The Signal Amidst the Noise

Sometimes, the wrong choices bring us to the right understanding. That mantra can loosely be applied to many endeavors in my life. It fits well with my theories and logic when buying and selling Stock. Equities to be more specific. Reflecting on that, I've had my share of wrong choices through my Self-Directed Investing career. I've learned to assess where my choices might have been misguided and how I could avoid them in the future. Moreover, it shaped a simple and concise algorithm to apply when choosing a company. But before explaining part of my current algorithm, a little dose of my logic. One of my favorite youth Sports was Baseball. My Coach once told me I was a rare catch for his team. Foremost, I was a decent Pitcher that could throw a moderate, "Sinker" and amazing, "Fast-Ball". I Pitched quite a few, "No hitters," and became a good friend with the one Catcher, "Pete," that seemed to know what I was throwing at him. I paid lit...

In the Investor's mind, "Risk," is the possibility of something losing value. But without some risk there is no hope for a gain. And possibly, the greater the risk, the greater the gain. Marijuana has provided a lot of gain for quite a longtime. As we all know, those gains have been realized through Black Market activity with Very High Risk.  I have a vivid childhood memory of a neighbor that was busted with several pounds of Marijuana. Twenty Two, if I remember correctly.  The family seemed to do very well. That was exemplified by fancy Boats, Cars, and spoiled children. They operated a Detail Shop. So I guess the Viper was, "Advertising,". But it still didn't quite fit the neighborhood. On the forefront of my memory is everything being seized by the Police! The house was taped off with bright yellow plastic tape labeled, "Police Line Do Not Cross" like someone got shot. As a matter of fact, we all thought someone got killed at first. We didn...

Possibly to help develop perspective and understanding of a Solar Installation, I am sharing some of the details of my System and the Installation. Coupled with an Electric Vehicle, this is an outstanding Investment. Conducive with most Home Improvements, taking the task upon yourself offers significant savings. More importantly, there are various options to retrofit a solar system to your home, some more productive, that are not generally offered through highly advertised Installers. Let me make it clear, the lowest priced Installer I found quoted a price of $18,000.00 for a Three Kilowatt System. So far, I have acquired the components of a more advanced system, that is easily expandable, more productive, and safer.  I have been sitting-on my Panels for slightly over two years. Mainly due to an injury that held me back, shy of a year.  I purchased my Solar Panels through a Distributor I found on Ebay.  Then, after some research I decided to use Enphase MicroInve...

Is there ever a time when you deal with the Government that things go well? Why do Government run facilities and organizations have a black-cloud lingering above? What is it that separates Government run organizations from those in the Private Sector? Is it a security that comes from not having to make a profit or the caliber of people who seek Government Jobs? Two months ago, I spoke to a man named Ralph regarding a Job. It was in Transportation but required a TWIC card. Essentially, he would, "1099," me, rather than consider me a full-time employee. Therefore, I didn't take the Job. I received another phone call, once again, they wanted me to have a TWIC Card. They didn't offer much, so I didn't pursue things further. Needless to say, I received enough phone calls requiring a TWIC. Because of the seemingly inflated demand, I applied. Essentially, it is the same background check as the one given when applying for a Hazmat endorsement. However, this one is don...

My First Electric Vehicle (EV) a Nissan Leaf I've made the transition from gasoline to a Partial Zero Emission Vechicle (PZEV) roughly three years ago. The vehicle of choice was the Toyota Prius. That was definitely a worth while investment and saved a lot of money in maintenance and gasoline. One month ago, I made the exciting transition to a fully electric vehicle (EV). The vehicle of choice was a Nissan Leaf (S). Equipped with a 24kw 360v battery and an 80kw Electric Motor. Here are some of my insights and thoughts that fostered my decision and insights after a month of use. First and foremost, an EV takes a little bit of planning. The electric vehicles main factors are battery and motor size. These two factors effect the range of a full charge. A larger motor will propel the vehicle much quicker. However, it requires more electrons to propel the vehicle and maintain speed. A larger battery can propel the vehicle a farther distance, but can take longer to charge (Dependin...

Yahoo really declined in the last few years. The Website, once my favorite Portal to the Internet has turned into a confusing and useless piece of cyberspace. Once rivaling Google as a worthy source for searching the Internet, Yahoo offered the best features and clear navigation. I often appreciated Yahoo Finance for the customization of their Stock Charts. First and foremost, I like to quickly see when Dividends are payable and Ex-Dividend Dates. Only Yahoo allowed me to quickly group together the businesses of interest and display this information. Their Email was quick and easy. Simple navigation with a clear display. The Email search feature was fast and accurate. When it comes to E-mail, I elect to have multiple accounts. One being for Banking and Investing. Another for Business dealings including buying and selling online through Ebay and Amazon. Lastly, one for personal use. Little silly websites and businesses that ask for an Email when I check-out get my third or pers...

What about securing our future could be more clear? As Americans, there's one distinction about our, "General Characterization," that seems clear. We like to feel secure. Large refrigerators, Cars, and Homes are clear examples of that distinction. All of which, in my opinion, seem to be preparedness for the days ahead. Imagine family visiting and not being able to comfortably provide a room for them! Not having a vehicle capable of carting around our children and their friends! Or to not have enough food on-hand! But nothing seems more clear, a must have, as generating our own energy needs! I have received a fair amount of brow-beatings about driving a Prius. Usually a conversation begins with the question, "Why did you buy a Prius?". Ironically, I am often caught off-guard with that silly question. Does anyone really not know? It is the most efficient car on the road. It is highly reliable and very low maintenance. It is comfortable and suitable for me. The n...