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They can't grow without, uh, growing :)
We have taken a portion of our revenues for investment back into the Company to develop new products and achieve more market penetration. Specifically, spending on more marketing for these new products, which includes increased presence at trade shows, additional customer service representatives, and the hiring of a sales associate in Europe increased these costs by 96% over the quarter ending November 2008. Additionally, we improved our infrastructure to meet our expanded needs including computer support, general maintenance as well as increases in production staff and general overhead which resulted in these costs increasing by 64%.
If they did not perform these sorts of activities I would be more concerned; they are in effect telling us there are significant growth opportunities. In my opinion.
3 thoughts:
1) You have the memory of an elephant.
2) I need to remove VBDG from my "favorite stocks" list on my ihub profile.
3) Got back in JBII the day of the LOI. I am still skeptical of something that sounds "too good to be true" despite all of the evidence that it is in fact True. However, the LOI shifts my risk/reward equation to that of BUYBUYBUY.
Interesting that "experts" or a "trusted German investor" (according to Crash_in_ALIF) could have heard this non-public information, but it's not released in a PR. Hmmm.
Gilead what do you make of the info in Jean's post? Do you read it as a move to resolve a good portion of current A/R's and avoid future A/R's?
Thanks; If this info does not change your opinion, I'd like to understand your rationale.
Great post, thanks.
I've been betting that they resolve the A/R problem but continue to be frustrated by it - including their lack of investor communications regarding the issue.
The 3M investment is nice, but if they continue to be unable to collect, they'll continue to do poorly, burn cash, require even further investment, etc. Not a good cycle to get into.
Given the last two weeks, let's assume your post was sarcastic ;)
Quiet Atlantic hurricane season a boon for insurers
Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:01pm EDT
By Jim Loney
MIAMI (Reuters) - Thanks to El Nino, the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season has been the quietest in more than a decade, offering a reprieve for residents in the danger zone and a chance for insurance firms to refill depleted coffers.
With the peak of the season -- late August to mid-October -- now behind, the Atlantic-Caribbean basin has seen just two hurricanes and a total of eight tropical storms.
El Nino, the Pacific warm-water phenomenon that can produce destructive weather in other parts of the world, played a big role in suppressing Atlantic cyclones this year, experts said.
If the full season, which runs from June through November, ended today, it would be the lowest number of storms since 1997. The last time an Atlantic season produced only two hurricanes was 1982.
After a 2008 season that produced Hurricane Ike, one of the most destructive in U.S. history, the cyclones of 2009 have had virtually no impact on the populous U.S. coasts, the vulnerable islands of the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico oil patch.
"There was for all intents and purposes no hurricane damage in the United States this year," Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, told Reuters.
"It's something that will help the insurance industry create very favorable earnings comparisons in the third quarter compared to the third quarter of last year," he said.
Forecasters saw nothing on the horizon on Wednesday.
"El Nino produced an increase in wind shear," said meteorologist Todd Crawford of private forecaster WSI Corp.
"If you have an increase in the speed of the winds aloft over the Atlantic it acts to basically chop the heads off any kinds of storms," he said. Wind shear is a technical term for different wind speeds at different altitudes.
Crawford also said sea temperatures in the tropical Atlantic are cooler, by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.12 degrees Celsius) on average, than the blistering seasons of 2004, when four hurricanes hit Florida, and 2005, which produced 28 storms, the highest single-season total in recorded history.
Hurricanes draw energy from warm water, so cooler sea temperatures can mean fewer and less intense storms.
INSURERS HAPPY
So far this year, only named storms Bill and Fred reached 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour), the threshold for hurricanes. Fred fizzled in the mid-Atlantic without causing damage while Bill raced through Canada's Atlantic provinces as a Category 1 hurricane, the weakest type, causing few problems.
Ana hit the Caribbean's Leeward Islands as a depression. Erika plowed into the same area as a tropical storm. Danny, Grace and Henri stayed out at sea. Continued...
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE59D2UK20091014
The iPhone already has a "bump" app where you can share various info with another iPhone just by "bumping" the two phones together. For what it's worth.
There is an SWTX board with great DD. New Owens Corning deal that hasn't been PR'd.
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/board.aspx?board_id=3262
Sorry, I was drunk. Posting here is not the only thing I don't remember from last night... at least, according to my sister.
Did you just talk to yourself?
My expectation is that UVE will someday (soon) be able to spread the risk around so that one Florida hurricane doesn't kill them. I am encouraged by the following:
From the 10-Q:
On July 16, 2008, August 18, 2008, September 30, 2008, and January 29, 2009, UPCIC was licensed to transact insurance business within the States of South Carolina, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Georgia, respectively. The State of North Carolina Department of Insurance has restricted UPCIC to writing no more than $12.0 million of direct premiums in each of the first two full calendar years after which such restriction may be lifted. UPCIC has commenced writing homeowners policies in South Carolina, North Carolina and Hawaii.
On May 8, 2009, the Company filed an application to the Texas Department of Insurance to form a separate property and casualty insurance subsidiary to write homeowners coverage in that State. In addition, UPCIC has filed to offer flood insurance through the NFIP.
On the other hand, now we'll have to worry about hurricanes hitting Hawaii, the Carolinas, and Texas, LOL.
>>KD was visibly disappointed that a finalized deal wasn't done in time for today's meeting<<
Was there any indication as to the reason the deal wasn't done? Or was he just hoping it was going to be done, and for whatever benign reason, it wasn't?
(That he was "visibly disappointed" leads one to believe that something is not going the way it was supposed to)
Thanks Cambino-
You're welcome on taking out the $1.63.
Really like what I'm seeing here. Thanks everyone-
How can she refuse? I do not view these circumstances as different from the case from which she very recently recused herself, i.e. the financial conflict of interest with Kim.
Thanks much for your work Gordon, and thanks to whoever left you that anonymous voicemail.
This whole thing is amazing... are we in Hollywood yet?
See below my correspondence with ALIF IR. If anyone here has any way to help my misunderstanding I would appreciate it.
Hello Annie,
I have held ALIF for a few years now and am impressed with their growth and their future plans. Recently, Corporate Finance Partners purchased stock in Artificial Life. Part of their Press Release stated, "The funding gives Artificial Life more financial flexibility to pursue new business opportunities, to finance its receivables and to develop new products."
This statement appears to refer to Artificial Life's perceived A/R problem but there is no indication as to:
1) The real "scope" or seriousness (in their view) of the ballooning A/R's,
2) Any plan to resolve the A/R's.
I have followed closely the press releases and SEC documents from ALIF but have yet to see these two questions addressed by ALIF management. I am concerned because obviously CFP met with ALIF management prior to making their investment and discussed the A/R issue - otherwise I doubt CFP's statement would have included anything regarding the A/R issue.
If CFP is getting this sort of information, I would like to have it as well.
Thank you for any help in this matter-
Dr seeksup
Dear Dr. seeksup,
As you may know, we are legally (RegFD) not able to disclose unpublished information in private communication.
The information regarding the use of our funding was not just disclosed to CFP but was publicly disclosed in our corporate communication on July 7, 2009 as follows:
"As we continue to expand our business, we are pleased to have been able to complete this financing round despite the global financial market conditions. The new funding gives us more financial flexibility to pursue new business opportunities, to finance our receivables and to develop new products. We are currently also in advanced negotiations with additional investors about further investments for the third quarter of 2009," said Eberhard Schoneburg, CEO of Artificial Life, Inc.
Best Regards,
Annie Lau
Investor Relations and Business Development
Artificial Life, Inc. (Los Angeles, Berlin, Hong Kong, Tokyo)
http://www.artificial-life.com
Fax: (+852) 3102 0690
Office: (+852) 3102 2800
show details 11:50 PM (0 minutes ago)
Annie, Thank you for your quick response and I fully understand everything you wrote below.
I am probably revealing my own lack of knowledge into Finance, but I find it hard to believe that this institution would provide financing against Artificial Life's A/R's without some sort of assurance that they will find a return on their money. The "assurance" is what I am seeking, as all other publicly information does not reveal it. After all, the A/R situation is nothing new and has been getting worse.
If there is any way to help my misunderstanding I would appreciate it. I do, of course, find it encouraging that they would make the investment.
Thanks again Annie-
Tried to sell at $0.14 today but no fill. Have been in since mid 2007... followed things closely... written a letter to the judge... etc.
Now having a difficult time following anything and see no reason whatever occurs will go the Units Holder's way.. nothing else has.
Can anyone give me a good reason to stay in that I do not see?
<Frustrated with the justice system in Colorado>
Again, not a problem. They rec'd 2000 applications... so what. They went with someone they knew had the qualifications and they trusted.
I'll take this any day over someone unknown with the qualifications.
Be thankful for the Whine. As long as we have it, we have an uptrend. If everyone were happy go lucky the s/p would be peaked.
At least, this is the theory.
Not sure how that PR is a "lie", or why you feel they are being disingenuous. Please explain?
Tried to sell 2M today at .0001... unable.
My BBB had a large wall almost dedicated to MyPlace's and MyPlace Cozy's today displayed right at the entrance. This is far more than 3 weeks ago.
Also, I spoke with a salesman and asked if they had more coming in, and he said, "Oh yeah... whenever you have anything with this 'Equip Your Space' signage, you can bet we will get a lot more of it in before too soon."
Zecco doesn't have any of those restrictions and is cheaper than scottrade. Just FYI
Nice... getting excited about the first evidence of improved product flow due to the P2F agreement.
In fact I think I just felt a little tingle!
>>tons of both kinds of VBDG's MyPlaces...I mean hundreds<<
...and it's safe to assume that this is significantly more than prior to the P2F agreement?
Thanks. I'll continue to check my BBB off and on to see if there is more than a few weeks ago when I last checked (and posted here); they had a decent stash of both types of MyPlaces but not hundreds. Maybe soon?
Just bought 5k more. Can I have another "good!"?
Thank you for posting; very helpful and answered a few of my major questions.
Good question but I think that's a problem no matter the surface.. except may be better on the Cozy's beads? I have a Mac and overheating is not a problem where it was with my previous PC.
The evidence from this board suggests a strong demand for these products and the appearance of competitors seems to verify. This product along with the others (Esp ToolBandit) makes me think results here will be very good once things are running with the distributor and numbers published.
hehhehe. First, I said Thank You. I really mean that!
Second, I am simply trying to understand it so I can see if it's good for a long-term hold. If my questions are not legitimate I would love to know why.
Thanks again BRIG... think I'll go FUCK OFF to the golf course.
Agreed... it looks cheap.
Thanks for the pumps on TRTN as I made a quick 50%. A couple things that don't quite add up for me about it:
1) We are supposed to believe that Bordynuik just stumbled upon this Holy Grail of information - this catalyst this is almost as revolutionary as Cold Fusion - within "old tapes" from an undisclosed company? And that this company didn't see the value in it themselves? From the website: While mining through the research archive, John Bordynuik found the solution to a process involving breaking down plastic molecules. Bordynuik had explored this in the past but there was no research available at that time to solve the catalyst problem.
2) Does he have a patent or is it patent pending? If it is patent pending, he shouldn't have a problem revealing the process/catalyst, right? If he is not going to patent it... why not? And if it's not patented, any company should be able to see it and replicate it once the technology is out in the public domain.
3) There is Plas2Fuel out there, a private company who appears to do the same thing. Their FAQ says they have a patent pending. I am not an engineer... and can't see how this is different from TRTN.
Thanks for any thoughts... I would LOVE to see this technology be all it's touted to be.
A few MyPlace pics from today...
taken at my local Boulder, CO BB&B. They look stocked but there is also a competitor I hadn't noticed before - which can be viewed as a good thing.
Bought January 2010 $3.00 FAS puts...
based on everyone's thoughts here and my own follow up DD.
Good luck seeksup!
Thanks!
That's what I thought about HLXH for the last few months. Finally got out of that one at .005... they're on the pinks and not reporting so who knows how low it can go?
Having trouble getting out of APTD at .02 but least they're still reporting so will probably stick with them as a bagholder. Hopefully they can get some of these legal issues behind them or at least start to make some money...
Getting out of this stock is like chewin' barbwire.
Respectfully Ron, what is the purpose? Thanks.
Help me understand. You are still right because they were taken over at a huge premium?
Seems to me they were taken over because of the huge upside; if you were right, they would have been taken over at much lower values.
Doesn't matter though and it's probably useless to ask.
Gracias (that's me saying "thank you" in Spanish)