Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Fun Facts!

A medical study found that the slump in air travel following the September 11 terrorist attacks inadvertently slowed the spread of influenza.

* From the Freakonomics 2008 daily calendar.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Electric Car comparison

GM figures that it takes 8 kwh to give the Chevy Volt a 40 mile charge. They say at 10 cents per kwh that's 80 cents, so works out 2 cents/mile. More realistically it's 20 cents per kwh, so $1.60, or 4 cents/mile. At $3.00 for 1G gasoline, a 52 mpg Prius is about 6 cents/mile.

EDIT: 4/23/2009. My prius has been getting 44 mpg recently, so at ~$2.00 for 1G gasoline, that's roughly 4.5 cents/mile.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Barron's 10/13/2008

Michael Santoli, my #2 after Thomas G. Donlan, has some sage advice this week:
  • The past 2 months approximates the August 1987 crash, although back then there was a 22% loss in a single session.
  • In 1987 44% of people were in stocks, now it's more like 70%.
  • 401(k) assets were trivial back in 1987. Now they total about $9 trillion (much in stock funds).
  • Investors are now down to ~ 50% stocks, matching 2002 market bottom.
  • Irrational prices are showing - InBev (INB) is buying Anheuser-Busch (BUD) for $70 yet the market price is $58.50.

He also quotes Wood Dorsey of Market Semiotics:

"This is not the time to sell. If possible, it is better to just watch
and not act or even better, step away until Tuesday. Purgation can be over
at any time and be followed by a reprieve rally as occurred after Sept. 26,
2001."