Technical analysis is not clairvoyance
Been meaning to write this post for a while, but it seems that my patience has paid off as I have even more chart evidence to work with. And, that is the main point of this post. Technical analysis is not a means for predicting the future. That may seem paradoxical to those who have seen me use technical analysis to attempt to determine buy and sell points. If technical analysis isn’t for predicting the future, then how can it be useful?
What I mean by technical analysis isn’t meant for predicting is that rigorous technical analysis isn’t a means for …
Weekend Recap – October 18, 2009
Ah, this weekly update thing is difficult to keep up. I’ve been keeping track of interesting articles, but I just don’t seem to find the time to post them. I’ve got a mish mash for you all tonight. Get reading!
Before we begin, I want to help a fellow blogger promote his new Value Investing Forum. Jonathan Goldberg is an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and has a value investing blog at JonathanGoldberg.com and hopes to inspire a community of investors to share ideas (much like my goal at TheCuriousInvestor. So, …
The right approach to UMPC market
I wrote a little while back about the rumored Apple Tablet. At the time I talked about my desire for a product which would truly legitimize the netbook/UMPC category. Apple has done a terrific job differentiating its computing offerings. The majority of computer users start with a laptop for general everyday use and occasional mobility. Power users might buy a desktop for more horse power. And, everyone needs an iPhone for highly mobile media and light productivity. To me, the natural follow on to these three product categories is a full on mobile productivity device.
The …
Isis Pharmaceuticals breaches longterm support
I highlighted Isis Pharmaceuticals a few weeks ago believing that a sell-off causing a price decline from $19 to $16/share was a prime opportunity to buy a potential high-growth business. It seems, however, that my proclamation may not have been entirely correct. And, post last week’s trading, I’ve liquidated my position in ISIS. Do I still think ISIS could present a tremendous opportunity to invest in next-generation biotechnology? I do. But, with markets seemingly reaching a top and real cash flow in ISIS years away, it’s probably better to be safe than sorry. Moreover, lacking the ability …
Weekend Recap – October 4, 2009
Seems the bull market rally we’ve seen since March is beginning to shudder and stall. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find can’t miss opportunities and, at least for me, the focus has become the preservation of capital and keeping an itchy trigger finger ready to harvest gains. With that said, let’s see what other bloggers are up to.
thinks natural gas may be showing signs of life. Having written about natural gas in June and been way early to the party, …
How not to respond to a consumer letter
Consumer advocacy letters are always fun. And, in case those of you felt that McDonald’s was not unique in its cordial response to my letter, here’s a follow up with a letter I wrote to Burger King (BKC). Forgive me, I wrote this letter last summer, but haven’t had a reason to share it on this blog for until today.
To whom it may concern:
I recently returned from a trip to China and had several terrific experiences at Burger King locations there. With the hype of the Olympics still in the air and increased interest by Americans in all things Chinese, I think it’s a great time for your Company to think about bringing one of your best menu items in the world to the US – the Spicy “Ma-La” Whopper.
To be honest, when here in the US, I typically spend more of my fast food dollars at competitors to Burger King mostly because I feel that Burger King lacks some pizzazz in their product offerings. In Asia, on the other hand, Burger King is one of the few western chains that I have actively sougt out ever since I first ate a Ma-La Whopper two years ago on a trip to Taiwan. When I went to China this summer, I was thrilled to see that it was also on the menu there. The sandwich is a tremendous culinary achievement and the fact that it hasn’t been brought to the United States surprises me especially given the interest in “spicy” style sandwiches that have been offered at other competing fast food restaurants – the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken and the Wendy’s Four Alarm Burger being the most famous of the bunch.
Admittedly, the Ma-La Whopper may not have a form factor that would play terrifically in the United States. The sauce offers a distinctly Asian spiciness which may be somewhat different from what most Americans expect having grown up on Tex-Mex style spices – chipotle, jalapenos, etc. But, I think you will find that Asian “spice” can go a long way even in the United States. Ask anyone who’s tried Sriracha and they’ll tell you that they think it can go well on anything. I believe this to be true of the Burger King “Ma-La” sauce. The sauce itself is a bit thin which I like, but may be messy for some people’s tastes. A simple change in the formula to add a thickening agent like tapioca starch or xantham gum would be easy or another solution would be to mix the sauce into the base mayonnaise which is used on the burger already. One might also consider incorporating the same spices into the burger patty, but I could see this as being less feasible since the Company would ave to source pattie which could only be used for one sandwich.
All-in-al, I belive it’s a terrific time to introduce a sandwich I believe will be highly successful here in the United States and which would make me an avid Burger King eater here at home as well as abroad.
Sincerely,
[The Curious Investor]
And, the response from Burger King? Click to read on…
