let’s talk about biotime, as a classic story of how to read a tape, a chart, hear a story, and watch the trader get screwed.

recently th stock has been "very active". rumours started a few month ago about obama liking stem cells, and oddly enough biotime was suddently in th stem cell business.

volume kept slowly increasing, and the ticker moved up to a 4 bagger for some sharp traders. i commented on this elsewhere.

but in a "story stock" sooner or reality tere needs be a reality.

and here it is:" The maturity date for the amended line of credit has been extended from November 15, 2008 to April 15, 2009. As of November 17, 2008, certain lenders elected to convert $1,050,000 in principal and $62,013 of accrued interest on their loans to 1,112,013 BioTime common shares."

:"$16,956 in investor relations expenses"
biotime continues its long term trend of selling stock to meet "expenses" and continues to do nohing. ho many years between phase ii trials for hextend, and the end of phase ii for pentalyte? 10 and counting…10 years to demonstrate one stasticially verifiable outcome. in the meantim, hextend works. hextend works, no matter hat shortsellers wanted to say about it.
  what doesn’t work is the revenue model. becuase of the, lol, "management team."

so… for a couple of months the pump and dump specialist were paid a lot of stock and cash to create some action for btim.
  how many share were shorted into the run? at what prices?
 the average "investor" or trader will never know. never.
 becuase nasd allows insamely late reporting on short interest.
 and if te short was covered inside a 30 day reporting period, to the guy at te end of the chain, it never happned.
 and then, one fine day, and i specifically asked people "where are these shares coming from" a million shares "changed hands" that is, went from treasury to street, and the exchange registered the traansaction.
 a level ii scren would probably have shown bloks of 50k hitting th tape.
 and some people would have nibbled in to that stream, and bought more.
 the stock ended down that day. but the volume average will be distroted for 3 months, and then come crashing down. in the meantime, brokers and hypesters will tell cleints, yes it was down, but on far below average volume…don;t worry, be happy.
   in th meantime..there’s <$60 cash on hand, and another loc for another million bux. incoming cash is eaten by debt service:
"Royalty revenues recognized for that three-month period were $341,391…
For the nine months ended September 30, 2008, we incurred a total of $366,795 of net interest expense," ….
   so what does btim offer to anyone wanting to roll it up or be rolled bu it?
   i’m still seeing 5/8 coming as a price. i had said within 60 days of the new dc admin. it might be a while later, becuase of the effectiveness of the pump.
   but based on anyt f/a, cmbined with th story, 3/16 is actually high for the actual value by p/e, (negative) p/s call it 12 for generosity,8 for a norm), or eps (stated unknown becuase of military sales) or, lol… 2x book.
  

Posted under markets

Dodge Sprinter Offers Great Mpg

Times are tough and fuel prices are high, but some of us can’t transport all we need to transport in a fuel-efficient economy car. Luckily, we don’t have to, because Dodge Sprinter offers an average city MPG in the upper-20s, which is great for a cargo/passenger van of its size. Though, admittedly, it is no Prius in fuel efficiency, it offers the passenger capacity to handle large church or school groups in comfort, or enough cargo capacity to make any plumber, painter, contractor or flower delivery person happy as can be-all of which a Prius cannot offer.

According to Car and Driver, the Sprinter 2500 diesel passenger van offers 26 city MPG and 30 highway MPG, combined with the ability to carry up to 12 passengers comfortably, Sprinter blows its competition out of the fuel-efficiency waters. The GMC Savanna offers 13 City MPG and 16 Hwy MPG according to recent EPA figures, and the popular Chevrolet Express offers the same.

Sprinter’s main cargo van competitors are also the GMC Savanna, and Chevy Express, along with the popular Ford E series, all averaging 12 MPG compared to Sprinter’s upper-20s. Much of the fuel efficiency comes from its diesel powered engine. In the past, diesel engines emitted an unpleasant odor and black smoke that made them undesirable to many, but today’s diesel engines burn much cleaner and no longer produce these unpleasant effects. Of course, Sprinter also offers a gasoline engine, though the fuel efficiency will not be a good, it will have a little more get-up-and-go than the diesel model.

As hybrid engines gain popularity in smaller cars, such as the Toyota Prius, they are still very much in the development stage in cargo and passenger vans. Chevrolet has announced they will offer a 2009 hybrid Silverado, the only full-sized hybrid truck set for release as of yet, but no hybrid cargo or passenger vans are yet on the horizon. So, as of yet, Dodge Sprinter still stands as the most fuel efficient vehicle of its class.

Sprinter offers numerous options, which makes creating the van to best fit your needs a snap. It offers up to 547 cubic feet of cargo space, or seating up to 12 passengers in the passenger variety. It also offers a taller body than other vans, allowing one to stand up inside. And though they tend to look utilitarian and top-heavy, they handle like a much smaller vehicle, and provide ample safety features such as traction control, anti-lock breaks, and braking distribution regulators.

A great, fuel efficient option for large families, church organizations, and schools, as well as plumbers, contractors, caterers and other businesses, Dodge Sprinter offers unbeatable cargo and passenger space and will save you money at the gas tank. So why not have it all, fuel-efficiency and a roomy interior to accommodate all your transportation needs. Until bio-fuels become more attainable and hybrids are developed in larger vehicle classes, Sprinter offers the most fuel efficient van of its class.

By: Andrew Stratton

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

In these times of rising gas prices, fuel efficiency is one of the most important things to consider when buying a cargo or passenger van. Dodge Sprinter offers the best fuel efficiency of its class, with plenty of space for all your needs. For more information, visit www.alabamasprinter.com.

Posted under Videos From Youtube

Analysts Question Bush’s Fuel Economy Proposal

Part of the agenda of President Bush is to reform fuel economy standards for cars. In this regard, he earlier announced his proposal to require automakers to meet new fuel efficiency standards. Bush, in his State of the Union address, proposed that the automakers improve the efficiency of the vehicles by 4 per cent annually starting in 2009 for passenger cars and 2011 for light trucks. The administration also intends to cut gas consumption by 20 per cent by 2017.

The proposal is mainly to promote the production of green cars and it is undoubtedly helpful. However, not all are convinced by the proposal. Aside from Detroit’s Big 3, other analysts in the industry also expressed their dissent. In addition, environmentalists articulated their uncertainty about Congress enacting a law to alleviate corporate average fuel economy standards.

Some automakers were disappointed because the proposed $500 million budget over 5 years to speed research into advanced batteries was not contained in President Bush’s State of the Union address. Fuel efficiency can only be had if there is an adequate study behind it. The study does not simply include auto parts’ compatibility like EBC rotors; it entails every detail down to the minutest ones. Automakers also complained about the proposed 4 per cent increase in fuel efficiency. Said requirement is twice the increase that the president has implemented last March, when the administration reformed and increased corporate average fuel economy rules for light trucks, which includes sport utility vehicles.

The first proposal regarding fuel efficiency was issued in December. Bush acknowledged that his proposal is similar to the earlier proposal. “Their plan and my plan are very — have got commonalities, and we’re going to work together to get Congress to enact a comprehensive plan. I believe there’s an appetite in the halls of Congress to become less dependent on oil,” Bush said. The 4 per cent increase was also proposed by U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. Obama is still firm with his stand to mandate annual increase.

It can be recalled that General Motors Corp. has earlier asked Congress to significantly increase federal support for the development of advanced powertrain technologies and the promotion of alternative fuels. The call is also anchored on the need to improve vehicles efficiency. The automaker added that the industry needs billions of dollars to make the vision a reality. Moreover, it needs considerable aid from the government and such is expected to come in the form of cash.

The so-called CAFE standards for passenger cars that require cars to run at 27.5 miles per gallon have remained unchanged for about 2 decades now. It should also be noted that Bush’s administration recently revamped the rules for light trucks that resulted to sliding mileage scale based on a vehicle’s size. Bush wanted to assign a similar measure to passenger cars.

Bush added, “The secretary of transportation would ultimately decide on fuel economy standards, but to meet the new goal fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks would have to be raised by an estimated 4 percent annually, beginning for passenger cars with the 2010 model year and for light trucks with the 2012 model year.”

“Bush’s ambitious targets for improving mileage is welcome,” said John DeCicco, a senior fellow for automotive strategies at Environmental Defense, a not-for-profit group that focuses on environmental problems. “We certainly praise him elevating the discussion about this issue. Our view is that, on the face of it, this target is a very good first step, but further action will be necessary from the White House and Congress, and they’ll have to work together to make this work. It’s not clear how vigorously both sides will pursue that goal.”

DeCicco added that without legislation to limit the use of fuels like gasoline with high carbon content. He is skeptical the Bush plan will be implemented. “Twenty years ago, similar legislation under President George H.W. Bush called for a 10 percent reduction in U.S. oil dependency by 2000 and a 30 percent reduction by 2010. Those levels were not met,” DeCicco said. “There have been lots of alternative fuel promises and promotions over the years, and in its totality all this activity has not made a measurable dent in U.S. oil consumption. So while the proposal put forward in the president’s speech was good, having piecemeal targets without an overall policy is failing the country and has been for 20 years. If these policies don’t result in a binding law, then they’ll remain rhetoric.”

By: Anthony Fontanelle

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop. Go to EBC Rotors for info.

Posted under Videos From Youtube

Among the reforms suggested for health care in the near future is electronic filing of medicalrecords combined with standardised coding of treatments.
 That’s the good news. The bad news is that this statement could have been made any year after 1983, when the GRace Commission noted it. It was made in ‘91 when it was observed that with all the compiuterisation in place 12% or so of heath care costs wdre not in paperwork–but in the variances of paperwork. That is, 11% could have been knocked off health care costs by a presidential order that all health care insurers, providers, etc, use the same code sheets as medicare.
  If an I-phone can take pictures of an infimite number of drunken tongus sticking out of or into an endless number of mouths, can it take pictures of care being provided, with date/time stamps so that audit records can be digitised?
  If FaceBook can let someone throw a virtual beer bottle 12k miles, can aetna or BlueCross get a scrip sent by email the th standard cost of an email?
  About 10 years ago there was a ticker–pill–that said yes.
 http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=PILLQ.PK

as a nasd stock it used to float the 8 mark….
  what does this tell us?
 That the profit margin oputweighs any attempt at patient care. The margins for hospital admins to markup make honest answers unlikely, espcecially when th burden of "cost" could be shifted to government.

How serious is this problem?
The Physicians’ Foundation, founded in 2003 as part of a settlement in an anti-racketeering lawsuit among physicians, medical societies, and insurer Aetna, Inc., mailed surveys to 270,000 primary care doctors and 50,000 practicing specialists.

The 12,000 answers are considered representative of doctors as a whole, the group said, with a margin of error of about 1 percent. It found that 78 percent of those who answered believe there is a shortage of primary care doctors.

More than 90 percent said the time they devote to non-clinical paperwork has increased in the last three years and 63 percent said this has caused them to spend less time with each patient.

Eleven percent said they plan to retire and 13 percent said they plan to seek a job that removes them from active patient care. Twenty percent said they will cut back on patients seen and 10 percent plan to move to part-time work.

 What do you think about the chances that such an elegant reform: one code book, ssl2 encrypted pda with camera, transportable records on the fly will get thru the feeing trough of congress? Leave a comment, and let’s discuss. 

Posted under business

Posted under Videos From Youtube

The "venerable" new york times occasionally says something intelligent.
  Here’s an op ed piece:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/opinion/16cohan.html?pagewanted=2
 that points to an idea suggested as "relief" or moderation in many an industry, including running the federal government.
   Further, the article points to getting rid of a real threat to the American economy, and thus th world economy, a small group (2-6,000 people)
coninutlaly looking out for each other and building the "uberlords"–
or rather, re-creating them, since that’s how europe ran for 700 years or so, regardless of what is done to the asset base.
   the NYSE was founded on that principle…"hurray for us, heck with them" is enshrined in its original charter, signed under the tree…
but it is time for it to be gone.
 there is no "them". there is only us. that’s the good news. the bad news is,
as was announced in pogo a long time ago, "we have met the enemy and he is us."
 

Posted under business

today gm announced it can see the end of its cash reserves.
conbress has already told gm to go take a hike.
is this a poker game, gm bluffing to see if congress folds?
probably, becuase neithr side wishes to deal with the issues:
the roads are filled with cars that people value, becuase thy have no choice.
while oil is “cheap” and to kep it that way, a 10 cent fuel tax,
with the proceeds to go to buying cars made before 89 off the roads,
cars turned into tuna cans, not “recycled” as cars,
buying the cars at their original retail price with vouchers usable
only for buying cars made after 2002 that meet forward looking cafe goals
would get assembly lines moving again, provide locked base leverage for
extending credit, reduce health care costs, reduce oil dependence.
directing such vouchers back to the car “makers” as tax offsets, or
to be exchanged rirectly for r&d money maintains the forward motion,
and the delivery channels already exist between dealers and makers.
used car lots can use the vouchers as payment for floor plan with banks.
banks can hold the vouchers as capital for loss reserves,
and a clear, fast, utterly trsanparent market can immediately appear
for moving the “cash” value of thse vouchers, in th same way that a dtc
can keep track of “street name” equities.
ten cent a gallon equals about $18 billion dollars.
cars being taken of the road, let’s call it $8000 each,
thereby retiring 2.25 million cars, without “debt”.
invoke debt against tax revenues as a model, and double to 4.5 million cars a year.
let’s pretend there is shrinking dependence on a dead car in the driveway,
and say a demand for an additional 4 million vehicle units a year is created.
is that enough to bail out gm?
ask your congressman why it isn’t being done.
and pass this post along to anyone you know
who pretends to be “looking for solutions.”

Posted under business, finance, investing