From the Otteau Group:
MarketNEWS October 30, 2015
Home purchase demand in New Jersey increased for the 13th consecutive month in September with more than 8,000 home-purchase contracts. This was the highest number of purchase contracts recorded in the month of September since 2005, reflecting a 15% increase compared to the same month one year ago.
While we have some concern about a developing slowdown in secondary markets like Camden and Sussex counties, the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates low should act as an accelerant for home sales heading into 2016. Also encouraging, is a 17% increase for homes purchased by first-time buyers this year which will provide broad support for continuing home sales activity for the next year or so.
While home purchase demand continues to rise, the inventory of available homes remains constrained in New Jersey. The number of homes being offered for sale in the month of September declined by more than 1,400 homes (-3%) compared to one year ago. This is about 19,000 (-26%) fewer homes on the market compared to the cyclical high in 2011. Today’s unsold inventory equates to 6.7 months of sales (non-seasonally adjusted), which is less than one year ago when it was 7.9 months.
Currently, 67% of New Jersey’s 21 counties have less than 8.0 months of supply, which is a balance point for home prices. Hudson, Union, Essex, Somerset, Ocean, and Morris Counties are presently experiencing the strongest market conditions in the state with fewer than 6 months of supply. All of the counties with an unsold inventory level equivalent to a supply of 12 months or greater are concentrated in the southern portion of the state including Salem (14.3) and Atlantic (14.6).
Good Morning New Jersey
most are right wingers
@gideonrachman:
Grim study showing rising suicide/ drug overdoses: Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds
“Something startling is happening to middle-aged white Americans. Unlike every other age group, unlike every other racial and ethnic group, unlike their counterparts in other rich countries, death rates in this group have been rising, not falling.”
Given a kind of survivorship bias, doesn’t that mean that the remaining middle aged white americans will have higher levels of income, wealth, and educational attainment?
Anon,
Who’s going to pay for your people if the middle class white Americans decline?
A few million culled from the herd, as nature intended it.
This s hard to fathom outside of Alabama:
N.J. poll workers directed voters to ‘Democrat,’ ‘GOP’ voting machines, report says
Workers at the Convent Station polling place were mistakenly directing voters towards a specific voting machine based on party affiliation during Election Day Tuesday, News 4 New York reported.
The Morris County Board of Elections said it immediately addressed the problem by speaking with the poll workers after a complaint from a woman who was told to go to one of two machines if she planned to vote for the Democrats and the other if she planned to vote Republican. The woman also said a poll worker was standing in front of the “Democratic” machine but not the one referred to as the Republican.
MORE: Results of 2015 Assembly, local, county, school races
The woman was told machines had been designated by party to make tallying votes easier, although the machines electronically tabulate votes.
http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2015/11/nj_poll_workers_directed_voters_to_democrat_gop_vo.html#incart_2box_
[6] condo,
More symbolism than anything else. It seems that the votes would tally correctly regardless. They just did this to make their jobs easier.
With turnout how it was, makes me wonder how it could get easier.
You are probably right. He has no shot. The voting public is addicted to complaining and not doing anything about it. They vote in the same losers and then complain about govt and how bad it is. Here is a chance to vote for serious change and honest politics. What does joe public say? Hell no, he is social!st! We rather have a con artist in place than a social!st. Joe Public, what does social!st mean? Exactly what I thought. Always will be the problem with a democracy, the masses are idiots. They get conned every single election and continue to make the same mistakes. Definition of stupid is making the same mistake over and over. When will we learn?
I’m disgusted with my town. They voted down full day kindergarten, yet these old cheapskates expect their property to go up in value. They are so obsessed with lowering taxes. You pay 15,000 dollars and get your taxes lowered 20%, you only save 3000 a year. Jesus, is 3000 dollars that big of a deal, it’s 2015, not 1975. The value of money is much different in 2015, in comparison to their romantic vision of back in 1980 when their taxes were 2,000 dollars. Back in the 80’s, if you made 100,000 dollars, you were loaded. They now see a teacher and cop making a 100,000 and act like it’s insane. It’s not 1980, it’s 2015. Why is nobody going crazy about nurses making 6 figures. It’s normal for professionals to get paid 6 figures, it’s freaking almost 2016! Locust generation needs to move to alabama and enjoy the 300 dollar a year taxes.
Juice Box says:
November 3, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Re:# 89 – I ‘ll put up what I give to charity against Plumps that Hillary will win in the primary in NJ, if he does the same for Bernie. It is a no lose proposition for me, our keyboard warrior Plumps squeaks when he walks.
#4
Anon cannot answer that question. He doesn’t synthesize information and form his own conclusions. He’s told what to think and say piecemeal by the media and he reacts accordingly.
I’m actually still waiting for an answer from shltbags like himself and ottoman to provide me with a model for the future panacea that they envision the US to be.
[2] anot
I think I have said it before, but I’ve met a couple of career gov attorneys that got let go when Dems came into power and they were out. They stayed unemployed a long time and were extremely bitter.
One was an attorney in Tennessee named Tony D (I know his last name but I don’t feel like using it). Came from a well known legal family and I surmise he rode their coattails into a state attorney’s job. Considered himself quite the appellate attorney but I could find his name on only one brief. But he doesn’t do that anymore and has a small micropractice chasing ambulances. Tenn is a state that flips the gov. periodically so it was pretty clear he was out when the GOP came in.
Tony is incredibly bitter and hateful toward anyone to the right of Che Guevara, and is always spreading his bile on facebook (I see it through the page of a friend who is a s0c1alist).
So he is someone who was never that competent, had his position due to connections and party affiliation, lost it because the “wrong” side won, and has been a failure ever since.
He’s who I think of whenever I read anon’s crap.
[10] errata
First para should read “when Dems lost power”.
Yes it’s 2015 and they can pay for their own f** medical and contribute to their own f** pension
[8] pumps
What I really need you to explain is how s0c1alist values are consistent with american values.
How can you implement democratic s0c1alism without it running afoul of our Constitution (and without simply appointing symp justices that will interpret it however they want)?
At what point does the US stop being the US except in name only?
I’m not looking for the dissertations I used to read on these very issues but I am looking for a complete thought. I am very interested in this topic but reading your diatribes (okay, I just skim) is like watching someone p1ss into a fan.
[12] mike
The real unstated irony of Obama is that he is implementing exactly that while saying just the opposite.
Remember. There’s no “I” in Utopia! Oh wait…
#7..I guess I am surprised people think people vote party line only? Maybe so, I am all over the map based on actual positions (ha, like that matters!)
You are probably right. He has no shot. The voting public is addicted to complaining and not doing anything about it. They vote in the same losers and then complain about govt and how bad it is. Here is a chance to vote for serious change and honest politics. What does joe public say? Hell no, he is social!st! We rather have a con artist in place than a social!st. Joe Public, what does social!st mean? Exactly what I thought. Always will be the problem with a democracy, the masses are idiots. They get conned every single election and continue to make the same mistakes. Definition of stupid is making the same mistake over and over. When will we learn?
I
Juice Box says:
November 3, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Re:# 89 – I ‘ll put up what I give to charity against Plumps that Hillary will win in the primary in NJ, if he does the same for Bernie. It is a no lose proposition for me, our keyboard warrior Plumps squeaks when he walks.
My post finally went through on my end. Sorry for the double post. I was trying to figure out why my post wouldn’t go through, but for some reason, it had already went through.
Can we stop with this ugly social1sm BS. The right is as social1st as the left. Is not raising taxes to increase the size of our national defense not social1st? Was W’s Medicare Part D not social1st?
Yes, it’s a label that the right loves to throw on the left. But every time they use it, they appear oblivious to it’s actual meaning or do understand it and are simply hypocritical.
The larger issue is how ineffective the government is at administrating social programs.
But when it comes to social1sm, both parties are equally social1st. Just for their own supposed causes to placate their bases. In actuality, they both end up doing the same thing once in office.
[2] Anon
Working a job that essentially pays you at a level that’s near poverty is enough to make you turn to self medicating and lead an unhealthy lifestyle. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else and blame the rise in technology, immigration, out-sourcing, and globalization. However if you had your eyes open, you would see this train crash coming in slow motion, the opportunities for the under-educated (HS education or less) are few and far between. What happened in the cities that heavily relied on manufacturing what is known as the Rust-belt has happened all over again with the 2008 financial crisis has caused the same financial distress on families and has manifested in a way no one saw coming.
The comments in that article are depressing. There should be more investment in vocational skills or “infrastructure” related skills and to help.
[19] libturd
First, I disagree with your premise that both sides are equally s0c1alist. That may have been true once; it isn’t anymore.
Second, I am reminded of the wisdom of Norman Thomas, who failed as a politician but succeeded mightily as a comedian, and said: “the difference between a democrat and a republican is that the democrats embrace s0c1alism willingly and the republicans embrace it grudgingly.”
[19] Libturd
I’ve said it before, the govt regardless of who is in control spends $1.50 for every $1 . To their credit, the GOP has done a great job of developing a narrative and highlighting the waste with social programs which is rightly deserved. However, the GOP spends an equally budget busting number on defense and special projects.
The rub is that neither one of these programs any of us will be able to take advantage of but we argue about it nevertheless.
“The rub is that neither one of these programs any of us will be able to take advantage of but we argue about it nevertheless.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Government, in its essence, is social.
Who do you like Nom? I’ll point out all of their social1st plans and then you can debate me on it.
[20] FKA,
In truth, anon is correct (even a broken clock is right twice a day though anon can’t beat that record, but still): The older whites who are out of work and down on their luck, eating poorly, medicating and killing themselves or dying of neglect, are in that position largely because of liberal policies. They see minorities and women get preferences, protections, and benefits that they don’t get, and often these are predicated on the percieved “privilege” they enjoy (which doesn’t seem to be helping them). They see themselves losing jobs and being replaced by these groups in the name of “diversity.” They are shunned by others because of their incorrect thinking. Is it any wonder they are bitter right wingers.
Decades ago, they’d be bitter left wingers; when factories closed and jobs went overseas, they were mad at the monied interests that caused this. But along the way, they came to realize that jobs went away not because someone wanted to improve shareholder value (well, sometimes, but not always). No, jobs went away because regulators and leftists made employing americans expensive. Jobs went away because leftists drove off or eradicated entire industries. Jobs went away because to compete, companies had to lower their labor costs and tax bills (or commit corporate suicide because it was “patriotic”). Jobs went away because the party they thought would protect them instead made trade deals. Jobs went away because even if they were retooled, employers had only so many jobs and won’t be sued for hiring a woman or minority over a white guy.
And when the older white guys saw all this and made the connection, the left called them delusional.
Is it any wonder they kill themselves?
Under democratic social!sm, how exactly does it go against American values? Does it take away opportunities? Does it eliminate competition? Does it eliminate property ownership? Does it make for a society that is worse off for everyone?
What are American values? Right to life, liberty, and happiness. Work hard and you can improve your lot. Well, this used to be true for America at a time when we were more social!st. Since the late 70’s, social!sm took a back seat thanks to Reaganomics.
So we privatized more, and freed up regulation. We opened up free trade and how did this all impact the avg citizen’s rights to life, liberty, and the happiness? It ruined it. Most people are bitter and hanging on for dear life. They are watching their kids have a worse lot at life. Is this what America stands for? Is this what we want? So why exactly would we not want to give Bernie a shot, what do we have to lose?
Comrade Nom Deplume, the anon-tidote says:
November 4, 2015 at 9:30 am
[8] pumps
What I really need you to explain is how s0c1alist values are consistent with american values.
How can you implement democratic s0c1alism without it running afoul of our Constitution (and without simply appointing symp justices that will interpret it however they want)?
At what point does the US stop being the US except in name only?
I’m not looking for the dissertations I used to read on these very issues but I am looking for a complete thought. I am very interested in this topic but reading your diatribes (okay, I just skim) is like watching someone p1ss into a fan.
There would be greater accountability in k-12 educational costs if parents were made to pay the full costs of educating them.
Sadly, the right, especially in recent decades, have spent more than the left. Meanwhile, they have smartly lied so much about their so-called fiscal responsibility that the mainstream has bought it.
Wish we could just abolish the party system already.
Lib, thank you very much. Coming from my mouth, nobody will take it seriously or listen. On the other hand, people respect you and take you seriously.
If someone refers to social!sm in a bad way, I always ask them what it means. Of course I hear either crickets, or some lame response tying it to communism, Cuba, Venezuela, or the U.S.S. R. Ignorance is bliss. How can you yell and scream that social!sm is evil, when every single country in the world is based on the fundamentals of social!sm? Just tells you how ignorant the avg citizen is and why money interests, whom are in the minority, get away with using govt against the majority. Anytime a candidate comes across as a threat to the moneyed class, they just yell that this threat is a social!st and it’s game over.
Libturd in the City says:
November 4, 2015 at 9:47 am
Can we stop with this ugly social1sm BS. The right is as social1st as the left. Is not raising taxes to increase the size of our national defense not social1st? Was W’s Medicare Part D not social1st?
Yes, it’s a label that the right loves to throw on the left. But every time they use it, they appear oblivious to it’s actual meaning or do understand it and are simply hypocritical.
The larger issue is how ineffective the government is at administrating social programs.
But when it comes to social1sm, both parties are equally social1st. Just for their own supposed causes to placate their bases. In actuality, they both end up doing the same thing once in office.
About Pumpkin’s argument that private enterprise is many times as mismanaged as government enterprises because of their privacy. I give you Carl Icahn. Is a good 10+ minutes, but worth it.
https://youtu.be/GsN0WVLjpcs?t=6m
[24] Comrade
These guys need help from the gov’t but the irony again, if they are right wingers you don’t want social programs.
I’m going to evoke my privilege and say that I don’t know enough about the trials and tribulations of the under-educated. I can say that the ones I have seen here on the street, there hasn’t been too much diversity and for the most part, it’s been white women who have benefited the most from diversity initiatives and it’s been cheaper to hire a kid fresh out of college than to maintain the salary of my friends.
Blumpkin.
If I’m Bernie, I simply keep saying that I voted against Desert Storm II and am the only person running who didn’t buy the lie. The dude is friggin’ honest (and nice), he’s not willing to even attack Hilary on anything. This is why he will lose. Not his policies. Policies don’t matter. See Trump for proof.
Listening to squawk this morning, the mouthpiece says inversions will increase if they do not change the tax code. Sounds like there will be some new legislation right before the election. What will the Republicans promise besides Make America Great Again?
re # 31- You cannot attack a woman, Bernie is no fool.
Good post. I seriously feel terrible for how America has sold out a good portion of its population so that the people at the top could profit even more. Greed is a deadly sin.
The people at the top could surely do something to help their fellow citizens that are struggling, but you get the same old response when you ask something from them. We need to lower the taxes on the rich…. keep your hand out of my pocket, those individuals did it to themselves. Yes, it’s their fault they are not capable of being a doctor or lawyer, they were not born with the skills. It’s also their fault that all their jobs were shipped in the name of profit, so their old boss could take advantage of slave labor. Oh no, I’m a lefty now because I want to help fellow Americans and make a better society for all. Line me up and shoot me!
FKA 2010 Buyer says:
November 4, 2015 at 9:54 am
[2] Anon
Working a job that essentially pays you at a level that’s near poverty is enough to make you turn to self medicating and lead an unhealthy lifestyle. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else and blame the rise in technology, immigration, out-sourcing, and globalization. However if you had your eyes open, you would see this train crash coming in slow motion, the opportunities for the under-educated (HS education or less) are few and far between. What happened in the cities that heavily relied on manufacturing what is known as the Rust-belt has happened all over again with the 2008 financial crisis has caused the same financial distress on families and has manifested in a way no one saw coming.
The comments in that article are depressing. There should be more investment in vocational skills or “infrastructure” related skills and to help.
[23] libturd,
To start, you need a common definition, and no term has defied the effort to define it better than s0c1alism. Even over time, it has morphed to exclude that which was once clearly “s0c1alist” and include institutions that were never viewed as such.
For my part, I distinguish between social and s0c1alist. At what point does the former morph into the latter? Is it a straight continuum or more of a Venn diagram?
I think that most would agree on a definition that divides the government-social and private economy camps into endeavors that cannot be handled by a market and those that can. Government-social would be, by necessity, those for which maximization of profit would run counter to the goal/need (not that there aren’t outliers so you have to stay large picture here). Defense is clearly one and no one takes the position that defense is a “s0c1alist” institution or construct even if it is government-social. In fact, any institution or construct that governs private affairs in order to maintain order, is a social construct, not s0c1alist, IMHO. Where we likely disagree is over institutions that are not necessary to ordered society but came about because there was a need or desire not fulfilled by the market. You conclude that a library is “s0c1alist” when it represents an altrustic, nonmarket institution but understand that a library doesn’t represent redistribution or a market takeover. And yes, we have progressive taxation, which is clearly “s0c1alist” but that remains controversial to this day and while it is accepted by some (not all) on the right, it is accepted grudgingly and out of necessity.
Further, while it is easy to say that any institution or mechanism that intentionally, forcibly and directly redistributes wealth or assets (I distinguish voluntary and indirect/attenuated redistribution that is often a by-product, not an intention), is “s0c1alist”, things like taxation or eminent domain may or may not fall into that camp.
Finally, I don’t consider regulation per se to be s0c1alist. First, I consider s0c1alism to be an economic system, predicated on redistribution of wealth and the subordination of individualism to the interests of the state. Rather, regulation is a proper function of governance as it is usually the participants in the market/society/etc. who agree on the need for regulation in order to protect their own interests. We outlaw murder so we don’t get killed at the expense of being able to kill others. We outlaw speeding so we are likewise not maimed but give up our right to speed. We outlaw many practices that could result in injury for which there is no good recourse and for which we have determined that (a) the harm outweighs the social utility (if any; I’d argue that serving tainted alcohol has no social utility) and (b) the cost of compliance is not burdensome. Subordination of some freedoms/assets/activities to the common good is part of a social contract but does not constitute an economic model in most instances.
Anyway, I have to get back to work here and this is a good jumping off point. So how do you define “s0c1alism”?
Be careful with jumping in bed with me Blumpy. I have lots of issues with European style social1sm and question its effectiveness in a non-homogeneous population like we have here. I like Bernie because he is not owned. It’s as simple as that. I respect his stand on guns and no one has more backbone than he does. I don’t like how far left he is. It may work in Vermont where there are more cows than people and their larger cities are whiter than a klansman’s robe with populations smaller than our average suburb. Not sure it will work for the rest of the country. None the less, I would love to see this government free of lobbyist influence. Just the savings from that should be enough to solve most of our problems without raising taxes on the rich.
The trade gap with China, on the other hand, hit another record: $36.3 billion for the month of September. The gap with Hong Kong, a departure point for many other Chinese-made goods, reached the highest level in three years. The U.S. imported more TVs, computers and other electronics from those countries, among other things.
The U.S. trade deficit averaged $43.5 billion from July through September — 3.6% higher compared with the same three-month period a year ago. A higher deficit reduces gross domestic product.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-trade-deficit-sinks-15-in-september-but-exports-remain-soft-2015-11-04?dist=lcountdown
Depends on how your definition
Some love/ hate social programs like Obama care, welfare, subsidizing kid’s breakfast
Some love/hate social programs like plowing my street, re-paving roads, fire and police, sending our troops to another country
White males are they only ones that can be attacked because the bitter and resentful progressives and time-wasting lefties know that the white guy is going to drag his battered self out of bed every morning, go to work and produce. Despite being pummeled constantly for the history of the world’s every injustice, he’s going to continue to provide for himself and his family while also paying for the bitter, lesser informed weaklings.
[25] pumpkin
There’s an old joke where someone asks an old Irishman why the Irish always answer a question with a question. He replies “Do we now?”
Do the clients of your senior financial analyst practice like it when you answer their questions with questions? How does that work out for you?
Presidential policy positions are worthless, are they not?
What am I missing here, other than policy doesn’t equal anything more than unilateral opinion, and we know what opinions are worth.
I don’t see lack of a policy opinion as a negative. I want a leader that I can trust to react appropriately to an unexpected situation, or how to deal with an impass and broker a negotation. I don’t give a shit if you’ve got an opinion on a hypothetical argument.
How often does a campaign position turn into actual legislation and change?
[39] eddie
“Despite being pummeled constantly for the history of the world’s every injustice, he’s going to continue to provide for himself and his family while also paying for the bitter, lesser informed weaklings.”
About 20 years ago, P.J. O’Rourke wrote that “in the past, a man was expected to give up his seat for a lady. Now he is expected to give up his job.”
I think that was prescient.
Back to the salt mines. Pumps and lib, work on those definitions (pumps, do the best you can) and I will read them tonight.
#37
Did we not make the best TV,cars and electronics 30 years ago? More expensive .Yes, but last a long time. Japan was the only cheaper competitor. We considered Made in China junk not even worth buying. 30 years later we are considered junk. We dont even make this products anymore. If we made it expect problems and recalls.
I have to thank our leaders for bringing cheap goods from other countries? Salaries have been stagnant together with this cheap goods. Our money is enjoyed by a poor country that we helped get out of poverty and now threatening us. While our standard of living is on the decline.
[32] juice
Out of the mineshaft briefly because I wanted to get you this earlier.
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/events/2015/01/23-corporate-inversions/birdedwardsshevlin_system.pdf
[41] Grim
You mean like properly handling biased questions in a CNBC debate? Too easy
“I want a leader that I can trust to react appropriately to an unexpected situation”
This cool website attempts to show a quantified animated visualization of the refugee migration crisis in Europe from 2012 to present.
This includes North African countries, Middle East & Russia into major EU cities/countries.
Each moving dot = 1 bus load of 25 people.
Fascinating!
http://www.lucify.com/the-flow-towards-europe/
Party venues from yesterday?, Lib?
Last one before heading to the floor.
The GOP’s Primary Rules Might Doom Carson, Cruz And Trump
In a few months, after Iowa and New Hampshire begin to winnow the field, the GOP nomination race could boil down to an epic final between a candidate with a more pragmatic image, such as Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina or Jeb Bush, and a more conservative one, such as Ted Cruz, Ben Carson or Donald Trump.1
If that happens, the moderate finalist — like Mitt Romney and John McCain before him or her — will have a hidden structural advantage: the party’s delegate math and geography.
There are plenty of reasons to be cautious of national polls that show Trump and Carson leading. They may fail to screen out casual voters, for instance, and leaders at this point in past years have eventually tanked. But perhaps the biggest reason to ditch stock in these polls is that they’re simulating a national vote that will never take place.
In reality, the GOP nominating contest will be decided by an intricate, state-by-state slog for the 2,472 delegates at stake between February and June. And thanks to the Republican National Committee’s allocation rules, the votes of “Blue Zone” Republicans — the more moderate GOP primary voters who live in Democratic-leaning states and congressional districts — could weigh more than those of more conservative voters who live in deeply red zones. Put another way: The Republican voters who will have little to no sway in the general election could have some of the most sway in the primary.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-gops-primary-rules-might-doom-carson-and-cruz/
I like your definition of social1sm and mainly agree with it, but would argue that collecting money from all citizens to pay for their collective defense is still social1sm. Where I am certainly more social1st than you is that I believe there are more places where the government needs to step in to balance the playing field. Especially where the playing field has been made lopsided by financial influence. For example, is it any coincidence that Oprah can knowingly purchase tons of shares on the open market of a company that she is prepared to entertain the possibility of being a spokesperson for and then handsomely profit from this all in a legal manner? Heck, Oprah could probably make Mein Kampf the number one best-seller by deeming it an Oprah book of the month club selection. I provide this example because I think it echoes the problems with healthcare in this country. You can get better healthcare for anywhere from 1/5th to 1/3rd the price of what it costs here where it is single-payer. Here, healthcare costs what it does because the health industry has paid handsomely to make sure it can maintain gross levels of profit.
Where I think we share similar positions (or I could say I share similar positions with the right) is with the lefts over-reaching attempts to supposedly bring up the income disadvantaged. Rewarding people who don’t work is not a solution. If anything, it creates a dependence on handouts that becomes generational. It also creates an endless stream of votes. Use the Abbott funding here as an example. It would be 100 times cheaper to bus the handful of students from the ghetto, who are interested in taking advantage of the opportunities they are offered into a better performing school district, than it would be to waste all of that money on the whole population who knows they will be taken care of regardless and chooses to squander it. But you don’t get votes that way do you. Even Christie Kreme knows this.
I think the problems in this country are not these same issues that both sides keep blaming each other for. A few extra dollars squandered in the name of equality is small beans compared to maintaining our current system which more resembles that of the system in place in Saudi Arabia than it does of the democracy our founding fathers worked hard to create.
If we have to swallow some Social1sm to get there, so be it. It beats wasting the money on the Halliburton’s, Schlumberger’s or the Solyndra’s for that matter.
I’ve got work to do and type way to slowly to argue my point. Would much rather debate in person.
I think we know each other’s positions well enough anyhow.
Condo…If I were you, I would find a restaurant you really like and negotiate a fixed per plate price with the owner. The size of your party sounds exactly right. I doubt you have the ability to arrange the get-together at a time that the restaurant is off peak, but if you do, you will be able to negotiate a great deal. Wish I could be more specific, but there are still too many details left out.
re: # 49 – re: Delegates: Once the remainder of the field tightens and also-ran candidates drop out their supporters will tend to vote for the leaders, the so-called bandwagon effect for Carson or Trump etc. Depending on whether it is piecemeal or an all-at-once momentum there should be just two candidates by end of March.
#47 They should be greeting the invaders with the business end of a machine gun rather than open arms.
It’s similar to what we allow here, limitless entry from third worlders who pose a fundamental change to the character of the nation. I just can’t fathom allowing what they are on that scale, I guess it’s one part mental illness.
#51..got it, thx!
Leftist policies? More like growth did this. As an economy grows, the people demand better pay. Ask china.
The problem we are facing is that our corporate lords figured out in the late 70’s that if they ship jobs and take advantage of slave labor, they could keep the profit growth going. Here lies the problem, it’s impossible to keep up with infinite growth. You are going to come to a stage of stagnation eventually. We were supposed to hit that, but they needed to keep up absurd profit growth.
“Decades ago, they’d be bitter left wingers; when factories closed and jobs went overseas, they were mad at the monied interests that caused this. But along the way, they came to realize that jobs went away not because someone wanted to improve shareholder value (well, sometimes, but not always). No, jobs went away because regulators and leftists made employing americans expensive. Jobs went away because leftists drove off or eradicated entire industries. Jobs went away because to compete, companies had to lower their labor costs and tax bills (or commit corporate suicide because it was “patriotic”). Jobs went away because the party they thought would protect them instead made trade deals. Jobs went away because even if they were retooled, employers had only so many jobs and won’t be sued for hiring a woman or minority over a white guy.”
My town just voted in 3 independents. That should teach the R’s and D’s not to mess with free Atlantic City bus trips the town would provide the senior club.
The republicans cut the trips as part of a cost savings at the same time floated a new field for the softball beer league.
Yellin is really annoying. Can she just keep her fat mouth shut for a change? Interest rate hike coming, interest rate hike not coming. Rinse, repeat.
I just figured out a new way to voluntarily induce vomiting. Imagine Janet Yellen and Hilary Clinton in bed together.
Did it work?
Condo – Can I make a suggestion for your 50-60 person party venue. Try the Venetian in Garfield. They have a lower level room that can comfortably fit 90 with a small dance floor if you are looking to have a dj. Or at least it gives the under 10 kids space to run around without hitting your guests. Last time we did an event there I believe we were at under $70 a head with open bar 4 hours. Cocktail+Salad+Pasta+Dinner+Cake and desserts/coffee . Place is nice, ample parking, clean restrooms (very important with the ladies)
you are ruining things for me…
Lib, we basically want the same thing. We want change in the political process. Who cares about what system we use if it’s corrupt. I’ll take anything that is not corrupt. Bernie is as anti-corrupt as they come.
Libturd in the City says:
November 4, 2015 at 10:41 am
Be careful with jumping in bed with me Blumpy. I have lots of issues with European style social1sm and question its effectiveness in a non-homogeneous population like we have here. I like Bernie because he is not owned. It’s as simple as that. I respect his stand on guns and no one has more backbone than he does. I don’t like how far left he is. It may work in Vermont where there are more cows than people and their larger cities are whiter than a klansman’s robe with populations smaller than our average suburb. Not sure it will work for the rest of the country. None the less, I would love to see this government free of lobbyist influence. Just the savings from that should be enough to solve most of our problems without raising taxes on the rich.
When are you running for governor or president? You would be my ideal candidate.
Nom, this is basically how I feel. I agree with most of what lib is saying. I know I’m on the other side of the income inequality problem, but that’s just because I see the harm it’s doing to the economy. I don’t want a system where we just reward money with no effort. Who would advocate for that? I just want to bring the incomes at the top and bottom to be a little more realistic and reflect the price of goods in the market.
The pay at the top and bottom is so far off, it’s not even funny. Then you have the other problem, the middle incomes are going the way of the dinosaur. We need all three to reflect a balance and reality of the market. You need to pay people enough at the bottom to buy basic necessities. We need the top to reflect wages that aren’t 500 times more than the avg worker. Solving these issues will bring a better society for all, which is what we all want.
I just want my kid to have the opportunity to say if I work hard and do what I’m supposed to do, I will improve my lot in life, not go backwards, which is what is currently happening.
Libturd in the City says:
November 4, 2015 at 11:07 am
I like your definition of social1sm and mainly agree with it, but would argue that collecting money from all citizens to pay for their collective defense is still social1sm. Where I am certainly more social1st than you is that I believe there are more places where the government needs to step in to balance the playing field. Especially where the playing field has been made lopsided by financial influence. For example, is it any coincidence that Oprah can knowingly purchase tons of shares on the open market of a company that she is prepared to entertain the possibility of being a spokesperson for and then handsomely profit from this all in a legal manner? Heck, Oprah could probably make Mein Kampf the number one best-seller by deeming it an Oprah book of the month club selection. I provide this example because I think it echoes the problems with healthcare in this country. You can get better healthcare for anywhere from 1/5th to 1/3rd the price of what it costs here where it is single-payer. Here, healthcare costs what it does because the health industry has paid handsomely to make sure it can maintain gross levels of profit.
Where I think we share similar positions (or I could say I share similar positions with the right) is with the lefts over-reaching attempts to supposedly bring up the income disadvantaged. Rewarding people who don’t work is not a solution. If anything, it creates a dependence on handouts that becomes generational. It also creates an endless stream of votes. Use the Abbott funding here as an example. It would be 100 times cheaper to bus the handful of students from the ghetto, who are interested in taking advantage of the opportunities they are offered into a better performing school district, than it would be to waste all of that money on the whole population who knows they will be taken care of regardless and chooses to squander it. But you don’t get votes that way do you. Even Christie Kreme knows this.
I think the problems in this country are not these same issues that both sides keep blaming each other for. A few extra dollars squandered in the name of equality is small beans compared to maintaining our current system which more resembles that of the system in place in Saudi Arabia than it does of the democracy our founding fathers worked hard to create.
If we have to swallow some Social1sm to get there, so be it. It beats wasting the money on the Halliburton’s, Schlumberger’s or the Solyndra’s for that matter.
I’ve got work to do and type way to slowly to argue my point. Would much rather debate in person.
I think we know each other’s positions well enough anyhow.
Real change! Respect to the voters in your town.
walking bye says:
November 4, 2015 at 11:56 am
My town just voted in 3 independents. That should teach the R’s and D’s not to mess with free Atlantic City bus trips the town would provide the senior club.
Search Results
That’s Good
Devo
Everybody it’s a good thing
Everybody wants a good thing
Everybody ain’t it true that
Everybody’s looking for the same thing
Ain’t it true there’s just no doubt
There’s some things that you can’t do without
And that’s good
Ain’t it true as the sun that shines
You got yours and you got mine
And that’s good
Everybody just like you it’s true
Everybody wants a good thing too
Everybody it’s a good thing
Everybody wants a good thing
Everybody ain’t it true that
Everybody’s looking for the same thing
Ain’t it true there’s room for doubt
Maybe some things that you can do without
And that’s good
Everybody just like you it’s true
Everybody wants a good thing too
Now let’s have a great big hand
For everybody who can understand
Life’s a bee without a buzz
It’s going great til you get stung….
Scissor me timbers!
http://southpark.cc.com/clips/104423/scissor-me-timbers
” Imagine Janet Yellen and Hilary Clinton in bed together.”
Essex,
My Devo lyrics go out to a special someone out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZDl_R8Zp2E
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
Happier than you and me
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
One chromosome, too many
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
And he wore a hat
And he had a job
And he brought home the bacon
So that no one knew
That he was a mongoloid, mongoloid
His friends were unaware
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
Nobody even cared
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
One chromosome, too many
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
And he wore a hat
And he had a job
And he brought home the bacon
So that no one knew
He was a mongoloid, mongoloid
Happier than you and me
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
One chromosome, too many
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
And it determined what he could see
And he wore a hat
And he had a job
And he brought home the bacon
So that no one knew
Mongoloid, he was a mongoloid
Songwriters
CASALE, GERALD V
Read more: Devo – Mongoloid Lyrics | MetroLyrics
C l a s s icccccccccccccccccccck
Sold for 940K in mid 2007, currently asking 699K. It’s still an epic bloodbath and Clot is right, it’ll be years before it all washes out:
http://www.njmls.com/listings/index.cfm?action=dsp.info&mlsnum=1542897&dayssince=&countysearch=false
Fast Eddie – now that you have your place, I suggest you start a weekly – “Hey Dad are we there yet?” It would be gem to speculate what the eventual sold price will be. I have seen a couple of homes start at 1.7m from 2013 now trending to 1.2m. Nothing special but the address and taxes often requiring $200k in upgrades
@70 Ahh, I see Susan is the listing agent. I remember at an open house, her telling me how she has a degree from Columbia, an ivy league, which made her a superior agent.
Nom, I just wanted to clarify some more on the inequality so you don’t think I’m some collectivist out to get free money from someone. First, I’m a couple of points below the 1%. In my age group(35), I am definitely in the top 1%. I will definitely be in the top 1% within 10-20 years, and it’s mostly off of investments. As you know, they just keep growing if you play your cards right.
So I wanted to focus on inequality. First point, is not this system based on incentives? The entire structure is based on a carrot in front of someone’s mouth to make it work. So what kind of incentive signals are we sending by paying the bottom workers so little that they can’t even survive on it. Who would sign up to work and just go into debt? The job has to be able to provide a little savings and the basic necessities. Now how can you do that on 40,000 or less in nj or any metro area?
Time is the most valuable thing on this planet, and if you are wasting your time at a job that just puts you in debt, what purpose does it serve besides providing a company with cheap labor? So I look at govt social services that leave the poor dependent on the govt in the same light as I do with extremely low wages. They both are terrible for our society. They leave little incentive for people to improve their lot, instead they are left feeling that the system is corrupt and there is nothing they can do to improve their lot. So now they turn to drugs or whatever they do to compensate for their hopelessness. They become lazy and in state of shock. They feel sub-human in comparison to the people with good jobs. How is this good for anyone?
Next, I think inflation is so important. Inflation keeps the carrot going for all facets of life. If you have 20million, you can’t just sit on it, you need to contribute to society in some way so that you keep it growing. If there was no inflation, I would think families with big time money would find it almost impossible to go broke. They would lose their ambition, and not contribute to society in any way except for throwing huge parties and doing lots of drugs.
Now, why is it so important to keep the carrot going in all facets of life? You never know where the next human invention that helps human civilization will come from, it could come from any class of individuals. That poor kid, or the rich kid with no ambition, can have the key to our society for our generation locked in their mind. If we don’t provide a means to unlock this information, the information can be lost forever in an idle mind left to do nothing. We never ever want people to feel like they serve no purpose, unfortunately, massive income inequality has contributed to this feeling at the top and the bottom.
A little off topic.
People want to help their kids by leaving them massive fortunes. All you did was ruin that kid’s life. He/she will never yearn to do great. He/she will almost 99% of the time turn to a drug focused life. So I don’t know why anyone would support just giving your child a 100 million in a trust fund. It’s almost guaranteed to end badly. Ask our resident poster—Marylin. It’s amazing how many people strive to provide this life for their children, never understanding the mind of a child born into extreme wealth. It has no hunger to improve their lot, mommy and daddy provided all they would ever need, and here in lies the major problem. Help sometimes means you are hurting someone.
By HOLMAN W. JENKINS, JR.
Nov. 3, 2015 6:47 p.m. ET
1007 COMMENTS
With their latest subpoena to the Obama administration, House Republicans risk descending into a rabbit hole, albeit a useful one.
Lamar Smith, the Texas GOPer who runs the House science and technology committee, has been seeking, voluntarily and then not so voluntarily, emails and other internal communications related to a study released earlier this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The study, by adjusting upward temperature readings from certain ocean buoys to match shipboard measurements, eliminated the “pause” in global warming seen in most temperature studies over the past 15 years.
Let’s just say, without prejudging the case, gut instinct has always indicated that, if there’s a major global warming scandal to be discovered anywhere, it will be found in the temperature record simply because the records are subject to so much opaque statistical manipulation. But even if no scandal is found, it’s past time for politicians and the public to understand the nature of these records and the conditions under which they are manufactured.
Opinion Journal Video
Business World Columnist Holman Jenkins Jr. on the House investigation into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s climate data. Photo credit: Getty Images.
This is where those who confuse science with religion, and scientists with priests, take umbrage. Unfortunately, NOAA has proved itself pliable to the propagandizing urge. Witness its steady stream of press releases pronouncing the latest month or year the “warmest on record.” It always falls to outsiders to point out that these claims often rest on differences many times smaller than NOAA’s own cited margin of error. Case in point: When President Obama declared in January that 2014 was the warmest year on record, it had only a 38% chance of being hotter (by an infinitesimal margin) than other hottest-year candidates 2010, 2005 and 1998.
It doesn’t help that NOAA’s sleight of hand here seems designed precisely to conceal the alleged “pause.” The inconvenient hiatus in global warming showed up just as temperature measurement became more rigorous and consistent; just as China overtook the U.S. as champion emitter; just as 30% of all greenhouse gases released since the start of the industrial revolution were hitting the atmosphere.
Presumably the hunt will now be on among House Republicans for evidence that NOAA scientists selected only those rejiggerings that would make the pause disappear. Good luck with that. Not only are the adjustments, corrections and interpolations eye-glazing—ground temperatures must be tweaked to offset growing urbanization, polar temperatures for the fact that we don’t have measurement data for long periods of history, etc. Past records must be assembled from measurements not under control of today’s researchers, using an uncertain mix of devices and practices. Where records don’t exist or are deemed inadequate, scientists incorporate what they call proxies.
Researchers will surely be prepared to justify each and every tweak, but it seems all but impossible to bias-proof the choice of which adjustments to make or not make. By the count of researcher Marcia Wyatt in a widely circulated presentation, the U.S. government’s published temperature data for the years 1880 to 2010 has been tinkered with 16 times in the past three years.
And, when all is said and done, it’s still not clear that assigning an “average” temperature for the planet for a year is a meaningful way to capture climate change. Or that claims to detect differences from one year to the next of 2/100ths of a degree are anything but exercises in false precision.
It would be astonishing if human activities were not having some impact on climate, but the question has always been how and how much. Evidence of climate change, of course, is not evidence of what’s causing climate change. Yet three certainties emerge from the murk: Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased significantly due to fossil-fuel burning; and the reward system in climate science is heavily tilted toward forecasts and estimates that see a large human effect.
Unfortunately, it’s also true that many of us cannot tolerate making up our minds under conditions of uncertainty. Uncertainty is especially the enemy of passion. That’s why so many who proclaim themselves “passionate” about global warming cannot string together two sentences indicating any understanding of the subject.
But let us end on an optimistic note. Progress comes from unexpected directions. In a new paper, Australian psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky, Harvard historian Naomi Oreskes and three co-authors chide climate scientists for adopting the term “pause” or “hiatus” in relation to global warming, saying it indicates a psychological susceptibility to the “seepage” of “memes” into their thinking.
As we are not the first to note, if the Oreskes et al. paper means climate activists are now prepared to acknowledge that climate scientists are subject to social pressures, this is perhaps the first breakthrough in decades.
It always falls to outsiders to point out that these claims often rest on differences many times smaller than NOAA’s own cited margin of error. Case in point: When President Obama declared in January that 2014 was the warmest year on record, it had only a 38% chance of being hotter (by an infinitesimal margin) than other hottest-year candidates 2010, 2005 and 1998.
I don’t get it. If there is indeed a scam here, how many people are in on it. How do they keep it a secret with so many people in on it? How could the majority of scientists be in on it? I think most scientists have morals and ethics, but what do I know. It’s just pretty crazy to think this many people can be in on a scam and it remain a secret. I don’t know, just doesn’t make sense to me.
“Let’s just say, without prejudging the case, gut instinct has always indicated that, if there’s a major global warming scandal to be discovered anywhere, it will be found in the temperature record simply because the records are subject to so much opaque statistical manipulation. But even if no scandal is found, it’s past time for politicians and the public to understand the nature of these records and the conditions under which they are manufactured.”
Kraft Heinz to close seven plants & layoff 2600
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kraft-heinz-close-7-plants-204609114.html
Well the town is probably 80% red, so much so the Democrats don’t even offer a candidate. Well the current council was so sure of a victory that they got to the point of openly making fun of the constituents at town meetings. In addition comments from the council such as we make decisions, you the public does not have a say, eventually caused the town to turn on them -Democracy in action I guess.
Real change! Respect to the voters in your town.
walking bye says:
November 4, 2015 at 11:56 am
My town just voted in 3 independents. That should teach the R’s and D’s not to mess with free Atlantic City bus trips the town would provide the senior club.
Pumpkin,
It’s not a secret. There are a large number of people reporting on the scammery of the global warming alarmists. They are in turn routinely attacked, vilified, cut off from grants, denied teaching positions, branded “deniers,” etc.
Arguing against the global warming hysteria today feels just like arguing against internet stock valuations in 1999.
Nate Silver of five thirty eight got pilloried for including a chapter of his book “The Signal and the Noise” that showed that for the last 20 years, the UN’s global warming forecast have not only been wrong, with temperature coming in below forecast, the real data was below their projected 95% model confidence band. A sign that your model and your confidence in it is worthless. I saw nobody in government, Climate Change activism, or the mainstream media give that chapter a moment of thoughtful consideration. The same guy who they previously claimed was incredibly brilliant at statistics for predicting the Obama landslide
Michael Crichton in his last book “State of Fear” explained how the political/media/intellectual axis works to perpetuate their belief system. Here’s a speech about the subject:
http://michaelsantomauro.blogspot.com/2009/11/michael-crichton-case-for-skepticism-on.html
I don’t know why this climate change thing stick in my craw so much, but it really does.
Watching in slow motion the pattern of lies and distortions……I think also my analytic work on a solar array project several years ago and seeing the people involved on the ground and their absolute contempt for the public’s interest. Learning more about how Trenton works and the idea that collectively the competition for our taxes is effectively a lowbrow rugby scrum. The winners of the scrum are the people least burdened with ethics and conscience, and possessing the greatest helpings of chutzpah and hedonism….
To be clear…..the focus on green energy now should be evolution in technology, not adoption…….because the technology is patently uneconomic in its current form……
Ugh, I have this feeling in my stomach. I feel disgusted, like the day I found out santa isn’t real. I have no faith in man-kind. There is no limit to how money corrupts. It has corrupted science. I’m disgusted. I was a skeptic most of my life on most issues, except when it came to the environment. I was always about trying to preserve the environment for future generations. The data said it was real. They took me for a ride because I CARED. I’m going to say it again, I’m disgusted. I really can’t believe it. I really can’t believe they would mess with the data. That’s a sin if you are a true scientist. That goes against everything science is about. What’s wrong with these people? Is there no honesty left in this world? I always am skeptical of stats, because you can sway them to one way or the other, but I didn’t think this applied to science. Wtf? How the hell can you manipulate the data and call it science? This is a big blow to my outlook on life. I have to try and stay positive and think something good will come of this. So wrong, the consequences of this when it goes mainstream will be devastating to science.
Thank you rags and chi for doing what you did. That’s not easy to do.
Ice Age cause – variations in the intensity and timing of heat from the sun are the most likely cause of the glacial/interglacial cycles.
Why does it even matter how much carbon we put up if the Sun decides to reduce the solar radiation hitting the planet?
Even better how much farm land will be covered in a thick sheet of ice if we don’t heat the planet? Last Ice age ended 12,000 years ago we may be due for another one soon.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/exxon-predicted-today-s-cheap-solar-boom-back-in-the-1980s
“From Kyocera’s headquarters overlooking the hills and temples of the ancient capital of Kyoto, Inamori expresses doubts about western capitalist ways. His views are a reminder that many bastions of Japanese business don’t buy into Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plans to make companies more devoted to shareholders.
“If you want eggs, take care of the hen,” Inamori said in an interview on Oct. 23. “If you bully or kill the hen, it’s not going to work.””
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-04/the-no-1-business-rule-of-this-billionaire-and-buddhist-priest
Proof positive that Movoto lists are BS.
http://www.movoto.com/guide/boston-ma/best-boston-suburbs/
My hometown made the list and that surprises the heck out of me. Two towns I considered to be lowbrow dumps also made the list.
Bloomfield Elects Deceased Man To School Board
http://patch.com/new-jersey/montclair/s/feack/bloomfield-elects-deceased-man-to-school-board?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=politics%20%26%20government&utm_campaign=alert
Plumpy,
When I was growing up, science claimed that butter was significantly worse for your health than margarine. Of course, the scientists were not yet aware of the impact of trans fats on the heart. Always be careful of what science is saying. Especially science that exists almost entirely from the government funding of it. There is no doubt that private sector funded scientific studies often hide certain findings that don’t support the findings the company desires. But climate scientists are pretty much out of a job completely if they point out the shortcomings of their research. I also find it incredible that most meteorologists don’t feel that humans are responsible for the majority of climate change and frequently point out that the historical data set used to make climate judgements is questionable in its accuracy and far from being thorough enough to come up with conclusive estimates of future climates.
I’m headed down to AC tomorrow after work to gamble with the teachers. If you want a good laugh, witness the drunken teachers at the tables who are supposed to be attending the conference.
If any teachers here want a fancy meal, post something here and I’ll take you out.
Going back to teachers– when private ticks latch on to public money……..
Some N.J. private schools for disabled students cashing in on taxpayers
The payroll at Somerset Hills School reads like a family tree, with 10 relatives sprinkled throughout. Four of them earn six-figure salaries.
While Gov. Chris Christie rails about the pay of public school superintendents, top employees at these schools live in another world, spared from his rancor. Nineteen directors were paid the maximum allowed salary — $225,734 — to oversee schools with anywhere from 30 to 327 students a day
The cafeteria serves up a nice profit, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for food to a company founded and owned by the school’s executive director.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_private_schools_students_disabilities_spotty_oversight_high_salaries_nepotism_luxury_cars_busines.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/nyregion/at-a-success-academy-charter-school-singling-out-pupils-who-have-got-to-go.html?_r=0
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/camden_flow/189500341.html
http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2015/11/charter_school_exec_protected_bullying_boyfriend_l.html#comments
Going back to teachers– when private ticks latch on to public money……..
Some N.J. private schools for disabled students cashing in on taxpayers
The payroll at Somerset Hills School reads like a family tree, with 10 relatives sprinkled throughout. Four of them earn six-figure salaries.
While Gov. Chris Christie rails about the pay of public school superintendents, top employees at these schools live in another world, spared from his rancor. Nineteen directors were paid the maximum allowed salary — $225,734 — to oversee schools with anywhere from 30 to 327 students a day
The cafeteria serves up a nice profit, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for food to a company founded and owned by the school’s executive director.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/nj_private_schools_students_disabilities_spotty_oversight_high_salaries_nepotism_luxury_cars_busines.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/nyregion/at-a-success-academy-charter-school-singling-out-pupils-who-have-got-to-go.html?_r=0
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/camden_flow/189500341.html
http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2015/11/charter_school_exec_protected_bullying_boyfriend_l.html#comments
Warren the weasel strikes again. I will not buy Heinz or Kraft products any more unless absolutely necessary after seeing what they’ve done to two perfectly healthy and profitable companies.
It’s a perfect example of why economic inequality is increasing rapidly, the tax and financial systems are both set up to encourage it. Pay a few guys massive dividends and payouts at a low tax rate rather than thousands of employs a living wage who actually pay taxes.
Mike says:
November 4, 2015 at 4:44 pm
Kraft Heinz to close seven plants & layoff 2600
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kraft-heinz-close-7-plants-204609114.html
92- heartbreaking. American lives being destroyed, hence, American society being destroyed.
“I live three miles from the Kraft plant in Allentown, PA. I have a friend who works in shipping. He says that what you hear in the media is simply lies by omission. Most of the jobs that are being eliminated are indeed going overseas. His job along with 400 others are being eliminated simply because the parent company wants tighter control and that means bringing those jobs to them.
My friend is worried about a few people he knows there. There has already been a suicide attempt by one man who’s been with Kraft in Allentown for 22 years. This is a direct result of this news. There’s been a woman who’s supporting her two children as a single mom who now breaks down and sobs a work not knowing where the money is going to come from.
These are people with lives and hearts and souls that are being raped simply because the parent company want s to take an already profitable location and close it in order to move it overseas to please the top brass.
I’m sick, disgusted and deeply saddened for everyone affected. I’m so happy my wife and I didn’t have any kids and I’m not any younger than I am. This country is trashed. “
It doesn’t feel good to be wrong. I am grateful for being helped “to see the light”. You are absolutely right with science. How about the whole “fat is bad” fiasco. Totally screwed it up and deprived a generation of healthy and needed fat and replaced it with garbage.
Libturd in Union says:
November 4, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Plumpy,
When I was growing up, science claimed that butter was significantly worse for your health than margarine. Of course, the scientists were not yet aware of the impact of trans fats on the heart. Always be careful of what science is saying. Especially science that exists almost entirely from the government funding of it. There is no doubt that private sector funded scientific studies often hide certain findings that don’t support the findings the company desires. But climate scientists are pretty much out of a job completely if they point out the shortcomings of their research. I also find it incredible that most meteorologists don’t feel that humans are responsible for the majority of climate change and frequently point out that the historical data set used to make climate judgements is questionable in its accuracy and far from being thorough enough to come up with conclusive estimates of future climates.
Good luck in ac, not that you need it! Lol
extreme right wingers are pleased with this outcome.
more dough for Romney’s Private Equity
The Great Pumpkin says:
November 5, 2015 at 8:53 am
92- heartbreaking. American lives being destroyed, hence, American society being destroyed.
“I live three miles from the Kraft plant in Allentown, PA. I have a friend who works in shipping. He says that what you hear in the media is simply lies by omission. Most of the jobs that are being eliminated are indeed going overseas. His job along with 400 others are being eliminated simply because the parent company wants tighter control and that means bringing those jobs to them.
My friend is worried about a few people he knows there. There has already been a suicide attempt by one man who’s been with Kraft in Allentown for 22 years. This is a direct result of this news. There’s been a woman who’s supporting her two children as a single mom who now breaks down and sobs a work not knowing where the money is going to come from.
These are people with lives and hearts and souls that are being raped simply because the parent company want s to take an already profitable location and close it in order to move it overseas to please the top brass.
I’m sick, disgusted and deeply saddened for everyone affected. I’m so happy my wife and I didn’t have any kids and I’m not any younger than I am. This country is trashed. “
According to the company, work is going to other U.S. Plants. It probably isn’t cost effective to make ketchup in China and ship it. But it is cost effective to have ever-better technology making it instead of ever-costlier humans.
So geeks and nerds get more work; the untrained, uneducated and expensive? Not so much.
Like I said, this doesn’t end until you seal the borders and mandate make-work jobs. Of course, you won’t much like how that looks but you’ll have a reason to get up and go to work pushing a button that isn’t really connected to anything.
[96] anon
“extreme right wingers are pleased with this outcome.”
Why? Did they finally sh1tcan your lazy azz? If so, yeah, we’re happy
Anon is truly delusional if he believes the boards of directors of these companies that make these decisions are made up on Extreme Right Wingers.
They are made up of some of the most selfish and greedy individuals on this planet.
Juice Box says:
November 5, 2015 at 9:11 am
Anon is truly delusional if he believes the boards of directors of these companies that make these decisions are made up on Extreme Right Wingers.
Looks like a bunch of Harvard guys/gals with many having a Wall Street tie.
http://ir.kraftheinzcompany.com/directors.cfm?sect=o
101 cont
That Warren E. Buffett guy looks suspect pledging 99% of his wealth to philanthropy
Great find from the moose for all you haters out there.
http://nesn.com/2015/11/numbers-bill-belichick-patriots-win-pregame-coin-flip-at-impossible-rate/
My theory is that Charles Xavier and Eric Lenscher are both on the Patriots payroll. How else do you explain some of the bizarre calls made by opposing teams and the coin toss differential?
#98
These deals are driven by ZIRP and tax loopholes. The economic value is dubious.
The “savings” are obtained by pulling the rug out from mature workforces who presumably have good benefit packages and replacing them with lower cost workers. I fail to see how that strengthens the economy and basically amounts to a wealth transfer from many to a selected few.
[100] pumps
So don’t buy their mustard. Buy it from another greedy capitalist
[104]. Nwnj
We could argue substantial economic effect but I’m a bit confused by the glaring contradiction(s) in that post. Maybe you’d like to rephrase first?
I did research on a company that Kraft CEO Bernardo Hees once ran as CFO. I think he’s a lying piece of crap. Back in 2007 he was running a Brazilian railroad, acquired a weak competing railroad, fired 40% of their employees in the first month they owned them, reported great results for about the next 6 months, and then failed to grow up to expectations for the next 5 years. I remember visiting his HQ and riding on a special train with other analysts through the Brazilian mountains. So much BS was said. I specifically remember Hees saying that this was the most fun he’s ever had. I can tell he’s a big PR hound, makes everything sound exciting. Clearly sucked in feeble-minded Warren B with his hyperbole, who called him one of the best managers he’s ever met. This guy ran that Brazilian rail into the ground, making promises to investors that he never came close to delivering. The stock fell at least 95% from the bubble Hees pumped up, and got into financial distress, eventually got acquired by another company. I suspect that there were accounting shenanigans as well.
Anyway, after that trip to see Hees I convinced my firm to sell the stock. I can smell a BS artist, and the reality wasn’t matching the story in many ways. When it all fell apart, along with the stock, people at my company were grateful.
What surprises me is that the news media and Warren Buffet seem completely oblivious to this little bit of Hees’ professional history. Doesn’t fit the golden boy narrative.
Correction, Hees was also CEO of the Brazilian railroad, not CFO. The CFO was a guy who I remember looking increasingly uncomfortable, not wanting to confirm the promises that the CEO was making.
We’ve been a soci@list country since FDR. A great deal of the current political babble simply centers over whether healthcare is a human right or a consumer service which should only be available to those able and willing to pay.
I still haven’t made up my mind, and I believe most thinking Amerikans haven’t, either. I get all mushy and altruistic when I’m in a good mood, and then I run up against some useless bag of blood that makes me think fcuk no, let flotsam like this die in the street.
Whatever the motivations for getting rid of human capital, you cannot deny that it is getting ever more expensive to employ people in this country. Case in point is something I was just reading about.
https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Employers/Types-of-Employer-Payments-and-How-They-Are-Calculated
Say what you want about greed but there’s no denying that companies have strong incentives to dump their workforces in favor of cheaper labor elsewhere or more efficient technology.
[109] splat
“We’ve been a soci@list country since FDR.”
I posit that we’ve waded into the soci@list pool up to our knees. Pumps and Sanders want us to go up to our waist. I suspect Otto and anon want us to go chest deep, and would be the first to volunteer for the Americorps Red Guard.
Me? I really don’t care. I’ll be cleaning up the mess made by the politicians and doing what I can to preserve whatever bank I get.
What would the founding fathers do to the owners of Kraft?
re # 112 – treat them better than their slaves.
[112] phoenix
What do you think? This country was founded by tax cheats and folks who wanted the government out of their business. Washington would be appalled at what we have wrought in the city that bears his name.
Want to end it? Pass a law or three. Just don’t complain about the dislocation that goes with it. Our system resembles a massive Pik-Up-Stix game and you can’t remove some without disturbing the pile.
Back to the salt mines. Peace out.
re: # 107- Rags 3G Capital and Warren Buffett.
Where do you think barry will be working about 2016?
Hint..
https://www.google.com/search?q=Warren+Buffett+obama&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=923&tbm=isch&imgil=ee1hwKWANdGJfM%253A%253BudISmXcjQAmdYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.zimbio.com%25252Fphotos%25252FBarack%2525252BObama%25252FWarren%2525252BBuffett%25252FPresident%2525252BObama%2525252BHonors%2525252BMedal%2525252BFreedom%2525252BRecipients%25252FW1FvSjW2JN3&source=iu&pf=m&fir=ee1hwKWANdGJfM%253A%252CudISmXcjQAmdYM%252C_&usg=__Jqv7Zmy6F75Otv21PfSORVsO62s%3D&ved=0CCYQyjdqFQoTCNT3kKfJ-cgCFcZHJgodSRoF8g&ei=TXI7VpSdM8aPmQHJtJSQDw#imgrc=ee1hwKWANdGJfM%3A&usg=__Jqv7Zmy6F75Otv21PfSORVsO62s%3D
It’s important not to remember that everything that’s wrong or mistaken need not be corrected with government intervention. The market corrects mistakes. How many companies has Al Dunlap managed lately?
How many times a day do you think a Kraft employee utters the phrase, “Who cut the cheese?”
Here’s something to remember about the nature of government. It’s proper role is to protect individual rights. As modern government attempts to do everything, it increasingly acts to violate rather than protect rights.
http://fee.org/freeman/the-nature-of-government-by-ayn-rand/
Now consider the extent of the moral and political in version in today’s prevalent view of government. Instead of being a protector of man’s rights, the government is becoming their most dangerous violator; instead of guarding freedom, the government is establishing slavery; instead of protecting men from the initiators of physical force, the government is initiating physical force and coercion in any manner and issue it pleases; instead of serving as the instrument of objectivity in human relationships, the government is creating a deadly, subterranean reign of uncertainty and fear, by means of non-objective laws whose interpretation is left to the arbitrary decisions of random bureaucrats; instead of protecting men from injury by whim, the government is arrogating to itself the power of unlimited whim-so that we are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.
Nice hit piece on Carson.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/05/politics/ben-carson-2016-childhood-violence/index.html
Have you read about the insane policy that the new management decreed, saying that employees may only bring Kraft-Heinz products to eat at lunch? While at the same time shutting down the freebies.
I can understand shutting down the freebies, but demanding 9 to 5 dietary obedience is insane.
I pay the full costs of WAR and got no accountability for Iraq
your ideological bias dictates which forms of corruption you support / oppose
@MotherJones: George H.W. Bush Tears Into Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld
Alex says:
November 4, 2015 at 10:22 am
There would be greater accountability in k-12 educational costs if parents were made to pay the full costs of educating them.
Juice,
Seems like nobody believes Carson was as bad a kid as he claims to have been.
Maybe he confused wishing to stab at someone with actually stabbing at someone.
Looks like in reality he was a nerdy bookworm who probably wished he could kick a jock in the nuts, but didn’t actually do that.
False memories are a real phenomenon.
Or he just needed to spice up an autobiography in 1990.
Will the media be going through Hillary’s book for any inaccuracies, or just be laughing together about how much they enjoyed the experience, so glad that there’s now an official answer to those 1001 accusations of her being a lying, cheating, witch?
@Salon: “If you need lube, then you’re being lazy”: Ronda Rousey
[107] Rags
Funny how with a little research, you are able to form a view and able to make a clear decision. What’s more interesting is wondering why no one else see’s it.
Some people will think “no sh%$ Sherlock”, while others will think former President Bush is completely wrong.
Elder Bush Says His Son Was Served Badly by Aides
WASHINGTON — After years of holding back, former President George Bush has finally broken his public silence about some of the key figures in his son’s administration, issuing scathing critiques of Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
In interviews with his biographer, Mr. Bush said that Mr. Cheney had built “his own empire” and asserted too much “hard-line” influence within George W. Bush’s White House in pushing for the use of force around the world. Mr. Rumsfeld, the elder Mr. Bush said, was an “arrogant fellow” who could not see how others thought and “served the president badly.”
Mr. Bush’s sharp assessments, contained in a biography by Jon Meacham to be published by Random House next week, gave voice to sentiments that many long suspected he had harbored but kept private until now. While he continued to praise his son, he did tell Mr. Meacham that the younger Mr. Bush was responsible for empowering Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld and was at times too bellicose in his language.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/politics/elder-bush-says-his-son-was-served-badly-by-aides.html?_r=0
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/12/the_best_and_worst_places_in_america_to_educate_your_child_partner/
I don’t know what the hell is coming over me, but I am starting to understand you in a different light. You aren’t a bad guy like I made you out to be. I’m sorry for judging you.
Ragnar says:
November 5, 2015 at 9:32 am
I did research on a company that Kraft CEO Bernardo Hees once ran as CFO. I think he’s a lying piece of crap. Back in 2007 he was running a Brazilian railroad, acquired a weak competing railroad, fired 40% of their employees in the first month they owned them, reported great results for about the next 6 months, and then failed to grow up to expectations for the next 5 years. I remember visiting his HQ and riding on a special train with other analysts through the Brazilian mountains. So much BS was said. I specifically remember Hees saying that this was the most fun he’s ever had. I can tell he’s a big PR hound, makes everything sound exciting. Clearly sucked in feeble-minded Warren B with his hyperbole, who called him one of the best managers he’s ever met. This guy ran that Brazilian rail into the ground, making promises to investors that he never came close to delivering. The stock fell at least 95% from the bubble Hees pumped up, and got into financial distress, eventually got acquired by another company. I suspect that there were accounting shenanigans as well.
Anyway, after that trip to see Hees I convinced my firm to sell the stock. I can smell a BS artist, and the reality wasn’t matching the story in many ways. When it all fell apart, along with the stock, people at my company were grateful.
What surprises me is that the news media and Warren Buffet seem completely oblivious to this little bit of Hees’ professional history. Doesn’t fit the golden boy narrative.
I don’t know what they are doing, but they do something to defy the odds in the nfl. No way in hell you can have winning season for 15 years.
They are cheaters. He runs it like wall st, any advantage they can get.
It’s not possible in a salary cap league to not have a rebuilding year. Impossible.
No doubt in my mind, they are cheating. They are getting returns like Madoff. Not possible, you have to question it.
Comrade Nom Deplume, the anon-tidote says:
November 5, 2015 at 9:50 am
Whatever the motivations for getting rid of human capital, you cannot deny that it is getting ever more expensive to employ people in this country. Case in point is something I was just reading about.
https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Employers/Types-of-Employer-Payments-and-How-They-Are-Calculated
Say what you want about greed but there’s no denying that companies have strong incentives to dump their workforces in favor of cheaper labor elsewhere or more efficient technology.
Elder Bush Says His Son Was Served Badly by Aides
WASHINGTON — After years of holding back, former President George Bush has finally broken his public silence about some of the key figures in his son’s administration, issuing scathing critiques of Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
In interviews with his biographer, Mr. Bush said that Mr. Cheney had built “his own empire” and asserted too much “hard-line” influence within George W. Bush’s White House in pushing for the use of force around the world. Mr. Rumsfeld, the elder Mr. Bush said, was an “arrogant fellow” who could not see how others thought and “served the president badly.”
Mr. Bush’s sharp assessments, contained in a biography by Jon Meacham to be published by Random House next week, gave voice to sentiments that many long suspected he had harbored but kept private until now. While he continued to praise his son, he did tell Mr. Meacham that the younger Mr. Bush was responsible for empowering Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld and was at times too bellicose in his language.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/politics/elder-bush-says-his-son-was-served-badly-by-aides.html?_r=0
Elder Bush Says His Son Was Served Badly by Aides
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/us/politics/elder-bush-says-his-son-was-served-badly-by-aides.html?_r=0
re: #127 – Dementia? They are putting up a statue of Cheney right now at Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dick-cheney-statue_563a8e80e4b0b24aee48e5a2
[126] pumps,
Yep, you nailed it. The refs are on the take, there’s a Cerebro machine under the turf at Gillette, and Belicheck is using magnets and ancient alchemy to influence the way a coin lands. Oh, and they reset the clocks on command and influence the four winds to blow kicker’s balls aside. In truth, there is only one explanation: Belicheck is a Class V mutant, a la Jean Grey.
Just when I was starting to give you the benefit of some doubt too.
Hey, work with me here. Why are they always at the center of cheating controversies? No other team except for them.
The other teams know they are doing something, but no one can figure it out. It’s not mathematically possible in the nfl, due to the salary cap, to go 15 straight years with a winning record. It’s like flipping a coin 15 times and coming up heads 15 times in a row. Just not happening, and you have to question it. Nothing to do with hating the patriots and everything to do with the odds. They are your team, so you will never look at it in the same light as other people are. There is a reason other teams are paranoid when they play the patriots and start checking their locker rooms. The writing is on the wall, and I’m sure in the future something will eventually come out.
Comrade Nom Deplume, the anon-tidote says:
November 5, 2015 at 11:41 am
[126] pumps,
Yep, you nailed it. The refs are on the take, there’s a Cerebro machine under the turf at Gillette, and Belicheck is using magnets and ancient alchemy to influence the way a coin lands. Oh, and they reset the clocks on command and influence the four winds to blow kicker’s balls aside. In truth, there is only one explanation: Belicheck is a Class V mutant, a la Jean Grey.
Just when I was starting to give you the benefit of some doubt too.
Warren Buffett is a fast-talking swindler, too.
NFL and Deathball are inherently corrupt. As is the entire sport of Deathball.
Interesting map:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wheres-the-money-in-america-this-3d-map-will-show-you-2015-11-05
Where’s the money in America? This 3D map will show you
Five regions are driving more than half of U.S. GDP
The hardest working states and regions in America? Sorry flyover states, better luck next time. The kings of production remain in the most obvious spots: California, Texas and New York.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Department of Commerce recently pushed out some statistics on gross domestic product in 2014 for the U.S. based on metropolitan areas. The folks at HowMuch.net took that data and turned it into a map that demonstrates just where the growth in the U.S. is coming from. As shown below, the higher the cone rising from the map, the bigger the GDP in that region:
“In analyzing the data, we found that the top 20 metropolitan areas represent over 52% of the total GDP in the U.S.,” said Raul Amoros, director of content development at HowMuch.net.
Spiking right out of the map, was the New York region, which includes Newark and Jersey City., with a whopping contribution of $1.56 trillion in GDP and growth of 2.4% in 2014. That region provided nearly 10% of the total GDP for the whole of the U.S.
Just behind it, the Greater Los Angeles area was second with $866 billion in GDP, with a 2.3% rise over 2013. Third and fourth, respectively, was the Chicago metro area, with $610 billion and growth of 1.8%, and the Houston metro area with $525 billion. Dallas stole the fifth spot with $504 billion.
And there’s a reason why they call them flyover states.
HowMuch.net also broke down GDP by state, and found that the top five states contributed 40% of the overall GDP for the U.S.: California blew the rest of the U.S. away with a contribution of $2.11 trillion or over 13% of overall GDP. Not so close behind was Texas with $1.46 trillion, or 9.5% of overall GDP. New York, Florida and Illinois made up the rest of that top five.
[132] splat
Probably, but how many FIFA officials got perp-walked? 14, 15?
Everyone at FIFA should be executed. Doesn’t excuse the NFL, NCAA Deathball, though.
While we’re at it, execute everyone in ML$’ front office and USSF, too.
[130] pumpkin
“Why are they always at the center of cheating controversies? No other team except for them.”
http://yourteamcheats.com/
Please show someone this data next time they say this area is too expensive and the wealth is leaving. Nj is not going anywhere due to its’ location. The haters can throw darts at our growth all they want, but I will say it again. How in the world can you compare our growth to these other states? Our economy is on such a larger scale, how in the world can we get the same type of growth as these smaller economies?
““In analyzing the data, we found that the top 20 metropolitan areas represent over 52% of the total GDP in the U.S.,” said Raul Amoros, director of content development at HowMuch.net.
Spiking right out of the map, was the New York region, which includes Newark and Jersey City., with a whopping contribution of $1.56 trillion in GDP and growth of 2.4% in 2014. That region provided nearly 10% of the total GDP for the whole of the U.S.”
“Hey, work with me here. Why are they always at the center of cheating controversies? No other team except for them.”
No other team has their track record and a c0ach and scouting system like theirs. It’s amazing actually. Never a star RB. Tiny speedy receivers and a QB who never throws interceptions. Then add fantastic corners and linebackers (pipeline to Rutgers actually) and you have a recipe for success.
And deflating balls does not win you a super bowl.
[137] redux
Pumps, you a G-men fan? How about this chestnut?
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2245&dat=19561015&id=28gzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4e4HAAAAIBAJ&pg=5494,6257034&hl=en
With that said…fcuk them.
My only question, why did Bill become a guru in NE? Why did the browns tenure go in the opposite direction…he sucked so bad that he was fired. I’m just trying to make sense of it. lol
I’m a rangers fan, jets fan, and yankees fan. Odd mix, and seems I’m terrible at picking teams. So wish I picked the giants and devils. Would have seen so many championships in my teens and twenties. Don’t judge me as a loser for the sport teams I picked. Shows I’m not a front-runner. All were picked in the 80’s.
Man U for soccer. Also, like Bayern Munich, since man u is tough to watch these days. Can’t get enough of lewandowski. Guy is turning into a beast!
Man U? Blech.
Palace!
White American’s sharing their PL teams feels awfully hipster.
ya’all remind me of a bunch of snotty yuppies when you yap about these different European soccer teams…
I knew there had to be a terrible move in your life…..there it is. lol
Libturd in Union says:
November 5, 2015 at 12:33 pm
Man U? Blech.
Palace!
Ha ha!
I only like them because it’s the only match I’ve seen live and they drew to my former team…the Spurs. They are really holding their own up in the big league too.
@BillMoyersHQ: Just Up: The GOP and the Rise of Anti-Knowledge By Mike Lofgren
“At present, however, a person can be blissfully ignorant of how to locate Kenya on a map, but know to a metaphysical certitude that Barack Obama was born there, because he learned it from Fox News. Likewise, he can be unable to differentiate a species from a phylum but be confident from viewing the 700 Club that evolution is “politically correct” hooey and that the earth is 6,000 years old.
And he may never have read the Constitution and have no clue about the Commerce Clause, but believe with an angry righteousness that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional.”
@washingtonpost: 5 theories about why middle-aged, white Americans are dying at such high rates
“The end of the American dream?
With the disappearance of stable jobs in manufacturing and construction over the years, many people with only a high school education may not have as many opportunities as they may have had a generation ago. Surveys have shown that about half of middle-aged Americans have not been able to save enough money for retirement. Many in this generation are “the first to find, in midlife, that they will not be better off than their parents,” the authors wrote.”
Jesus shit. Punkinhead’s a soccer hipster/poser.
Kill me now.
Palace is legit (I hate to say, since my brilliant club ran him out the door). Uptempo, good attacking play.
Palace’s manager, Pardew, would be the manager run out the door by NUFC.
Peace out when the Bill Moyers reteweets start.
[142-3] pumpkin
ManU, Bayern, Yankees.
I knew it. A crowd-following poser.
Its not too late to switch from Jets to G-men, you know. Being an NYCer, shifting allegiances should be second nature. It’s in your DNA, dating back to revolutionary times.
[149] a not
One need only watch old episodes of “Jaywalking” with Jay Leno to know that the majority of the idiocracy doesn’t lean right.
Or read anything from anon and believe it.
Key FactsClosing the CEO pay loophole would save taxpayers $50 billion over 10 years.Walmart dodged $104 million in federal taxes over the past six years by exploiting the CEO pay loophole.Voters strongly oppose the CEO pay loophole. By nearly 2 to 1 (63% to 34%) they want to “prevent corporations from avoiding taxes when they award their executives millions of dollars in stock options (Hart Research, Q 12CEOs of major corporations earn nearly 300 times more than an average worker. This is 10 times more than the CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1978 when CEOs earned 30 times more.CEOs often get their “performance-based” bonuses even when they don’t reach performance goals.Talking pointsUnder the CEO pay tax loophole, the bigger the bonuses corporations give to their executives the less the company pays in taxes. That means average taxpayers have to pick up the tab.Corporate profits are soaring, CEO pay is skyrocketing, but workers’ wages are standing still. It’s outrageous that average Americans are subsidizing the lavish bonuses of their bosses.Tax loopholes like this make voters feel that the system is rigged against them. And they are right. We need a tax system where everyone plays by the same set of rules.When giant corporations don’t pay their fair share, small businesses and working families have to make up the difference. The $50 billion cost of this loophole could pay for a lot of things we need — educating our kids, rebuilding roads and bridges and finding new cures for diseases.The CEO pay loophole encourages the reckless risk-taking that helped cause the 2008 financial crash. The more CEO bonuses are linked to stock prices and other short-term measures of “performance,” the more incentive CEOs have to take giant risks.
—————————-
Overview
Most American taxpayers would be shocked to learn that they subsidize CEO bonuses. A tax loophole allows corporations to deduct from their taxable income any amount paid to CEOs and their executives, as long as the pay is “performance-based.” This means that the more they pay their executives, the less they pay in federal taxes.
Why does this tax loophole exist?
The CEO pay loophole defies common sense, but Congress thought was doing the right thing when it passed legislation in 1993 that capped the tax deductibility of executive pay at $1 million. But there was a huge loophole — the cap doesn’t apply to “performance-based” pay, which includes stock options. Incentive bonuses were supposed to make CEOs better stewards of shareholders’ money. This theory has proved false, with the 2008 financial crisis being only the most severe example of how huge performance bonuses can encourage risky activities that endanger single companies and the broader economy.
How much does this loophole cost taxpayers?
Closing the CEO pay loophole would save taxpayers $50 billion over 10 years, according to the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation.
What could $50 billion buy?
Rather than subsidize corporate executive pay, other pressing needs could be funded such as:
Two-thirds of the $75 billion cost of President Obama’s plan to provide all low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds with high-quality publicly funded preschool over 10 years.Food and Drug Administration funding over 10 years to ensure that our food, prescription drugs and many other products are safe.Eliminating the highway and mass transit trust fund shortfalls for the next 2.5 years.What are other benefits of closing the loophole?
Eliminating the loophole would give corporations less incentive to shower executives with lavish bonuses — money that could be used to increase pay for average workers. It would also reduce incentives for CEOs to take wild risks with their companies in order to get multi-million dollar “performance-based” bonuses.
Executive compensation experts found that pay arrangements relying heavily on “performance pay” are leading managers to focus excessively on the short term, motivating them to boost short-term results at the expense of long-term value.
The CEO pay loophole debate
Corporate lobby groups often try to confuse the debate by arguing that Congress shouldn’t tell corporations how much they can pay their CEOs. Under proposed reforms in Congress, corporations will still be free to shower their CEOs with huge bonuses. It’s just that taxpayers won’t have to pick up the tab.
Some conservatives say corporations should face no limits whatsoever on the deductibility of CEO pay since the executives also pay individual income taxes on this compensation. This is not a matter of “double taxation.” Corporations and their employees are separate entities and it is the norm to tax money when it changes hands. For example, individuals pay taxes on their earnings and when they spend money at a store that business pays taxes on the income.
What is happening in Congress?
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act (S. 1476). Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) has introduced a companion bill (H.R. 3970) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both bills would save taxpayers $50 billion.
Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has produced a tax reform plan that would stop taxpayer subsidies for a company’s top five executive officers. It would generate $12 billion over 10 years (Sec. 3802).
These bills would build on precedents in the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) and the Affordable Care Act that set a $500,000 deductibility cap on pay for bailout recipients and health insurers.
Key FactsClosing the CEO pay loophole would save taxpayers $50 billion over 10 years.Walmart dodged $104 million in federal taxes over the past six years by exploiting the CEO pay loophole.Voters strongly oppose the CEO pay loophole. By nearly 2 to 1 (63% to 34%) they want to “prevent corporations from avoiding taxes when they award their executives millions of dollars in stock options (Hart Research, Q 12CEOs of major corporations earn nearly 300 times more than an average worker. This is 10 times more than the CEO-to-worker pay ratio in 1978 when CEOs earned 30 times more.CEOs often get their “performance-based” bonuses even when they don’t reach performance goals.Talking pointsUnder the CEO pay tax loophole, the bigger the bonuses corporations give to their executives the less the company pays in taxes. That means average taxpayers have to pick up the tab.Corporate profits are soaring, CEO pay is skyrocketing, but workers’ wages are standing still. It’s outrageous that average Americans are subsidizing the lavish bonuses of their bosses.Tax loopholes like this make voters feel that the system is rigged against them. And they are right. We need a tax system where everyone plays by the same set of rules.When giant corporations don’t pay their fair share, small businesses and working families have to make up the difference. The $50 billion cost of this loophole could pay for a lot of things we need — educating our kids, rebuilding roads and bridges and finding new cures for diseases.The CEO pay loophole encourages the reckless risk-taking that helped cause the 2008 financial crash. The more CEO bonuses are linked to stock prices and other short-term measures of “performance,” the more incentive CEOs have to take giant risks.
—————————-
Overview
Most American taxpayers would be shocked to learn that they subsidize CEO bonuses. A tax loophole allows corporations to deduct from their taxable income any amount paid to CEOs and their executives, as long as the pay is “performance-based.” This means that the more they pay their executives, the less they pay in federal taxes.
Why does this tax loophole exist?
The CEO pay loophole defies common sense, but Congress thought was doing the right thing when it passed legislation in 1993 that capped the tax deductibility of executive pay at $1 million. But there was a huge loophole — the cap doesn’t apply to “performance-based” pay, which includes stock options. Incentive bonuses were supposed to make CEOs better stewards of shareholders’ money. This theory has proved false, with the 2008 financial crisis being only the most severe example of how huge performance bonuses can encourage risky activities that endanger single companies and the broader economy.
How much does this loophole cost taxpayers?
Closing the CEO pay loophole would save taxpayers $50 billion over 10 years, according to the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation.
What could $50 billion buy?
Rather than subsidize corporate executive pay, other pressing needs could be funded such as:
Two-thirds of the $75 billion cost of President Obama’s plan to provide all low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds with high-quality publicly funded preschool over 10 years.Food and Drug Administration funding over 10 years to ensure that our food, prescription drugs and many other products are safe.Eliminating the highway and mass transit trust fund shortfalls for the next 2.5 years.What are other benefits of closing the loophole?
Eliminating the loophole would give corporations less incentive to shower executives with lavish bonuses — money that could be used to increase pay for average workers. It would also reduce incentives for CEOs to take wild risks with their companies in order to get multi-million dollar “performance-based” bonuses.
Executive compensation experts found that pay arrangements relying heavily on “performance pay” are leading managers to focus excessively on the short term, motivating them to boost short-term results at the expense of long-term value.
The CEO pay loophole debate
Corporate lobby groups often try to confuse the debate by arguing that Congress shouldn’t tell corporations how much they can pay their CEOs. Under proposed reforms in Congress, corporations will still be free to shower their CEOs with huge bonuses. It’s just that taxpayers won’t have to pick up the tab.
Some conservatives say corporations should face no limits whatsoever on the deductibility of CEO pay since the executives also pay individual income taxes on this compensation. This is not a matter of “double taxation.” Corporations and their employees are separate entities and it is the norm to tax money when it changes hands. For example, individuals pay taxes on their earnings and when they spend money at a store that business pays taxes on the income.
What is happening in Congress?
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have introduced the Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act (S. 1476). Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) has introduced a companion bill (H.R. 3970) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both bills would save taxpayers $50 billion.
Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has produced a tax reform plan that would stop taxpayer subsidies for a company’s top five executive officers. It would generate $12 billion over 10 years (Sec. 3802).
These bills would build on precedents in the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) and the Affordable Care Act that set a $500,000 deductibility cap on pay for bailout recipients and health insurers.
—————————-
http://www.americansfortaxfairness.org/tax-fairness-briefing-booklet/fact-sheet-tax-subsidies-for-ceo-pay/
America’s Finest (jj Edition):
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-reveals-vic-sausage-assault-firehouse-article-1.2424903
The End Is Nigh (Jersey Wines & Spirits Edition):
How Millennials Are Changing Wine
By LETTIE TEAGUE
“SO MANY MILLENNIALS ARE interested more in the narrative of the wine rather than the wine,” said Jason Jacobeit, the 29-year-old head sommelier of Bâtard restaurant in New York. “A lot of mediocre wine is being sold on the basis of a story.”
Mr. Jacobeit lamented the fact that few of his generational peers took the time to understand why certain wines are greater than others. The rustic sparkling wine Pét-Nat (short for pétillant-naturel), for example, may be hip and fun, but it will never be as great as Champagne. Mr. Jacobeit said that his peers need to learn to distinguish the difference between “being excited about wine and wine that is genuinely exciting.”
Taylor Parsons, the 35-year-old wine director of République in Los Angeles attributes these “gaps” in millennials’ wine knowledge to their incessant search for the next cool thing, be it orange wine or Slovenian Chardonnay. “We get tons of requests for Slovenian Chardonnay,” he said.
Which might just mean you’ll soon be seeing many more Slovenian Chardonnays on restaurant wine lists. After all, millennials have been heralded as the generation capable of changing everything. The largest generation to date at 75 million strong, they certainly have clout. This group of 18- to 34-year-olds is technologically savvy, environmentally engaged and eager for stories about the things they love. They’ve helped transform the way we connect with one another, but will they also (re)shape the way we drink? I’d say “perhaps,” although a millennial might answer “Yaaaasssss!”
In search of an answer, I talked to as many millennial sommeliers, winemakers, retailers and wine drinkers as I could. I also began combing through piles of data, starting with an August survey from Wine Opinions, a California-based wine-research group. In the survey, the results of which will be released later this month, the group polled 2,634 wine drinkers from three generations—millennials, Gen X and boomers—about their wine preferences, buying habits and information sources.
One of the biggest divides turned out to be the numerical rating system. Millennials regard the 100-point scale as the creation—and the provenance—of their older wine-drinking peers. They won’t be “duped” into buying an expensive wine just because some critic awarded it 92 points; they value stories and a personal connection.
Though their rebellious tastes can lead them into trouble, millennials’ enthusiasm for the obscure has also been a boon. As Mr. Parsons observed, it means “you can have a restaurant wine list today without Napa Cabernet or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,” two wines that achieved fame thanks to Gen Xers and boomers.
But a wine list designed to appeal to millennials shouldn’t be too pricey. According to Wine Opinions, they spend less money per bottle than their older peers—79% of regular millennial wine drinkers bought wines in the $10-$15 range. (This isn’t all that surprising since most young wine drinkers have less money to spend.)
So how and where are millennials getting their wine education? “Millennials don’t like ratings, but they like some kind of review,” said Adam Teeter, the 32-year-old editor and co-founder of VinePair, a New York-based online wine magazine for millennials. “They have a great thirst for knowledge.”
That’s why you’ll find a good deal of VinePair editorial content devoted to educational articles, including an extensive Wine 101 section where readers can learn the names of important grapes and how to taste wine. It’s also why Mr. Teeter says some of his non-wine-professional friends have sought to become certified sommeliers. “I don’t remember my parents’ friends having sommelier certification,” he said.
I thought about pointing out that sommelier certification was virtually nonexistent when Gen Xers—let alone boomers—were growing up, but I held my tongue. After all, the Wine Opinions research showed that only 17% of millennials care what a wine columnist like me says. In fact, just 22% subscribe to a print wine magazine or newsletter—that’s about half the percentage of Gen Xers (41%). All three generations, however, surf the Web for wine information. Interestingly, baby boomers and Gen Xers went online even more than millennials, with 65% of Gen Xers looking on the Web, versus 61% of boomers and 50% of millennials.
There were other points of convergence in Wine Opinions’ data, and the three generations seemed to agree more often than not. For example, when asked if they would buy a bottle they’d never tried or a new wine by the glass, 86% of millennials said that they would; 72% of baby boomers said they would, too. All three liked red wine more than white or sparkling, and they all liked Moscato.
Yet with conventional wisdom holding that millennials don’t care about luxury and aren’t loyal to brands, it’s little wonder that wine producers all over the world—like every other business—are scrambling to figure out what they want.
And it’s safe to say that whatever millennials do want, they’ll probably get it; by 2017, they’ll have more buying power than any other demographic group. So though boomers and Gen Xers helped build and sustain the wine business over the years, companies big and small are paying attention to millennial habits and marketing their products accordingly.
The majority of millennials are now over the legal drinking age in America, and the habits they acquire might shape the wine industry. Get a glimpse of the future with these factoids from Wine Opinions’ 2015 survey of wine-drinking millennials.
54% haven’t purchased—and have no interest in purchasing—wine in a can.
86% buy a bottle or glass of wine they’ve never tried before at least two to three times a month.
22% subscribe to a print wine magazine, newsletter or other publication.
85% have met someone after work for a glass of wine at least once in the past month.
43% have visited four or more winery tasting rooms in the past 12 months.
61% have commented on wine on Facebook or read the wine comments of others on Facebook in the past month.
72% have posted a photo on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or other social media showing wine they enjoyed in the past month.
E.&J. Gallo Winery’s Carnivor Cabernet is a perfect example. Launched in 2013 and priced at $15, the wine is aimed at young male drinkers. “Millennials are very driven by word-of-mouth, so we engage key influencers in conversation about our product,” Molly Davis, Gallo’s vice president of marketing, wrote in an email about the brand’s strategy. In other words, they send bottles to bloggers and hold tasting events. Carnivor Cabernet’s website is heavy on social media, promoting the hashtag #DevourLife and featuring a feed from its Instagram account. And the company has put together a guide to meat cuts, with recipes, in the hope of furthering its millennial appeal.
While it was interesting to read about millennials and talk about millennials, I wanted to actually taste with millennials. So I assembled a mini-focus group, with two men and two women ranging in age from 25 to 32. While my group’s wine knowledge was limited, they were enthusiastic and one of them had recently joined a wine club.
I bought wines that millennials were purported to like: Prosecco, a red blend (Bordeaux), Riesling, Beaujolais, Moscato, Malbec and an obscure wine with hipster cred—Cour-Cheverny, a white wine from the Loire Valley. I spent around $15-$20 a bottle, staying close to their favored price point.
‘Millennials have been heralded as the generation capable of changing everything. The largest generation to date at 75 million strong, they certainly have clout.’
The group didn’t particularly like the Prosecco I’d chosen. The Le Vigne di Alice Doro ($20) was too fruity, they said. In fact, they didn’t much like Prosecco at all. They did like the slightly sweet and frothy 2012 Jorge Ordonez & Co. Botani Sparkling Muscat ($16) from Spain, but none could recall ever buying a Moscato before.
The same was true for the Riesling. Although they liked the 2014 Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger Alte Reben ($17) from Mosel, it wasn’t a wine they’d ever think about buying because they didn’t know much about German wines. “Aren’t they all sweet?” asked Rachel, a 30-year-old freelance fashion consultant.
The Cour-Cheverny was acceptable, but the back story I told them—an obscure white grape (Romorantin) that almost disappeared—was deemed uncompelling. “Maybe if the story was more interesting I would have liked the wine more,” said Steven, a 32-year-old lawyer. In this regard, at least, my focus group supported the research I’d found.
Egidio, a 25-year-old financier, preferred Italian reds above all. They were the wines his father had taught him to love. (Both he and Steven had wine-collecting fathers.) As for the Beaujolais, a 2013 Fleurie from Château de Fleurie, it was simply “too light.”
They loved the rich, lush, concentrated 2013 Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec ($18), and all knew something about Malbec. But they said that there were too many different types. “I would never order a Malbec in a restaurant. It’s too various, unlike a Cabernet,” said 28-year-old Leah, a public-relations professional.
The red blend was a hit as well—though none of them knew that Bordeaux was a blend. The 2010 Château Sénéjac Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois ($24) initially failed to thrill—too tannic and dry, according to Leah—but when I suggested trying it with some cheese, the wine was transformed.
When it came to buying wine, three of the four said they sought the counsel of retailers, while Egidio asked his father’s advice. None consulted online sources or, of course, magazines. They preferred a personal connection to the person making the suggestions. “You really want someone with experience who knows you,” Steven said. This may have been a classic millennial attitude, but it’s something I’ve heard said by many Gen Xers and boomers as well.
Will millennials in the end “revolutionize” wine—or banking or dining, for that matter? Will they render wine scores obsolete and classic wines like Bordeaux and Burgundy mere runners up to…Slovenian Chardonnay? Perhaps. They’ve certainly done their part to promote small producers creating interesting wines in odd corners of the globe. But to truly claim their position as the most powerful consumers in the world, they’ll need to develop a broader context and a deeper understanding of the entire world of wine—and not just an appreciation of a good story or a few obscure grapes.
The End Is Nigh (Jersey Wines & Spirits Edition):
How Millennials Are Changing Wine
By LETTIE TEAGUE
“SO MANY MILLENNIALS ARE interested more in the narrative of the wine rather than the wine,” said Jason Jacobeit, the 29-year-old head sommelier of Bâtard restaurant in New York. “A lot of mediocre wine is being sold on the basis of a story.”
Mr. Jacobeit lamented the fact that few of his generational peers took the time to understand why certain wines are greater than others. The rustic sparkling wine Pét-Nat (short for pétillant-naturel), for example, may be hip and fun, but it will never be as great as Champagne. Mr. Jacobeit said that his peers need to learn to distinguish the difference between “being excited about wine and wine that is genuinely exciting.”
Taylor Parsons, the 35-year-old wine director of République in Los Angeles attributes these “gaps” in millennials’ wine knowledge to their incessant search for the next cool thing, be it orange wine or Slovenian Chardonnay. “We get tons of requests for Slovenian Chardonnay,” he said.
Which might just mean you’ll soon be seeing many more Slovenian Chardonnays on restaurant wine lists. After all, millennials have been heralded as the generation capable of changing everything. The largest generation to date at 75 million strong, they certainly have clout. This group of 18- to 34-year-olds is technologically savvy, environmentally engaged and eager for stories about the things they love. They’ve helped transform the way we connect with one another, but will they also (re)shape the way we drink? I’d say “perhaps,” although a millennial might answer “Yaaaasssss!”
In search of an answer, I talked to as many millennial sommeliers, winemakers, retailers and wine drinkers as I could. I also began combing through piles of data, starting with an August survey from Wine Opinions, a California-based wine-research group. In the survey, the results of which will be released later this month, the group polled 2,634 wine drinkers from three generations—millennials, Gen X and boomers—about their wine preferences, buying habits and information sources.
One of the biggest divides turned out to be the numerical rating system. Millennials regard the 100-point scale as the creation—and the provenance—of their older wine-drinking peers. They won’t be “duped” into buying an expensive wine just because some critic awarded it 92 points; they value stories and a personal connection.
Though their rebellious tastes can lead them into trouble, millennials’ enthusiasm for the obscure has also been a boon. As Mr. Parsons observed, it means “you can have a restaurant wine list today without Napa Cabernet or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc,” two wines that achieved fame thanks to Gen Xers and boomers.
But a wine list designed to appeal to millennials shouldn’t be too pricey. According to Wine Opinions, they spend less money per bottle than their older peers—79% of regular millennial wine drinkers bought wines in the $10-$15 range. (This isn’t all that surprising since most young wine drinkers have less money to spend.)
So how and where are millennials getting their wine education? “Millennials don’t like ratings, but they like some kind of review,” said Adam Teeter, the 32-year-old editor and co-founder of VinePair, a New York-based online wine magazine for millennials. “They have a great thirst for knowledge.”
That’s why you’ll find a good deal of VinePair editorial content devoted to educational articles, including an extensive Wine 101 section where readers can learn the names of important grapes and how to taste wine. It’s also why Mr. Teeter says some of his non-wine-professional friends have sought to become certified sommeliers. “I don’t remember my parents’ friends having sommelier certification,” he said.
I thought about pointing out that sommelier certification was virtually nonexistent when Gen Xers—let alone boomers—were growing up, but I held my tongue. After all, the Wine Opinions research showed that only 17% of millennials care what a wine columnist like me says. In fact, just 22% subscribe to a print wine magazine or newsletter—that’s about half the percentage of Gen Xers (41%). All three generations, however, surf the Web for wine information. Interestingly, baby boomers and Gen Xers went online even more than millennials, with 65% of Gen Xers looking on the Web, versus 61% of boomers and 50% of millennials.
There were other points of convergence in Wine Opinions’ data, and the three generations seemed to agree more often than not. For example, when asked if they would buy a bottle they’d never tried or a new wine by the glass, 86% of millennials said that they would; 72% of baby boomers said they would, too. All three liked red wine more than white or sparkling, and they all liked Mosc^to.
Yet with conventional wisdom holding that millennials don’t care about luxury and aren’t loyal to brands, it’s little wonder that wine producers all over the world—like every other business—are scrambling to figure out what they want.
And it’s safe to say that whatever millennials do want, they’ll probably get it; by 2017, they’ll have more buying power than any other demographic group. So though boomers and Gen Xers helped build and sustain the wine business over the years, companies big and small are paying attention to millennial habits and marketing their products accordingly.
The majority of millennials are now over the legal drinking age in America, and the habits they acquire might shape the wine industry. Get a glimpse of the future with these factoids from Wine Opinions’ 2015 survey of wine-drinking millennials.
54% haven’t purchased—and have no interest in purchasing—wine in a can.
86% buy a bottle or glass of wine they’ve never tried before at least two to three times a month.
22% subscribe to a print wine magazine, newsletter or other publication.
85% have met someone after work for a glass of wine at least once in the past month.
43% have visited four or more winery tasting rooms in the past 12 months.
61% have commented on wine on Facebook or read the wine comments of others on Facebook in the past month.
72% have posted a photo on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or other social media showing wine they enjoyed in the past month.
E.&J. Gallo Winery’s Carnivor Cabernet is a perfect example. Launched in 2013 and priced at $15, the wine is aimed at young male drinkers. “Millennials are very driven by word-of-mouth, so we engage key influencers in conversation about our product,” Molly Davis, Gallo’s vice president of marketing, wrote in an email about the brand’s strategy. In other words, they send bottles to bloggers and hold tasting events. Carnivor Cabernet’s website is heavy on social media, promoting the hashtag #DevourLife and featuring a feed from its Instagram account. And the company has put together a guide to meat cuts, with recipes, in the hope of furthering its millennial appeal.
While it was interesting to read about millennials and talk about millennials, I wanted to actually taste with millennials. So I assembled a mini-focus group, with two men and two women ranging in age from 25 to 32. While my group’s wine knowledge was limited, they were enthusiastic and one of them had recently joined a wine club.
I bought wines that millennials were purported to like: Prosecco, a red blend (Bordeaux), Riesling, Beaujolais, Mosc^to, Malbec and an obscure wine with hipster cred—Cour-Cheverny, a white wine from the Loire Valley. I spent around $15-$20 a bottle, staying close to their favored price point.
‘Millennials have been heralded as the generation capable of changing everything. The largest generation to date at 75 million strong, they certainly have clout.’
The group didn’t particularly like the Prosecco I’d chosen. The Le Vigne di Alice Doro ($20) was too fruity, they said. In fact, they didn’t much like Prosecco at all. They did like the slightly sweet and frothy 2012 Jorge Ordonez & Co. Botani Sparkling Musc^t ($16) from Spain, but none could recall ever buying a Mosc^to before.
The same was true for the Riesling. Although they liked the 2014 Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger Alte Reben ($17) from Mosel, it wasn’t a wine they’d ever think about buying because they didn’t know much about German wines. “Aren’t they all sweet?” asked Rachel, a 30-year-old freelance fashion consultant.
The Cour-Cheverny was acceptable, but the back story I told them—an obscure white grape (Romorantin) that almost disappeared—was deemed uncompelling. “Maybe if the story was more interesting I would have liked the wine more,” said Steven, a 32-year-old lawyer. In this regard, at least, my focus group supported the research I’d found.
Egidio, a 25-year-old financier, preferred Italian reds above all. They were the wines his father had taught him to love. (Both he and Steven had wine-collecting fathers.) As for the Beaujolais, a 2013 Fleurie from Château de Fleurie, it was simply “too light.”
They loved the rich, lush, concentrated 2013 Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec ($18), and all knew something about Malbec. But they said that there were too many different types. “I would never order a Malbec in a restaurant. It’s too various, unlike a Cabernet,” said 28-year-old Leah, a public-relations professional.
The red blend was a hit as well—though none of them knew that Bordeaux was a blend. The 2010 Château Sénéjac Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois ($24) initially failed to thrill—too tannic and dry, according to Leah—but when I suggested trying it with some cheese, the wine was transformed.
When it came to buying wine, three of the four said they sought the counsel of retailers, while Egidio asked his father’s advice. None consulted online sources or, of course, magazines. They preferred a personal connection to the person making the suggestions. “You really want someone with experience who knows you,” Steven said. This may have been a classic millennial attitude, but it’s something I’ve heard said by many Gen Xers and boomers as well.
Will millennials in the end “revolutionize” wine—or banking or dining, for that matter? Will they render wine scores obsolete and classic wines like Bordeaux and Burgundy mere runners up to…Slovenian Chardonnay? Perhaps. They’ve certainly done their part to promote small producers creating interesting wines in odd corners of the globe. But to truly claim their position as the most powerful consumers in the world, they’ll need to develop a broader context and a deeper understanding of the entire world of wine—and not just an appreciation of a good story or a few obscure grapes.
I’m headed down to AC tomorrow after work to gamble with the teachers. If you want a good laugh, witness the drunken teachers at the tables who are supposed to be attending the conference.
No one is supposed to be attending the conference. I’m sitting at home today and tomorrow. The conference is a big joke filled with union hacks and people looking to make a name for themselves (probably so they can become an admin at some point) About 2% of the teachers in state go. You are probably seeing the lowest of the low. Any good teacher right now is using today and tomorrow to catch up on grading or get their lessons all hashed out for the month of November.
re #160 – “grading or get their lessons all hashed out “. My district Middletown is closed all week, teachers are gone on vacation after just 8 weeks of teaching. My wife took off and I am working, I will be taking off 23rd of Dec to the 1st of January when school closes again.
one for Joyce.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fbi-agent-guilty-assault-shoving-teenager-ground-article-1.2424364
156
I’d counter with any show set in the south. Honey boo, duck dynasty, let’s throw in those family values Duggars out in Utah as well.
Baa.
Says the Pats fan…
Comrade Nom Deplume, the anon-tidote says:
November 5, 2015 at 2:54 pm
[142-3] pumpkin
ManU, Bayern, Yankees.
I knew it. A crowd-following poser.
Its not too late to switch from Jets to G-men, you know. Being an NYCer, shifting allegiances should be second nature. It’s in your DNA, dating back to revolutionary times.
My district Middletown is closed all week, teachers are gone on vacation after just 8 weeks of teaching. My wife took off and I am working, I will be taking off 23rd of Dec to the 1st of January when school closes again.
In the grand scheme of things, from an education perspective, it’s not the worst thing. Typically, in any class outside of an AP class, this week is an entire wash. Any shortened week is a complete waste in education for students that aren’t 100% motivated and focused. Only the best get anything from being here Mon-Wed. It happens again Thanksgiving weekend. That’s why, if your district is considering giving off Diwali, you need to fight it tooth and nail. If that happens, the entire month of November will be a complete waste.
The days that the school is off should never be held against the teachers. Regardless of which days are given off, every school still meets 180 days which I would point out is a hell of a lot more than every private school I know of. Taking off days now means less days taken off prior to July. The real pain in the butt is that as parents, you have to make arrangements for these days off. IMO, the NJEA convention should be abolished or moved to a winter break weekend. There’s nothing to gain from the convention as a teacher. The state should offer teachers a tax credit to attend school those two days. I guarantee the convention gets moved to something reasonable.
I think what you fail to realize is that most of us loath these random days off as it interferes with our jobs. Me personally, I teach an AP class so every day off is a kick in the gut to me meeting my deadlines that I have set for myself.
Ben – don’t the early dismissal days count towards the 180? Many other districts were early dismissal this week.
Also thanksgiving has two ealy dismissal days,day before and monday after. I am going to.have to adjust and I will however we both work and it seems to me we are hanging onto schedules from 40 years ago when both parents did not work.
#89/81 Chi
“I don’t know why this climate change thing stick in my craw so much, but it really does.”
“because the technology is patently uneconomic in its current form……”
I think the answer here is that you have a problem taking an objective view. You can’t seem to look at certain issues and see it purely from your work environment. Fracking to you seems to be a pure money discussion. The only time an outside factor, such as the environment comes into play, is the cost paid to hedge, or pay out on environmental impact from the business.
Saying Solar is “patently uneconomic in its current form” is wrong. A truer statement would be that “Solar , will not give you a sufficient ROI in a time frame that will get you to invest”.
If I put panels on my roof, I may break even in 6 years with subsidies, 12 without, By year 15 I’m in profit. By year 25 at the expected end of life of the panel, its in almost pure profit. If I roll in a replacement policy for the panels and batteries as they age, its a nice long term investment. But you are not in that game.
Offered without comment
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/11/02/this-is-most-prosperous-nation-in-world-hint-not-us
“the abuse is they are not retired. Pensions are for people that are no longer working. fold, spindle and manipulate it all you want, but ask any school kid that ‘s heard of a pension, and they’ll tell you it’s for when you retire. work for 20 yr and collect your paycheck for another 40 yr is insanity. It effectively is giving a NJ cop that works 20 yr at $100k per year, a salary of $300k per year in leu of pension.”
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/for_jerseys_double-dipping_sheriffs_retirement_can.html#incart_target2box_default_
[164] pumps
Been a Pats fan all my life. I have the tickets from the game my parents went towhee they were dating. In 1962. I’ve gone to Foxboro for father-son days since before your parents had pubes. I’ve never been to Gillette. I have autographs from players who are dead. Don’t call me a poser when you flash ManU then dump for Bayern when Manu fall out of contention.
[169] Rory
Yet a comment is implied, isn’t it?