This'n'That;October 26th[Books;Apple;Hoffman]

What's The "Big Stink??"

"Price wars" have existed almost since the dawn of time; since the Greeks and Romans a retail marketplace. Remember reading about the competition between gas stations on opposite corners? They cut each-others throats, until one hollered "uncle!!" The current price war between http://www.amazon.com/, www.walmart.com/books and http://www.target.com/ involves books not gasoline. The whiners have come to the fore, complaining that one guy or the other is selling below cost, thus undercutting the brick-and-mortar, "Mom & Pop" local booksellers!! The whiners should just let the "market forces" prevail, if the customer wants or needs customized service, or wants to have "tea-and-crumpets" while they review their next literary purchase-they'll chose the 'Mom & Pop's,' otherwise, they can enjoy their reading pleasures at a discount!! I ask again: "What's the 'big stink'?"

Apple Stock.....To $300.00?

The trend of the 2010 decade appears to be one of Apple gaining market share and Microsoft losing market share. There is no question that Microsoft is king of the hill but investors are never concerned with the current king, we are always trying to forecast who’s next. Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall actually thinks the Windows 7 launch will boost Mac sales. He wrote,

We have concluded that no negative correlation exists on Apple’s hardware sales when Microsoft launches a new OS. Ironically, we believe new OS launches from Microsoft may have even acted as a ‘delayed accelerant’ to Apple’s computing sales.

When looking at Apple’s future you need to comprehend what kind of market share numbers we’re talking about. The global PC market is so large that if Apple were to control only 10% of it, the earnings could drive the stock up significantly. According to IDC, Apple now claims 9.4% of the computer market in the US, and NPD reports that Mac revenue market share of the premium price segment over $1000 is at an astonishing 91%; To give you some perspective on how quickly Apple is gaining, back in January of 2008 Mac’s revenue share was only 66%. It takes years to create a trend in the PC market because of the rigid barriers to entry and Apple has clearly done so with the Mac lineup.

• Apple-Japan is up 36%
• Apple-Asia Pacific is up 39%.

It looks like they are well on their way to 10% global market share. If they were to sell 30 million Macs in 2011 (which could include the Tablet released sometime in 2010) this stock will eclipse $500 based on the fundamentals. It's about as far fetched as Bank of America (BAC) to $20 sounded back in March 2009 and oil to $30 sounded back in August 2008. Most impressive for Apple is that computers only make up one tier of their business.

Doug Hoffman: FINALLY A Conservative In NY!

[Doug Hoffman, businessman from New York's "North Country," has stepped up to offer New York voters a conservative choice!! Mr Hoffman, a CPA and small business owner, lives in Lake Placid, NY. He's running for Congress from New York's 23rd Congressional District, to fill the seat vacated by John McHugh, nominated to be theSecretary of the Army. His opponents are democRAT Bill Owens, attorney {like we need another one of those in Congress} and republicRAT Dierdre "Dede" Scozzafava [an ultra-liberal one {probably a Rino!!}. Mr Hoffman's endorsements include Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, Dick Armey, Mn Rep. Michelle Bachmann and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes. Mr Hoffman is also endorsed by the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers; the fiscally conservative Club for Growth; the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund; the Concerned Women Political Action Committee (CWPAC) and popular talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin. On October 1, 2009, the Club for Growth announced a $250,000 ad campaign in support of Hoffman's candidacy.]

[Mr Hoffman's apparent "Stump Speech:"] At this time, three months ago, I was wrestling with a decision. A decision as to whether or not to run in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the new secretary of the Army, John McHugh. If you had told me 90 days later I would be penning an op-ed piece for the New York Post, I would have laughed in disbelief. I would have laughed even louder had you told me that I would be receiving endorsement and support from political leaders like Fred Thompson, former Majority Leader Dick Armey, or Sarah Palin. Or appearing on broadcast media with national audiences, as their hosts peppered me with questions about the future of the GOP and our nation. You see I’m not a professional politician; I’ve never sought elected office. I grew up poor in Saranac Lake, in the heart of the Adirondacks. My siblings and I were raised in a single-parent household by our mother. We worked to help her pay the mortgage. But, like so many others in this great land, I worked hard, got a good education, did a six-year stint in the military, married, landed a good job with a “big eight” accounting firm and started living the American dream. It’s funny what can happen in America, when you are able to dream and have the courage to follow your dreams. At 27 I was hired as controller of the organizing committee for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Three years later I bought the accounting firm that employed my mother. Now I have six offices spread across the northern reaches of New York and a dozen other small businesses in the Adirondacks that employ my wife, children and hopefully someday, my grandchildren. I am living the American Dream. The reason I’m running for office is to ensure that others share the same opportunities. Sadly, that dream is quickly becoming a nightmare. Unemployment grows, our economy is in crisis, and our elected officials seem out of touch with reality. Government in Albany is a disgrace; it’s the most dysfunctional in the nation. New York has six statewide elected officials, only two of them have been elected by the people. Three of the remaining four hold office as a result of the scandals, sexual and financial, that forced a governor and a comptroller to resign.

Til Nex'Time....