Why is it that we can’t seem to allow another country to be successful without demonizing it? Next week marks the beginning of the Summer Olympics in and about Beijing. Although many of us might not care about the competitive sports, we do seem to have an insatiable appetite for news and commentary that takes pot-shots at the Chinese.

One of my favorite investors to discuss markets with, my father, turns 85 years old today. His approach has always differed somewhat from my own: While I’m usually conservative to a fault, he often sets his eyes on big gains and has done quite well at it over the years.

Markets north of the border are closed Tuesday in observance of Canada Day, a federal holiday marking the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

This is what I continually harp on: Nanotech isn’t just one thing; it’s an enabling technology that has the ability to change the way we do almost everything, from the mundane to the esoteric.

Once upon a time, BCE reluctantly assumed the lead role in the largest potential income trust conversion ever. Now, in a demonstration of ubiquity redolent of Woody Allen’s Zelig, it’s the star of the biggest potential leveraged buyout (LBO) in history.

Although most penny stocks are best avoided, there’s one I’ve been following for some time—Industrial Nanotech. I really think it has a unique product and a good business plan.

Oil prices of $130-plus per barrel are an unprecedented windfall for producers. Moreover, with global supplies tightening and demand still surging—particularly in rapidly developing Asia—they’re likely to go higher still in the months ahead.

Debate over the future of oil prices and the US economy again grabbed the headlines this week. Verizon Communications’ acquisition of rural wireless rival Alltel Corp, however, is a far more significant development for investors.

Recently, the government--pressured by Congress--disclosed a probe into potential oil market manipulation. The politicians want to show they’re doing something about high gas prices before the presidential election.

The major press was all over a study that came out a couple weeks ago observing carbon nanotubes and C60 buckyballs (or fullerenes) to have potential carcinogenic pathologies.