BP is a good buy

[B_starinvestor]

Where would you suggest investing to avoid being dependent upon the actions of others?

that would be impossible. No such investment exists. Possibly a bank CD; but if the bank fails you could be waiting in line to recover your deposit.

Have you invested your money in such a way that the returns or value are not dependent on the actions of others?

No.

 

[FRE]

that would be impossible. No such investment exists. Possibly a bank CD; but if the bank fails you could be waiting in line to recover your deposit.




No.

Obviously you are correct; we cannot totally insulate ourselves from the vicissitudes of the economy or the decisions of others although surely we'd like to.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Obviously you are correct; we cannot totally insulate ourselves from the vicissitudes of the economy or the decisions of others although surely we'd like to.

If you have no hope in human performance or human behavior, you can invest against the decisions of others by 'shorting' stocks or purchasing put options.

If anyone had known the oil bust would happen in the Gulf, they could have banked tens of millions by purchasing put options on BP.

If anybody knows of any other imminent disasters due to corporate malfeasance or greed, please share this information with me as I can reap handsome rewards - and then will finance an all-LPSG politics party in D.C. where we can potentially even meet Sir Barry himself and see how many lies he can tell us in person.

 

[justasimpleguy]

Article from the guy who does Dilbert. I think that sums things up nicely. Thanks for being that guy, just like I knew you would, star.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

It's just like in Wall Street when Michael Douglas said the infamous line, "Greed... is good". Too bad the fools who actually believed that forgot that they were watching a movie. I guess it's some kind of twisted, poetic bliss that they will now associate a comic strip that is obviously satire as some kind of investment advice.

I swear... scientists need to find a way to harness & convert the energy generated from stupid. Get a few million of them in a room and we can probably bring electricity to every 3rd world country in the world.

 

[maxcok]

The silver lining is that you can now profit on this disaster.

I was wondering if you had any hot investment tips for the hundreds of thousands of folks who depend on the tourist industry in that region for their livelihood, or all the folks in the soon to be devastated fishing industry, or people like me who like eating fish but not if it's poison or costs three times as much. I wonder if there's any way all the wildlife in that complex and delicate ecosystem can profit from the disaster.

Any thoughts? Silver linings?

Article from the guy who does Dilbert. I think that sums things up nicely.

Soopurb.

 

[invisibleman]

I was wondering if you had any hot investment tips for the hundreds of thousands of folks who depend on the tourist industry in that region for their livelihood, or all the folks in the soon to be devastated fishing industry, or people like me who like eating fish but not if it's poison or costs three times as much. I wonder if there's any way all the wildlife in that complex and delicate ecosystem can profit from the disaster.

Any thoughts? Silver linings?

I agree.

I wonder the same things. And it seems like some business peeps feel that there is "profitability" off of serious misfortunes and mishaps of others.

 

[ZOS23xy]

I was wondering if you had any hot investment tips for the hundreds of thousands of folks who depend on the tourist industry in that region for their livelihood, or all the folks in the soon to be devastated fishing industry, or people like me who like eating fish but not if it's poison or costs three times as much. I wonder if there's any way all the wildlife in that complex and delicate ecosystem can profit from the disaster.

Any thoughts? Silver linings?

Soopurb.

With every war and disaster emerge parasites that feed off the needy. StarInverstor is one of these.

BP could emerge as a liability in times to come, because they are responsible. And just as investigations have started, there are reports indicating that the company does cut corners. Not a good way to start at the beginning of an investigation.

The only oil I like on my food is olive.

 

[Stretch]

Not uniquely American, and not at all unique to modern times.

Whenever there is a disaster, there is ALWAYS someone who benefits.

Very true. Often times it is interesting to see who does benefit or profit from a "disaster" Follow the money trail. A cynical mind could easily speculate on motives and causes.

 

[ZOS23xy]

Very true. Often times it is interesting to see who does benefit or profit from a "disaster" Follow the money trail. A cynical mind could easily speculate on motives and causes.

There is a basic "fuck 'em" viewpoint. So that it isn't the end result (cleaning up the oil) but how much I can take from someone else's pocket.

There are many stories of speculators and human vermin like StarInvestor who lined their pockets post Katrina by playing the people who wanted to help.

 

[FRE]

Some of the people hurt by the disaster will never be fully compensated. Monetary compensation is not everything. The suffering, pain, and anxiety can never be properly compensated, nor can the forced changes in life styles be properly compensated.

While some people will not be adequately compensated, there will be some people who will unjustly profit from the disaster.

There are ways to minimize these inequalities, but they can never be totally eliminated.

 

[sbat]

There is a basic "fuck 'em" viewpoint. So that it isn't the end result (cleaning up the oil) but how much I can take from someone else's pocket.

There are many stories of speculators and human vermin like StarInvestor who lined their pockets post Katrina by playing the people who wanted to help.

Its not just vermin who profit. For example, contractors who provide all the services necessary for disaster relief and emergency recovery efforts make their living off of disasters hitting unprepared folks. Millions of dollars were there for the taking to help Haiti get back on its feet, or to help Thailand following the tsunami in 2005 - someone has to step in to provide the global logistics for all the materials necessary for full recovery. I used to work with a contractor that partnered with one such company. And the people that ran it were far from leeches - they were worldly enough to know that the people at fault for shitty preparedness will be too busy covering their own asses from blame (to save political careers) to fullly invest the effort needed for a speedy recovery.

A major disaster at some agency (a hospital, for example) that destroys vital paper records will force legislation for virtualizing data as well as back-up and data recovery protocols. IT firms will profit as they help firms achieve compliance, while customers will benefit from a better system overall.

What I'm talking about is the principle of creative destruction. Each disaster presents an opportunity to rebuild in a new way, to implement new innovations, etc.

 

[sbat]

Gotta say, the amount of self-righteousness on this thread is pretty humorous. It's almost knee-jerk.

Don't worry, I say the same thing about conservatives too.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

Gotta say, the amount of self-righteousness on this thread is pretty humorous. It's almost knee-jerk.

It's not anymore self-righteous than someone pretending to be above it all either.

 

[maxcok]

Gotta say, the amount of self-righteousness on this thread is pretty humorous. It's almost knee-jerk.

Don't worry, I say the same thing about conservatives too.

Gotta say, your comment on self-righteousness smacks of self-righteousness.

Ironic, ain't it?

and humorous.

 

[sbat]

It's not anymore self-righteous than someone pretending to be above it all either.

What? I don't react emotionally and in the manner that's socially cool, and suddenly I acting above it all?

Bad shit happens every day, and I don't have enough tears for each and every event, so I'm saving them all up for when I'm at the pearly gates and they tell me to go downstairs...

 

[B_VinylBoy]

What? I don't react emotionally and in the manner that's socially cool, and suddenly I acting above it all?

Bad shit happens every day, and I don't have enough tears for each and every event, so I'm saving them all up for when I'm at the pearly gates and they tell me to go downstairs...

Well for those who either live or frequently visit the areas in or near the Gulf that will be affected by this disaster (such as myself), I would expect them to be a bit emotional. Nobody is suggesting that you have to act like everyone else around here. By all means, be yourself and no one else. But in this case, what you're choosing to be is the problem.

While you may be patting yourself on the back for adhering to an apathetic mentality to the Gulf Crisis by equating its magnitude to the level of "shit happens", the last thing you need to do is "laugh" at those might be a little pissed off and voicing off in the process. The situation is all kinds of fucked up down there. Being in New Orleans the week after the madness started I can tell you that it's not a laughing matter on any scale. Many people and areas of the city are still reeling from Katrina. Despite the topic being in the Politics section, many people's grievances on the subject are not defined by party lines either. So even if you'd do the "same thing" to Republicans, you're picking a rather weird topic to try and show that you're not biased to any particular political affiliation.

So really... what's so comical here?

 

[maxcok]

What's not comical is this. While I am sympathetic to the people whose livelihoods will be affected for years perhaps, I am profoundly disturbed by the effects on the ecosystem projected to last for decades. The Exxon Valdez disaster was nothing compared to this. And let's not forget, the oil is still spewing.


Environmental Effects of BP Oil Spill

Ecological Damage Could Last Decades

Oil Spill's Long-term Effects on Food Chain

 

[vince]

Gotta say, the amount of self-righteousness on this thread is pretty humorous. It's almost knee-jerk.

Don't worry, I say the same thing about conservatives too.

I don't think it's self righteous to expect oil companies to follow the best safe practices when they are engaged in the highly risky business of deep water oil drilling.

If you mean we all enjoy the benefits of cheap oil, and therefore are part of the problem, that's true and I have filled the tank with BP fuel plenty of times. But we pay them well for their products and they make huge profits from processing a publically owned commodity. They need to be held to account and I don't think it's hypocritical to punish them.

 

[B_starinvestor]

Instead of the deep sea rig, what the gov't should require is that they dig a mile or so down into the ground on land, and run the pipe under the ocean floor laterally to get the oil.

That way there isn't the ecological threat. It will be more expensive, but we can avert disasters like this one.

And Transocean and other deep sea drillers will have to reinvent themselves.