I have not always agreed with your policies. But we're all human. You even apologized for the financial crisis and the Iraq War. This makes me think you've got legacy on your mind. If so, consider this: there is no way that pardoning Mike Milken, Bernie Ebbers and Conrad Black before you leave office will boost your legacy.

Granted, those pardons would be far less significant to historians than the things you've already apologized for, but why add to your post-presidential aggravation? Here are the reasons not to pardon these three:

• Milken - As i posted, Milken paid $650 million in fines and went to jail from March 1991 until January 1993 for securities law violations. He's a white-collar crook who's spent decades trying to burnish his image. It has not worked on me.
• Ebbers - Bernie Ebbers was convicted of orchestrating an $11 billion accounting fraud that brought WorldCom into bankruptcy, making it the second biggest in history. Lehman Brothers' recent $639 billion tops the list.
• Black - Black formerly headed Hollinger International Inc and was a member of Britain's House of Lords. He was found guilty of defrauding shareholders and entered prison in March 2008.

Continue reading Memo to the President: Don't pardon these crooks

Memo to the President: Don't pardon these crooks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan started Nokia Corp (NYSE: NOK) with an Overweight rating, believing the handset market is strong and expects gross profits to rise in 2007.

• Soleil wants to wait on the sidelines of Fortune Brands Inc (NYSE: FO), initiating shares with a Neutral rating, given the potential acquisition of Sweden's V&S Group along with the softness in the home and hardware segment.

• Soleil also started Whirlpool Corp (NYSE: WHR) with a Hold rating based on valuation, which they believe reflects the company's outlook through 2009.

• Nollenberger expects Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS) will continue to outperform its peers, starting shares off with a Buy rating, and believes the recent pullback provides a compelling buying opportunity.

• KeyBanc is positive on Kona Grill's (NASDAQ: KONA) differentiated brand, compelling unit economics, positive SSS opportunity and growth, starting shares with a Buy rating...

• Ceva, Inc (NASDAQ: CEVA) was initiated at CIBC with a Sector Outperform rating.

• Black & Decker Corp (NYSE: BDK) and Briggs & Stratton Corp (BGG) were initiated with Hold ratings at Soleil.

• La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co (NASDAQ: LJPC) was started with a Sell rating at Lazard.

• Aviza Technology, Inc (NASDAQ: AVZA) was initiated with a Hold rating at Needham.

Analyst initiations 6-13-07: BDK, DKS, FO and NOK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• With customers wanting an alternative to Microsoft (MSFT), Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) is making an attempt to be that alternative. It is rumored that management is in talks with Google (GOOG) about the two companies working together, a move that could include offering Google Apps via the AppExchange and integrating more closely those apps with Salesforce.com. Baird initiated shares of Salesforce.com with a Neutral rating and $49 target.

• Banc of America sees major headwinds from declining construction and slower consumer spending on housing and started shares of Black & Decker Corp (NYSE: BDK) with a Sell rating and $85 target.

• Merriman sees upside from strong mid- and late-stage clinical programs, key collaborations and potential for revenue generation, starting shares of GenVec (NASDAQ: GNVC) with a Buy rating.

• Baird finds Rightnow Technology (NASDAQ: RNOW) to be well-positioned within the customer service segment of the CRM market with above average L-T prospects and views the recent uncertainty as a buying opportunity. Baird started shares of RightNow with an Outperform rating and $19 target...

• Jefferies initiated RadNet Inc (NASDAQ: RDNT) with a Buy rating.

• Lehman started Mobile Mini, Inc (NASDAQ: MINI) with an Equal Weight rating.

• Northwest Airlines Corp (OTC: NWACQ) was initiated with a Neutral rating at Goldman.

• Pacific Growth started shares of Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc (AMEX: JAV) with a Buy rating.

Analyst initiations 5-22-07: BDK, CRM, NWACQ and RNOW originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 May 2007 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I am sick of reading about Black Friday -- it sounds so ghoulish. The reason for this name is that retailers lose money until the day after Thanksgiving at which point so many people buy holiday gifts that the retailers tip into profitable territory -- going from operating "in the red" to "in the black."

Why not color profit as green instead of black? After all, the money in my wallet isn't black, it's green. So I'm going to call it Green Friday instead. This sounds much more festive and alive to me.

And there's good news on this front. Surveys say that this years' shopping season looks to be better than last years:

• The National Retail Federation projects holiday sales will increase 5% from 2005, bringing spending to $457.4 billion;
• Citigroup forecasts an "average" same-store sales growth of 3% for November through January;
• Deloitte & Touche LLP is forecasting a 7% increase in 2006 holiday spending compared with 2005; and
• A Gallup Poll of 1,004 people indicated consumers will spend an average of $826, more than any of its polls since 2000.

So join in the national celebration of Green Friday. Our nation's retailers are depending on you.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates, a management consulting and venture capital firm, and a Professor of Management at Babson College.

Happy Green Friday! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Nov 2006 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lowest prices on what the kids are begging for this year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looking for the perfect gift for the husband, dad, or grown son on your list? My advice: Skip the clothing racks and go straight for the hardware aisles. Another tie, sweater or pair of pajamas reeks of domesticity, comfort and a kind of quiet fading into the sunset. Instead, set his pulse to racing with a gift that shows you think he's a real man, a take-charge kind of guy, king of his castle and all that.

Some high-quality tools should do the trick. And, at these prices -- a leaked Sears circular indicates half-off sales for Craftsman tools -- quality tools are a great investment. How about a new socket wrench set, grip sander or miter saw? BFads.com is showing that you can purchase a DeWalt Heavy Duty Grip Sander for $29.99 with rebate at Ace Hardware.

The trick is to get tools that are so cool that he'll be happy to have them even if he never plans on using them. No home should be without a really nice cordless electric drill, for example. Shop at Big Lots on Black Friday and you can pick up a Stanley 150-piece "Fast Change Drill and Drive System" for $39 (listed on Gotta Deal's Black Friday site). Think of that: You get to give to give speed, drilling and driving -- all in one box!

Tools for Christmas: At this price, it's an investment, right? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Digital cameras for cheap: how many megapixels will you gift this holiday? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HDTV for you and me? Wal-Mart offers plasma TVs under $1000 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Storage stocking stuffers: accessories and peripherals cheap this year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple always has to be different. But today, everyone cheered as the company brought out a version of their pretty laptop, the MacBook, in matt black (yes, that's the same finish as your boring old PC). Our sister site, Engadget, took the MacBook for a spin and declared it "a pretty freaking great value" (but they're not doing black, for the record). The Apple Insider hails the removable (by an actual user!) hard disks. No more purely cosmetic screws!

It wasn't all black hearts and roses, though; MacWorld UK today mourned the locking down of OS X. Thanks to concerns of piracy, Apple closed down its open source code so that developers can no longer tinker with its operating system. Bad for pirates is also bad for very advanced users; says Tom Yager, "there are ways to address the piracy issue without stripping the critical and defining quality of openness from OS X."

AAPL stock responded by ticking up 25 cents to $65.26 on lower-than-average volume. Evidently the market, while intrigued, isn't ready to jump unreservedly on board for black is the new MacBook.

[Photo redjar]

Apple after the bell 05-17-06: black is the new MacBook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 May 2006 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.