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By: The Associated Press | 21 Jan 2010 | 09:22 AM ET

OMAHA, Neb. – Peter Eischeid has long had his nose pressed to the glass of billionaire Warren Buffett’s investment empire, yearning to be among those with the means to buy their way in.

No more. Thanks to a stock split approved Wednesday, Eischeid and other small investors plan to snatch up lower-tier Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shares that will sell for just $69 and change. That’s down from about $3,500 that each Class B share commanded before.

“I avoided that conglomerate mainly because of the entry prices of the shares,” said Eischeid, 34, of Salt Lake City. “I know there are a lot of people that will definitely be intrigued by that lower share price.”

There will indeed, said Andy Kilpatrick, a stockbroker and author of a two-volume tome on Buffett’s life and business.

“It now makes it available to a child who cuts grass for spending money,” Kilpatrick said. “There’s nobody who can’t find $66. The last time Berkshire stock was at $66 was in 1971.”

Buffett has built his reputation as a savvy investor who spots quality businesses selling cheaply and either buys the stock or the whole company. Omaha-based Berkshire has investments in such companies as Coca-Cola Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., and owns more than 60 subsidiaries, including clothing, furniture and jewelry companies. Its insurance and utility businesses typically account for more than half of its revenue.

The company’s prized Class A shares, which carry more voting rights and are not being split, are the nation’s most expensive stock at around $100,000 each. The Class B shares, dubbed “Baby Berkshires,” are splitting 50-for-1 as a way to facilitate the company’s plan to buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.

Among investors drawn by the lower price is Adam Bray-Ali, a self-described small investor from Los Angeles, who bought two shares of the Class B stock for just under $3,300 each two days before the split, and planned to buy another 50 or so afterward. By the end of Thursday, he plans to have about 150 shares.

But there’s more at play than the stock’s new affordability.

“I can go to the shareholder meeting this year,” the 35-year-old Bray-Ali said.

Berkshire’s annual meeting is the mecca of shareholder events, routinely drawing more than 30,000 to Omaha for the three-day affair that has an almost carnival-like atmosphere. The event includes a shareholder reception on the eve of the meeting, various parties and a six-hour question-and-answer session with Buffett, who tosses out financial observances in terms even the most uninitiated investor can follow.

“I would say that for some young investor … if you want to learn about investments, then the annual meeting is the place to go,” Kilpatrick said.

That’s a draw for University of Tennessee senior Nick Vantrease. The 21-year-old, who is president of the school’s Financial Management Association, said he will consider buying Berkshire stock once he graduates in May and starts working. He expects the split to be a key topic at Buffett’s scheduled meeting with college business students next month.

“It’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say about it,” said Vantrease. “It definitely makes the stock more affordable.”

Terry Porter of Kansas City, Mo., who has held Class B shares for years, believes it’s not just young investors who can take advantage of the lower entry price.

“I have a lot of older people ask me what they should invest in. They don’t want to be ripped off,” said the 60-year-old retiree. “I’d be the first to recommend Buffett.”

Opinion is split on the effect the move will have on the stock’s direction. Plenty believe it will help the Class B price rise, especially if Berkshire’s increased liquidity lands the stock in the S&P 500.

Buffett, long opposed to stock splits, said he enjoys using stock for the railroad deal “about as much as preparing for a colonoscopy.” While the man known as the Oracle of Omaha has nonetheless supported the move, some professionals don’t see it as a buying opportunity.

“I’m a follower and fan of Warren Buffett, but no, I am not going to buy into Berkshire Hathaway for myself or my clients,” said Mark Pearson, president and CEO of Anchor Capital Management in Minneapolis. “I firmly believe there is greater value in other companies in the market.”

___

On the Net:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com

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by Roger Alford

The proposed anti-homosexuality legislation introduced by Ugandan parliament back-bencher David Bahati is creating an international outcry. The bill–introduced as a private member’s bill without government support–would impose the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” defined as “sex with a minor or a disabled person, where the offender is HIV-positive, a parent or a person in authority over the victim, or where drugs are used to overpower the victim.” It otherwise imposes a penalty of life imprisonment for homosexuality, and includes lesser punishment of seven years for promoting homosexuality and three years for failing to report offenses.

The proposed legislation has caused an international outcry, so much so that the Ugandan President Museveni has publicly called for a delay of the legislation, saying that

“I told them that this bill was brought up by a private member and I have not even had time to discuss it with him. It is neither the Government nor the [ruling] NRM party. It is a private member…. This is a foreign policy issue and we have to discuss it in a manner that does not compromise our principles but also takes care of our foreign policy interest.”

My friend who just returned from Uganda said that those words were designed to kill the bill before more damage was done to Uganda’s reputation.

The proposed legislation is, in the words of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, “unjust, extreme and un-Christian toward homosexuals.” In an open letter to Ugandan pastors, he urged opposition to the bill:

“the freedom to make moral choices, and our right to free expression are gifts endowed by God. Uganda is a democratic country with a remarkable and wise people, and in a democracy everyone has a right to speak up. For these reasons, I urge you, the pastors of Uganda, to speak out against the proposed law.”

The proposed bill also has generated a huge media outcry, as well as threats to withdraw foreign aid, and diplomatic protests from many quarters, including Prime Minister Gordon Brown and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Because the law is so extreme, it highlights the sharp cultural divide between the West and Latin America, on the one hand, and Africa and the Middle East on the other. This map draws about as stark a geographic divide as one could imagine. The issue of homosexual rights vs. traditional family values therefore provides an extremely useful prism about norm entrepreneurship across cultures and continents. While I know of no one who would defend this bill, how much cultural and ideological pluralism should be allowed in the slow and steady progress of international human rights? What “margin of appreciation” is permissible on an issue such as this?

Finally, as a foreign relations matter, the proposed legislation also raises the significant practical issue of pragmatic transnational norm advocacy. What is the most effective response for those in the West who wish to defeat this bill? Is it threats of economic sanctions, démarches from European diplomats, or pastoral letters from one (famous) clergyman to another? Is the best recipe for success a mix of carrots and sticks, or a soft appeal to reason and conscience? I for one have little doubt that on an issue like this someone like Rick Warren carries more weight with local Ugandans than, say, Amnesty International. But I also doubt his words have more weight than a 45-minute phone call between President Museveni and Hillary Clinton.

The goal of scrapping the draconian bill of a Ugandan backbencher should be easily achievable. But what is the best means to that end?

Relatives of a man accused of shooting a 4-year-old boy earlier this month while aiming for his father have been arrested for trying to bribe the father to not cooperate with the police investigation.

Vincente Herrera, 62, of Lincolnwood, and Hector Herrera, 36, of the 4300 block of North Francisco Avenue in Chicago, were each charged with bribery and communication to a witness, both of which are felonies, Chicago police said this morning.

The elder Herrera is the father of 26-year-old Juan Herrera, who is accused of shooting the boy near Belmont and Long avenues on the Northwest Side Jan. 6. Hector Herrera is Juan’s brother.

Juan was charged in the shooting with aggravated battery of a child with a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharged of a firearm from a vehicle and aggravated discharged of a firearm from a vehicle near a school.

Abut 7:20 p.m. Jan. 6, the boy was sitting in a car with his father when a dark-colored vehicle approached, police said.

The boy’s father had an argument with Juan Herrera earlier that day, police said. Police said Herrera got out of his car and displayed a handgun. The boy’s father tried to drive off when he saw Herrera, who then opened fire, police said.

A bullet entered through the vehicle’s rear window and struck the boy in his leg, police said.

Police allege that the suspect’s father and brother tried to bribe the victim’s father, the target of the shooting, not to cooperate so that authorities would be forced to drop the shooting charges.

The victim’s father alerted police, who eventually arrested Vincente and Hector Herrera.

The two are scheduled to appear in bond court later today.

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

–Staff report

Need to jot a quick thought down while in the browser? If you’re using Google Chrome, you might want to keep an eye on the Chromepad extension highlighted over at the How To Geek. I’d say this one is in early development, but it’s good enough to tap out some text when the mood hits. Chromepad adds a button to Chrome — hit it and you get a text-only area to file a note. The window for entry is sizable via grab-and-drag or you can hit the Menu button for a Release Window option. That provides you a floating area to move anywhere on the desktop.

I pegged this as “early development” for one key reason: Chromepad doesn’t yet save the text in any standard document format like a .TXT or other file. Instead, it uses the “Local Storage” feature of HTML5 to maintain your notes. While that’s less than ideal, this approach does keep your notes intact even after a browser shut-down. Clearing your browser history, however, does wipe out any noted information, so you’ll want to cut, paste and save anything important prior to that. Still, it’s not a bad start and sure beats having to open Notepad, TextEdit or some other application outside of the browser.

La E Cabrio prendra dans deux mois la suite du CLK. Plus haute en gamme, la nouvelle laisse une place en-dessous d’elle, que devrait bientôt occuper un nouveau cabriolet sur base de Classe C cette fois.

–> Retrouvez toute l’actualité de Mercedes en continu sur le Fil News Mercedes. 

–> Alors qu’on commence à peine à découvrir le grande soeur, la E Cabrio, dont vous retrouverez plus bas la galerie photos, voici qu’on parle de plus en plus de la petite soeur éventuelle. Quoi de plus logique alors que se prépare déjà le Coupé?…

-La E Cabrio est en effet une vrai E, contrairement au CLK, et est nettement plus haute en gamme. Elle ne pourra pas concurrencer les Séries 1 et 3 de BMW. Voilà pourquoi on a toutes les raisons de croire à ce projet, dont la définition semble d’ailleurs bien avancée.

-Il s’agirait, comme pour la E, d’un véritable cabriolet à capote souple. A l’instar du Coupé C, la découvrable devrait bénéficier d’une nouvelle génération de V6 DOHC à injection directe, dont un 3.5l. et une version plus petite, en biturbo, d’environ 300cv., pour rivaliser avec les 135i et 335i de Munich. On parle beaucoup concernant le Coupé d’une hybride, équipée d’une version plus petite encore du même V6, mais cette solution semble apparemment peu probable pour le Cabriolet. 

-Sur le grill également, une AMG équipée du nouveau 5,5l. V8 biturbo, remplaçant l’an prochain du 6,2l. V8 actuel. A confirmer là aussi.

-Les rendus en format original:

Petite scéance de rattrapage ci-dessous sur la très belle nouvelle E Cabrio, dont vous pouvez retrouver les détails ici, et les vidéos sur notre chaîne Youtube.

12►

Nouveau: pour profiter facilement et rapidement des notifications de nouveautés sur le site, pensez à vous abonner via Twitter. Chaque modification, nouvel article ou nouvelle vidéo sur notre chaîne Youtube, fait l’objet d’un Tweet immédiat!

Jay Leno’s tango with primetime didn’t even last six months — but its already being declared the “Biggest Bomb” in television history. Entertainment Weekly takes a look at TV’s Top 50 Biggest Mistakes.

While the U.S. economy had a tough year in 2009, the economy on K Street continued to boom. Federal lobbying reports were filed on Wednesday with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House, and here at the Center for Responsive Politics, we are busy processing the new data.

Within the next week or so, we aim to release our final report on 2009 lobbying. In the meantime, though, here are some initial findings:

CHAMBER LEADS THE WAY

The U.S. Chamber Commerce, one of the leading opponents of Democratic plans to reform health insurance and tackle climate change, spent about $79.2 million during the final three months of 2009 on lobbying.

This brings its total expenditures for the year to a jaw-dropping $144.5 million. This represents an increase of nearly 60 percent compared to the amount the Chamber spent in 2008, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

Unlike many groups that file reports using Congress’ definition of lobbying (based on the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995), the Chamber uses internal revenue code definitions. So their reports include money spent on state lobbying and grassroots lobbying efforts, as well as federal dollars. Had the Chamber used the congressional method, its lobbying numbers would likely be smaller.

OTHER HEALTH-RELATED PLAYERS ALSO SPENT BIG

Many of the other groups attempting to influence the debate over health insurance reform also spent big during the final quarter of 2009 — and the year in general.

The drug industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) spent $6.3 million on federal lobbying during the last three months of the year, bringing their total spending for 2009 up to $26 million. This represents an increase of about 30 percent over their spending on federal lobbying in 2008.

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Amgen and Eli Lilly also spent considerable sums on their lobbying efforts.

Pfizer invested about 80 more in federal lobbying in 2009 than they did in 2008. During the fourth quarter of 2009, it spent $5.6 million on federal lobbying, for an overall total of $21.9 million.

Amgen spent about $3.3 million on federal lobbying during the fourth quarter of the year, bringing its overall 2009 spending to $12.4 million. This represents an increase of more than 20 percent over their 2008 lobbying spending.

For its part, Eli Lilly spent about $2.2 million on federal lobbying in the last quarter of 2009. Over the course of the entire year, the company spent $11.2 million, which represents a 10 percent drop compared to 2008.

And the health insurance industry trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) also spent large sums on lobbying efforts this year. The group spent $2.5 million on federal lobbying in the fourth quarter, for an overall total of about $8.9 million. This represents a 17 percent increase over their lobbying spending in 2008.

BIG ENERGY COMPANIES DISPLAY BIG MONEY

With President Barack Obama and Congress pushing for legislation to address climate change, curb U.S. carbon emissions and create green jobs, energy companies were major players on K Street in 2009.

ExxonMobil spent about $6.7 million on federal lobbying in the last quarter of 2009. That amount brings their total for 2009 to $27.4 million, a decrease of about five percent compared to 2008.

Chevron, meanwhile, increased its spending on federal lobbying by 60 percent during 2009. Over the course of the year, it spent $20.8 million, with $5.3 million being spent in the last quarter.

ConocoPhillips also reported a bumper year. Their federal lobbying more than doubled between 2008 and 2009. During 2009, the petroleum giant spent $18 million on lobbying, with about $4.8 million being spent during the last quarter.

Additionally, BP spent about $16 million on federal lobbying during 2009. This is an increase of 53 percent compared to its 2008 spending. During the fourth quarter of 2009, it spent $4.6 million.

The following table shows an assortment of high-profile companies and organizations, along with their total lobbying expenditures in 2008 and 2009.

CRP lobbying researcher Matthias Jaime and communications interns Cassandra LaRussa and Steven Spires contributed to this report.

Investors appear to like Berkshire Hathaway stock in the $60s and even the $70s more than they liked it at roughly $3500 a share.

Berkshire shareholders approved a 50-for-1 stock split of Berkshire’s Class B shares yesterday. Trading began today.

The lower price is seen as an opening for small investors who couldn’t afford the old four-figure price tag. (The Associated Press quotes a number of eager buyers in a piece this morning.)

After the first thirty minutes, the Baby Bs are up 4.8 percent to $72.88 from the split-adjusted close of $69.50 ($3475 per share pre-split.)

That puts them on track for their highest close since November, 2008.

Current price: [BRK.B 71.99 2.47 (+3.55%) ]

At yesterday’s meeting, Warren Buffett told shareholders that the increased trading volume and liquidity for the Class B shares after the split could make it the key driver of Berkshire’s market value. “The B may be the tail that wags the dog now.”

That may be the case today. Berkshire’s Class A shares are also up almost 5 percent as of 10a ET.

Current price: [BRK.A 107900.00 3700.00 (+3.55%) ]

There also appears to be another factor at work here.

Ravi Nagarajan on the Rational Walk is giving the credit for today’s rally to Buffett’s comment yesterday to Bloomberg that Berkshire’s stock at the “low end” of its valuation.

Berkshire closed just over 4 percent higher in yesterday’s trading.

The Class A shares picked up 2.6 percent on Tuesday. For the week so far, it is up over 10 percent.

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Palm Inc. and Verizon announced today that Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus will be on store shelves and ready for purchase on Monday, Jan. 25. The Palm Pre Plus will cost $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and Palm Pixi Plus will cost $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, each with a new two-year customer agreement. Verizon customters who buy a Palm Pre Plus or a Palm Pixi Plus can get a Palm Pixi Plus free after a mail-in rebate through Feb. 14.

Both phones will be offered with Verizon’s newly revised service plans. Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access and Nationwide Talk & Text Plans begin at $59.99 monthly access. Nationwide Unlimited Talk Plans and Nationwide Unlimited Talk & Text Plans are available at $69.99 and $89.99 monthly access, respectively. Data plan options will be required as well starting at $29.99 a month.

China’s economy grew by 8.7 percent in 2009 — and a blistering 10.7 percent in the fourth quarter alone.These are important paragraphs:

Retail sales rose 16.9 percent in 2009, as China encourage domestic
spending to make up for lost export business during the recession.

But
concerns are rising of a growing property bubble in China, fueled by
lending which has seen property prices grow 50 percent or more in some
cities.

Asia’s retail explosion is key for the US economy. With unemployment
stuck at 10 percent and unlikely to fall much over the next year, we
don’t have the firepower to lead a retail comeback on our own. It’s not just that we’re not buying many goods. We’re also stalling the construction comeback by moving less than at any time since World War II. In the short-term, we need
help from exports, a cheap dollar and voracious overseas demand. That’s
why the roar coming out of eastern Asia is good news indeed for the US
economy, and it’s the reason why manufacturing has been on a tear for the last half year even as unemployment inched higher.

But that second paragraph also explains why American policy makers will be keeping an eye on the
property “bubble” in China. Dan Indiviglio rounded up some smart
thoughts on whether China was at the precipice of a dangerous pop and
concluded … probably not. Still there are disconcerting facts about the pace of China’s real estate boom, like this: New home mortgages in the first nine months of 2009 were
$139.5 billion, four times the amount offered a year earlier.

Google Inc. reports forth quarter earnings after the close on Thursday, with the results usually released between 4:00pm and 4:15pm ET, followed by volatile after-hours trading.

The current consensus earnings estimate is US$6.44 per share, although Google’s results often require significant adjustments.

Cleve Ruceckert of Birinyi Associates Inc. notes that the compnay has beaten analyst estimates 78% of the time and trades up following these beats. He also pointed out that Google shares are near the bottom of their trading range, which is currently US$573.52.

Brazil military leaders have preemptively refused to relinquish command of the UN mission in Haiti, in face of a planned influx of more than 10,000 U.S. troops.

The country that commands the mission will control a large and ongoing international military effort, according to Al-Jazeera columnist Gabriel Elizondo.

Whether or not America wants or can afford another military commitment, taking command in Haiti signifies continued leadership in the western hemisphere. That claim was central to America’s rise to global hegemon, as expressed in the Monroe Doctrine.

If Brazil maintains command, the rising power can claim military leadership of all Latin America. France, which is also a traditional power in Haiti, has not contested mission command.

Already the turf war has played out in tension over plane landing rights.

Al-Jazeera:

Three Brazilian planes loaded with supplies were held up and not allowed to land in Haiti by the FAA (America’s agency that handles air traffic, which is now in control of airspace in Haiti). Celso Amorim, Brazil’s foreign minister, apparently was so upset about it that he put in a call to Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, and asked that Brazilian aeroplanes be given priority over chartered flights.
 
I imagine Brazilian commanders were thinking to themselves: “How dare the US hold up our planes – we run the UN forces in Haiti!”

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Gee, Thanks! Haiti’s IMF Loans Will Be Interest-Free For Two Years!
• How Your Small Business Can Help Haiti
• TV Reporters ‘Selling’ Haiti Coverage

Airbus to test biofuels when availableReuters… Transport Association (IATA), which groups 230 airlines, urged governments and oil companies to subsidise and invest in research in biofuel production. …and more »

Japanese denim brand Kapital is known for their nomadic styles, which circle around clothes meant for the adventurer. Their Fall/Winter collection entitled, Innocent World is inspired by the actions and looks of the modern day frontiersmen and women. The range is heavy with knits, wool items, and denim, and are all built for the roughest snow, land, or sea expeditions. The inspiring lookbook captures the collection very well, and its great to finally see one that truly tells an interesting story.

Continue reading for more images.

After the financial crisis, we all felt like we learned our lesson. Sure, banking got way out of control, but now we know better, so we’ll keep it under control going forward.

We’ll turn back the clock on our banking rules and it will be just like the good old days.

But here’s the problem: Once you’ve let the banking genie out of its bottle, what makes you think it’s so easy to put back in?

Take a look at the chart below.

The amount of Global Banking Assets simply exploded higher from 2002 to 2008, far in excess of the world economy’s GDP growth. Yet to try and make all of these ‘excess’ assets, i.e. this liquidity boom, disappear in an orderly fashion would be a project on a level of complexity probably nobody in the entire world can even fathom. Keep in mind someone owns each and every financial asset out there and they won’t simply want give up their assets arbitrarily while their neighbor gets to keep his. Central banks have their tools to reduce liquidity, but these tools work sort of like hand grenades, thus can destroy the economy if used too leisurely.

So good luck trying to put this genie back into its bottle:

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Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Is This The Credit-Default Swap Market Warning Of A Global Crisis Again?
• California’s Crisis Is Still In Its Infancy
• The Chart That Shows Why Obama’s View Of The Banking Crisis Is Wrong

Everybody seems to have made a big deal of the fact Wells Fargo’s (NYSE:WFC) fourth-quarter results far exceeded analysts’ expectations. But I’m not that convinced by them, as they generate some questions that will need to be answered before I’m persuaded it was from operational excellence. We’ll get into that a little later in the article. First the results.

What caused a big stir was the profits generated in the quarter of $2.82 billion, which came to 8 cents a share. Analysts were looking for a loss of 1 cent a share, making it look like a blockbuster performance for the quarter for Wells Fargo. Last year during the same period the company lost $2.55 billion or 79 cents a share.

Revenue also came in at record levels, with the company recording $22.7 billion, and annualized increase of 4 percent over the previous quarter.

That isn’t that impressive though, as it for the most part came from the acquisition of Wachovia and not from organic growth. For the year Wells had a net profit of $7.99 billion on $88.7 billion in revenue; also a record, but also related to the Wachovia acquisition.

This isn’t to say we shouldn’t take into account Wachovia’s performance, as it’s now part of Wells Fargo, just at this stage it is meaningless as far as the numbers go because it has nothing to do with performance but simply the additional size of Wachovia being added to Wells Fargo. Next year it’ll have more meaning because the performance of the company itself will be measured and not simply the one-time growth enjoyed from adding its numbers to Wells Fargo’s numbers.

Now the fourth-largest bank in America, the company said they now hold $1.2 trillion in assets as of the end of 2009.

So other than acquiring Wachovia, what was the real performance of Wells Fargo in the fourth quarter?

The news actually wasn’t that good in their core business, as the number of bad loans on their books continue to increase, growing by 6 percent from the third quarter, now standing at $5.4 billion. Those loans becoming uncollectible grew by close to 18 percent from the third quarter to a huge $27.6 billion. Much of that will get worse as the year goes on, as commercial loans continue to default at a huge rate for the company, and is expected to peak in the latter part of 2010 for all the banks with large exposure in that sector.

Concerning the mortgage business in general, they fell by almost 30 percent in the U.S. in the fourth quarter from the quarter before, which consequently had a detrimental effect on the number of home loans offered by Wells Fargo during that time. For those that did refinance or took out a mortgage, the bank did attach higher fees to generate more revenue.

One strange part of Wells Fargo’s revenue continues to be the income it is garnering from hedging, which is unusual in the industry to say the least, and has now become a factor in the last couple of quarters. This quarter they had gains of $2.1 billion, while last quarter it stood at $1.5 billion. The hedging is said to be part of the mortgage-servicing unit. This could come under more scrutiny because it’s highly unusual for these types of gains to come about from the mortgage-servicing unit of a company.

Some seemingly legitimate good news from the company says the performance of its option-ARM mortgages are stronger than anticipated, and won’t cost the company as much as originally believed.

Other good news for the company which is measurable is on average the checking and savings deposits for the company grew to $661 billion in the fourth quarter, a surge of 20 percent from quarter three.

I’m actually a little concerned about Wells Fargo, and have been for some time. They’ve largely been ignored by the mainstream media as far as negative reporting, while most of the other major banks have been getting hit hard by them. There’s a possibility of the Warren Buffett factor there, but after he hit out against the Obama tax on the banks, we’ll see if that honeymoon continues to be bliss or not.

What is worrisome is if we’re getting an accurate picture of the company, as their core business seems to be devasted, yet reports are acting like it’s the strength of the company going forward. Somewhere there’s a disconnect, and whenever that happens, red flags should be raised.

Add to that the fact that much of their operations are in California, and it’s hard to believe they’re acting like they’ve turned the corner on mortgage defaults.

The Wells Fargo story is just sounding too good to me, and I think when we see how it plays out in 2010 that the underlying fundamentals of the company may not be as strong as being portrayed. I’m more cautious with them than any other large bank out there at this time.

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From Green Right Now Reports

As mascots go, the U.S. Bald Eagle has been much beloved, but not always well tended. Once prolific in the U.S., the population wavered and fell dramatically in the 20th Century — until biologists discovered that DDT and other pollution was impairing the bird’s ability to reproduce.

Bald Eagle (Photo: National Wildlife Federation.)

That was one big canary in a coal mine.

With DDT now banned, the Bald Eagle has rebounded, and was removed from the Endangered Species list in 2007. Where once the U.S. Bald Eagle numbered only several hundred breeding pairs, there are now an estimated 9,000 or more Bald Eagles living in the wild, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The National Wildlife Federation, knowing that familiarity breeds fondness (at least when it comes to wildlife), is asking Americans to celebrate the return of the Bald Eagle by going bird watching.

NWF compiled this list of places in the U.S. where one is likely to spot the national emblem in its winter habitat.

Bald eagles can be seen in every state except Hawaii, according to the NWF. The group’s list includes an Eagle-inhabited spot in every state, but notes that some state’s enjoy larger winter congregations of the birds, while others may support just a few breeding pairs.

The places to visit:

Alabama
Lake Guntersville State Park, (256) 571-5440 or

Alaska
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, (907) 465-4563 or

Arizona
Mormon Lake, (928) 527-3600

Arkansas
Beaver Lake, (479) 636-1210

California
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, (530) 667-2231

Colorado
Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, (719) 589-4021 or

Connecticut
Connecticut River Shepaug Eagle Observation Area

Delaware
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, (302) 653-9345

Florida
Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area: Prairie Lakes Unit, (407) 436-1818

Georgia
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, (912) 496-7836

Hawaii
Bald eagles are found in every state but Hawaii.

Idaho
Lake Coeur d’Alene/Wolf Lodge Bay, (877) 782-9232 or

Illinois
Cedar Glen Eagle Roost

Indiana
Monroe Lake, (812) 837-9546

Iowa
Keokuk Riverfront Area and Lock and Dam 19, (800) 383-1219

Kansas
Perry Reservoir, (620) 672-5911

Kentucky
Ballard Wildlife Management Area, (502) 224-2244

Louisiana
White Kitchen Preserve, (225) 338-1040

Maine
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, (207) 454 -7161

Maryland
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, (410) 228-2677

Massachusetts
Quabbin Reservoir, (413) 323-7221

Michigan
Erie Marsh, (517) 316-0300

Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park, (218) 283-6600

Mississippi
Nelson Dewey State Park, (608) 725-5855

Missouri
Sandy Island Natural History Area, (314) 968-1105

Montana
Hauser Lake, (406) 454-5840

Nebraska
Kingsley Dam, (402) 471-0641 or

Nevada
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, (702) 293-8906

New Hampshire
Adams Point Wildlife Management Area, (603) 271-2461

New Jersey
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, (570) 426-2452

New Mexico
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, (505) 248-6911

New York
Mongaup Falls Reservoir, (845) 557-6162

North Carolina
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, (919) 733-4181

North Dakota
Riverdale Wildlife Management Area, (701) 328-6300

Ohio
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, (419) 898-0014

Oklahoma
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, (580) 626-4794

Oregon
Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge, (530) 667-2231

Pennsylvania
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, (717) 787-1323

Rhode Island
Scituate Reservoir, (401) 222-6800

South Carolina
ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, (404) 679-7154

South Dakota
Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge, (605) 487-7603

Tennessee
Reelfoot Lake State Park, (731) 253-9652

Texas
Lake Fork Reservoir

Utah
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, (435) 545-2522

Vermont
Harriman Station, (603) 448-2200

Virginia
Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, (703) 490-4979

Washington
Skagit River Bald Eagle Natural Area, (360) 445-4441

West Virginia
South Branch of the Potomac River, Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad, (304) 424-0736

Wisconsin
Nelson Dewey State Park, (608) 725-5374

Wyoming
Buffalo Bill State Park, (307) 587-9227

For more information on the recovery of the Bald Eagle, see these resources:

The Eagle Institute, based in the Northeast U.S.

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn.

Where Would They Be Now?, an article published by NWF about species brought back from the brink of extinction.

That’s the tagline for Banksy’s soon to be released film Exit Through the Gift Shop. This is turning out to be a good day for sentences you need to read twice. And it’s rare to find one which says nothing and everything (about street art, grammar, movies, you name it) so precisely.

[via the Guardian]