Tue 15 Dec 2009
From the Star Ledger:
Law under consideration would let brokers pay real estate clients
Soon your realtor could be paying you.
It’s illegal right now, but pending legislation would allow realtors and real estate brokers to pay home-buyers a portion of their commissions at the close of a deal.
New Jersey is one of 11 states that don’t allow the incentive, said Sen. Nicholas P. Scutari (D-Union), one of the bill’s sponsors. It would be up to the individual real estate agent to decide whether to pay the client.
“We’re trying to help the real estate market and to allow real estate agents and brokers to make deals happen,” Scutari said.
…
The bill (S139/A373) cleared the Senate Commerce Committee todayy. It has passed the Assembly and now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
From the Star Ledger:
Defaults on federal student loans spike in Jersey
The number of New Jersey college students who left school in 2007 and defaulted on federal loans nearly doubled over the past fiscal year, according to data released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Education.
Statistics indicate roughly 61,000 residents began repaying federal student loans in 2007. By March, 11.3 percent had defaulted — up sharply from the 6.2 percent who defaulted by the same time last year. At the state’s for-profit colleges, almost 1 in 4 failed to make required payments.
…
At New Jersey’s county colleges, where the default rate was over 15 percent, some officials said they would consider additional safeguards for students.
Kick-the-can-down-the-road…
From the Record:
Proposed N.J. legislation would allow towns to delay partial pension contributions
Towns, cities and counties could put off paying half their required contribution into the pension system this year, under a bill introduced in both houses of the Legislature over the past week.
The proposal would essentially extend by one year a controversial measure pitched and signed into law by Governor Corzine earlier this year to stave off property tax increases during the economic downturn. It allowed local governments to delay up to a half billion dollars in payments.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, a member of Governor-elect Chris Christie’s transition team who is advising him on issues that affect municipalities. Local governments that take the short-term cost saving offer would have to make up the cost of deferment later. Actuaries would determine the unfunded liability in the pension systems, and towns and cities would replenish the funds with equal payments over 15 years beginning in 2013.
How about an award for Third ??
Why not just leave the middleman out all together? I believe E-bay is underway to sell Florida real estate.
mocha (4)-
That should be a wonderful new business model to introduce into such a stable, mature market.
I can’t wait for the first buyer to ask me for a rebate.
In fact, I think I want a rebate from my state rep and senator. I’m sure they’d be very open to negotiating away their incomes.
Getting closer and closer to letting my business go and heading for someplace below the equator.
Maybe I’ll offer a rebate to buyers.
Then, when the offer is accepted, the buyer does everything between contract & close (attorney, title, inspections, etc) and never sees me again.
How about the big effyou the bankers threw to BHO yesterday? What, the Metroliner does not run in fog anymore?
And how about the inability of the WH to find an excuse to keep BHO away from the “meeting” until the bankers were all present? Being filmed while talking into a speaker phone was a stupid thing.
USA needs plan to tame debt soon
WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. government must craft a plan next year to get its ballooning debt under control or face possible panic in financial markets
Without action, investors could lose confidence in the United States, driving down the dollar and forcing up interest rates, said the former lawmakers and budget officials who crafted the report. That could cause a sharp decrease in the country’s standard of living…
A looming wave of retirements over the coming decade is expected to make the situation worse…
The United States must act to ensure that it does not join Dubai, Greece, and other countries that risk losing the confidence of investors, the commission said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1419042320091214?type=marketsNews
Shore (8)-
About time O finds out who the boss really is.
From that “debt report”:
“The national debt currently accounts for 53 percent of GDP, up from 41 percent a year ago. That’s likely to rise to 85 percent of GDP by 2018 and 200 percent of GDP by 2038 unless dramatic changes are made, the commission said”
“Given the conditions on HARP, the cherry picking of prime loans by the lenders, the huge amounts of negative equity on loans made during the boom, and second mortgage conflict of interest situations, one should not be surprised to see lots of people complaining about not being helped.
Moreover, the harsh reality is neither the Fed nor the Treasury cares much if the securitized loans blow up. Those securitized loans are sitting in the hands of pension plans, hedge funds, foreign and domestic investors, and the hands of other fools that bought the trash.
Securitized loans are a problem for investors not banks, except of course for home equity lines of credit sitting on top of the mortgage, creating additional problems for banks (and for anyone expecting the bank to work out a deal for them).
If you are underwater or securitized, or if you have a home equity line, you are likely screwed. If you need help you are not going to get it. That especially applies to anyone whose mortgage exceeds 125% of home value.”
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/12/underwater-securitized-and-screwed-by.html
Remember, this is scandal only when private business is doing it.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-hands-out-_15M-in-bonuses-despite-recession_-budget-gaps-8651125-79169767.html
“The economy has been in the dumps for years, but the good times keep on rolling for some favored D.C. employees.
City officials have doled out nearly $15 million in bonuses and awards since Mayor Adrian Fenty took office in January 2007.
Among the big winners were Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who was handed $41,250 in August 2007 after barely two months on the job; Department of Health Director Pierre Vigilance, who was given $15,000 in 2008; and city property manager Robin-Eve Jasper, handed $18,000 over two years.
More than 5,700 city employees have been given $14.9 million in bonuses since January 2007. Among the big winners:
» Michelle Rhee, schools chancellor, $41,250 in 2007
» Mary Clegg, schools superintendent executive, $25,000 in 2009
» Karen Griffin, schools special education executive, $25,000 in 2008
» Eric Stanchfield, D.C. Retirement Board, $21,997 in 2009
» Anthony Pompa, finance office executive, $21,796 in 2008
» Robin-Eve Jasper, city property manager, $18,000 from 2008-09
» Pierre Vigilance, Department of Health director, $15,000 in 2008
The bonuses were ladled out even as the city was facing nine-figure budget shortfalls and officials — including Rhee — were firing employees by the busload, claiming they could no longer afford them.”
“We’re trying to help the real estate market and to allow real estate agents and brokers to make deals happen,” Scutari said.
Answer: buggy whip makers, travel agents, video rentals, realtors.
#14 - Are there any travel agents left?
tosh,
Based on this article above, are there any realtors left? ;)
So here is my prediction.
All these Wall street banks will return TARP money, things will be rosy for sometime, and then another event will trigger. So world markets will collapse and banks will again ask government to backstop.
They have now experience to do this over and over again.
“are there any realtors left? ;)”
yes but now they’re called “used home salespeople”
#16 - Does clot count? At this point I suppose he’s more accurately classified as ‘insurgent’.
“Ukulele Boy Plays I’m Yours By Jason Mraz ”
this version is so much better than the original…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHQNc9RZHKE
Hope!
“Forget the public option. Even without it, the health care bill presented in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) would make some middle-class American families pay what amounts to a $15,200 annual federally-mandated insurance fee, according to facts revealed in analyses published by the Congressional Budget Office.
The fee would result from the facts that the bill requires individuals — but not employers — to purchase health insurance plans and that families that earn up to 400% of the federal poverty level would be given government subsidies to purchase insurance in government-regulated insurance exchanges while families earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level would be denied government subsidies.
A family of four — two parents and two children — earning $88,200 would be at 400% of the poverty level this year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A family of four earning $88,201, therefore, would not be eligible for a federal subsidy to buy insurance under the Senate health-care bill. If the mother and father in such a family could not get employer-based health insurance — because their employers decided not to buy their workers insurance — the family would be required by law to purchase a policy with its own money that would cost an estimated $15,200 per year, according to the CBO.”
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/58533
but it is not a tax increase!
The end is truly nigh; a symposium on Black Metal.
Barry O really getting angry and frustrated in the real world, isn’t he? It’s like the kid who was the star jock at McGoo High School in Hooville, Arkansas and is now getting his clock cleaned playing at a Division I school.
15.toshiro_mifune says:
December 15, 2009 at 7:48 am
#14 - Are there any travel agents left?
Liberty Travel still exists in the Malls.
#24 - You’re right. Liberty does exclusive package deals though, right?
(21) Jamil
You are right, it is not a tax increase.
Your command of Newspeak is coming along nicely, comrade.
“Law under consideration would let brokers pay real estate clients”
Since RE commission is a total rip-off, 100% should be paid back with penalties.
#21 Jamil,
You mean to tell me a family of four making $81,201 is required to drop $15,200 on health insurance?
You back out federal, state, local and FICA from their earnings and then make them pay $15,201 out of the remaining amount in health insurance premiums?
There is no way, there has to be some type of government credits that offset the $15,200 and if not, I call BS on the post and news source.
(13) Jamil
DC government is the primary reason so many people who work in DC don’t live in DC. Very high taxes but if you lived in VA or MD, you avoided them. We used to call the apt bldgs in downtown Arlington “lawyer hotels.”
Santelli at full rant again. I think he’s jacked by having Ron Paul sitting next to Lies Man.
I love Rick Santelli! OMG! lol!
Does Harry Reid ever go back to Nevada? I can’t imagine he’s safe there.
I think Santelli is about two rants away from getting the Ratigan treatment.
Although I wonder how Crapcast will react to all the on-air personalities.
Good news O has earned a B+ so far.
Bad news is he gave himself the grade.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/solid-start-but-more-to-do-obama-20091215-kuop.html
Distressed properties in Manhattan tops $12B.
Will O go to work for Lloyd or Jamie when he gets turned out in three years?
I’m not a Realtor anymore. I’m an undertaker.
This is probably a dumb question:
Is our govt afraid to let real estate values fall not just for the banks, but to prevent foreign countries from buying large amounts of property within the US?
All you hear about (ie 35, tosh’s article) is bad news but nothing changes.
There’s no black swan event or day of reckoning… I’m starting to feel like a stupid 1950’s dolt, building a basement fallout shelter, joining the “Civil Defense” movement.
I agree inflation is eventually going to be a huge issue but I don’t see the world collapsing (or maybe I accidentally got Kool Aid in my coffee this morning.)
sl
sl (38)-
The gubmint has never had a problem with foreign entities buying up US real estate.
Don’t look now, but Austria is crumbling.
Just saying.
You can joke about Iceland, Estonia, Greece, etc.
Austria? Not so much.
#38 - I believe the govt is afraid to let prices fall due to the inevitable backlash amongst homeowners. Foreign ownership of US real estate, for those who remember Japanophobia in the 80’s, is certainly a cultural issue but not as significant as US home owners not believing in their own wealth via house pricing. pheww, that was a long and contrived sentence.
The idea of continually ascending home values has been such a central tenet of US domestic fiscal policy with regards to retirement/wages/debt/consumer spending/etc that it just can’t be allowed to fail. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep those prices up, even if they are only nominal.
Fiddling around with our tax program yesterday and I realized that I am in 0% cap. gains rate this year! Married and less than $70,000 taxable income. So instead of selling my losers, I’m dumping my winners. Smile faded as I have only 4 winners and I can’t share this revelation with any of my family or friends as they all make more than me. Maybe some of you out there can take advantage of this. Definite possibility for retirees who can forgo taking the rmd from their IRAs to get them under the threshold and sell some long held appreciated stock.
#21 jamil,
I wonder if a family of 4 making 90k a year could apply to become an economic refugee in Canada?
If that story is true any chance families making between 401 to 500% of the fed poverty level will as for paycuts or become single income households to keep under that threshold?
And I think that story is so focking dumb it could be a real part of the healthcare plan.
28 nomad. The source is congressional budget office. I agree that it is lunatic idea.
I just want to mention something….I know dream-index was on these threads three years ago telling me that I was professionally useless to him and spent his days genuflecting in the temple of Longleaf Partners which subsequently blew up.
Someone here about 18-24 months ago was frothing desperately at the mouth about Heebner and CGM Focus….just to be clear….
CGM Focus CGMFX
A poster child for this group, Ken Heebner’s fund lost 48.2% last year and is up just 9.8% in 2009, trailing 99% of its large-growth rivals. Ouch. Heebner is a rapid trader who makes big, bold bets. He’s gone off the rails lately, but this fund has always had a feast or famine risk/reward profile, and Heebner has delivered in spades over time: The fund still tops nearly all its peers over the past decade. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, but Heebner’s past history says he’s down but far from out.
#42 Well how come they did not do whatever it takes to keep housing prices up in the early 90’s? They did nothing.
If you earn 87K, the expected govt assistance will be really small - may be $200 or so (it is phased out as the income increases), so don’t hold your breath. OTOH, don’t know any families of 4 still earning 90K that go without insurance today - they either find the way to buy it or work for the employer who buys it.
jamil-
Not a lunatic idea if you start with the premise that the gubmint is our avowed enemy and will do everything possible to impoverish, destroy and enslave the middle class.
Think Harry Reid or Pelosi or Ensign or Shelby wouldn’t shoot you or your kids between the eyes?
Think again.
“That should be a wonderful new business model to introduce into such a stable, mature market.”
How is R/E not a mature market? It isn’t stable because prices are being propped up at these levels. Otherwise I don’t think its such a bad idea. Forsalebyowner.com has been doing it for a while. I think your just nervous people might just catch on to the idea.
and sell some long held appreciated stock.
What is that?
Stocks are flat for the last decade.
#47 - At that point how much of US retirement savings dependent upon home price appreciation? How much of consumer spending tied into MEW?
Of course, Reid changes the content of the bill every day as he try to get the 60 votes and the bill “must be voted before Christmas” even nobody knows the content yet and the nationalized health care don’t kick in until well after 2012 elections.
Well, he is right. More people know about the bill (and the process how it is being pushed), more people oppose it.
Never in the history of this country has this fundamental and radical legislation being pushed along partisan lines and against 60% public opposition. But hey, if we are lucky, we may have total 2 weeks to know what the bill actually contains.
I can’t say people were not warned. This is a radical Marxist leadership running the country. Just couple of days ago, Clinton-appointed judge ordered federal payments to ACORN to continue.
“Is our govt afraid to let real estate values fall not just for the banks, but to prevent foreign countries from buying large amounts of property within the US?”
SL,
Simply to try to save dead banks. They would embrace foreign ownership at these levels. Hell, they purchased crap securities, maybe they’ll purchase the underlying s*it.
You can’t sell and can’t refinance. Don’t understand why those underwater can’t refinance? After all, the banks have their securities mark to fantasy. Why not afford the “homeowner” the same sham?
The only solution is to blow it all out. Free the slaves, get them out spending again. If not, we simply sink at a slower pace. How’s levergage in your walls/roof working these days?
cobbler (48)-
I’d love to see you spend a week as a self-employed independent contractor.
48 cobbler:
“they either find the way to buy it or work for the employer who buys it.”
Yes, today they have it, but once nationalized health care kicks in, many (or most) employers are likely to drop the insurance. This is the ultimate purpose of the bill (destruction of private plans).
[28] nomad,
CBO and CRS all have analyses of the bills.
That provision got a raised eyebrow from me, but that doesn’t make it b.s. More harebrained things than that have been proposed, only to be disposed of in committee (which is the purpose of a committee).
FWIW, I don’t track pending legislation closely because it is a waste of time to track a provision that may never see the light of day. So I will let you and Jamil hammer out whose right.
cooper says:
December 15, 2009 at 8:06 am
“Ukulele Boy Plays I’m Yours By Jason Mraz ” this version is so much better than the original…
coop: the best part is where he stops to scratch his nose….
mocha (50)-
I’m not crazy about it, because my net income- after expenses and taxes- ain’t that great under the current comp structure.
And I’m probably in the top 2-3% of agents around.
Thanks to idiots like you who have no understanding of self-employment or the expense/tax exposures of independent contractors, the public thinks the entire gross commish goes directly into agents’ pockets. If you want to argue that the RE business should somehow be severely curtailed by gubmint- or shut down entirely- well, that’s a different argument. However, if that’s what the “people” and gubmint want, I wish they’d go ahead, blindfold us and deliver a quick bullet to the head, rather than kill us with the death of 1,000 cuts aka incremental legislation.
It’s really not a problem, since- legal or not- I ain’t giving away income. Will burn down my building and leave the country before that happens.
jamil - based on those numbers, there should be no one (with a family of four) that is willing to earn between $88,200 and $103,400. If you are in the situation and are offered a job in that range, either ask to be paid 88,199 and get the subsidy or $103,401 and come out $1 per year better and pay you own way.
Only in America.
[44] safe,
I did add Canada to my short list of expatriate havens, and probably the only foreign country were I would consider a Nompound.
All those snowbirds are on to something, I think.
Schump, BC, tosh,
Thanks. I felt I understood what is/was going on better 2-4 yrs ago.
Today, I don’t understand any of it. I’m at the point of just being lost.
I agree our govt is f*cking us royally. I’ve lost faith there completely. How to plan for it (without going all armageddonish) is my conundrum.
Off to an appt. Will check back later.
sl
homeboken (60)-
Natch that this idiotic plan would contain a “donut”.
[62] still,
Illegitemi non carborundum.
sl (62)-
Look at it from the POV of a person or conspiracy attempting to perpetrate a giant fraud. Then, it becomes easier to identify the perps, the marks, the vehicle and the endgame.
cobbler 48 Not so been there, at the 90k level you can not afford 12 -13 hundred a month for ins. I guess on the other hand we could have eaten friskies to afford it.
No problem now though, underemployed big brother gives me ins.
Schump - The other way to control the variable is by adjusting family size. Squeeze out another kid, and bingo, $15,200 effecitve tax credit. Happy Birthday junior!
The gubmint is Madoff, writ large.
Shumpt,
Sorry to have hit a nerve, I just feel that competition is always good for the consumer. I’m not saying that RE agents don’t deserve to earn a living. In order to compete they would have to provide value to the home buyer. In recent times it seems that everyone and their brother has gone out and gotten the required certs to become an agent ala’ tech bubble certs. I would think that competition with sites such as ebay and forsalebyowner would allow the well qualified agents who truly provide a service to rise to the top.
home (67)-
I’d adopt a 17 y/o member of MS-13, right off the street in San Salvador.
A little training, a few English lessons…then cut him loose in DC.
#61 nom,
We are seriously thinking of visiting Canada next year. Strictly for vacationing purposes of course.
3b SL
Re RE in the 90’s.
In the 90’s RE was not the basis for a large % of banks leveraged assets as well as the basis for a large % of retirement plan assets.
If RE falls through the floor the banks get wiped out and a large % of retiree’s assets are now worthless (i.e CALPERS).
“Hospital cleaners are worth more to society than bankers, a study suggests.
The research, carried out by think tank the New Economics Foundation, says hospital cleaners create £10 of value for every £1 they are paid.
It claims bankers are a drain on the country because of the damage they caused to the global economy.
They reportedly destroy £7 of value for every £1 they earn.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8410489.stm
“The gubmint is Madoff, writ large.”
Schump,
Exactly. They should free his ass. Based on his resume, he’s worth much more as a treasury sec.
mocha (69)-
The competition already exists and is already more zero-sum game than you can imagine. The diff between the 10% UE print and the 20% UE reality is littered with independent contractors of all types (since we don’t count as “employees” to begin with, we don’t count against UE when we have no work).
I have no problem at all adding value and competing (or I’d have gone bust three years ago), but I also don’t need the gubmint mandating new ways in which I can give away money.
Deflation my ass.
November wholesale inflation up more than expected
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER (AP) – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON — Inflation at the wholesale level surged in November, reflecting price jumps in energy and other products. The bigger-than-expected increase is certain to raise the attention of Federal Reserve policymakers beginning a two-day meeting on interest rates.
The Fed has been able to keep interest rates at record-low levels to bolster the shaky recovery, but if inflation pressures begin to mount, the central bank could be forced to start raising rates sooner than expected.
Wholesale prices jumped 1.8 percent in November, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That’s more than double the 0.8 percent gain analysts expected. Core inflation, which excludes energy and food, rose 0.5 percent, the biggest increase in more than a year.
Over the past 12 months, wholesale prices rose 2.4 percent, the biggest gain over an annual period since October 2008. Wholesale prices had been negative when compared with year-ago levels for 11 straight months.
The November increase followed a 0.3 percent rise in October and was the largest one-month change since August, a gain also driven by energy.
The report on wholesale prices comes on the same day that the Fed was set to begin its final meeting of the year. The absence of inflation pressures due to the recession has allowed the central bank to keep a key interest rate at a record-low for the past year.
The unexpectedly large jump in wholesale prices was not likely to alter the outcome of the Fed’s deliberations although it might influence future actions. The Fed was expected to announce on Wednesday that it would again keep a key interest rate between zero and 0.25 percent.
While unemployment dropped slightly in November to 10 percent, from a 26-year high of 10.2 percent, analysts believe it will resume rising in coming months, acting as a further drag on economic growth. The high unemployment levels have kept a lid on prices, as workers afraid of being laid off, have moderated wage demands.
In a recent speech, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the economy continues to confront “formidable headwinds” as it struggles to mount a sustained recovery.
Wholesale energy prices jumped 6.9 percent in November, the biggest surge since August. Gasoline prices rose 14.2 percent, while the cost of home heating oil jumped 18.3 percent last month.
Still, oil prices have been falling in recent days, hovering around $70 per barrel. That’s down from a 2009 high of $82 per barrel hit in October.
Food prices rose 0.5 percent at the wholesale level last month, following a1.6 percent rise in October.
The 0.5 percent rise in core inflation, which excludes food and energy, followed a 0.6 percent drop in October.
A 4.2 percent increase in the cost of light trucks and sport utility vehicles led the gain. The cost of cigarettes rose 2.6 percent.
The Produce Price Index reflects price pressures before they reach the consumer. The government will release its look at consumer prices on Wednesday. Economists believe they will show a more moderate gain of 0.4 percent, with core consumer prices expected to rise 0.1 percent.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNiyJ905Ho0Ur96V2TQhsBX19lGwD9CJP9M80
Mike,
Sometimes i wonder why i bother, when Big brother is waiting with an open hand :(
Fair enough
[74] BC
I was reading a passage about Eraserhead in Sorkin’s book last night. When confronted with the crisis, he had a deer in the headlights quality about him, right down to the spinning eyeballs.
I’d love to play high stakes poker with that guy. I’m sure Einhorn would as well since he would clean us both out.
[77] kettle
Have you learned to Love Big Brother?
Now drink your Victory kool-aid.
Ket Full coverage 0 copay 0 scrips. Come to the dark side.
In truth you know I hate it but you have to do what you have to do. This is what those MFers want. Clot let me know when you want to go , I’m in.
homeboken
when you earn 88,199 you don’t get 15K in subsidy; you get about 6 cents. Methinks you need to be earning below 25K or so w/family of 4 to qualify for the full subsidy.
And by the way, without public option or medicare buy-in, and with puny penalties for non-compliance, the whole plan becomes so toothless and useless that I don’t understand why anyone bothers to oppose it other than for political reasons.
For once I am giving important information. One of the top 3 IB banks in the world issued and internal only report today, 660 pages, ripping to shreds every single bond position that Bill Gross owns in the Total Return fund. The guy went insanely short and did a massive selling of all positions that mature after 2011. This will not be seen until after his YE official statements come out. The greatest bond investor of all time is putting 100% of his chips and his reputation that rates are going up big time in 2012 and beyond. He may be wrong look at Bill Miller, but he who bets against smart people is usually dumb or lucky.
Nom,
Was watching some cartoons with my son over the weekend. Both old 70’s-80’s cartoons and the newer stuff on Nick Jr. It was interesting to not the difference.
Recent cartoons heavily push collective “as a group” behavior, while the older cartoons actually pushed individualism while being a team player. Some of the recent cartoons actively push that you cant achieve your goals on your own, only as a group.
This newer mentality we are apparently teaching our children will fit in nicely with chinese culture.
Its also scary how effective modern media is at sucking children into it. Time to disconnect from the grid?
Insurance will be meaningless when the gubmint starts gunning us down.
Schum,
I am pretty sure that “enemy combatants” are not covered by insurance plans. Problem solved.
John (83)-
So, two more years of deflationary debt crisis, then we go Weimar?
Schump John
I agree with johns general time line. I have a whole bucket full of independent indicators that point to early 2011 - late 2012 as when things blow up.
Schump,
Note that i have been saying 2012 is a likely blow up for the last 2 years
“he had a deer in the headlights quality about him”
Nom,
I can just picture him as Chinese students are laughing at his nonsense.
Modern pop music for the over-40 Shatner set…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2guQYivZ6w&feature=related
JJ: Where can you get your hands on this?
John says:
December 15, 2009 at 10:09 am
For once I am giving important information. One of the top 3 IB banks in the world issued and internal only report today, 660 pages, ripping to shreds every single bond position that Bill Gross owns in the Total Return fund. The guy went insanely short and did a massive selling of all positions that mature after 2011. This will not be seen until after his YE official statements come out. The greatest bond investor of all time is putting 100% of his chips and his reputation that rates are going up big time in 2012 and beyond. He may be wrong look at Bill Miller, but he who bets against smart people is usually dumb or lucky.
I just want an updated list of Monikers:
(1) Bergabe
(2) Eraserhead
(3) Bush 2.0
others?
Christie will be? Dom Deluise?
Can anyone pull an address / history on NJMLS #Listing Number: 2921458?
It’s not a home I’m interested in, but I just came across it listed at $499.9k as a short sale, and I know it was listed ridiculously not too long ago. I believe in the $900’s, so I would love to see what it was purchased for.
Thanks!
57 Comrade:
“More harebrained things than that have been proposed, only to be disposed of in committee (which is the purpose of a committee).”
Yes, this used to be the case, but we don’t have committees anymore. Reid is adding and deleting pieces here and there and then it goes to full Senate vote. That’s the whole point: To ram it through before the public (or gasp, media not aligned with The Government) finds out what’s in the bill.
re: Obama and Bankers not showing up. Smoke and mirrors, tough talk from Obama while Congress is real busy right now trying to ram in changes while the Yule Tide is in effect.
FYI, the House agreed to it’s Financial Services Regulations on Friday, HR 4173. It’ passed by only 21 votes.
As promised Barney Frank attached Ron Paul’s amendment to audit the Fed. HR 4173 is a massive pieces of legislation of 1,279 pages. There is allot of Federal Pre-emption of states rights in this bill. Mortgage and anti-predatory legislation galore.
I have my doubts whether Ron Paul’s audit the Fed will survive reconciliation between the House and Senate versions of the Bill.
Remember every time hyperinflation rips through an economy, the middle class gets completely wiped out. If you are the least bit politically active be sure to write Sen,. Lautenberg, Sen. Menendez and your Local House Representative.
Here is the massive bill.
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h4173ih.txt.pdf
More on the Votes of HR 4173
http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/house/1/968
Schump
yes i base my enitre opinion off of the Mayan calendar.
[87] clot
Depressingly, that coincides with my timeline as well. Not Weimar, but something bad. Carter 2.0, most likely.
I think the O man is basing his presidency off of LBJ, war no one wants, massive increase in govt spending, programs up the ying yang being instituted, or perhaps Hitlers germany, Stalin’s USSR, any time the government gets too much power, bad things seem to happen.
How’s that socia1ism thing working out down there, Hugo?
“Venezuela has overtaken Ukraine as the country with the world’s riskiest debt, and the chance either economy will default on its debt is above 50 percent, credit default swap monitor CMA DataVision said on Tuesday. . . . .
Venezuela, whose CDS prices show a 57.7 percent probability of default, slipped into recession in the third quarter and has the highest inflation rate in Latin America . . . .”
The end is nigh…..
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091215/wl_nm/us_italy_berlusconi_souvenir
J [83],
Mish touched on this Monday.
“Should the pattern from today and last Friday continue, it would be a reversal of a long 3-to-5 year, short 30-year trade in play.
Certainly, there is little value in 2-year yields at .85% or 3-year yields at 1.35%.
I am now wondering if PIMCO (or someone) is unwinding a yield curve steepening trade.”
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/
How’s that socia1ism thing working out down there, Hugo?
Just as well as capitalism did in Iceland, Ireland and Dubai.
Tosh #22
That article on Black Metal reminds me of this classic book review.
http://tinyurl.com/l4d353
#58 Chifi
coop: the best part is where he stops to scratch his nose…
AHHHHH LMAO loved it! I rewound it 3x- it was great & his lyrics were so insightful
Is there a link to the story about the bankers not making it to DC yesterday?? This is classic.
#105 - Theo - That was awesome. I dig Mark Ames too, I have no idea how I hadn’t read it before.
re #107 - Here is the best coverage I have seen.
http://gawker.com/5426037/wall-st-bankers-snub-obama-duck-dc-sit+down-because-of-inclement-weather
if you know a MS/SB internal person who can downlow it to you go for it. In the words of the infamous former New Jersey Gov I was only able to get it orally.
I am buying step-ups and high coupon callable bonds near par for now. Best Offense is a good defense. THe last year was a good time to go long and naked now it is time to cover your nuts and get out the butt plug before our current one term president introduces 8% money markets.
chicagofinance says:
December 15, 2009 at 10:20 am
JJ: Where can you get your hands on this?
John says:
December 15, 2009 at 10:09 am
chifi
gotta love Christopher Walken doing Gaga
one of my Walken favorites… “I need more cowbell”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyV2cPLuFuA
J [110],
Back to the 70’s, Saturday Night Fever.
Is it necessary to change the law? When we sold our house in Short Hills in 2006 we had negotiated a 5% commission. When we were still about 2% away from the buyers during negotiations, I talked the buyer’s agent and my agent into each giving up 1%. My net was 3% commission and the deal got done without any “rebate” hassles.
John (110)-
The oracle has spoken. I think.
“…now it is time to cover your nuts and get out the butt plug before our current one term president introduces 8% money markets.”
Brian (113)-
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not going back to Short Hills, 2006 anytime soon.
Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.
“Good news O has earned a B+ so far. Bad news is he gave himself the grade”
Chifi,
Do you recall a study that came out of the University of Chicago about the relationship between peoples’ performance and their actual performance,
Bottom line:
The peak peeformers rate themselves badly and the poor performers rate themselves as doing well.
He blew his opportunity to fix banking and unless he gets behind legislation to break up the bif banks, they will run roughshod over him and, by extension, us.
A first shot across their bow should be a threat to make them mark to market NOW. That will kill the ability to offer bonuses.
Schumpeter - yeah, exactly. That’s why we left NJ. Our house was about 80% overvalued when we sold it. My brother-in-law moved to Millburn in 2007 (not so smart) so I still follow the local market for him.
I just wonder why bother changing the law to require a rebate. Negotiate the commission with the realtor and there is no need to change the law.
#72 kettle: True. But in the end it is inevitable that the whole thing collapses. How long can they keep the charade going?
The end is nigh….
I was just lectured about showing “testicular fortitude”…….
@Schump[6];
I’ll be at the GTG to see you off. Say hello to all the travel agents already living where you are going.
Reposting from late yesterday afternoon:
Anyone ride the express bus from Springfield to Port Authority? Tolerable? On time? Sit or stand?
Thanks, Moose
“Our house was about 80% overvalued when we sold it.”
Brian [117],
Congrats. Where are you taking up residence now?
#119 - chi - Are still allowed to drink the coffee? `cause Mitch and Murray ain’t foolin’ around.
Not an Offer to Purchase or Sell Securities. This overview is for informational purposes and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. You should consult a financial planner before undertaking a course of action.
UBS E-TRACS DJ-UBS Commodity Index Total Return
http://www.ibb.ubs.com/staging/UBZ1347ETNFactsheet.pdf
John says:
December 15, 2009 at 11:14 am
“I am buying step-ups and high coupon callable bonds near par for now. Best Offense is a good defense. THe last year was a good time to go long and naked now it is time to cover your nuts and get out the butt plug before our current one term president introduces 8% money markets. ”
I feel like there is some valuable information in there. If only I understood it.
feel sorry for the guy who bought my condo, last week.
re #116- Shore Guy
Obama was warned by Volker last month to separate commercial banking from investment banking.
We that ain’t happening in this new legislation,they will not shut down the Casino, they are going to “regulate” the Casino. What’s worse is this new Gov agency Consumer Protection they are creating will flush States Rights right down the toilet.
Leverage your deposits,bet them on the roulette table and let the gov bail out the failed banks will be the new mantra down in DC.
lishooh,
John thinks interest rates are going to go up.
People ask for discounts all of the time. Those that do great work can afford to hold their prices. People give disconts for a number of reasons. Realtors should make their own choice. But they should not be surprised if they are asked. It’s not personal.
IRS Hires Hundreds for New Unit Targeting Rich ….A new Internal Revenue Service unit set up to catch rich tax cheats hiding their wealth in complex business entities is rapidly taking shape with the hiring of hundreds of employees…http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/IRS-taxes-rich-businesses/2009/12/12/id/341954
d2b - you are free to negotiate but if you dare suggest that Schump lower his cut, he would prob slam you across the skull with a chilled bottle of Knob.
Shore-
Zero chance of mark to market for a decade. He would blow up the to big to fail that he worked so hard to save. They have him by the balls. This last stunt shows that he is a chump. He squandered his chance.
lisoosh says:
December 15, 2009 at 11:50 am
“I am buying step-ups and high coupon callable bonds near par for now.
I feel like there is some valuable information in there. If only I understood it.
l: Step-up bonds have coupons that increment on a certain schedule: 5, 5 1/2, 6, 6 1/2….callables (which include step-up) have a feature that allows the issuer to buy the bond back from you for a set price in the contract.
In this kind of environment, these bonds tend to be cheaper that regular non-callables, because they are much less attractive….if there is a bond rally, your bond will be called away from you; if there is a selloff, you lose money….JJ is looking for the best yields at this point in time and thinks of all the choices right now, the best pricing is there….
RE: 129
Memories…
I remember the Trabant as well as the Wartburg, Syrena, Lada and Skoda. I specifically remember my father hand cranking the car one particularly cold winter morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsGUoljkrDE
#72 kettle: And yet even with all the manipualtion house prices are still falling;not as fast as we would like, but falling nonethless.
#134 - In honor of the Tradant, Lada, et al. one of my favorite Top Gear clips, Has Communism ever produced a good car?
Not just that but you need to position yourself now. Short term rates are still at near zero for 2010 and 2011. However, you can’t afford to leave your money at near zero for two years. Certain bonds “step up” every so often to higher coupon rates and callable munies with high coupons don’t trade much above par. Reason being when rates are low you will call a bond where the coupon keeps rising or has a high coupon rates. However, if rates rise quickly these type of bonds will not get called, however since they are paying an above average coupon rate they still stay at par. Downside, is if rate fall further they will get called and if that happens you then have to replace the bond at an even lower yield. This strategy is only good when rates will be low for a year or two and then slowly start rising for an extended period of time.
scribe says:
December 15, 2009 at 12:10 pm
lishooh,
John thinks interest rates are going to go up.
100.jcer says:
December 15, 2009 at 10:36 am
I think the O man is basing his presidency off of LBJ, war no one wants, massive increase in govt spending, programs up the ying yang being instituted
Good analogy. Amazing, Nixon ended the Unholy VietNam War & got Crucified over B.S. Watergate. LBJ got off scot free & killed lot’s of Americans, for What?
Zip realty gives you back 25% of total commission ….coming soon http://www.ziprealty.com/maps/index.jsp?location=01666&usage=search&locate=false
#137 John: I agree rates will probably stay close to zero in 2010 (maybe), but I just cannot see them remaining that low through 2011 as well.
I think rates will rise in 2011 but not enough to make it dumb to lock in a two year rate where the extra bps you get in 2010 and most of 2011 is well worth it. However, 2012 and beyond those little bps you got in 2010 and 2011 will look stupid.
3b says:
December 15, 2009 at 12:31 pm
#137 John: I agree rates will probably stay close to zero in 2010 (maybe), but I just cannot see them remaining that low through 2011 as well.
“you can’t afford to leave your money at near zero for two years.”
Johnny, yes you can as long as inflation remains subdued - real rate of return still +.
i like your step-up strategy but if word gets out that bill gross put his reputation on the line that inflation will rage in 2012, then the issuer prob aint calling nothing.
[130] db
Not so widely advertised is the fact that the Department of Justice is advertising for lawyers in its civil and criminal sections of the DoJ Tax Division.
Advertising. With a glut of attorneys on the street.
The concertina is being strung, the towers are going up, and the borders have been sealed. We are in for the mother of all shakedowns.
Kettle1 (84),
That’s a really interesting observation about cartoons. Which programs in particular do you see pushing a collectivist/conformist philosophy? Which ones do you find tolerable?
I think kids really do pick up the underlying ethical assumptions portrayed on TV, and that really worries me.
There are just a few shows that I don’t mind my 8 yr old daughter watching now. Pretty much everything on Nick is worthless. Disney is most Jr High soap operas/comedy trash. Phineas and Ferb is probably the only worthwhile show on that channel, mostly due to the ingenuity of the characters and the low level of sarcasm.
Cyberchase on PBS isn’t good on this front but it actually teaches some math/critical thinking skills.
The original Angelina Ballerina cartoons were ok.
South Park will be ok when she’s 16. Raunchy but most shows are about exposing hypocrisy.
[104] vic
We’ll see whose system, government, and social order implodes first.
Care to put money on Ireland becoming a worker’s paradise before Hugo boards a one-way flight to Cuba?
“There is no way, there has to be some type of government credits that offset the $15,200 and if not, I call BS on the post and news source.”
Welcome to your new world of reality. Alchemy, whether packaged as securities or as hope and change, has never worked. Regardless of how pleasing to the eye the messenger appears.
scribe #127 - Thanks. That much I understood, the bond stuff confuses the h@ll out of me.
“l: Step-up bonds have coupons that increment on a certain schedule: 5, 5 1/2, 6, 6 1/2….callables (which include step-up) have a feature that allows the issuer to buy the bond back from you for a set price in the contract.
In this kind of environment, these bonds tend to be cheaper that regular non-callables, because they are much less attractive….if there is a bond rally, your bond will be called away from you; if there is a selloff, you lose money…”
Callables?
Coupons?
I need bonds 101 or “Bonds for Dummies”.
Macro-economics I get. The intricacies of diverse financial products and the attendant terminology is about 3 steps ahead of me.
Above post should also read Chi,#133 thanks for trying.
Tosh #136, hilarious. Love me some Jeremy.
moose (120)-
Fcuk you too.
Schump[150];
Well, thanks for confirming my hypothesis.
Maybe at my going-away GTG, I can use moose as a pinata.
Moose (151)-
Share your hypothesis with all of us, dipshit.
From MarketWatch:
FDIC nearly doubles money for bank failures; adds staffers
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Tuesday agreed to nearly double the amount of capital in its 2010 budget that it is allocating to deal with bank failures and plans to add more than 1,600 staffers.
The agency released a $4 billion operating budget, of which $2.5 billion is to be used to fund the takeover of failed banks. The 2009 operating budget was $2.6 billion.
“It will ensure that we are prepared to handle an even larger number of bank failures next year, if that becomes necessary, and to provide regulatory oversight for an even larger number of troubled institutions,” FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said.
John -thank you for the effort. I think you’ve simplified it as much as you can considering for you this is second nature.
I’ll go read up on the basics and come back to think this over properly.
From CalculatedRisk; Credit card charge offs increase. Cap One is at an annualized net charge off of %9.60 up from %9.04 lat month.
#156 - up from %9.04 last month.
nuts
A West - there is nothing for 8 year old girls. PBS cartoons are getting too childish, the cute stuff, (Backyardigans -music is great) is just too simple.
Things like iCarly, Hannah Montana are geared towards the tween set, 11, 12 years old. I don’t like all the ‘making out” references for an 8 year old.
I have an 8 year old girl and was just discussing this the other day with some parents.
We’re down to nature, science and history programs.
“Never in the history of this country has this fundamental and radical legislation being pushed along partisan lines and against 60% public opposition.”
It always amazes me that in Dem circles Clinton’s mid-cycle Congressional losses were blamed on NOT passing HillaryCare. I still think they don’t get that the losses were due to the hubris of the crowd that tried.
If Republicans had any brains they would tee the sequel up now.
Take a huge, vocal public stance against this bill. Don’t even come near it. Don’t try to change it. Totally disavow any ownership. Come out today campaigning - “this bill is so bad and the process is so flawed you need to vote these guys out of office in 2010.” Set the bill and especially the process up as the litmus test for 2010.
In the meantime let the Dems and Libs fight it out which will make the bill even more left leaning. Deficits will continue to explode up to 2010. Since nobody will see any of the bill’s freebies before the election you go into 2010 well positioned to take both houses. Play your cards right and it may even become a major 2012 issue as well.
tosh thanks needed a time waster to listen to at work. That was laugh out loud funny. maybe it is because I’m on slide 150 of a training program but damn funny none the less.
Schump[153]:
Since I have to spell it out for you:
2000’s real estate agents == 1990’s travel agents + 10 years
Must have hit close to home to draw you out like it did. Gary also nailed it at [14].
If all the crap agents claim to do (like your [6] - and in my experience that is readily handled by an associates-educated paralegal who shows the papers to the the closing attorney to bless - what the agents really do between offer and close is keep shoveling shit long enough to gather everyone around the closing table and cash their commission check) was so damn valuable, then why not charge for those services transactionally or by the hour? Lawyers are rich using that business model.
The only thing of value a used house sales flack has is the hostage hold on listings data that they ransom out. (Our dear host had to jump through the licensure hoops just to get unimpeded access). A used house sales flack without the MLS is driving a 13 year-old Honda Civic, instead of a leased BMB.
I’d go for nature, science, and history programs too, but despite the number of tv channels with those words in their name, I don’t find much useful content there. Any favorite shows? I saw a rerun of Cosmos last week, and though the production values are cheap, at least Sagan was comprehensable and told a story. Too much of the nature stuff is just green propaganda, which my kid already gets too much of at school. (Not aggressive, but just persistent pushing of unproven hypotheses as “fact”, and assigning excessive importance to what are ultimately secondary issues in science - like teaching kids to save trees before teaching them how trees actually grow, how paper and houses are made, or teaching kids to write to congressmen about global warming before they learn the temperature at which water boils).
lisoosh,
callable = if rates decline, the issuer will “call” - i.e., buy back, or retire the bonds early - in order to re-finance at a lower rate
so you lose your higher interest rate and have to re-invest at a lower interest rate
given the risk, callable bonds can pay more in interest
coupon - interest rate on the bond. as in “clipping the coupon,” as if you were clipping a quarterly or monthly coupon and sending it in to collect the regularly scheduled interest payment
Anon,
Houses aren’t as commoditized as airplane flights and hotel rooms, and the stakes are much higher for the buyer. Customers and agents will ultimately figure out what the equilibrium rate is, but it’s a lot higher than $10/transaction, for good agents.
I do suspect that prof licensing does provide barriers to entry that holds up prices, just as they do in securities, medicine, law, etc. But that doesn’t mean the services are worthless.
I use a travel agent. Her prices are almost always lower than what I can find online, and I’m a shark when it comes to finding deals.
moose (161)-
You have no idea what I do, yet according to the pea-brained 8th grade mental construct you posit, I am lazy, redundant, peripheral to the process and of no real economic value. Were I guilty of information hoarding, “shit shoveling” or any the other strawmen you’ve stacked up against me, I’d already be wearing an orange smock.
If you saw some of the stuff I’m resolving and some of the lenders and borrowers I’m saving a huge degree of time, money and further loss, you’d be surprised. Then again, I doubt you’d be interested in that, since it would blow your safe little preconception into smithereens.
If you don’t believe me, ask Chifi, grim or BC a couple of questions about what I do.
Comments like yours always get to me, and I always feel obliged to respond…not because they “hit home” in any way.
It’s because I can’t believe there are people as stupid as you let loose on the world.
Go kill yourself.
My travel agent is the best, too. There aren’t many of them left, but the survivors have the biz locked up.
A. West. I’m not green-phobic so I have less of an issue there than you do. If my kids learn conservation and to respect their largerliving environment, I’m happy. I’m quite capable of fleshing out any concepts they ask about.
One suggestion, and my daughter loves this program, is Design Squad on Channel 13, Friday afternoons. A bunch of geeky kids get engineering challenges and compete against each other to build a better widget.
She also enjoys Myth-Busters on Discovery. It’s a bit drawn out but shows science as fun.
8 is a tough age though.
For younger ones, Sid the Science kid is irritating but they learn about nutrition and the digestive system and stuff like that. As someone else mentioned, Cyberchase introduces math concepts in a fun way. The new Electric Company is good for my 5 year old.
Scribe, very helpful.
This house looks so putrid, I had to share. $1mn reduced from 1.1mn, address not disclosed which means it might be next to a cemetary.
9 car garage, 25 feet of his and her closet space. Unfortunately it’s incredibly ugly and looks like it could fall down any day.
http://www.century21.com/property/index.jsp?id=35800292
Moose.
Had you asked, anyone of us could have told you that you were about to be Berlusconi’d.
But then again, that was half the fun.
“There are just a few shows that I don’t mind my 8 yr old daughter watching now.”
It’s my 9 year old’s ‘week’ at school.
Nice idea, each day he brings in things that are important to him, photos from his favorite vacation, etc. all so the kids can get to know eachother better.
So he’s filling out the poster with all his favorites on it for class on Monday and wants to put down “Family Guy” as his favorite show.
Ahh, what the heck. My reading Mad magazine growing up gave my mother agita but gave me a touch of sarcasm and a BS meter that has served me well in life….
Lishoosh,
Design squad is probably good, may have seen once, need to DVR it. I might DVR Cosmos too, see how she likes it.
Myth Busters is interesting to me, not yet to her. Fios also has some interesting shows on demand about science in the kids section, but there aren’t enough of them. Sci-Q is the best one of those.
Daughter liked the Magic School Bus books last year, she’s already getting too old, for those. The PBS cartoon’s lame acting and lame jokes overwhelm the learning element unfortunately, though it might work for younger kids.
Even if I agreed with the green agenda, as a parent and educator, I’d have a problem with this becoming 50% of science content in schools, and the fact that they are teaching higher-level concepts before teaching basic concepts in doing so. It’s like teaching calculus before teaching addition and subtraction, requiring them to just memorize empty catchphrases they cannot possibly grasp fully.
[150]“Fcuk you too.”
[153]“dipshit.”
[166]“pea-brained 8th grade mental construct you posit”…”Go kill yourself.”
Only one of us thinks this discussion is worth schoolyard name-calling. I suppose if my livelihood were crumbling, and I was ill-prepared for anything else nearly as lucrative, I’d react similarly.
You have no idea what I do
For the sake of this discussion, I believe that you do what you say you do in [7], “everything between contract & close (attorney, title, inspections, etc)”. I’m not quite sure what services you provide that are of value to the attorney, or the title insurer, or the inspector. In my experience a typical used house salesman’s involvement with these activities begins with selecting said practicioners, proceeds to collecting a kickback therefrom for the privilege, and ends with recieving and forwarding whatever papers these produce. If we asked any of them, the’d likely tell us that the intermediary is quite transparent to their work (save for the kickback), and that they could just as easily forward those papers directly to the interested parties.
And remember, if there were no people as stupid as you believe I am, who would pay $600,000 for a 50-yo POS NJ cape? Such stupid people are likely a user house salesman’s bread-and-butter.
158- T.V is slim pickings for adults too.All of the Adults in my family are also down to just nature, science, and history programs! Plus, we cannot stand the incessant commercials anymore. Oh, and also we try to watch TCM channel. Sometimes the movies are outdated but at least we don’t have to have our brains bombarded with commercial crap.
#175 - HW - T.V is slim pickings for adults too
Yup, I ended up ditching TV entirely for just internet access at home. Hulu and PBS offer a lot of content online, for everything else there is TPB.
I also read more now.
bednar
what put me in mod?
Moose: I do not have a bone with you at all, but lay off strumpet……
Why is strumpet perpetually on the rag?
His home shares a common boundary with this piece of property….
Regulated Medical Waste Classes 1, 2 and 6.
10 Municipal Waste
12 Dry Sewage Sludge
13 Bulky Waste
23 Vegetative Waste
25 Animal and Food Processing Waste
27 Dry Industrial Waste including the
following subcategories: asbestos and
asbestos containing wastes; dry nonhazardous
pesticides; nonhazardous oil
spill clean-up waste; contaminated soils;
and hazardous waste as defined in N.J.A.C.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/rrtp/mcibf.pdf
170. Call me crazy but I kind of like that place.
181. essex
me too. Needs help but has potential. Nice bones
#83 - John
So if you are correct, then someone looking for a house should hold off a bit and when int rates skyrocket, and the economy still sucks and mtg rates spike, a person with a pile of $$ can get a big discount on a home purchase.
Is cash still king?
#181 - thanks Essex. I’ll agree too. It could do without all the brass railing and needs a kitchen update, but other than that I like it.
A west,
The Nick Jr show that was collectivist was “”Super Pets/rescue pets” or something like that ,a duck, hamster and turtle that rescue animals. There was also Dora. they both had multiple lines throughout the cartoon saying you cant do it alone and then showing the individual failing but the group succeeding.
You will see this line throughout a good number of the Nick jr and siney type cartoons for your kids.
In general i have torrented a bunch of discovery/national geographic nature/science shows. My son already enjoys watching the lions make the kill ( i get an ugly look from Mrs kettle for that one). he is also a big fan of monster truck rallies.
Another one he seems to enjoy is “Extreme Engineering”.
Those Nick jr and Disney shows are like freaking crack though. One taste and the kid is jonesing for more
The Smurfs lived in a communist utopia led by Papa (Lenin) Smurf. All the members of society used their individual skills to contribute to the greater good. The arch enemy of the Smurfs (Soviets) of course was Gargamel (the USA), who was always trying to acquire more gold, like all evil capitalists. Gargamel’s side- kick Azrael is suspiciously spelled and pronounced like Israel.
Just saying
Wonder Pets.
r
i dont disagree with you.
My main issue is that modern kids cartoons seem more like CIA programing sessions then entertainment.
Although kettle Jr and i do enjoy a good episode of Sponge Bob
r
the smurfs lived in a commune with all men and 1 woman…..
The Wall Street Journal
BONDS
DECEMBER 15, 2009
Tables Turn on the Euro
By KATIE MARTIN
LONDON — Support for the euro has turned very soggy very quickly, with sovereign credit risk in Greece, banking stress in Austria and weak economic data all suddenly proving a major drag.
The currency has plunged from over $1.51 against the dollar at the start of this month to trade under $1.4550 Tuesday for the first time since early October.
Now it seems that traders are latching onto every available sliver of negative news on the euro and using it as a trigger to punish the currency, particularly against the resurgent dollar.
“Things are relevant only when the market wants them to be relevant,” said Neil Mellor, a currencies analyst at Bank of New York Mellon in London. In recent months, a steady grind lower in the dollar has blinded many traders to euro-zone risks, but that is now changing, Mr. Mellor said.
“Six months ago, people would have thought ‘it’s only Greece,’ or ‘it’s only Austria.’ Now these things are taken as a reason to sell the euro,” he said.
Nerves really started to bite when Fitch Ratings downgraded its sovereign rating on debt-laden Greece last week.
However, this week, the outlook darkened further as fellow euro member Austria nationalized its sixth-largest bank. Reassurances from the Austrian central bank that it isn’t running a watch list on other banks have done nothing to calm nerves, amid concerns that the euro zone’s banks as a whole may still face serious problems. In the long run, that could hold them back from helping to finance a sustained economic recovery in the 16-nation currency bloc.
With all this coming at the same time as the U.S. dollar shoots back into favor, the euro has nosedived, with further losses seen ahead.
“We are bearish [on the euro] over the medium term,” said Michael Sneyd, a currencies economist at Barclays Wealth, the U.K.’s largest wealth manager with £134 billion under management.
Stress in the banking sector “has reaffirmed the concerns we have about the euro in the longer term. Banks in the U.K. and the U.S. have had their write downs and their government support, but we feel there’s still stress out there in the European banks that is not priced into the currency,” he added. In addition, euro-zone data have been limp. Wednesday, economic expectations for Germany were shown to have deteriorated in December, indicating that the country’s recovery may slow after a surprisingly vigorous rebound earlier in the year.
Data released Tuesday showed that the number of people in work in the euro zone fell by slightly more than had been expected. Earlier this month, euro-zone gross domestic product in the third quarter was confirmed to have declined by 4.8% in annual terms.
That all forms a clear contrast with U.S. economic data, with traders seizing on a run of relatively punchy figures for the labor market, consumer confidence and retail sales as reasons to push the dollar higher based on growing expectations for U.S. interest rate rises.
“Massive swings in relative growth projections are adding to the big swing in dollar sentiment,” said Alan Ruskin, an analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland. “We have to continue to take the impact of the data at face value and accept that relatively strong U.S. data are positive for the dollar.”
Fcuking seems to have found some resistance. Who built the floor this high? I reaaallly want it to get under $1,000 one last time.
Everyone start selling your shiny immediately!!!!!!!!!!!
62. “How to prepare for it”
Sharpen your nail bats. Its almost time to crack skulls.
TV for adults certain has slimmed down to barely tolerable. If I could order my cable channels ala carte, I think I would end up with 6 total.
ESPN
Food
History
Discovery
YES
HBO (only for Curb)
Anything else I want I can get on Netflix or Hulu.
Note to self. Victorian is in need of a nail bat.
moose (174)-
I don’t think this is worth anything other than me putting you in the hospital.
1031 Route 202, Branchburg, NJ. Please, please set foot on my property.
And don’t worry; you’re not worth a bullet.
Unless you would care to come to my office and question my integrity to my face, kindly STFU.
Violence is not the answer.
In tri-state area we have the tax break to buy a home expiring in a few months, rates set to rise, property taxes set to take a hike as NYS and NJ withold school payments and home owner insurance on the rise. That with final re-sets taking place leaves 2010 a very iffy year. People forget 1993 was great year in stocks buy houses did squat. The other issue is lots of lots of people cash out vested stock to buy high end homes, most have 3 year vesting. Do you folks at Citi and AIG care about your share grants from 2007 and 2008 that are soon set to vest at pennies on the dollar, not.
Nomad says:
December 15, 2009 at 3:59 pm
#83 - John
So if you are correct, then someone looking for a house should hold off a bit and when int rates skyrocket, and the economy still sucks and mtg rates spike, a person with a pile of $$ can get a big discount on a home purchase.
Is cash still king?
In research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, in which almost 2,000 felons were interviewed, 34% of felons said they had been “scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim” and 40% of these criminals admitted that they had been deterred from committing a crime out of fear that the potential victim was armed.
Allowing law-abiding people to arm themselves offers more than piece of mind for those individuals — it pays off for everybody through lower crime rates. Statistics from the FBI’s Uniformed Crime Report of 2007 show that states with right-to-carry laws have a 30% lower homicide rate, 46% lower robbery, and 12% lower aggravated assault rate and a 22% lower overall violent crime rate than do states without such laws. That is why more and more states have passed right-to-carry laws over the past decade.
In 1987, the state of Florida enacted a “shall issue” law that has become the model for other states. Anti-gun groups, politicians and the news media predicted the new law would lead to vigilante justice and “Wild West” shootouts on every corner.
But since adopting a concealed carry law Florida’s total violent crime rate has dropped 32% and its homicide rate has dropped 58%. Floridians, except for criminals, are safer due to this law. And Florida is not alone. Texas’ violent crime rate has dropped 20% and homicide rate has dropped 31%, since enactment of its 1996 carry law.
Another study makes the moral case for expanding and enhancing right-to-carry laws. A report by John Lott, Jr. and David Mustard of the University of Chicago released in 1996 found “that allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons deters violent crimes and it appears to produce no increase in accidental deaths.” Further, the Lott-Mustard study noted, “If those states which did not have right-to-carry concealed gun provisions had adopted them in 1992, approximately 1,570 murders; 4,177 rapes; and over 60,000 aggravate assaults would have been avoided yearly.”
Nearly 8,000 of our fellow citizens have died between 1992 and 1996 because of the irrational fear that law-abiding Americans would abuse their right to self defense. In fact concealed carry permit holders are more law-abiding than the rest of the public. For example, Florida, which has issued more carry permits than any state has issued 1.36 million permits, but revoked only 165 (0.01%) due to gun crimes by permit-holders.
As Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” Our society is a violent society. However, the innocent deserve access to the tools they need to defend themselves. Changing the concealed carry laws in New Jersey to “Shall Issue” are a no brainer in the efforts to reduce crime. Also from a financial perspective for a State that needs to build revenue, enacting “Shall Issue” for law abiding citizens with clean records and clear background checks for a nominal annual fee would generate a significant amount of annual revenue for the State of New Jersey to help fight the main problem which is illegal firearms.
alap (198)-
In this case, violence is an excellent answer.
People like this piece of trash should be dead.
People like this piece of trash should be dead.
Kinda loosing your shiate here.
– A Federal grand jury in Manhattan indicted Galleon Group Founder Raj Rajaratnam and New Castle Partners trader Danielle Chiesi, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The indictment charges them with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud, the person added.
who is Al Gore?
Previous userID?
Lisoosh-
Never really worried too much about kids watching shows that were slightly above their age bracket because most of the references breeze over their heads. If you go back and watch old cartoons there are lots of adult references in there.
sumo wrestling between Christie and Rajaratnam….who wins?
make money says:
December 15, 2009 at 4:45 pm
– A Federal grand jury in Manhattan indicted Galleon Group Founder Raj Rajaratnam
Kettle1,
Yeah, Wonder Pets does have “what’s gonna work, teamwork” in its theme song. Teamwork itself isn’t the problem, that’s a skill worth having. But Wonder Pets makes every single animal that tries to accomplish something on its own fail miserably. That’s a conscious decision suggesting a worldview totally different from my own. What the writers did to punish Ollie the Rabbit for the transgression of trying to achieve something on his own was unconscionable.
Anon E. Moose says:
December 15, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Moose: Again, no offense, but you are basically calling out the unanimous #1 poster on the blog. The only thing greater than his intellect is his integrity. You are going down the wrong path with this one.
As an aside, Bednar says that he has a husky kielbasa as well, which is good for the fairer set here and Frank.
OK last time I try this one…..
chicagofinance says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
December 15, 2009 at 3:40 pm
THE END IS TRULY NIGH…..bednarski :(
http://www.vaneck.com/index.cfm?cat=3192&cGroup=ETF&tkr=PLND&LN=3_02&rfl=/plnd/homebanner
Schumpeter says:
December 15, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Unless you would care to come to my office and question my integrity to my face, kindly STFU.
strumpet: please purchase for immediate use…..
http://www.mypleasure.com/store/largerimage.asp?pf_id=2083&img=2083&name=Mens%20Pleasure%20Wand
HopeAndChangeYesWeCan update….
Bloomberg: Barack Obama’s clean-energy initiatives will help create more than 700,000 jobs and allow the U.S. to double its renewable-power generation in three years, according to a report by Vice President Joe Biden…
Footnote # 3 on Biden’s report:
“All of the job estimates used in this document correspond to jobs that last for one year. Of course, some jobs could last longer — in this case the number of distinct jobs would be reduced proportionately. For example, a project that employs one person for two years would count as creating two jobs.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/administration-official/vice_president_memo_on_clean_energy_economy.pdf
Doubleplusgood!
206…Geezus that is an awesome image.
Team Clot
its really gay in here.
Guys, please don’t take your bad blog day home to the little lady, it ain’t her fault. After all, its not Monday Night Football.
Lisoosh-
A great site for a starter in bonds .you can even set up a real time tape as bonds trade ….I traded bonds 32 yeqars for Garban and this is a great starting point http://www.investinginbonds.com/learnmore.asp?catid=2&id=62
btw nice deconstructing of Wonder Pets. I think the little duck is still pretty funny.
Will be interesting to see if it passes or not.
a href=”http://www.hudsonrealtygroup.com”>Hudson Realty Group | Hoboken and Jersey City Real Estate
Will be interesting to see if it passes or not.
Hudson Realty Group | Hoboken and Jersey City Real Estate
Schump, I feel your pain.
I deal with “people” (and I use that term loosely) who haven’t a clue what I have done, am doing or will do for them…. no clue at all.
And then insult me as I’m doing it.
I know that angst well. My advice:
Don’t stoop to feed trolls. You have been an awesome resource on so many levels for so many people on so many topics…many here owe you a lot.
sl
“Were down to nature, science and history programs”
That is about all that is worth watching anymore.
Nom,
Thanks… :)
sl
Shore Guy says:
December 15, 2009 at 6:22 pm
“Were down to nature, science and history programs”
That is about all that is worth watching anymore.
Shore-
Pitchers and catchers report in about 60 days.
Ket, (heck I forgot the #)
RE, CalPERS, etc.
Makes sense… more sense than foreign owners…
I can’t see how it helps folks retiring soon (unless they are invested in IYR) though it may help folks not due to retire for one and a half to two decades (I’m guessing here.)
sl
Chi, 208
As an aside, Bednar says that he has a husky kielbasa as well
Um, you constantly reference jb’s chest hair and nether regions.
Is he your man-crush or something?? WTF?
As an aside, I never met a Polish kielbasa I didn’t like. But that was years and years ago.
sl
(Just waiting for the John stories to start)
Wait, gotta settle in with a drink and comfy chair for the stories to start.
sl
Great that Congress has priorities right,
Amnesty, here we come!
Any bill containing name “reform” should be opposed when coming from these buffoons.
“Lawmakers pushing for immigration reform say job losses and a sluggish economy should not deter legislation legalizing illegal immigrants.Hispanic, black, Asian and other House lawmakers backing immigration overhaul called Tuesday for legalizing illegal immigrants in the U.S., despite a weakened economy and joblessness.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/15/house-dems-offer-legal-status-undocumented-immigration
Does “Fringe” count as a science program?
lis, and other kid’s show watchers…
I loathe “Sid the Science Kid.” More specifically the purple/hair and abnormal skin tones…
The grandmother is frightening and the dad looks like he was adapted as a grown up version of Opie (Ron Howard.)
I’d rather watch my leg hair grow.
sl
Check it out, the new conglomerates:
Mexico’s drug cartels siphon liquid gold
Bold theft of $1 billion in oil, resold in U.S., has dealt a major blow to the treasury
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121202888_pf.html
“Polish kielbasa”
Well that’s definitely not kosher.
still - I know what you mean about “Sid”
Troll[220]? Moi? Hardly. If your client hasn’t a clue what you’ve done for them and you can’t even explain it, something doesn’t wash. Most likely, the Emperor has no clothes.
I [120] wished to see the fellow off from a profession I have no regard for. I got some pretty disgusting and unwarranted hyperbole for it. Either its an internet-fueled act or he’s off his meds [196], [201].
I haven’t met every used house salesman, but like Diogones I’m roaming with my lantern, looking for an honest one. He may well be the finest of the bunch, but there are agent-principle conflicts that are intractable as long as the agent gets paid a piece of the sale price.
The well-established examples of common behavior in the industry that I quoted may not specifically apply to Schump, which is why I phrased them as I did.
But has Schump never told a seller client “Your first offer is your best offer”? Has he never counseled a buyer client to raise their bid? Both are fraught with inseparable self-interest. And I’d sooner believe that he’s never masturbated, whatever the size of his keilbasa.
So even in the face of threats on my life, hollow though they may be, I’m done with this discussion.
Totally off topic.
The little one just wrote out a Hanukkah card. “Hanukkah: The Redneck Version.”
Now, she and Dad are playing “I Spy” On the Christmas tree. She has created designated “Target Zones” and uses a three-point target logic system. She predicts her wins with deadly serious tones.
None of the kids showed up for the Church’s pagent sign-up last week. Things are not going so well there. The recession, I think, is the cherry on top of the abuse crimes.
So what is different about the Catholic Church and the future of our economy?
232 [I gather you're 'anonymous' for a reason]
“If your client hasn’t a clue what you’ve done for them and you can’t even explain it, something doesn’t wash. Most likely, the Emperor has no clothes.”
I never said I couldn’t explain it. It’s simply that folks like that only value my skill when they absolutely need it… even then it’s usually paired with annoyance that it’s not completely free.
Their money is best spent on things they value.
And, since you seem to be pairing two different discussions. I wasn’t referring to Schump’s kielbasa. Maybe you should re read the discussion so you are clear. But thanks for picking up on the p3nis reference.
sl
The creepiest kids show I ever saw by far was the Teletubbies - a group of obese mutants living in a post-apocalyptic utopia. Their dwelling, so help me, looked like the hardened shelters for fighter jets in USAFE back in the good old days when all we had to worry about was the commies coming thru the Fulda Gap.
235 Outof,
Amen!
sl
as one who is part pole/russian peasant stock….circa 1900….I beg to differ. Their is such a thing as Kosher Kielbasa.
make that “there”…but you get the drift.
ChiFi just seems really “open”…you know….not that there is anything wrong with that.
re: Galleon Group Founder Raj Rajaratnam
100 million bail, never heard of anything so crazy.
hmm, i just realized that you guys and gals have totally lost it and are about one small step from stabbing eachother in the neck with a #2 pencil over 1% of commission.
nothing i would post could hold a candle to that.
Veto,
I think the apocalyptic themes, day and and day out, are taking their toll here. Seriously, I think its all gotten a little weird. A little? Very.
hey, if you are illegal, you need to sneak into the county by today until 11.59pm.
Amnesty bill gives Amnesty to everybody who put down roots here (cut-off date today). I’m not kidding - and neither are Congressional dems.
The bill also limits authorities’ ability to detain illegal aliens, and “Ensures social service agencies, translators, and legal services are available during enforcement activities, and establishes access to legal orientation programs for all detained immigrants.”
Lots of work for leftist lawyers..
Yeah nobody cept that I know that like a good fight and have a vivid imagination want to hear about a global a apocalypse….but a guy can dream!
I wish someone would deport all of the illegals. I am sick of supporting their crap. I want my country back.
Also someone needs to tell the repugs that just because they lost the last election everyone still remembers how badly they screwed the pooch so the moral high ground thing….LAME.
Teletubbies was pale in comparison to Boobah.
I really enjoyed the cartoon discussion and think it was spot on.
Boomerang was the only child-friendly channel available on a recent cruise we took. For those not familiar, they show the same cartoon fare that was popular in the late 60’s and 70’s. There is something really heart-warming about watching your own child enjoy the same cartoons you did 30 or so years ago. What I couldn’t believe is how sexual, political, and violent they were. And I was concerned about my 4-year old watching an occasional Family Guy. I absolutely love the show, and my son thinks the talking dog is hilarious.
As for the usefulness of realtors, we are certainly getting our commissions worth out of our current one. We have been bothering her for over two years and until the past few months have never even made an offer on a home. She invited us to her home for an end of Hanukah party too which is pretty cool. I’ll admit that there are many things that would be great if they were available for do-it-your selfers…the MLS data for example. Unfortunately, the other 99% who thought The Real World was the best television show ever, would likely make blunders that only a seasoned real estate expert would be able to help them avoid. Trust me. I do my own taxes, my own investing, my own travel arranging, my own gardening, my own lease writing, my own local government protesting and much of my own car repairs. I wouldn’t dare want to go it alone on a purchase that will amount to upwards of 2 million dollars paid over 30 years without the help of an expert. Conflict of interest, so be it. I can always tell my realtor no when she suggest I up my offer.
Hey Grim,
Is there a way to filter out the retarded rantings of the extreme right and left?
Stu you could censor the whole interweb if you wanted to and then we could all be Chinese.
Useful TV science show not yet mentioned - Rough Science; Nail your curious 11 year old to the couch and let her watch real scientists do real science with their fingernails and a ball of string
Callable step-ups - Lisoosh, just stay away from this shite; I would like to think John knows what he’s doing but I suspect not
Emigrating to Canada - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp; or just be a wetback, cuz CIC will never find you
Stu, 247
Aw…then you’d miss the spiciness of this site, wouldn’t you?
We do have some interesting conversations though.
sl
“Stu you could censor the whole interweb if you wanted to and then we could all be Chinese.”
Not a bad idea.
Anyone for some moo goo gai pan?
Veto,
…aw c’mon … no one is that unbalanced. A #2 pencil? sheesh…. atleast shank me with something immediately lethal.
sl
Why is Dora’s head so big?
Stu,
I really like char su ding (sp?) and recently made (at home!) a really good lo mein.
My kid is not a fan of wood ear fungus (the cool black mushrooms in hot&sour soup.
sl
The teacher from Sid the Science kid is pretty hot for a cartoon
“wood ear fungus” Mmmm. Sounds like something you’d treat in the ER. And I love hot and sour soup!
safe 255. *groans* oh please… purple hair??
here
just for you :)
sl (hopefully the link works right…)
Funny thing…I really Like conservatives, it is their execution on the issues that I question. All talk.
Best ER fun ever” Irrigating hard hairy blobs of wax that’s been impacted in someone’s ear.
They always freak when it comes out and you show it to them.. usually there is spiky hairs mixed in it…. looks like a teacup porcupine…
:)
sl
Of course the Dems in their celebration of all things “us” miss the whole point entirely. Again.
#257 sl
Need…onions… :P
what about Yo Gabba Gabba? Please tell me its rock solid, I do love it so and so do my kids.
safe 261
At least she isn’t singing the “Rug Time” song…. :)
sl
Barbara, 262
I’ve never even heard of it….brb *runs to google yo gabba gabba*
sl
#263 sl
LOL
Barbara - I don’t think I’ve seen it on our cable channels…
But then I’d have a hard time prying junior away from the brain-rot known as “Imagination Movers” I think it’s that f*cking mouse that has him mesmerized.
(went to the YGG website.. caution.. the intro is enough to induce seizures…)
sl
But then this has me mesmerized typically.
NSFW and NSFSM*
sl
*not safe for straight men
Yo Gabba Gabba is fantastic. Any childrens show that features Biz Markie’s ‘Biz’s Beat of the Day,’ is alright with me. Especially considering that Biz has such amazing child-friendly hits such as ‘Pickin Boogers’ and ‘Toilet Stool Rap.’
249 Punch,
For anyone who has $400K you can buy your citizenship with an interest free loan.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/business/investors/index.asp
You won’t get any interest here on that money for the next 5 years anyway. As far as the $800K net worth req’t, you can simply consult some of the bubble era NJ home appraisers to make up any shortfalls with home equity. Also, these are in Canadian $, so one could also wait for the exchange rate to improve (ha!)
But I think Clot had a link to Mish’s blog that discussed imminent doom in the Canadian RE markets, so it might be a leaky lifeboat.
and they got Yo Gabba Gabba from the Ramones ( Gabba, Gabba HEY!)and the Devo guy produces it. Its all good.
for the record, I like Brobee
Never heard of Yo Gabba Gabba either.
There’s some PBS program about handling money, for older kids though, not preschoolers. Explains things like credit cards and interest.
Brobee?
Revelations [269] (boy do I want that to read [666]),
The Canadian real estate market is close to the top of the roller coaster. Easy pickings for vultures in five years.
Just checked out the YGG website.
I’m very relieved my kids are too old for it.
Brobee…
http://www.yogabbagabba.com/#/party-in-my-tummy
Interesting few days here, sorry I missed out.
For cartoons. I would rather have Wonder Pets teamwork over Jerry hitting Tom with a 2×4, Bugs pushing Elmer off a cliff, an Felix the Alley Cat smoking stoggies. As for Pepe le Peu!
My big problem at the moment is from “The Polar Express”. It’s not good idea to walk out of the house on your own in the middle of the night, even if you are trying to find Santa.
Yes , society has changed from our childhood and we just have to adapt. Wouldn’t life with small kids be easier without the hassle of car seats. a
What? Still no John and the fabled stories?
Well, there’s always This! :)
also NSFW/NSFSM
sl
PGC,
totally agree. kids were mean and rotten when I was growing up, they are kinder now because “kids will be kids” is no longer tolerated by parents, schools and a lot of their entertainment.
I’m not impressed with the generation raised on Tom and Jerry.
Whoopsie:
man, is this like a splash of cold water…
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCcCvx68xl8s&pos=1
sl
Economic Anecdote of the day
Ruths Chis was half empty for lunch, and they now have a Prix Fixe.
I have a soft spot for a Salamander steak.
Barb-
I think that kids are much nastier today. No consequences for bad behavior and it’s tolerated much more than it was in my time (I’m 38).
d2b,
really? are you sure that’s not the distored rosey view that nostalgia provides? Do you have kids in a school system? The rules have changed, hell, just the fact that there ARE rules against bullying. The parents I’ve known and their kids are all on board with teaching kindness and respect for personal space, etc. When I was raised it was pretty much like Lord of the Flies for most of the day. Maybe you straightened up a bit if an adult was within earshot but most of the time, not.
Say Good Bye to your check book.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/15/cheques-bounced-out-history
I think bullying has become more vicious, hence the rules. I have a 9 year old son. I also coach sports.
I grew up going to catholic school in Philadelphia. I think my parents were more respectful of the education process and there was punishment for kids that did not follow the rules. Sometimes fear is an excellent motivator.
Maybe part of it is nostalgia…
Out from under TARP, banks are now free to fail again
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121504939_pf.html
By Steven Pearlstein
Wednesday, December 16, 2009; A13
There’s the president of the United States, sitting in the Cabinet room at the White House, cameras rolling, talking with the heads of the country’s biggest banks, each one of which had benefited from an extraordinary government effort last year to prevent the financial system from collapsing. The purpose of the meeting is to pressure banks to make more credit available to small businesses, to restructure delinquent mortgages rather than pushing them into default and to call off their lobbyists, who have been trying to water down the administration’s proposal to reform and strengthen bank regulation.
At the same moment, officials next door at Treasury are putting the final touches on agreements that will dramatically reduce the legal and political leverage the administration holds over those very same banks by allowing them to repay the bailout money they received.
Hello? Is this what passes for political arm-twisting and bare-knuckle negotiation at the Obama White House? It’s bad enough that the president’s top priority of health reform was hijacked by a sanctimonious senator who can’t seem to decide which side he’s on. But in a capital where it is more important to be feared than loved, it’s even worse for a president to tear into Wall Street “fat cats” one day and then let them off their leash the next.
As far as I can tell, top administration officials are fixated on voter rage over bank bailouts and the resulting hit to the president’s poll ratings. So they’re looking for any way to show that the economy is improving and that the government will not only get its bailout money back, but earn a profit besides.
By rushing to cash in their chips, however, the administration not only gave up political leverage and additional profit, but took the risk that one or more of the banks may find that it can’t make it on its own.
snip
… and I’ve searched the world over for a eurotrash girl….
From that Washington Post article:
As to why investors may be so eager to put money into bank stocks, one need only consult Standard & Poor’s evaluation of Bank of America’s credit ranking on the eve of its recent stock offering. “We consider B of A to be highly systemically important and therefore continue to believe that B of A would receive extraordinary government support if necessary, though we do not believe such support will be needed,” it said. In other words, they were bailed out once, they could be bailed out again.
Of course, S&P was wrong once before about Bank of America, and it could be wrong again. The political reality is that, no matter how large or interconnected, no bank — and certainly not Citigroup or Bank of America — will be bailed out again anytime soon. The next time the government is forced to step in, that bank’s shareholders will be wiped out, its executives and directors sent packing and its operations wound down or sold off to competitors. Most significantly, creditors and counterparties who were bailed out in the past will get only what they would have gotten from an orderly liquidation.
“Sometimes fear is an excellent motivator.”
It is a wonderful thing for people to obey the rules out of love and respect fort each other. That said, when those do not work, one must sometimes resort to fear.
I thought it became clear about a year ago that the only truly useful postings here are Grim’s.
Clot/Schump has always been a useless arse, but today’s comments suggest a much more disturbed and potentially dangerous character. If anyone’s interested, the authorities will track IP’s and subpoena ISP records to investigate a death threat.
A couple of quotes from today…
1)”Comments like yours always get to me, and I always feel obliged to respond…not because they “hit home” in any way.
It’s because I can’t believe there are people as stupid as you let loose on the world.
Go kill yourself.”
2)”I don’t think this is worth anything other than me putting you in the hospital.
1031 Route 202, Branchburg, NJ. Please, please set foot on my property.
And don’t worry; you’re not worth a bullet.”
3)”In this case, violence is an excellent answer.
People like this piece of trash should be dead.”
Rest assured, Moose, that you have hit home with this wacko…
This level of discourse, combined with the regular, and seemingly tolerated, drivel from Jamil spell the end of this blog’s relevance…
290….piss off.
291, Essex,
I agree.
Curmudgeon, please feel free to leave and never return. Take the ‘moose’ with you.
I’m sure there are other sites that are far more attractive to folks like you.
In case you didn’t know. Most of the regular posters here actually know one another (and have for the past 4-5 years.) We often joke, tease, teach, educate and challenge one another.
Even our ‘regular’ trolls manage to entertain and while chided, are welcome.
Folks who insult, attack, berate and instigate but bring nothing else to the blog I have a hard time tolerating.
Why don’t you folks please find another outlet for yourselves?
Thanks,
sl
And take Jamil with ya!
This is an awesome post, I’ll definitely be adding this site to my morning routine :D