Editors Note: Welcome to Love It or Hate It, a regular dual-column feature that will capture the love-hate relationship America has with some of its biggest, most controversial companies. For past co

The peak oil theory is simple on the surface: Over the long haul, oil supplies will diminish. Production rates will reach a peak and then decline. However, the simple Hubbert Curve doesn't account fo

  There’s just one problem with corn-based ethanol: It takes 29% more fossil energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than the ethanol release when burned as fuel. The disparity betwee

Information is the most valuable commodity to speculators. Forward looking investors often develop esoteric indicators that provide glimpses into how the world's economy is doing. I had a hint of tha

A little while after eating a scoop, however, a 5-year old California girl woke up from her nap screaming in pain. The Pop Rocks had only begun to react during the digestion process. Doctors, wh

Editor's Note: James Quinn is a senior director of strategic planning for a major university. James has held high level financial positions with a retailer, homebuilder and a university in his 22-yea

As the global economy continues to get more and more competitive, alternative energy remains a catalyst that could differentiate a nation from being a powerhouse versus just an average

Photosynthesis is the process plants and algae use to make their food. Plants need 3 things to make photosynthesis work; water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide. In this analogy, the markets are the

Wal-Mart’s (WMT) solid earnings have been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal retail sector during the economic downturn. Now, Wal-Mart may deliver a jolt to the slowing alternative-energy sec

The double standard continues. There seems to be no limit to the amount of money the federal government is willing to spend to prop up our broken financial system. But when it comes to putting money