Have you ever noticed how companies hide behind their accounting minutia? Using various accounting rules to hide the fact they are not making money, only burning thru capital? Many a company executive will talk about how well the company is doing never will the utter a single negative comment, which might hurt their stock. How can they do this? Well, it is easy the government regulators have made regulations so complex that there is so much they can hide behind that it is hard to tell what is going on, in fact the often fool experienced investors and other accountants, financial analysts and companies looking to buy them in a major merger.

Does this ever make you think it is all a bunch of crapola? In my view and perception of the world, I only care about winning, show me. EBITDA, is such hokum, typical accounting crap. Look how much cash flow do you have, how much money did you make, real money. Everything else is a game play against reality and the created reality of government regulation and street expectations to keep the balloon aloft. In the end how much money, real money did you make, how much did you invest, re-invest in the future of the company, pay to shareholders in cash and future growth of the company and therefore increase THEIR value, not anyone else's. What is the truth?

Often depreciations schedules are misleading because there is much that is depreciated that is still running fine and much, which is not depreciated which is junk. For instance the retail sector product sellers, which depreciates shelf space fees of new products it brings to market over 30 years? That is BS because there will be new products every 2-years, that ought to be expensed like most stock options. Do you find the whole thing utter BS, but, understand the accounting game is only about taxes and government regulations. It often seems utterly ridiculous. How can we blame companies from wanting to go offshore or become private again to bypass some of the over regulation?

We do not need Sarbanes Oxley, we need less lawyers, lawsuits, crying petty one share minority shareholders with more power than God; starting class action lawsuits and storming the Shareholder meetings with dribble and crap. Do you ever thing we would be better off and Kill all the attorneys, deregulate some of this muck, so companies can get out of the sand trap, let companies survive on their reputations, investors beware, regulators go screw their fellow workers over 1970s desks after they have filled themselves with taxpayer coffee? You would not be alone.

Maybe we could move DC to New-New Orleans and if the levees break again; well, "NO LOSS" those morons do not do anything anyway, which is just as well, but at least they could get out of the way, this concept also gives them free swimming lessons, which is fine as they are fat and will float. Think on it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/