Maybe the weak US dollar can explain the recent increase in the price of oil? If this is the case, then the price of oil measured in a stronger currency, such as for instance the euro, should remain roughly the same. Let’s have a look at it: From January 1, 2007 to May 1, 2008, the… Continue reading »
I have to admit it: I’m a speculator. I own shares in the United States Oil Fund (USO). I even own call options on USO. Needless to say, I have made a nice return so far. You have probably heard that speculators are driving the price of oil up. It’s all over the news. The recent run-ups have nothing to… Continue reading »
Someone put consumerism like this: Buying things you don’t need, with money you don’t have, to impress people you don’t like. There are at least three inconsistencies in the above description.The current Credit Crunch brings one to attention: Buying with money you don’t have. If you’re buying a house, then you’re quite the exception if… Continue reading »
Imagine you are a salesperson and have to visit a number of customers. However, you want to spend as little time as possible driving. If you only have to visit two or three locations, it is usually easy to find the optimal route. You can use regular map services such as Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps or MapQuest to find the shortest path between two places. However, as the number of… Continue reading »