the years ahead requires a Ph. D. in Economics and a CFA, and nothing else will substitute.