Joemama's Free Press

70% Haircut on Greek Debt?

2012-01-30T16:01:00.000-10:00

If I were sitting on CDOs on Greek Debt I would just let them default instead of taking 30 cents on the dollar like this.

The person said Monday that the 70 percent loss was produced by cutting the bonds' face value in half, reducing the average interest rate to less than 4 percent and pushing repayment of the bonds decades into the future.

Also I would be loathe to loan any of the debt-soaked southern European countries one single dollar more if this kind of thing could happen again. I hope whatever compact the Germans impose on the rest of Europe puts in place an automatic expulsion of a nation that gets over a certain debt level. That might have headed off this crisis at the very beginning and let the Greeks inflate their way out of this problem by bringing back the Drachma.

Market Headed for a "Golden Cross?"

2012-01-30T15:52:00.001-10:00

At least it seems that way if we keep going higher.

The “cross” happens when the 50-day moving average rises above the 200-day moving average, signaling a continuing uptrend.

“As of right now, the 200-day is at 1,257, and the 50-day is at 1,256, so it’s one S&P point away from happening. I think it will come, if you look at what the 50-day looks like,” said Birinyi Associates analyst Kevin Pleines.

He said his analysis shows that when the 50-day crossed the 200-day in the 26 instances since 1962, the market was higher six months later 81 percent of the time.

Wow 81% is a pretty good indicator. I am already net long the market and pared down my cash so this bodes well for me if the 50 day holds above the 200 day.

Amish Project: Interesting But Sad in a Way

2012-01-30T15:49:00.000-10:00

This writer cut the digital cord for 90 days and he seems better for the experience.

Were there people who said, "I'm just not going to participate in this. If you can't answer my texts, I don't need to talk to you."

Reilly: Yeah, I mean, I definitely just lost complete contact with people that normally would have been part of my life. I mean it's also an interesting metric for your life to see who some of your closest friends are, you know, and who's willing to take the time. I started to feel bad for them, too, because it definitely became a nuisance, but, yeah, it definitely changed the level of, or the number of friends that I had and the level of contact that I had with them.

I guess he saw who is "friends" were ie Facebook friends and who his real friends were. I mean the idea that people lost complete contact with him because he cut the digital cord says a lot about them. I wonder if these superficial "digital friends" are going to be the norm for 20-somethings going forward?

Stange Objects Found at the Bottom of the Baltic Sea

2012-01-27T09:05:00.000-10:00

Now this is something that needs to be checked out as soon as possible.

Sonar readings show that the mysterious object is about 60 meters across, or, about the size of a jumbo jet. And it's not alone. Nearby on the sea floor is another, smaller object with a similar shape. Even more fascinating, both objects have "drag marks" behind them on the sea floor, stretching back more than 400 feet.

I wonder what they could be? They might be Soviet submarines that had an accident that was not disclosed to the public at large. However a Kursk class sub is only 18 meters across. It might be a Russian Dreadnaught from WWI but even those ships are only about half as wide as these objects at 26.8 meters. About the only thing that is 72 meters across is a Soviet era Carrier. You would figure that the Russians couldn't keep the sinking of a ship that size a secret even during the Cold War.

It Seems that Buffett Paying a Lower Tax Rate Than His Secretary is Rare

2012-01-25T09:20:00.000-10:00

Well it seems that the uber-rich not paying their fair share seems to be a pretty miniscule number of people clocking in at just 236,883 taxpayers who earned more than $1 million in 2009.

The Top 400 tax filers – the very richest Americans – do pay a lower rate of just 18.11 percent of their total income. Why? Many of them are hedge fund managers and people like Buffet — their income is pegged how much their investment fund grows. For some reason, this income is counted as so-called “carried interest” (even though it is not interest at all; it’s more like a performance bonus) and is taxed at the lower 15 percent capital gains rate.

So if they got rid of the "carried interest" rule then that should solve much of the income inequality that Obama keeps harping on. Also it seems that middle income Americans are not really paying their fair share at all according to this:

The numbers change a bit if you look at total income before deductions and tax credits (Adjusted Gross Income), according to another non-partisan group, The Tax Foundation. Here’s how the numbers breakdown using IRS data from 2009 on Adjusted Gross Income for the income groups at issue in this discussion:

- $10 million a year paid 22 percent.

- $1 million to $10 million paid 25 percent.

- $50,000 to $75,000 paid 7 percent.

The middle class pay just 7 percent because of deductions and tax credits that H&R Block get paid big money to uncover. If you go to those making less than $50,000 many of them pay no taxes at all and receive refunds instead. In any case the entire tax code should be overhauled.

Apple Obliterates Numbers from Orbit!

2012-01-24T13:57:00.000-10:00

Who knew selling IPhones and IPads would be so damn lucrative.

The technology giant [AAPL 420.41 -6.999 (-1.64%) ] delivered fiscal first-quarter earnings excluding items of $13.87 a share, double the $6.43 a share recorded in the year-earlier period.

Revenue jumped 73 percent to $46.3 billion from $26.74 billion a year ago.

Analysts had expected the company to report earnings excluding items of $10.10 per share on revenue of $38.9 billion, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.

They had records all around as well:

The company said it sold 37 million iPhones, 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs during the quarter — all new records and all beating analysts' expectations.

They also hold $97.6 billion in cash just pretty much sitting in some bank somewhere. I think they should use that money to buy 5 Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers (ICarriers?) and 75 F-18 Hornets (IFighters?) and go around solving the worlds problems one sortie at a time. Or maybe they should give shareholders a one time cash dividend or something. Just having it sit around in a large pile is a big waste of resources.

It Seems a Greek Default Wouldn't be so Bad

2012-01-24T09:21:00.000-10:00

I guess since it doesn't come as a surprise and markets are ready for it then it can be dealt with.

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association says the total net exposure of market participants who have sold CDS credit protection on Greek sovereign debt was about $3.7 billion as of Oct. 21, 2011. At this point, the group estimates that more than 90 percent of Greek CDSs have been collateralized. In other words, most of the insurance has already been paid.

Also there seems to be $53 billion in Greek Debt maturing in 2012 which will probably get wiped out. Anything else coming due in the future should be okay since Greece will run a surplus with the new austerity bill in place. Then the EU can move to boot them out of the Union and put some serious debt to GDP ratio laws in place going forward. Maybe if it gets too high they will put them on membership watch.

Romney Releases Tax Returns: Pays $6 million in 2 years

2012-01-24T09:01:00.000-10:00

Now that is one hefty tax bill.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011.

Romney's tax rate is below that of most wage-earning Americans because most of his income, as outlined in more than 500 pages of tax documents, flows from capital gains on investments.

His tax return was 500 pages? I get mad when I have to file a bunch of K1s for owning ETFs. The idea of having to file a 500 page report to the government is asinine. I think the tax code should be simplified so that someone making $45 million and someone making $45,000 should file the same amount of worthless forms.

Also the idea that he pays only 15% while other Americans pay 35% is stupid. Most Americans pay 0% and actually get money back from the government to the tune of $1000s. I mean all those H&R Block commercials show people getting back like $10,000 or more.

I think every American should pay some income taxes even if it is $1. That way they feel more ownership of the government that wastes billions of their dollars on stupid crap. I would gladly pay more taxes if I am shown that my investment gets a decent return and isn't wasted on bridges to nowhere and to pay bureaucrats to sit around and meet.

Stocks Look Cheap According to Bespoke Investment Group

2012-01-23T12:57:00.000-10:00

Hmm, this rally might just be returning to the mean which in this case is higher from here. The S&P 500 is currently trading at 1316 for purposes of comparison.

To start 2012, the benchmark had an earnings multiple of 13, the lowest since 1990 and below the 80-year average of 15, according to Bespoke. It would take a move back to 1,484 to get the benchmark back to this long-term mean P/E.

The price-to-book ratio is 2.05, below the average since the late 1970s of 2.43. To get back to that average P/B, the benchmark would need to increase to 1,491.

One more valuation—dividend yield—points to above 1,400, argue the two strategists.

“At the end of 2011, the S&P 500 was yielding 13 percent more than the 10-Year US Treasury,” wrote Hickey and Walters. “Outside of the credit crisis, the last time the S&P 500 yielded more than the 10-Year Treasury was before 1960."

I Dislike Newt: But He Smashed John Kings Face with a Verbal Shovel during the Debate

2012-01-20T13:46:00.001-10:00

Now this is red meat for the Conservatives out there that can't stand the main stream media and how they protect Obama and just want to destroy Republicans. I love the "No, but I will" line myself. I think this might be his "catch up to Romney" moment.

Facebook Makes You Unhappy? Maybe this explains the Occupy Movement

2012-01-20T13:25:00.000-10:00

Well I guess seeing other smiling and happy and doing things that are "cooler" than their mundane crap is affecting some Facebook users.

"Those who have used Facebook longer agreed more that others were happier, and agreed less that life is fair, and those spending more time on Facebook each week agreed more that others were happier and had better lives," wrote Chou and Edge. "Furthermore, those that included more people whom they did not personally know as their Facebook "friends" agreed more that others had better lives."

I wonder is some of the Occupy protestors are bothered by the "life is less fair" part of the Facebook experience. I mean most of them are 20-somethings who are heavily into Facebook and they see that everyone else is getting bailed out and getting bonuses and it "isn't fair" in their minds.

Perhaps Facebook is creating the myth in their mind. Its like that scene from Trading Places where Dan Aykroyd is standing in the rain outside of the restaurant watching all of his rich ex-friends eating. They see the banksters like they see their Facebook friends with perceived better lives than them and it makes them angry and they protest. The problem is what are they protesting against? Do they want to break the window and come into the restaurant? Or do they just want to steal the food from the patrons?

GOP Finally Finds Some Sense: Pull Out of SOPA Co-Sponsoring

2012-01-19T15:23:00.000-10:00

It's not just my Congress-critter but other heavy hitters in the GOP are starting to get second thoughts about SOPA.

Sen. Rubio follows Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ), who pulled his name from the list of SOPA co-sponsors on Tuesday. Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) also announced plans to withdrawal is name from the SOPA co-sponsor list.

UPDATE: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has also pulled support for SOPA/PIPA. He writes on his Facebook page: “SOPA: better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong. Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about unintended damage to the internet and innovation in the tech sector require a more thoughtful balance, which will take more time.”

I mean what Senator/Congressman wants to be responsible for killing a billion dollar industry to prevent people from pirating old copies of Dr. Who? Especially when the people who are pirating Dr. Who will not be effected by SOPA in the least and just find a way around whatever blocks are put in place.

In a Targeted Hit Piece Gingrich Looks Like a Lecher

2012-01-19T15:00:00.001-10:00

Well, the main steam media strikes again although Newt seems to make this stuff too easy.

In her most provocative comments, the ex-Mrs. Gingrich said Newt sought an "open marriage" arrangement so he could have a mistress and a wife.

She said when Gingrich admitted to a six-year affair with a Congressional aide, he asked her if she would share him with the other woman, Callista, who is now married to Gingrich.

"And I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do,'" Marianne Gingrich told ABC News. "He wanted an open marriage and I refused."

Marianne described her "shock" at Gingrich's behavior, including how she says she learned he conducted his affair with Callista "in my bedroom in our apartment in Washington."

Yes Newt banged the mistress in the marriage bed or so his ex-wife claims. This is exactly why this man is unfit to be running against Obama. Even if these allegations are untrue by the time people fact check them they have already done their damage.

Gingrich would make the election about him and his screwed up private life. It will not be about Obama failing to lead this country out of economic hardship while racking up massive debt. We would have to hear about Newt the Lech's sex life instead of what he will do to fix the economy while pointing out Obama's many failures.

I have heard people say that they want Gingrich in so that he can debate Obama and wipe the floor with him. I have a feeling that Gingrich would come off as a pompous, mean-spirited asshole. Obama would just have to smirk and stay calm and he would win hands down.

The sooner this idiot drops out of the race the sooner Romney (sigh I guess this boring doof is going to be our nominee) can start to attack Obama on the economy. I mean Obama should be beaten quite handily but he must be licking his chops as the GOP field self-destructs.

My Congress Critter; Collen Hanabusa Opposes SOPA

2012-01-19T14:35:00.007-10:00

Well at least she is good for something other than being the Congresswoman from Inouye:

Dear Mr. Michels,

Mahalo for your correspondence regarding H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). I appreciate your input on this important issue.

While I support a legislative approach to combating online piracy, I do not support SOPA in its current form. In addressing the large and growing problem of piracy and counterfeiting on foreign websites, Congress must strike a balance that addresses these issues without inadvertently leading us to the slippery slope of government intrusion on the internet.

SOPA elicits vigorous debate and I appreciate you taking the time to contact me about this bill. While I do not support H.R. 3261 as it is currently written, I do applaud the work of my House and Senate colleagues in drafting compromise legislation. I look forward to reviewing the alternative proposals as we move forward.

Again, thank you for expressing your views on this crucial issue and I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind as Congress works toward a compromise. I hope you will continue to contact me on federal matters of concern to you. If you would like regular updates, please sign up for my e-newsletter at http://hanabusa.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Colleen Hanabusa
Member of Congress

Perry Out of Race: Hopefully Gingrich will be Next

2012-01-19T13:50:00.000-10:00

Well the hard facts of South Carolina has taken out yet another candidate.

Rick Perry ended his presidential campaign Thursday and endorsed Newt Gingrich's candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

At a press conference in Charleston, S.C., Perry called Gingrich "a conservative visionary who can transform our country."

"Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?" Perry said. "The fact is, there is forgiveness for those who seek God." He mentioned the importance of redemption to Christianity.

SOPA is a Joke: I'm Embarrassed that a Republican is Pushing This Mess

2012-01-17T15:28:00.001-10:00

Well if you don't know what SOPA is then this is the best primer that I have read.

The beating heart of SOPA is the ability of intellectual property owners (read: movie studios and record labels) to effectively pull the plug on foreign sites against whom they have a copyright claim. If Warner Bros., for example, says that a site in Italy is torrenting a copy of The Dark Knight, the studio could demand that Google remove that site from its search results, that PayPal no longer accept payments to or from that site, that ad services pull all ads and finances from it, and—most dangerously—that the site's ISP prevent people from even going there.

This sounds bad so far but it is all done without due-process:

Perhaps the most galling thing about SOPA is that it lets IP owners take these actions without a single court appearance or judicial sign-off. All it takes is a single letter claiming a "good faith belief" that its target site has infringed on its content. Once Google or PayPal or whoever receives the quarantine notice, they have five days to either abide or to challenge the claim in court.

I think this part will make the bill unconstitutional even if it does pass. The idea that there is no due process with the infringer will kill this thing dead with the Roberts Supreme Court. But it shouldn't get this far because SOPA in this form will be the death of the Internet as we know it.

It will strait-up kill the next Facebook or LOLcats with worthless lawsuits. It will cause billions in damage to one of the only truly growing and innovative parts of our economy. The only people that will make out are the bloated content creators who need to innovate or perish and the trial lawyers.

The idea that this blog could get taken down by Google just because I put up a picture of a Coke can without the express written permission of Coca-Cola is so un-American that it isn't even funny. I mean Google would have no choice and I wouldn't even have a chance to appeal their decision. The more I read about SOPA the more I'm convinced it was taken verbatim from an old Soviet Politboro document.

Packers Lose Due to Sparkles and Clay Matthews Jersey

2012-01-17T14:44:00.001-10:00

At least that is what poor drunk Casey thinks. I would blame the poor secondary of Green Bay and not enough pass rush on Eli would be more at fault. Also the Hail Mary at the end of the half was pretty bad deal as well.

But I would think sparkles and not wearing an Aaron Rogers jersey during the most crucial game of the year was certainly a big part of the equation. Casey you let the Packers down with your affinity for sparkles and the wrong jersey choice. For shame Casey for shame!

Kansas City Chiefs Run Like Soviet State?

2012-01-17T11:35:00.000-10:00

This has to be read to be believed.

Paranoid? The Chiefs have adamantly denied that they tap phones or listen in on conversations. But as the team enters another period of transition after elevating defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel last week to head coach, interviews with more than two dozen current and former employees suggest that intimidation and secrecy are among the Chiefs’ principal management styles — and that Haley wasn’t the only one with paranoid thoughts.

Their former head coach thought that rooms in their practice facility were bugged and that his personal cell phone was being tapped. Then it seemed their officials went all Warsaw Pact on their employees.

Some of the first changes involved shutting off access and protecting information. Non-football employees, including those who had worked for the Chiefs for decades, were told that they weren’t allowed on certain floors, or in certain areas of the team facility. Business-side staffers with an office window facing the practice fields were made to keep their shades drawn during practices. The team president was no exception. A security guard made the rounds during practices, sometimes interrupting phone calls and meetings to lower shades.

I guess Chiefs officials were afraid of the CIA moles filming their practices and sending them to the Patriots or something. This article also makes Scott Pioli the Chiefs General Secretary of the Communist Party err General Manager sound like someone that would fit right in under Brezhnev or Stalin.

Pioli frequently came down hard on minutiae. Some emphases made sense, some staffers said; others, though, seemed over the top. One executive, who’s no longer with the team, was sent to human resources for casually referring to Pioli by his last name; the executive said, however, that first names were acceptable. Pioli also sent a memo with detailed instructions, including which stairway to use and which doorway to enter, when using the facility’s gym.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/14/3371495/arrowhead-anxiety-turnover-off.html#storylink=cpy

North Dakota Ad Deemed Too Racy: Gets Pulled from Facebook

2012-01-17T09:54:00.001-10:00

I guess this is an ad from the "what were they thinking department."

The advertisement was meant to showcase North Dakota's nightlife: Two young men and three women flirt through the window of a downtown Fargo motel bar. Printed next to them is the message: "Drinks, dinner, decisions. Arrive a guest. Leave a legend."

It was meant to be "a little flirty, a little fun," said Pat Finken, president of Odney Advertising, the agency that created the ad.

I guess you leave North Dakota a "legend" by having sex with 3 women passing a bar while rocking a chin-beard or resembling Paul Bettany having an epileptic seizure. I guess that would be pretty legendary. Here is a look at the ad:

You Dirty Schettino

2012-01-17T09:37:00.000-10:00

I hope this cowards name gets used as an epithet from now on. Here is him cruising on a lifeboat while arguing with a Coast Guard guy while the people on the cruise ship are trying to flee to safety.

Coast Guard: My rescue craft is at the bow. Go! There are already bodies, Schettino. Go!

Captain: How many bodies are there?

Coast Guard: I don't know! ... Christ, you should be the one telling me that!

Captain: Do you realize that it is dark and we can't see anything?

Coast Guard: So, what do you want to do, to go home, Schettino?! It's dark and you want to go home? Go to the bow of the ship where the ladder is and tell me what needs to be done, how many people there are, and what they need! Now!

Newt Gingrich is a Damn Idiot: Dings Romney on speaking French when he Does Himself!

2012-01-13T15:02:00.000-10:00

I can't wait until this buffoon runs out of campaign money and slinks back to Fox News to offer his "commentary" on various things. In other words I can ignore him until Krauthammer or Karl Rove of someone else actually says something constructive. Here is his hypocritical attack on Romney and his speaking of hated French.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is hitting Rival Mitt Romney in a new ad, with a voice-over that says at one point, “just like John Kerry, he speaks French, too.”

But it may not be Gingrich’s best line of attack, considering the former professor has a doctorate in European history from Tulane University.

Gingrich’s 1971 dissertation – “Belgian Education Policy in the Congo 1945-1960” — contains a multitude of sources in French in his bibliography.

In total, Gingrich relied upon 143 French-language sources to write his dissertation — including 18 “public documents,” 90 books, 33 published articles and 2 unpublished documents.

Yeah, I guess he either didn't actually include information from these hated French sources or had to read them with a derisive sneer on his lips. The problem is France under Sarkozy is a far different entity then it was when "freedom fries" were popular.

This view also insults GOPers that I guess are supposed to have a reflexive hatred of France that is no longer warranted. This France is one of the things that is keeping Greece and Italy from dragging down the rest of the world economy. This France was responsible for bombing Libya into submission after we led from behind. I'm hoping Conservatives have grown up a little in the 9 years since when we are supposed to hate the French.

In the meantime I would like the people of South Carolina to boot this igoramous out of the race so we can focus on the task at hand. That would be attacking Obama and how he has failed as a president and should not win a second term.

Groupon's "Clicky" Looks Like Something Culled from the Nightmares of the Damned!

2012-01-12T10:20:00.001-10:00

On reading this article I thought Groupons new "Clicky" spin-to-win feature I thought it would be something kind of quirky or cute. Instead we have a creature cribbed directly from an HP Lovecraft novel:

This thing is monstrous even by horror novel standards. With two eyes perched wetly above its horrible golden body. They stare directly ahead with sad hatred etched in its terrible, unblinking hazel pupils. They seemed to bore into your soul and make you wish that its gaze was anywhere else but upon you. For if Clicky gazed upon you it will bring only sorrow rather than savings.

But it's eyes were not its most sickening feature. Situated directly in the center of its body was a horrible maw waiting to rip the flesh and crush the very bones of a luckless woman that happened to enter Groupons benighted land in search of a 20% off Zumba Classes at the Sheboygan Civic Auditorium.

It ghastly lips were mercifully closed but one knew that they hid miles of jagged, crooked, yellow teeth. Each one filed to a gore-ripping white point. One expected discounts when they happened upon Groupon but instead they received sanity-blasting horror served to them from a shuddering beast of the elder ages.

Do not attempt to flee Clicky because it does not sleep, its eyes do not close, its clacking jaws do not tire. It will catch you in the darkness and it will devour you body and soul. Gold was the color of its body but the spurting red lifesblood of the saver was all it desired. They came for coupons but left with nothing. Not even their lives.

Another Iranian Nuclear Scientist Bites the Dust: Magnet Bombs Again

2012-01-11T11:14:00.000-10:00

It seems Mossad might be taking some tough measures like they did a years ago. At least we are categorically denying doing it.

"The United States strongly condemns this act of violence and categorically denies any involvement in the killing," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a press statement.

Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, 32, was killed in a blast from a magnetic bomb, that two men on a motorcycle attached to his Peugot 405 in north Tehran during Wednesday morning rush hour, the BBC's Frank Gardner reported.

If I were in charge of enrichment at one of these Iranian nuke factories I would want to sleep at my desk just in case Mossad wants to give you a magnet bomb send-off.

Santorum's Italian Ancestors Red Commies?

2012-01-11T11:04:00.002-10:00

Well that is what his grandmother is telling the Italian weekly magazine Oggi.

But the elder Santorum matriarch doesn’t understand why he has diverged so far from the family’s longtime political stance. “In Riva del Garda his grandfather Pietro and uncles were ‘red communists’ to the core,” writes Oggi journalist Giuseppe Fumagalli, likening the family to “Peppone” after a famous fictional Italian communist mayor who fought against an ultraconservative priest known as Don Cammillo and about which a popular television series is based. “But on the other side of the ocean, it’s like his family here doesn’t exist. Instead he draws crowds as the head of the ultraconservative faction of the Republican party, against divorce, gay marriage, abortion, and immigration.”

I guess you really can't do much about your foreign relations. The idea that there are commies in the past of the Church Lady Santorum is kind of funny.

Huntsman 3rd in New Hampshire: I Think I Will be Voting for This Guy if Given the Chance

2012-01-10T16:25:00.000-10:00

Well, in a field full of lame GOP fodder I guess I can back the least of all evils, Jon Huntsman. Third is a pretty good showing I should think.

Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire primary, Fox News projects, notching back-to-back victories in the first two contests of the presidential nominating season.

Fox News also projects that Ron Paul will finish second and Jon Huntsman will finish third. Rick Perry is projected to finish in sixth place.

Romney will be beaten like a drum by Obama, Newt is a condescending asshole, Rick Perry seems dumber than Bush, and Santorum is the second coming of the Church Lady. So that leaves Huntsman who seems like a likable enough guy judging from a few interviews I saw on Squawk Box which comes on at midnight here in Hawaii. He's knowledgeable about the economy and is affable enough.

Let's look at Huntsman a bit:

1. He's a super-Mormon who is a direct descendant to Parley P. Pratt an early church elder.

2. He was an Eagle Scout which is pretty cool. He also was a keyboard player in the rock band Wizard which he dropped out of school to pursue. So we got some misspent youth going for him.

3. He then got his GED and went to University of Utah and then to Penn so he isn't a generic Ivy Leaguer like the last x-many Presidents. Too bad he didn't have some military service thrown in here.

4. He is fluent in Chinese so he can talk to the Red Chinese without an interpreter. He worked for the HW Bush administration in the Commerce Department and then was ambassador to Singapore. He doesn't seem like a Washington insider which is good.

5. Then he went to work at his dad's company the Huntsman Corporation and was in charge of their Cancer Foundation and other Utah civic groups. Um, I would have liked him to work somewhere else so the nepotism charge can't be leveled against him.

6. Then he was governor of Utah which usually means he has a good chance of being a decent enough President. It seems that when it comes to pre-presidential jobs generals are hit and miss, lawyers are usually crappy, engineers always suck, Senators are decent and governors are generally pretty good. Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR were all former governors.

7. While governor of Utah he seemed pretty fiscally prudent grew jobs and signed a voucher bill into law. He also cut taxes and even got a flat tax passed.

8. He was Ambassador to China on Obama's watch which is a black mark. However, he has a sense of duty and served when called which you really can't fault him for. I guess the Obamites saw him as a harmless GOPer that can speak Chinese. Maybe he will take his ex-bosses job if given the chance?

9. On the issues: he is a tax cutter and wants to get rid of all the stupid tax loopholes that we have to jump through to do our taxes. He wants to cut corporate taxes to 25% from 35% which is awesome. He wants to dump subsidies and corporate welfare. He also wants to get rid of taxes on capital gains and dividends which sold me right there. If I was on the fence before if he can get rid of the asinine taxes on capital gains I have to say "He's the Hunts-man for the job!"

10. On social issues he is anti-abortion, is for civil unions for same-sex couples, and passed a civil unions bill in Utah. All pretty good things other then the abortion thing.

11. He seems anti-green house gas emissions and global warming but as long as it doesn't hurt our economy. In other words he wouldn't support having billions of dollars siphoned from the US into the pockets of foreign dictators in some UN sponsored global warming crap-fest.

12. He seems pro-China in his foreign policy views. He is also pro-Israel and has actually traveled to the Holy Land several times.

13. He is a serious immigration dove it seems. He supports the border fence even though it "repulses him." I think the border fence is a serious waste of money when we are trillions in debt. He was for "drivers-privilege" cards for illegals that can't be used for IDs which seems a decent compromise. He also threatened a veto of a bill that would have repealed in-state college tuition for illegals. He is also very pro legal immigration and wants more H1-B visas and he backed the DREAM Act. His immigration views match mine pretty well for the most part so that is good.

14. He doesn't seem to be the Church Lady about his views like Santorum so that is great. He is also not a creationist like Rick Perry. I think, for the most part, Huntsman will not have his religion be too big a factor when he is making decisions in the White House. This all bodes well and hopefully he can be the anti-Romney everyone has been looking for.

Tim Tebows's Win Ordained by God? John 3:16 All over the Game

2012-01-10T14:13:00.005-10:00

Now this is either one wacky coincidence or the Patriots need to play indoors in case some lightning will come raining down on them for daring to thwart the mighty Tebow.

The fact that Tebow had 316 yards passing and averaged 31.6 yards per pass in the game didn't escape notice on Sunday night. Tebow wore "John 3:16" on his eye black in the 2009 BCS Championship game and has since become identified with the famous Bible message. The coincidental stats caused millions of fans to perform Google searches on the Bible passage in the past 24 hours. Here's one more unbelievable stat: John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports that the final quarter-hour television rating for the Broncos-Steelers game was, you guessed it, 31.6.

In case your forgot your John 3:16 it is:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Maybe in this case: 2 Samuel 22:15-18 would be more appropriate:

¹⁵ He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.

¹⁶ Then the channels of the sea were seen,
      The foundations of the world were uncovered,
      At the rebuke of the LORD,
      At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

¹⁷ “He sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.

By "enemy" they mean the Patriots and by arrows they mean option running plays and by lightning bolts they mean wobbly passes for touchdowns. The "me" in this case isn't David but Tebow. It all makes sense now!

Bow thy heads you filthy sinners on the CBS Post Game Show. Let no man speak ill of the Tebow!

FED returns 76.9 Billion to Treasury

2012-01-10T11:18:00.000-10:00

I guess the FED is good for something after all.

The Federal Reserve said Tuesday it will send about $76.9 billion of its estimated 2011 net income over to the Treasury.

That was down from a record $78.4 billion in 2010, and comes primarily from the interest payments on securities held in the U.S. central bank's massive multitrillion-dollar portfolio.

I wonder if we can hire some serious money managers and get this $78.4 billion to grow a little bit more?

Romney Likes to "Fire People?"

2012-01-09T14:15:00.000-10:00

Well at least he is coming clean about what he likes to do.

"I want individuals to have their own insurance. That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy," Romney said. "It also means that if you don't like what they do, you can fire them. I like being able to fire people who provide services to me. You know if someone doesn't give me the good service I need, I want to say, you know, I'm going to go get someone else to provide that service to me."

I guess that statement was taken out of context. He should have said he liked to fire a company that provided poor service to him. That would make sense and be somewhat anti-corporate as well. Everyone would like to fire their insurance company if they jacked up their rates by 15% or whatever. However most health insurance companies are monopolies in most states. The ability to buy health insurance like you can buy car insurance should be allowable to all Americans.

I'm Afraid your Colon Will Be Quite Operational when the Runs Arrive!

2012-01-06T10:24:00.004-10:00

Star Wars burgers coming to a fast food chain near you if you live in Belgium.

Quick's limited-edition burgers come in three flavors. There's the Dark Burger—a double cheeseburger on a seeded bun with some kind of creamy mayo spread. Then there's the Jedi Burger, another double-patty cheeseburger, this time inspired by the cryptic genius Yoda. Only few are enlightened enough to know whether those white pellets peaking out from under the bun are cheese curds or marshmallows.

The comments section of this article are absolutely hilarious. I think the burgers look weird no matter how you slice them. Also wheres the guacamole on the Yoda burger?

Europe Moves Toward Embargo on Iranian Oil: Time to go Long USO?

2012-01-04T13:57:00.000-10:00

Wow, the Europeans sure are getting pretty warlike after kicking the legs out from under Qaddafi.

A final decision by the European Union will not come before the end of January and would be implemented in stages to avoid major disruptions in global oil supplies. But the move by some of Iran’s most important oil customers appears to underscore the resolve of Western allies to impose toughest round of sanctions on Iran to date, increasing pressure on Tehran to stop enriching uranium and negotiate an end to what Western leaders argue is an accelerating program to build a nuclear bomb.

This should get us some $125 a barrel oil and maybe some tense times in the Strait of Hormuz going forward. I guess it would be up to Iran if they actually tried to close the Strait or not. In any case quite a few barrels of oil will be kept off the world market and USO (United States Oil ETF) might be a good play in the next few months.

Kodak is About to Die!

2012-01-04T13:52:00.000-10:00

Well this is the end of one of a 131 year company that used to once be a Blue Chip and will soon be just a cow chip.

The struggling photography icon, which employs about 19,000 people, is in discussions with potential lenders for around $1 billion in so-called debtor-in possession financing that would keep it afloat during bankruptcy proceedings, the people said. A filing could occur as soon as this month or early February, one of the people said.

I think first digital cameras destroyed Kodaks film market and now cell phones with good cameras are even destroying that once robust market. It then went into the printer market which is dominated by large competitors like HP that had a 20 year head start on them. Oh well I guess the little yellow film tube will join the Newton and the Blackberry on the pile of forgotten technologies.

2012 Pedictions: Entertainment and Sports

2011-12-29T15:06:00.000-10:00

Entertainment:

1. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stay together throughout the year and are quite happy. Jennifer Aniston gets married during the year but divorces soon afterward.

2. The Kardasians are forgotten as a brand as more and more people jump on a boycott bandwagon. Their show is cancelled on E! and they are largely forgotten by the end of the year.

3. New Shows of 2012:

Renewed: Napoleon Dynamite, Lost Girl, Touch, Luck, Apartment 23
Cancelled: Work It, The Firm, Are You there Chelsey?, Rob, The Finder, Alcatraz, Smash, The River, GCB, Fashion Star, Missing, Scandal, The 2-2, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever

4. Top 10 Movies in Order of Box Office for 2012:

Dark Knight Rises,The Hobbit, Twilight Part: Breaking Dawn 2, Avengers, Hunger Games, 007 Skyfall, Men in Black 3, Expendables 2, Wrath of the Titans, World War Z,
Overall box office is down from 2011 and 3D becomes a totally dead issue.

Sports:

College Football National Title: LSU
College Basketball National Title: Ohio State
NFL: Green Bay Packers
NBA: Miami Heat
MLB: Texas Rangers
NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson
NHL: Chicago Blackhawks
Premier League Title: Manchester City

2012 Predictions: Politics and the Economy

2011-12-29T14:09:00.000-10:00

Well, its prediction time again:

Politics:

1. Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and will poll well against Obama at first but will draw even as the campaign goes into high gear. Obama will win a squeaker that will have the taint of fraud in several districts but he will still win a second term. The GOP captures the Senate and the government becomes effectively divided. As a result not much is done.

2. There is a massive fight over the budget with Obama's and the GOPs differing by a wide margin. No compromise is put forth and the GOPs budget passes easily is vetoed and Obama is narrowly overturned. This becomes a pattern for much of the legislation passed in 2012

3. Obamacare is ruled partially unconstitutional and is sent back to the Congress for fixes. It is gutted by the GOP and Obama vetoes the greatly watered down bill that comes out of Congress. Obama uses the Department of Health to impose some Obamacare tenets that Congress throws out. This becomes a pattern in 2012.

4. There is a crisis and civil war in North Korea as the generals try to seize power from the ineffectual Kim Jong Un. China and South Korea are on high alert but much of the fighting is in the streets of Pyongyang between Kim Jong Un loyalists and the break-away generals. The break-away generals seize power and a military dictatorship that is more open to the west takes power by the end of the year.

5. Iran his hit hard by sanctions against their oil industry and tries to rattle the saber in retaliation. Oil prices rise to $130 before things settle back down. The Green Revolution begins in earnest as the Iran slowly moves the way of Egypt and the rest of the Arab Spring countries. Large demonstrations break out all over Iran and the Mullacrocy totters toward oblivion. Oil stays high throughout the year due to Iranian instability. Many Iranian students are gunned down before the UN steps in and quells violence.

Economy:

1. More green shoots begin to form in certain sectors and the housing market improves slightly. However, Europe still overhangs everything but a solution to the debt crisis is finally reached by spring. High oil prices challenge the recovery and India and China begin to cut back on the demand side of the equation. Worldwide growth slows as Europe enters a recession by Fall.

2. The market rallies early on but high oil prices takes its toll as growth slows. The market is in a holding pattern and trends downward as Obama is re-elected. Companies still hold vast reserves of cash but Obamacare being struck down by the Supreme Court allows some of it to flow again. GDP growth trends to 3% by the winter of 2012. The US economy does not go back into recession.

3. Unemployment stays at the 8 - 9% level for much of the year as absolutely nothing is done to create jobs. The payroll tax cut and other half-measures continue throughout the year. Companies slowly start to hire and things look somewhat better toward the end of the year.

4. Facebook's IPO does decently but does not come in as the blockbuster that many predicted in the past. Slowing growth and waning ad dollars are sited as the reason for the muted response. Many users stop using Facebook altogether and a "Is Facebook Dead" story is circulated by the end of the year.

5. SOPA does not pass due to the agitation of Google, Ebay, Facebook and other large sites mobilizing against the Congress and the supporters of the Bill. The general public learns about the issue as net titans take to the airwaves against SOPA. Talk of the bill dominates the news for the early part of 2012 and it is defeated by a very wide margin.

6. Here are the numbers for the various indices for the end of 2012:

Dow: 12800
NASDAQ: 2850
S&P 500: 1320
Eur/Dollar: 0.98
10 Year Bond: 2.10%
Gold: $1310 and ounce
Oil: $113 a barrel

2011 Predictions Revisited

2011-12-29T12:51:00.001-10:00

One of the fun things about running this blog for multiple years is that I can look back at the predictions I had for the past year to see how I'm doing. Here is a recap:

Politics:
1. Gridlock in Washington : Yeeap (in the words of that asshole guy on Storage Wars) The only thing that came out of Washington in 2011 was a bunch of rhetoric and people not doing anything. That is usually good for the market but stupid European debt dashed any rally.

2. Debt Ceiling Fight: Yeeap; That was an easy call though.

3. Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare (TBA) this one isn't over yet

4. Big names for GOP nod: Right on Gingrich, Pawlenty running, and Palin not running. Was wrong on Ryan, Cantor and Patreus running.

Economy:
1. Recovering Economy: much slower than my prediction mostly due to Obama being in office and the massive debt he has put onto us. Also the damn Eurozone (minus Germany and France) gorging on debt and not wanting to pay their credit card bills.

2. Stock market rises. European debt shenanigans smashed this prediction.

3. Unemployment drops to 8%, we dipped into it a few times in 2011 but not enough to matter much.

4. Europe Limping along with Germany leading the pack. No defaults. Yeeap. This was a pretty easy call seeing how bad Greece, Italy, Spain, etc. have screwed up their economies with high debt and freebies to everyone.

5. Emerging market growth. This is still kind of happening but it is a little muted due to European slowdown and its knock-on effects

6. Prediction:                         Actual
    Dow: 13,200                     12,287
    NASDAQ: 3500                 2,613
    S&P500: 1700                    1,263
    GDP Growth: 4.5%             1.8%
    Gold: $1150                       $1547
    Silver: $25.50                    $27.87
    Oil: $98                             $99.66

Entertainment:
1. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie still an item.

2. American Idol and Survivor have low ratings compared to past seasons. TV is still dominated by NCIS: various and the Law and Orders on NBC are all but finished on TV with only SVU limping along. I give this prediction a Yeaap

3. Facebook Backlash and Twitter drop off. This is a partial Yeeap since it seems that growth is starting to slow just in time for the IPO. Zynga's damp squib IPO also shows that social network gaming may not be the money spinner that people have though in the past. I guess attending your fake crops is only fun for a few months and then it becomes a chore that is easily forgotten.

4. Tablet market divided between Apple and Google. This is a full Yeeup because it is pretty much Apple vs Google fighting on a mountaintop surrounded by the dying corpses of Sony, and Blackberry and everyone else that made a tablet that is now so much garbage. Amazon is hanging in there though.

Sports:
I'm still not a good predictor of who will win what in the sporting world. I went a solid O-fer:

1. The following teams win:

Prediction:                                                           Actual:
College Football National Title: Oregon                 Auburn
College Basketball National Title: Syracuse            UConn
NFL: New England Patriots                                  Green Bay Packers
NBA: San Antonio Spurs                                      Dallas Mavericks
MLB: Philadelphia Phillies                                     St. Louis Cardinals
NASCAR: Jimmie Johnson                                   Tony Stewart
NHL: Detroit Red Wings                                       Boston Bruins
Premier League Title: Chelsea    Manchester United

Saudi Women Enfranchised (Well Kinda) only 91 years after We Did

2011-12-29T10:45:00.000-10:00

It seems the Saudi rulers keep on moving slowly toward the rest of the world (and keeping from getting Quaddiffied) by letting women vote without a mans approval and even run for office.

Shura Council member Fahad al-Anzi was quoted in the state-run al-Watan newspaper saying that approval for women to run and vote came from the guardian of Islam’s holiest sites, the Saudi king, and therefore women will not need a male guardian’s approval. The country’s Shura Council is an all-male consultative body with no legislative powers.

Pretty soon Saudi women might be able to drive cars and study abroad without a mans approval. If Saudi women get into office in large numbers the rest of the anti-woman laws will probably fall one by one.

Romney Leads Obama by 6%

2011-12-29T10:12:00.000-10:00

I often say that an empty suit can beat Obama with the economy in shambles and debt tripling on his watch and it seems we have found that suit.

The Rasmussen Reports poll found Romney ahead of Obama 45% to 39%, while 10% chose "some other candidate" and another 6% remained undecided.

Actually I am in the 10% of "some other candidate" myself. If Paul Ryan ran I would vote for him in a minute. The current crop of GOP candidates are a bunch of losers but Romney is the most electable I guess.

The Coach of the Lakers a Dungeons and Dragons Fan?

2011-12-28T15:54:00.000-10:00

He sounds like a great hire as far as I can tell.

Brown told Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated he was the Dungeon Master for D&D games with his buddies while attending Sabin Middle School in Colorado Springs, Colo. Jenkins reports Brown, with perfect penmanship, wrote all the strategies and character descriptions in the Dungeons & Dragons game for his friends, since he felt his buddies' handwriting was a disgrace. That's not all: Once he put together a game board out of plexiglass, using rulers and pennies to form combat zones. When new D&D game modules were sent in the mail, Brown sprinted up to his bedroom to read the entire handbook and take detailed notes -- making his friends wait for hours in the basement.

From this he seems pretty hard core as well. I can't wait for all the Bible Thumpers to say that Brown is a closet satanist because he played D&D as a kid.

Paying Off Layaway Accounts? Now This is a Real Christmas Gift

2011-12-16T10:23:00.000-10:00

I have to say that the people that do this are what this season is all about.

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

These benefactors are pretty much funding Christmas for these people and should be given quite a bit of credit for doing it. Also the idea that they are doing it for complete strangers is an even better way to show that they are giving back.

Cain to Make "Major Announcement" Saturday

2011-12-02T10:53:00.000-10:00

Why doesn't he just drop out Monday and dominate the headlines on that day?

Herman Cain said he'll make an announcement about the future of his embattled presidential bid on Saturday.

He didn't elaborate when he disclosed his plans while campaigning in South Carolina.

You know this is going to be his "you don't have Herman Cain to kick around anymore" speech so it would be nice to have a full news cycle to highlight it. I guess Friday is traditionally the day where you bury events so they don't get noticed. At least that is what the White House likes to do anyway.

I guess Cain might want to get on some Sunday morning shows and let the media have it with both barrels because he was "hi-tech lynched" no doubt about it.

Guy Dies of Airline Food

2011-12-02T10:43:00.000-10:00

I know that crap was bad but I didn't know how bad.

After his flight landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Cortes, 73, began to feel "discomfort and pain that included sharp stomach cramps and sudden thirst and other clear outward manifestation of severe physical illness," the suit alleges. Once he'd boarded his connecting flight to Miami, Cortes experienced nausea and shortness of breath and suffered a cardiac event that left him unresponsive. The plane made an emergency landing in Norfolk, Va., but Cortes was pronounced dead on arrival.

Ever since I got violently ill after eating an airline meal coming back from Las Vegas one year I have stopped eating and drinking airline food. I even avoid the free sodas they give you by buying something at the airport store before I board in case I get thirsty.

I have packed sandwiches on just about every flight I have been on and usually eat before I board to avoid getting sick. It might be a little over-cautious but I don't want to take chances of getting sick 30,000 feet up and "being pronounced dead on arrival in Norfolk, Va." like this poor dude.

Yeah Cain I Think your Campaign is Over

2011-11-29T13:16:00.000-10:00

Well it seems a mistress of 13 years has come out of the woodwork. One thing the GOP hates is mistresses. So that pretty much does it.

On Monday, Ginger White said in an interview with Fox 5 Atlanta that her affair with Cain ended not long before the former businessman from Georgia announced his candidacy for the White House.

"It was fun," said White, 46, as she described Cain buying her plane tickets for a rendezvous in Palm Springs, Calif. "It was something that took me away from my sort of humdrum life at the time. And it was exciting."

Cain went on television to flatly deny White's claims even before the report aired.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he said then. On Tuesday, he told his staff "I deny those charges, unequivocally," and went on to say he had only helped White financially "because she was out of work and destitute, desperate."

Um, all White needs to do is produce a plane ticket that Cain paid for and he is sunk. I mean no matter how "out of work, destitute, and desperate" someone is they probably don't need plane tickets to travel to Palm Springs to meet up with him. That last part sounds like it could have been written by Berlusconi about some 18 year old Bunga Bunga girl.

In any case these so-called "bimbo eruptions" are as bad as Clinton's were and are now heavily overshadowing his campaign. I think he needs to bow out now and save his family and friends any more anguish.

President of Yemen out Bashar stands Alone (well almost)

2011-11-23T15:47:00.000-10:00

It seems you have your days numbered if you happen to be an authoritarian dictator.

Yemen's autocratic leader agreed Wednesday to step down after months of demonstrations against his 33-year rule, pleasing the U.S. and its Gulf allies who feared that collapsing security in the impoverished nation was allowing an active al-Qaida franchise to step up operations.

If I was Assad I would agree to elections and either use a puppet ruler or just try to win an 8 year term with a 2 term limit or something. By the time he can't run again he will be well past retirement age. Or just retire to a villa in the South of France and spend your billions. The chance of getting caught by your people and shot with your own golden gun, or the so-called Qaddafi treatment, is getting higher every day.

I Guess Herod Did not Build the Western Wall in Jerusalem

2011-11-23T15:42:00.000-10:00

It seems he got credit for it but was actually dead for several years.

But archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority now say diggers have found coins underneath the massive foundation stones of the compound's Western Wall that were stamped by a Roman proconsul 20 years after Herod's death. That indicates that Herod did not build the wall — part of which is venerated as Judaism's holiest prayer site — and that construction was not close to being complete when he died.

That proconsul was the guy that was after Pontius Pilate named Valerius Gratus who was there at 17AD.

Bowl Champion Changes Might End Realignment At Last

2011-11-23T09:34:00.000-10:00

Well the idea of Boise State, Air Force and San Diego State going to the Big East might be a big waste of time if these changes go into effect.

Sources with direct knowledge of meetings held in San Francisco earlier this week tell ESPN that the suggested change calls for the BCS to sever its direct ties with the BCS bowls -- the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Discover Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl Game -- and focus only on arranging a No. 1 vs. No. 2 national championship game.

So you can kiss automatic qualifiers goodbye. If you don't have these to worry about then there really isn't any reason for a Boise State to join the Big East. Boise might get more money from being in the Big East but they would have to travel to the east coast and to Florida constantly in order to play sometimes mediocre teams. Currently the furthest they would travel is to Hawaii and that would be every other year. Without a western contingent they would have to play every road game on the other side of the country.

Also what network would pay extra money to get all of the teams that are supposed to be in the 12 team Big East? I don't see tons people on the west coast trying to see South Florida play just like you don't see people in Florida trying to see San Diego State play.

Also the western add-ons don't seem to be really big jump in competition. I mean SMU and Houston (which is good now but has been just middling in years past) really doesn't add any fuel to their chances to go to the BCS title game. The other Big East western targets are already in their league so that is a sideways move. Currently without an automatic qualifier there really seems to be little to be gained from western teams joining the Big East.

South Korea Passes Trade Pact Despite a Tear Gas Attack

2011-11-22T13:28:00.000-10:00

I wonder is someone needs to tear-gas the "Super-Committee of Worthlessness" for failing to do anything but drop the market 300 points. At least we can get some cool Samsung phones on the cheap now.

South Korea’s parliament approved a free trade agreement with the United States in a chaotic session Tuesday, minutes after an opposition legislator set off a tear gas canister in protest at the pact.

Legislators voted 151-7 in favor of the long-delayed deal after ruling party members had caught the opposition off guard by calling a snap parliamentary session.

Syrian Regime Next in Europes Crosshairs

2011-11-22T13:24:00.000-10:00

If I was Assad I would be running scared because Europe backs its threats with bombs now.

A resolution drafted by Britain, France and Germany at the UN General Assembly's human rights committee was passed by 122 votes to 13 with 41 abstentions and received considerable support from Arab states.

David Cameron urged world leaders to engage with Syrian opposition groups as he warned the country was on the brink of a full-scale civil war.

Speaking alongside Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, in Downing Street, Mr Cameron said that Turkey and the Arab League, which has drawn up a peace plan for Syria, had "shown welcome leadership and given us a way to stop the brutality of this morally bankrupt regime".

That's what they were saying about Qaddiffi before they started to send in the Mirages. Also the Turkish President compared Assad to Hitler. Hmm, I wonder if there might be some Turkish troops sent into the fray to "protect border regions?" A stable neighbor and an Israel that isn't on edge all the time might be worth fighting for if you were Turkey playing the Big Game.

New "Chained CPI" to Cut Social Security Benefits

2011-11-07T13:38:00.000-10:00

I think this is a pretty good proposal that actually takes into account how inflation actually works.

The inflation measure under consideration is called the Chained Consumer Price Index, or chained CPI. On average, the measure shows a lower level of inflation than the more widely used CPI for All Urban Consumers.

Many economists argue that the chained CPI is more accurate because it assumes that as prices increase, consumers switch to lower cost alternatives, reducing the amount of inflation they experience.

For example, if the price of beef increases while the price of pork does not, people will buy more pork. Or, as opponents mockingly argue, if the price of home heating oil goes up, people will turn down their heat and wear more sweaters.

Of course the chained CPI will result in lower social security increases per year and thus less money for seniors in the long run.

Under the chained CPI, yearly benefits for a typical 65-year-old would be about $136 less, according to an analysis of Social Security data. At age 75, annual benefits under the new index would be $560 less. At 85, the cut would be $984 a year, and at 95, the annual income loss would amount to $1,392.

That amounts to a $116 a month reduction in a persons social security over that 30 years time. That doesn't sound like a whole lot and you could easily offset the amount with inflation protected bonds if a person will be missing $116 in 30 years.

Any change that results in Social Security staying solvent beyond the 18-year bankruptcy date is good for me. Then if they want to complete the savings go ahead and cut the social security benefits of people making over a certain income level as seniors. If you are getting big money from your 401K then you really should be getting your social security money cut by a certain amount.

The Most Damning Statistic of Obama's Failed Economic Policies

2011-11-03T14:15:00.000-10:00

We spent $4 trillion and this is what all that money has bought us.

About 20.5 million Americans, or 6.7 percent of the U.S. population, make up the poorest poor, defined as those at 50 percent or less of the official poverty level. Those living in deep poverty represent nearly half of the 46.2 million people scraping by below the poverty line. In 2010, the poorest poor meant an income of $5,570 or less for an individual and $11,157 for a family of four.

That 6.7 percent share is the highest in the 35 years that the Census Bureau has maintained such records, surpassing previous highs in 2009 and 1993 of just over 6 percent.

The the poor have grown to a historic number under Obama's watch. I mean no amount of stimulus can obscure the fact that Obama was dealt a bad hand and proceeded to make things far worse.

Could one Marine Expeditionary Unit Defeat the Roman Empire?

2011-11-01T15:57:00.000-10:00

This is a very interesting thought experiment that spawned a movie called Rome, Sweet Rome.

An MEU typically contains about 2200 troops, along with their artillery and vehicles. According to Erwin’s original reddit story (which will be altered for the movie), the Marines are transported back in time with what they have with them, including M1 Abrams battle tanks, bulletproof vests, M4 rifles, and grenades.

The year Erwin chose (23 B.C.) falls in the reign of Augustus, great-nephew of Julius Caesar and considered the first Roman emperor. His legions numbered nearly 330,000 men. They wore heavy leather and metal armor, carried swords and javelins, and operated catapults. They would have never heard the sound of an explosion before. "Obviously, there is a massive difference in firepower," says Roman military expert and author Adrian Goldsworthy. "Not only would Roman armor be useless against a rifle round—let alone a grenade launcher or a .50 caliber machine gun—it would probably distort the bullet’s shape and make the wound worse."

I would have to agree with Adrian Goldsworthy that eventually the Romans numbers would wear down the Marines who would not be able to resupply or refuel their tanks in 23 BC. However, if they moved quickly toward Rome with local guides they could take the city fairly easily by obliterating any legions in their way and pounding their walls with artillery.

I mean the shock of an M1A Abrams Tank moving down the Appian Way would scare anyone who opposes them. The Roman government would probably cut a deal with these strange outsiders since they are fairly pragmatic when it comes to people that could kill them with invisible lightning.

Maybe the Romans would give them a large swath of land in Cappadocia or Thrace far from the seat of the Empire. I can see the Emperor providing ships, gold, and foodstuffs aplenty just to get them far away from the capital as possible.

Also the Marines being soldiers and not politicians they probably would not have dreams of conquest of the entire Empire on their minds. They would want to find their bearings and either figure a way home (which would be impossible) or just make the best of the situation.

However, the 35th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) which is used in the thought experiment would probably be a formidable power in the Ancient World. I can see Kings and Emperors trying to curry favor with them just to get their knowledge and expertise let alone access to their magic exploding devices. They would probably marry into the local Thracian population and create a fairly decent homeland for themselves. I can see the local Thracian King sending his daughter into the Marine camp to marry their General ASAP.

In fact I can easily see the Roman Emperor turning to a Marine general to lead his forces against the Picts or whomever the Empire is trying to conquer. Marines would probably eventually be hired for jobs in all parts of the Roman world. I could see them using their modern knowledge to reshape the Empire and maybe give it a bit of an American flavor as well.

It wouldn't be long before a rudimentary electric plant sprouts up on the Palatine Hill. Or the Romans will be watching Team Jimmie Johnson against Team Tony Stewart racing chariots in the Circus Maximus. I could see Romans snacking on corn chips and hotdogs at the Colosseum exported from American Thrace. In fact I could see rock and rap music being written for Lyre or Tibia (roman double flute) or a Roman play that has a plot very similar to Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. The Romans were good at soaking up other cultures and America has one of the most soakable.

Hey Women, Taking Vitamins Might Kill You that Much Faster

2011-10-11T07:31:00.000-10:00

Well, there is a 2.4% increased risk of dying anyway.

The new study linked a number of individual vitamins and minerals to the slight mortality risk, including multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper.

For example, of the 12,769 women in the study who took a daily multivitamin, 40.8 percent had died by the end of 2008, whereas 39.8 percent of the 10,161 women who hadn't taken a daily multivitamin had died.

Mursu said that the design of the study did not allow the researchers to determine if there was a specific cause for the increased mortality.

That doesn't make sense. Wouldn't the study authors be able to look over the data and determine that this vitamin or that vitamin has a higher chance of mortality then the others? Also I would like to know if there is a trend in how the women are dying. So for instance if they all died of some horrible cancer or something then it would be nice for the authors to point that out. In any case I think there might be a lot less pill popping going on going forward.

Sarah Palin Will Not Run: Thank God!

2011-10-06T10:16:00.000-10:00

At least she bowed out early so we can get to the actual people running against Obama and get away from Palin bashing by the press.

Wasilla, Alaska After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.

She would suck the air out the room and become an easy win for Obama going forward. I think her reputation is just too damaged by the press to be anything except for a television pundit. I mean even though it was Tiny Fey that made that "I can see Russia from my house" remark it has still stuck with Palin even now. If she ran for president she would be defeated by 20 points I think.

Default Social Networker Found

2011-10-06T07:48:00.000-10:00

This is a pretty interesting report by Nielsen Research on the default visitor to a social networking site.

Our most active social networker/reader of blogs is a woman between the ages of 18 and 34 and likely to be Asian or Pacific Islander. She lives in New England, holds at least a bachelor's degree and earns less than $50,000 a year.

I was kind of surprised that this person is Asian and from New England though. Maybe the poll was skewed that way due to how these people were sampled. In any case marketers need to target this person in order to generate a larger percentage of sales via social networking.

Green Jobs Programs Created Jobs: Each one Cost $4.85 Million

2011-10-05T15:38:00.000-10:00

Talk about no-bang for big bucks.

After spending $17.2 billion of the $38.6 billion allocated for green-jobs stimulation, the programs have created a total of just over 3500 jobs, for a price tag of $4.85 million each. Now the Inspector General at the Department of Labor has recommended the shutdown of a green-jobs training program that has only placed 15% of its participants:

I just think the "green jobs" sector is mostly pie-in-the-sky stuff so far. I mean the Red Chinese are better at creating solar panels mostly due to their lax environmental standards. Plus, when companies are cutting back the first thing they think about slashing is any "green" initiatives which have high payouts up front but usually have negligible results. I remember IBM was pushing their green data center a while back and it seems to have been a pretty dismal failure.

In any case $4.85 million for each job is case-in-point on how inefficient the government is at creating jobs.

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T14:03:00.000-10:00

Well, I guess a whole era in computing has ended. He was quite a visionary.

Apple Inc. said the company's co-founder Steve Jobs died Wednesday. He was 56. "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the company said in a brief statement.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

With the launch of the IPhone 4S it seems that the people coming up behind him may not have the visionary zeal that this guy had. I used to hate Apple but they have really changed my mind and I can see that their products are really quite superior to anything else out there. Hopefully the rest of the people at Apple can pick up the slack.

Xbox to Support Live TV

2011-10-05T09:12:00.000-10:00

I am reserving judgement to see how much this service will cost per month.

You already know about Verizon bringing live TV to the Xbox 360, but it turns out that was just the tip of Microsoft’s great big television-related iceberg.

In an effort to transform the television experience, Microsoft has struck deals with nearly 40 entertainment providers to start injecting more media into their gaming platform.

I will watch ads but I will not pay a per month charge on top of Xbox Live. I can only do this for Netflix and perhaps Hulu but that will pretty much be it. Even the ESPN thing on Xbox Live isn't worth my money. However if Verizon just does it for free I might be watching Verizon TV as much as my regular cable.

Could the Amazon Tablet be the IPad Competitor of Choice?

2011-09-26T16:28:00.001-10:00

I was reading my daily "Fast Money" transcript and came across an interesting idea.

How worried should Apple be about Amazon's(AMZN _) new tablet? Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research, said Amazon's first table will be formidable because it will offer content and services. She said the tablet will be more of a concern for non-Apple competitors. She said Amazon will be the Android tablet market a year from now.

I have to agree with this Rotman Epps person. First of all you will be getting a built-in Kindle which is a selling point for me right there. Then if you can run Android apps you actually have a whole host of different options open to you. Plus you have the option of watching Flash if you want to see that type of content. I am seriously going to watching the price of the Amazon tablet and maybe pulling the trigger on it if it is cheaper than the IPad 3.

Obama's Job's Bill: Same old Crap

2011-09-08T14:37:00.000-10:00

I was expecting more from his huge speech that was supposed to save his presidency. It turns out it is just an extension of the same stuff that wasn't working before. The only difference is:

The newest and boldest element of Obama's plan would slash the Social Security payroll tax both for tens of millions of workers and for employers, too. For individuals, that tax has been shaved from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent for this year but is to go back up again without action by Congress. Obama wants to keep it and deepen the cut to 3.1 percent for workers.

He also had some crap about cutting another $41 per paycheck for middle class workers. I'm not sure how that creates a single new job. He did talk about cutting corporate taxes but nothing about corporations getting an incentive to bring jobs back from overseas.

I do like the idea of cutting loopholes out of the tax code. I think GE should be paying the same tax rate as Siemens and not have a fleet of tax pros and lobbyists to reduce that rate. He did go after oil companies again but they are such an easy target it doesn't matter.

All in all Obama just served up left-overs and hopes America looks at it like its something completely new.

Nooo! Lucas Messes with the Blue-Ray version of Return of the Jedi

2011-09-01T11:03:00.002-10:00

I guess Lucus just doesn't know what to do with his time.

If you're having having flashbacks to the awkward moment in "Revenge of the Sith" when the newly created Darth Vader screams "Noooo!" after the Emperor lies to him about Padme's death (awesome parody here), you're not alone. "Star Wars" fans far and wide have voiced their displeasure. Among the disappointed is filmmaker Simon Pegg, who wrote on Twitter that he "always loved Vader's wordless self sacrifice." Pegg then goes on to use salty language to bring home his point.

I agree with Pegg. The original without the stupid Nooo! is a classic. You get to imagine what is going on inside Darth Vader's head as his master is murdering his son. I guess Lucas isn't the kind of person that lets you imagine what you want and has to slather on the worthless sentimentality. You can add this to the Greedo shoots first as yet another Lucas misfire in a long line of tinkering with the originals

Retailers Think Young Girls in America Are Dolts

2011-08-31T13:09:00.000-10:00

I guess a female scientist is out of the question for J.C. Penny and David & Goliath.

A few months ago, the Internet was up in arms over a white David & Goliath T-Shirt that read, in pink bubble letters, "I'm too pretty to do math." Then there was the one with "Future Trophy Wife" written on it.

But many parents think this one is worse.

The long-sleeve T-shirt that J.C. Penney pulled off its website today amid plenty of parental outrage read: "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother has to do it for me." And, judging by the description of the shirt on the J.C. Penney website—"Who has time for homework when there’s a new Justin Bieber album out? She’ll love this tee that’s just as cute and sassy as she is"—it seems like the company didn't have a problem with the shirt until customers started to complain.

If you are cute and sassy young girl then you need to be dumb as well. Hmm, can you sense a little misogyny at J.C. Penny?

It Seems that S&P Gave out 14,000 AAA Ratings

2011-08-31T11:01:00.000-10:00

The more I think about them downgrading the US debt the more I see it in purely political terms. According to this article it seems that quite a few different things have AAA ratings that shouldn't.

Even though S&P this month cut the U.S. government's credit rating to double-A-plus, from an earlier triple-A, the ratings company is far less parsimonious in handing out its highest ratings to other borrowers. As Bloomberg's Zeke Faux and Jody Shenn report today, S&P currently assigns a triple-A rating to more than 14,000 securitized bonds in the U.S.

Those triple-A credits include bonds backed by car-dealer loans and farm-equipment leases: two types of borrowings known for higher default rates in economic slumps. S&P also keeps awarding triple-A ratings to some securities backed by subprime home loans, a type of investment that fared disastrously after housing prices began slumping in 2007-08.

Yeah car loans, farm equipment loans, and subprime home loans are all more creditworthy then the number one economy in the world. I still think Congress needs to investigate S&P and make sure they are all on the up-and-up.

Tweens Candid Views on Social Networking: It's Pretty Desturbing

2011-08-19T14:41:00.000-10:00

This article is strait up scary about how social networking is affecting tweens. I did a double take on the following admissions:

1. I feel safer online than I do offline. So I do things online that I wouldn’t do in real life.”

--Sadie, 14 years old

This fits a generation brought up with 2 wars (now 3) and in the shadow of 9/11. I'm pretty sure Muslim terrorists won't be bothering your Farmville Farm anytime soon. It is sad how the fantasy world online is more palatable then the real world with real people in it. The Red Chinese are going to run over these kids.

2. “Social networking affects all the things you do in real life now. Like, if you go to a party, one of the most important aspects of going to the party is to document yourself for online posts. You have to prove you were looking good, you were having fun, and that you were actually there! It’s not about the party anymore but about the pictures of the party.”

--Caroline, 14 years old

This statement gave me a William Gibson/Shadowrun vibe. So meatspace is just a pale extension of cyberspace? Like if you didn't put it on Facebook it didn't happen. This goes a long way to explaining why kids are so insular in their knowledge and let nothing new into their closed off minds. Their world revolves around their little coterie of friends and their online lives. It's pretty sad.

3. “I feel sad, depressed, jealous, or whatever when I don’t get a lot of “Likes” on my photo or when someone else gets way more Likes than me. Honestly, I’m not sure that parents realize how drastically it affects our self-image and confidence. If I see a picture of a really pretty girl, it’s like ‘Goodbye self-esteem.’ It forces me to compete and do stuff that I don’t want to do, so my confidence will get a boost.”

--Samantha, 14 years old

I guess this is the first inkling of Facebook Syndrome. Your "Likes" define your self-worth which makes almost no sense at all. She is actually comparing herself to another girl and uses Facebook "likes" as a measure of her own self-esteem. The need for therapists in 10 years will be staggering.

4. “My friendships are really affected by social networking. You have to constantly validate your friends online. And everyone’s like ‘Where were you?’ ‘What have you been doing?’ ‘Why haven’t you commented on my picture yet?’ So you have to be online all the time, just to keep track, so you don’t upset anyone.”

--Jasmine, 13 years old

I guess this is the result of a Facebook rat race where you have to be present and online at all times or people become upset with you. If I was this girl I would self-delete with a few good friends and take the friendship back into meatspace. I have a feeling that her life will be so much richer and happier because she will only need validation from a few people and not tons of random people.

5. “I really want my mom to be proud of me. Obviously, I want her to think I’m writing my essay or doing things I should be doing instead of being on Facebook. But I also want to be online. So I lie or accuse her of not trusting me. It’s awful, but I’ve become really comfortable with lying.”

--Maya, 14 years old

This statement is probably the most harrowing to me. A bunch of kids validated by technology that are comfortable about lying is a recipe for disaster later on. Hopefully, there will be a Facebook backlash and these kids will unplug and enjoy meatspace a little bit more.

Yahoo Sports Deserves the Pulitzer Prize for their University of Maimi Expose

2011-08-19T10:40:00.000-10:00

It's weird that a web page is doing better reporting than the big news dailies nowadays. In any case they deserve the Pulitzer for all the work they did.

In an effort to substantiate the booster’s claims, Yahoo! Sports audited approximately 20,000 pages of financial and business records from his bankruptcy case, more than 5,000 pages of cell phone records, multiple interview summaries tied to his federal Ponzi case, and more than 1,000 photos. Nearly 100 interviews were also conducted with individuals living in six different states. In the process, documents, photos and 21 human sources – including nine former Miami players or recruits, and one former coach – corroborated multiple parts of Shapiro’s rule-breaking.

University of Miami Football Might in big Trouble Off the Field

2011-08-16T14:50:00.001-10:00

Well, it looks like cheating to win in college football is still live and well after they gave the Death Penalty to SMU.

The NCAA has a checklist when it comes to major infractions cases and Shapiro can click through most of it quickly. There’s no denying his role as an official Miami booster – “an ardent, devoted, intense supporter,” the school website once described him. There is no question he owned part of Axcess Sports, which had signed Vince Wilfork and Jon Beason, Hurricane players who became first-round NFL picks.

And there is no question Shapiro provided scores of Miami athletes with impermissible benefits from 2002-2010. In March 2011, he began working with a team of NCAA investigators and Shapiro said they call it, “the biggest case they’ve ever had.” Multiple media reports say NCAA investigators were on the Coral Gables campus Monday.

The most difficult issue for Miami, the one that will cause the NCAA hammer to drop harder and swifter than any other is this: did school officials know, or should they have known, of Shapiro’s actions?

I wonder if the NCAA would drop the "Death Penalty" on Miami or not? It seems like there were payoffs and other bad things for 8 years and the officials may have known about it. They can't really say that it was the fault of one bad egg coach like Ohio State did. I think the boom will fall pretty hard on the Canes.

New Cancer Therapy Turns T-Cells into Cancer "Serial Killers"

2011-08-10T16:48:00.000-10:00

So far it has been only tried on 3 patients that have leukemia but it seems that two of them were totally cured by the technique.

June and his colleagues made changes to the technique, using a novel carrier to deliver the new genes into the T-cells and a signaling mechanism telling the cells to kill and multiply.

That resulted in armies of "serial killer" cells that targeted cancer cells, destroyed them, and went on to kill new cancer as it emerged. It was known that T-cells attack viruses that way, but this is the first time it's been done against cancer, June said.

It does result in the worst flu of your life as all the cancer cells die off at the same time but two of the patients emerged cancer free. I wonder if you can train these killer cells to kill off other types of cancer too? It seems that Dendreon's trick of taking out the patients blood and then putting it back with all sorts of cancer killers included may be quite a breakthrough.

I'm looking forward to the "cancer serial killer" technique being scaled up to a large population of cancer patients. If we get a 2/3rd cure rate then maybe we can turn the corner on one of the world's worst killers once and for all.

The Open and Tolerant Liberal Mindset: Yeah Right

2011-08-10T13:28:00.001-10:00

This article struck me as funny.

If she someday embraces "family values," the Tea Party or other right-wing agendas, could it damage my relationship with her? Although I try to understand my parents' political beliefs, I don't. When I see what Newsmax "article" or Wall Street Journal editorial my father "likes" on Facebook, or glance at a photo, taken a few years back, of my folks dressed as McCain and Palin for Halloween, I feel physically sick. Sometimes it's hard to even have simple conversations with them. Even the most innocent pleasantry, like "Nice weather," could spiral out of control if I don't watch what I say. (For the record, they are loving grandparents and are far more gracious than I am about not bringing up delicate topics.) If my dad says, "I bet you guys are happy you're not back east this winter. All that snow in New York." I'm tempted to mutter something about climate change, but instead I bite my tongue and say, "Yes, in Portland we don't have to shovel rain."

So she feels physically sick by her parents being conservative? I have not felt that way at all about liberals and their beliefs. I find them funny sometimes but I am never sickened by them. About the only far-left thinking I feel sick about is the notion of committing genocide and sterilization of 3rd world peoples in order to combat global warming. But only the most radical of environmentalists think that way.

Also I think this mother needs to take a step back and understand that everything isn't about politics. "Nice weather" doesn't have to be an indictment against her global warming obsession. It only spirals out of control because this woman is a nut job that gets sick because her parents wear a costume of hated political figures or dares to "Like" a Wall Street Journal Editorial.

I really hope her daughter becomes a full-throated Hannity-eqsue conservative just to freak her mom out. I mean sometimes the most ardent conservatives were once liberals who opened their eyes about how contradictory and flawed the thinking is on the left. But I bet the daughter won't get physically sick at her mom dressing like Hillary Clinton to a Halloween party.

New Catwoman Costume: Yeah it Looks Stupid

2011-08-09T14:18:00.001-10:00

Well I have to agree with the Internet push-back against the new Catwoman costume. It does look pretty goofy.

It is pretty much a black jumpsuit with some dorky glasses. I mean the glasses kind of look like a cats face but the blue lights also remind me of a Bluetooth headset. What was wrong with skin-tight leather and a whip? Even the purple costume with the green cape from the 50s (the Dick Sprang era Batman) looked a little sexier then this one.

The side view is even more unflattering. She looks like she is either wearing a mullet or a Frankenstein hair-do. The motorcycle is kind of cool looking I guess. Oh well, I'm not a huge Catwoman fan so it isn't as big a deal as it would be to some fan boys out there.

Our Budget Breakdown: Or what we should Cut

2011-08-09T12:04:00.000-10:00

This is a pretty good primer on what we need to cut in order to get our house in order.

Though the Federal budget is a lengthy beast, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities neatly lays out the spending breakdown: 20% of spending goes to Social Security, 21% goes to Medicare & Medicaid, 20% goes to defense, about 6% goes to interest payments on our debt and another 14% to so-called "safety net" programs. The remaining 20% is spent on veteran's benefits, medical research, education, infrastructure and other smaller programs.

So it is pretty clear. Cut social security by 10% by moving the age up or reducing payouts or whatever. Then cut Medicare by 10% by doing the same. I like the Ryan plan that provides you with vouchers where you can buy your own health insurance instead of Medicare. As long as the government stops abuse by insurance companies then it might work out. Whatever the case make both things solvent before I retire or cheerfully refund my money.

Then we can cut defense now that we are winding down one of our wars. Maybe 5% or whatever savings we will get from leaving Iraq. The 14% safety net programs can be cut slightly or just farm some out more to the states or to church and charity groups. That last 20% might be hard to cut but maybe they can shave off 5% somewhere.

Then we raise revenue but cutting out tons of tax breaks and simplifying the tax code and we would be back on the path to solvency again. I would first get rid of the interest deduction on mortgage debt. I mean living in your house is enough of a bonus why should the tax payers also give you some free cash as well? Then get rid of all tax breaks for certain corporations. GE and Exxon needs to pay some taxes like everyone else.

Then you cut the corporate and individual tax rates like the Gang of 6 plan did and suddenly you are back on the path to growth again. Too bad Congress and the White House are full of people that want to be reelected more than they want to fix our economy. Hopefully getting our debt rating cut will wake up some people and get them from playing the blame game to fixing the economy.

It's Been 3 Years and Obama is Still Blaming Bush

2011-08-09T11:31:00.001-10:00

These kind of statements just take so much gall it isn't even funny.

Speaking at a Democratic fundraiser, where families paid $15,000 to get a picture with him, Obama defended his economic record and noted that problems in Europe were affecting the United States.

"We do have a serious problem in terms of debt and deficit, and much of it I inherited," Obama said. The financial crisis, he said, made the problem worse.

Stop saying this and fix the problems already. Yeah it was bad when Bush left office but at least the unemployment rate was still 6% then. It has jumped to 9% and the White House has nothing up its sleeve to fix the problem. Blaming the other guy does not create any jobs or increase the GDP.

Moody's Reaffirms AAA debt of the US. For Now.

2011-07-29T16:58:00.000-10:00

Why haven't we had these people in front of committees right now? I mean they played a huge part in the 2008 Housing Crisis by giving bundles of junk loans top ratings. Now they are holding billions of dollars hostage with their ratings.

Moody's Investor's Service expects to maintain the United States' top-notch rating for now, despite the "limited magnitude" of the deficit reduction plans being discussed in Washington.

But Moody's on Friday warned that affirmation of its Aaa credit rating for the United States will likely come with a negative outlook, meaning it would not downgrade the rating immediately but could do so in the medium term.

I think there should be much more stringent regulation in this debt rating market to prevent further abuses. The idea that a private company holds so much power over our everyday lives needs some sort of brake or federal oversight involved.

Thundercats Revamped. I Like It!

2011-07-29T14:22:00.000-10:00

It seems the Thundercats are getting an anime makeover. It looks pretty good to me. Judge for yourself:

Obama's Approval Rating Hits All Time Low

2011-07-29T11:04:00.001-10:00

There is now a 10% gap between the Likes and Dislikes.

Just 41 percent of the public said they approved of the way Obama was handling the debt-ceiling negotiations, while 52 percent disapproved, according to another Gallup poll released Thursday. Nonetheless, Obama still polls better than congressional leadership. Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid both received even lower approval rates.

I think Americans are saying a pox on all houses. I am in agreement. If these ass-grabs don't get a deal together and we go into technical default I will be very angry. If we have a 700 point move lower on the Dow due to these idiots I will be very, very angry.

What If America was a Publicly Traded Company?

2011-07-21T18:25:00.000-10:00

Well, I would short it first of all but this is a pretty interesting report from Mary Meeker if America ran as a publicly traded company called America Inc.

America's financial challenges are headlined by a negative net worth of $44 trillion (or $371,000 per household) and gross debt as a percent of GDP in excess of 90%. But they can be solved with constraint and reduction in government spending at the top of the list. Entitlement spending is the largest expense by far and has risen to 57% of annual expenses, up from 25% 40 years ago. By the government's own forecast, our annual entitlement spending plus the interest expense on our debt is expected to surpass our revenue within 15 years. We all need to acknowledge the problems and commit to change.

Yeah pretty much. I wish we could just toss out the CEO (President) the senior management (Senate and Congress) and hire some guys from Apple to run the company. I'm pretty sure they would get that debt thing under control and it would be a real blast to do any business with the Federal Government (which would all be on the USACloud with an ergonomically designed web page.)

Kudlow Understands How Good the Gang of 6 Plan Actually Is

2011-07-21T13:53:00.000-10:00

I really think that more conservatives need to follow Larry Kudlow in his support of the "Gang of Six" Deficit Reduction plan.

The best part of the Gang of Six plan is a reduction in the top personal tax rate from 35% to a range of 23 to 29%. For businesses, the rate would drop in the same manner. And the corporate tax would be territorial rather than global, thereby avoiding the double tax on foreign earnings of U.S. companies. Finally, the plan would abolish the $1.7 trillion alternative minimum tax. That's huge. It's another pro-growth tax reform.

Just the reduction of the double taxing would unleash billions of dollars for American companies to grow with. Plus, companies can finally stop gaming the tax system with tricks and worry about raising their revenue numbers. I mean GE can stop trying to lobby Congress and the White House for tax breaks and concentrate on creating new products and hiring people so their company can grow.

Also getting rid of the dreaded AMT would save millions of upper middle class people from getting hit with massive tax bills. I would love to see rich people just pay 29% of their income in taxes and not try to claim farm land and other nonsense just to reduce their overall tax bill.

No games or sharp minded accountants gaming the system but just you made X and multiply by 29% and write a check for that amount payable to the IRS.

This thinking actually harkens back to Reagan who wanted a tax system with 3 lines. How much you made, percentage of how much made, and how much you owe. They do raise capital gains by 5% but that can be gamed away with strategic stock sales. Or maybe just let lower income investors like me keep my 15% capital gains tax. In any case just simplify taxes and you will have millions of happy Americans.

"Gang of Six" Spending Cut Plan: Looks Good so Far

2011-07-19T15:58:00.000-10:00

Um, pass the damn thing already so the market doesn't have an excuse to sell off as we get closer to the August 2nd deadline. On looking at the plan it does seem like a fairly good compromise. This part is red meat for me.

Reform the tax code: The plan would eliminate some tax breaks, reform others, halve the number of income tax brackets to three from six, and reduce rates.

The rate on the new brackets would fall between 8% and 12% for those in the lowest bracket; 14% and 22% for those in the middle bracket; and 23% and 29% for those in the top bracket. Rates today run from 10% on the low end to 35% on the high end.

I'm in the middle bracket so I would have my taxes cut by 6% hopefully. If they keep capital gains rates for me at 15% I would back this thing wholeheartedly. I mean shaving $4 trillion off of the deficit in 10 years sounds like a great idea in the first place. That means we would only be $10 trillion in the hole and can whittle that down further if the recovery becomes more robust. It would be so cool to have a budget surplus sometime in my lifetime.

I mean if the GOP wins the Senate next year they can push through a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment and maybe we will be able to finally get something other that $1 trillion in debt added onto our deficit each year.

Wall of Worry at 22 Blocks?

2011-07-19T15:15:00.000-10:00

Very interesting article on all the different head-ways that are standing in front of the market now. Yet we are climbing that wall at least of the time being with today's 200 point move upward. Thanks IBM you did wonders. You got the market to not focus on Washington BS and onto companies that are making piles of money with great products. Here are the 22 blocks as put out by Lloyd Khaner.

QE III: Okay maybe just a little scratch to get us over the hump…again.

U.S. ECONOMY: Down, but not out. Emphasis on “down”.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Not looking for some corner office c-suite position, “just talking about some shiftwork, a big ol’ pile of shiftwork, working 7-to-3, 3-to-11, 11-to-7…”
U.S. DEBT CEILING: Playing catch with a hand grenade. Not advisable. (Our Debt Ceiling Countdown Clock is still sticking!)

INVESTOR SENTIMENT: The patient isn’t dead yet, but we're getting a mighty irregular heartbeat.

HOUSING CRISIS: Seeming more and more like the cavemen had it right.

INFLATION: China and the EU are fighting it tooth and nail. And they're promptly losing their teeth and nails.

BOND VIGILANTES: “We’re baaaaack.” And spending a gloriously torrid summer in Europe.

OIL PRICES: The sub-$100/barrel price on WTI crude is possibly all that’s keeping the recession screamers from re-emerging en masse.

ARAB SPRING: The normally calm, cool and collected Jordan enters the fray.

LIBYA: Now up to 30-plus countries vs. Mo-Mo & Co., and still no end in sight.

JAPAN: Taking every positive they can get -- and winning the Women’s Soccer World Cup is worth a psychological boast if not an economic one.

CHINA: Doing their best to compete with the US in a who-can-lose-financial-credibility-faster tourney. I advise not sitting in the front row to watch this race.

EARNINGS SEASON: Not going to be terrible. Not going to be great. Going to be okay, like eating jello or listening to Josh Groban music.

SOVEREIGN DEBT: Daily threats of a downgrade of US Debt which has never happened in history. As my mother says, “Sometimes making history isn’t a good thing.”

COMMODITIES: “Rough rice” (aka regular old raw harvested rice) is spiking to 12-month highs. Not great, as 2 billion of us humans subsist on it.

POLICY MISTAKE: None last week. But not for lack of trying!

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: It’s big decision time and it has been for a month. So maybe it's also get-a-new-calendar (and a watch) time as well.

GREECE: Some are suggesting that Greece sell off islands to pay off its debt. I myself have taken out a no-interest, 3-year exploding option ARM loan at 5% on Santorini.

SPAIN: Neatly passed the buck to Italy during a siesta.

ITALY: Now starring in the lead role of “Eurolanden Debtnicus Tragedia” Also see: Italian-Inspired Market Panic Pauses, Awaiting Thursday's Greece Summit

Herman Cain Against Building a Mosque in Tennessee

2011-07-18T15:14:00.000-10:00

This is exactly the reason why I sometimes dislike the GOP.

During a discussion on "Fox News Sunday" of a proposed mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn. that has drawn protests, legal challenges and even arson, host Chris Wallace asked the former Godfather's Pizza CEO his feelings about communities that wish to ban mosques.

"Yes, they have the right to do that," Cain replied.

Um, I just have to say that preventing a mosque from being built on private land is strait-up un-American. I mean this is the land of the free what do we have to fear from Islam? Political Islam is starting to show cracks anyway. I mean the Iranian regime will probably not last another 10 years and our form of government seems to be sweeping through the Middle East as we speak.

So what if there is a mosque in Tennessee? If nefarious things are going on there the FBI can look into it. Its not like as soon as they build the thing an Al-Quida cell will move right in or other nonsense. I mean would Cain be against a Synagogue or a Wiccan Church being built there? So the separation of church and state part doesn't matter.

Just let people use private land for whatever the purpose they want as long as it is legal. That is the only way to look at this as an American. It is not the Land of the Free (as long as you aren't Muslim) its the Land of the Free for everyone.

Tom Coburn Takes an Axe to the Budget: $9 Trillion in Savings!

2011-07-18T14:21:00.000-10:00

Now this is exactly what we need in order to get this deficit under control. Coburn doesn't spare the axe anywhere even raising taxes and cutting veteran benefits and raises the retirement and Medicare age.

The plan by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is laced with politically perilous proposals like raising to 70 the age at which people can claim their full Social Security benefits. It would cut farm subsidies, Medicare, student aid, housing subsidies for the poor, and funding for community development grants. Coburn even takes on the powerful veterans' lobby by proposing that some veterans pay more for medical care and prescription drugs.

Let's debate some of his proposals. The more I look at Social Security and Medicare the more I think it will go bankrupt years before I retire. If that is the case I better have every dollar I pay into the system refunded to me with interest.

It Looks Like the GOP Leadership is Caving on Rasing the Debt Limit

2011-07-13T15:03:00.000-10:00

I think some fairly meaningful spending reform could have come out of this whole mess but instead it seems the GOP is as addicted to spending as the Dems.

Ahead of a fourth negotiating session at the White House in as many days, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell defended his proposal to give President Barack Obama new powers to increase the nation's borrowing limit without GOP support.

"I refuse to help Barack Obama get re-elected by marching Republicans into a position where we have co-ownership of a bad economy," McConnell said on a radio talk show, contending that letting the nation go into financial default would give Obama reason to blame Republicans for the negative fallout.

McConnell is such a spineless weasel. I mean we will eventually default on our debt anyway if we keep spending like we are now. Hell, at this rate Medicare and Social Security will be bankrupt nearly a decade before I retire. If the GOP won't fight for deep cuts in every program then who will?

I kind of understand that the GOP will be blamed for a debt default though and Obama will be a hero to the markets for marching in and invoking the 14th Amendment. I mean the market is already getting kind of antsy about a default. As we get closer to the deadline it will start to get worse and worse. A US Government Debt default is no joke.

Still a deal could have been reached without McConnell cutting out Boehner's legs like this. I guess McConnell got a call from some Wall Street Hedge funds or bankers or something that are long the market to throw water on the fire before it gets out of hand.

In any case I think it is about damn time for someone to show McConnell the door. He caved on Obamacare and now he is caving on the debt ceiling. He really isn't on the side of fiscal conservancy so what use do I have with him?

Um, Obama Fly to Germany for the World Cup Already

2011-07-13T14:31:00.000-10:00

Yeah, I don't like his political bent or his policies but he is our Commander-and-Chief and our Women's National Team is poised to win the World Cup so hop on a plane and fly out there posthaste.

After beating France 3-1 on Wednesday to book their place in the title game, several members of the squad told how the presence of the Commander in Chief would cap off a spectacular tournament. The Americans would be strong favorites to beat Japan in Frankfurt.

I mean if it was the Men's team vying for the World Cup he would be out there without any hesitiation So it would be a nice capper for women's sports in general to have the President flying out to see them compete for the games highest honor. Although maybe the last minute security concerns may be a little much but he would be flying to Germany and not Sudan or something so there is that.

Breaking California into 2 States? Hmm, Might be a Good Idea

2011-07-13T13:26:00.000-10:00

It is a little too big in the first place and this plan pretty much amounts to the blue portion breaking away from the red portion of the state.

Stone's idea has some merit, some analysts say. It addresses the problematic balance of power between Sacramento and California localities, as well as the political reality that the 13 counties in Stone's secession drive are far more conservative than the rest of the state. But the vision remains legally and politically unrealistic, many add, and is perhaps not the best solution to the problems it seeks address.

The liberals in the Coastal Cities can then raise their taxes and provide a more socialist utopia without the eastern part of the state trying to inject realism or fiscal restraint. Plus, this would be great for liberals who are for gay rights because they would not have the conservative part of the state striking down their amendments.

I think it should be set up how West Virginia and Virginia are separated. So we would have California and Eastern California. Sounds like an interesting plan even though it will probably not fly.

What did the Philistines Eat?

2011-07-08T13:56:00.000-10:00

It seems that quite a trove of information is coming from the ruins of a Philistine town called Gat.

Archaeologists have found that the Philistine diet leaned heavily on grass pea lentils, an Aegean staple. Ancient bones discarded at the site show that they also ate pigs and dogs, unlike the neighboring Israelites, who deemed those animals unclean — restrictions that still exist in Jewish dietary law.

What the hell is grass pea lentils? It sounds like some kind of thing you pick up at Whole Foods. It seems the town was raised by everyone's favorite conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar in 604 B.C. and all of the inhabitants put to the sword. Those ancient invaders did not fool around I tell you.

TSA to Require you to Remove Your Skin when You Get on an Airplane

2011-07-07T09:10:00.000-10:00

I can see the headline from the future already after the latest insidious terrorist plot.

US officials have warned airlines terror groups may be mulling implanting bombs under the skins of passengers, reports said Wednesday, but stressed the alert was not linked to any specific threat.

The Los Angeles Times said the US administration had warned airlines that extremist groups were considering surgically implanting explosives into people to try to beat enhanced airport security measures.

Passengers flying to the United States could now face even tougher screening procedures, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, Nicholas Kimball, told the daily.

Yup the TSA will now require you to remove your entire skin so that they can check to see if there is a bomb hidden under there. I think they should just require everyone to fly naked and they just knock everyone out with a cabin pressure change. Then they wake you up after the plane has landed. In the meantime they will scan every passenger with a total MRI to see if there were bombs implanted or not. The TSA is just ridiculous now.

Massive Storm Seen on Saturn: This one is BIG!

2011-07-07T08:17:00.000-10:00

It sure is mind numbing sometimes the things that go on in this solar system.

Imagine being caught in a thunderstorm as wide as the Earth with discharges of lightning 10,000 times more powerful than normal, flashing 10 times per second at its peak.

Now imagine that this storm is still unfolding, eight months later.

Now this is one impressive sight. The idea of lightning 10,000 times more powerful than earth is pretty nuts. Imagine if one of those things hit your city.

Huge Cheating Scandal Unearthed in Atlanta Schools: 178 Teachers and Principals Involved

2011-07-06T08:50:00.000-10:00

Now this is about as bad as it could get for teachers and principals and sets a terrible example to the kids.

Award-winning gains by Atlanta students were based on widespread cheating by 178 named teachers and principals, said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday. His office released a report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that names 178 teachers and principals – 82 of whom confessed – in what's likely the biggest cheating scandal in US history.

It also appears to have all because of filthy lucre.

The 55,000-student Atlanta public school system rose in national prominence during the 2000s, as test scores steadily rose and the district received notice and funding from the Broad Foundation and the Gates Foundation. But behind that rise, the state found, were teachers and principals in 44 schools erasing and changing test answers.

These principals even went so far as to stonewall investigators and punish whistle-blowers. Oh well, I guess no one looks at it as cheating the kids. I mean bonuses are at stake so why shouldn't teachers "teach to the test" or simply erase the answers on the test?

I guess there needs to be more emphasis on other factors rather then teaching. I think it would be interesting to base some of these benchmarks on graduation rate or the number of kids that get into college or technical schools. I mean school is supposed to prepare you for the real world so the idea of real world outcomes might be something to put into the mix.

The Treasure Hunt School of Retailing

2011-07-05T14:14:00.000-10:00

Hmm, I think this is a great idea that would certainly get me going back to the store again and again.

Constantly cycling in fresh merchandise is critical as the Web makes it harder for stores to compete on price. After all, why drive to a store that offers "everyday low prices" when you can find the same products cheaper online? Surprises also create suspense and encourage repeat visits.

Yeah, you buy the essentials using something like Amazon Prime and then you go to the retail store to buy something interesting. I remember going to Costco and seeing them stock things like German chocolate or funny biscuits from Europe. I would be much more willing to buy something like this on a whim to see how they taste. As long as the price is reasonable then I would try it just to try it.

The Story Behind the CIA Analyst that Caught Bin Laden

2011-07-05T09:16:00.000-10:00

I really hope we have many more guys like him working the front lines at the CIA.

The analyst was the first to put in writing last summer that the CIA might have a legitimate lead on finding bin Laden. He oversaw the collection of clues that led the agency to a fortified compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. His was among the most confident voices telling Obama that bin Laden was probably behind those walls.

Can Obama Get Around the Debt Ceiling usng the 14th Amendment?

2011-06-30T11:23:00.000-10:00

Now this is a very interesting issue and might be seen as going around the separation of powers.

Critics of the debt limit cite the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states: "the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned." (Emphasis ours)

Of course, the Fourteenth Amendment is open to wide, and varying, interpretation and debate. The most basic question here is, does a limit on debt "question" the "validity" of the debt?

I wonder if this means that we can default at all? It seems to be a violation of Constitution if we "question the validity" of the public debt by defaulting on it. Would we have to find money somewhere no matter what (I guess lease off some monuments or something) to pay off the debt?

I guess Obama would have a shaky leg to stand on if he just tasked the Treasury Department with paying off our debts no matter what the ceiling is and issuing bonds if they have to. I mean after world markets tank if Congress doesn't get a debt ceiling move he would look like a White Knight unilaterally raising the the debt ceiling. Actually the thing he would worry about is the "validity of public debt" to foreign holders. It is a sticky constitutional issue that might come up in August at the earliest.

Reporter Suspended After Calling Obama a Dick

2011-06-30T08:12:00.000-10:00

Um, what is so inappropriate about letting out your opinion on the President. I mean they called Bush far worse than that.

"Are we on the seven-second delay?" Halperin asked.

"We have it. We can use it. Go for it. Let's see what happens," co-anchor Joe Scarborough replied.

"I thought he was a dick yesterday," Halperin replied, sending the hosts into a brief moment of panic.

Halperin apologized later on in the show and issued his own mea culpa hours later via MSNBC.

"I completely agree with everything in MSNBC's statement about my remark," he said. "I believe that the step they are taking in response is totally appropriate. Again, I want to offer a heartfelt and profound apology to the President, to my MSNBC colleagues, and to the viewers. My remark was unacceptable, and I deeply regret it."

Well, MSNBC is a mouthpiece for the White House so I understand that they will brook no bad words against the Fearless Leader. What was funny is that some sources I read called it a slur. I was all expecting Halprin to be "suspended indefinitely" because he called Obama some racist name but since when is dick a slur?

Good News Kids: The Government Can't Stop you From Buying Grand Theft Auto

2011-06-27T08:32:00.000-10:00

I guess the parents now need to exercise some responsibility if they don't want their kids playing violent games.

On a 7-2 vote, the high court upheld a federal appeals court decision to throw out California's ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Sacramento had ruled that the law violated minors' rights under the First Amendment, and the high court agreed.

"No doubt a state possesses legitimate power to protect children from harm," said Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote the majority opinion. "But that does not include a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed."

Well, the different anti-video game groups can now go into overdrive saying that it was violent video games that caused whatever social ill they want to scapegoat. What is funny is that the ban probably didn't effect kids as much as some people would believe. I mean most minors have played these games due to lax parents or an older sibling or friends buying them the game. It was one of those laws like prohibition that no one actually followed unless they weren't likely to play the games in the first place.

Pottermore Appears to be an MMORPG?

2011-06-22T15:03:00.000-10:00

I guess this game would be nominally popular but I'm not sure how it will do against so many MMORPGs out there.

A leaked memo has revealed Pottermore to be a persistent world that blends World of Warcraft with real world treasure hunts. Users will dig up clues, which will let them find prizes in the real world.

The memo says Thursday's announcement, which will come via YouTube, will discuss the project's partners and focus on what people can find - particularly quills and wands hidden around the U.S. and U.K.

The idea of real world treasure hunts based on the game does sound interesting. But I just got the picture of 1000s of people showing up at some rural country area tearing up the grass trying to find the "Trolls Tooth Totem" or other such nonsense. However if the game doesn't have a monthly subscription fee I might try it out just for fun.

Greek PM Survives No Confidence: We Still Aren't Out of the Woods Yet

2011-06-21T13:25:00.000-10:00

So far so good. At least we won't get a Greek debt failure yet.

Lawmakers voted 155-143 for the motion, with two abstentions in the 300-member legislature, sticking strictly to party lines after a heated debate that saw sections of the opposition briefly walk out of the chamber.

Outside, several thousand protesters chanted "Thieves! thieves!" and other anti-austerity slogans, shining green laser lights at the parliament building and into the eyes of riot police protecting it.

I think the EU needs to boot Greece out of the Euro so that they could inflate away the problem with the New Drachma. Even then they would have deadly riots over cutting back the spending. Greece is the case in point when it comes to promising people more government then they could afford. You get people used to a certain way of living and when you have to pull back the money for that lifestyle they freak out and riot.

Interesting Income Stock: NuStar Energy

2011-06-21T09:27:00.001-10:00

Well I was researching some stocks and came across. NuStar Energy LP (NS)

This company is a limited partnership that seems to have several things it is trying to do at once. First they are an oil storage company that provides 80 million barrels of storage at 65 terminals. They not only store the oil but provide barges and emergency response and other types of value added services as well. They also own a number of oil and anhydrous ammonia pipelines that are based in the US as well. Finally they have a segment that turns oil into asphalt and buys and sells gasoline and other petroleum products.

The fundamentals look pretty solid with double digit top and bottom line growth year to year. On looking at their 10-Q you can see that the revenue of their asphalt segment is growing great guns with revenue going $1.04 billion from $758 million one year ago. The storage segment went from $125 million from $114 million while the transportation segment fell to $73 million from $75 million. The pipelines segment might get helped out from a 2011 project to provide a pipeline that serves the Eagle Ford Shale. All told operating income was $55.7 million from $33.7 million. It seems that turning oil into asphalt seems quite lucrative for NuStar. I guess you can look into asphalt demand metrics to see if this growth continues going forward.

What actually caught my eye was a great dividend of $4.30 which provides a 6.9% yield. I guess this is pretty much a result of owning those pipelines and oil storage terminals. The only bad thing I could see is that they were carrying 2.4 billion in debt and had only $77 million in cash in the bank. Also they seem to be increasing the debt from quarter to quarter. I guess they are building a leverage horde in order to do more acquisitions down the road.

The stock has been beaten down a bit recently when oil prices dropped from $68 - $70 back down to $62. It bounced perfectly off of $60 so you would probably put you stop below that point. In any case the stock seems like a pretty decent one for income with a growth driver in that oil to asphalt business. They also seem to be a bit lower risk with only a 0.32 Beta.

Wild West Show Turns Dangerous

2011-06-21T08:16:00.000-10:00

It seems that some tourists may have gotten shot at a Wild West show in South Dakota.

Three spectators were hospitalized on Friday evening after receiving "wounds that were consistent with bullet-type injuries," Lieutenant Marty Graves of the Pennington County Sheriff's Department told Reuters.

The guns used in the show were supposed to be loaded with fake bullets known as blanks, Graves said. No real bullets or bullet fragments were recovered from the scene.

My money is on blanks exploding near tourists perhaps injuring them. I know blanks can actually kill someone if it is fired too close to them. That is what supposedly killed Brandon Scott Lee in the Crow movie.

Domain Names to Change: You can have GameofThrones.kicksass.hbo now?

2011-06-20T11:58:00.000-10:00

Now this seems to be a sea change in the way domain names are doled out going forward.

Experts say corporations should be among the first to register, resulting in domain names ending in brands like .toyota, .apple or .coke.

The move is seen as a big opportunity for brands to gain more control over their online presence and send visitors more directly to parts of their sites -- and a danger for those who fail to take advantage.

Japanese electronics giant Canon, for instance, has already said it plans to apply for rights to use domain names ending with .canon.

I guess this makes quite a bit of sense and will prevent Internet hangers on now. So gone will be the sites that use something like aple.com or other mispellings. Hopefully it will break the back of cyber-squatting and people making large sums of money because they registered sales.com way back in the day.

4 Ways Blackberry Can Save its Ass: Yeah I Don't Think So

2011-06-20T11:41:00.000-10:00

Well some of these ideas have merit but here is my take on the subject.

No. 1: Make Like Google, Streamline Management

Having two CEOs seems like a bad idea much of the time. It didn't seem like a liability when they were growing like a weed. Now they will be fighting for survival against two huge rivals and they can afford no further management slip-ups or shakeups. RIM needs to poach some dude from Google or Apple as their CEO and come in for the fight of their lives.

No. 2: Open Up Its Secure Servers

This might be a good idea if it wouldn't cannibalize their handset market share even further. I mean if I could get Blackberry email service with an Android style phone then why would I have a Blackberry at all? If they do go away from handset sales and turn themselves into a server software company by offering a Microsoft Exchange-like email server (that is as good or better then MSFT) then this would be a great idea.

No. 3: Get With Social -- Cultivate Developer Community

Oh man this should be written on every cubicle at RIM headquarters. Their app store is absolutely worthless. I downloaded an NFL app that actually crashed my Blackberry and forced me to take out the battery to reset it. I even had trouble uninstalling that POS. There is no reason for this kind of thing to happen in this day and age.

RIM is now competing with Apps that are leaving the world of tech and entering pop culture. Angry Birds started as an IPhone App and it is now taking the world by storm. I even hear of an Angry Birds TV shows and movie in the works. I mean IPhone and Android Apps are being talked about on Jimmy Fallon seemingly every night. I can't even tell you a Blackberry app off the top of my head and I have owned one for 2 years.

Plus their Blackberry store is a joke that seems to take forever to load and crashes repeatedly. Maybe there is an update floating around somewhere but there is really no compelling reason to download it because there is nothing in the store that is worth checking out.

No. 4: Drill Down Abroad

I guess this all boils down to smash Nokia in the markets that they had once dominated. I guess this is possible if they come out with a dirt cheap Blackberry that is superior to anything that Nokia is putting out. Then if this thing takes off and people use Blackberry messenger instead of texting maybe they have something. Basically RIM would be selling a glorified Internet keyboard and not an actual smart phone. If they are forced to take this route they will join Nokia on the bottom of the handset barrel.

My Takeaway:

I think you can stick a fork in RIM they are done. The stock price will continue to bleed out until Microsoft picks them up for pennies on the dollar. Then you will see MSFT ditch the Blackberry software and just tighten the interface with Exchange and put Windows 7 mobile on Blackberry handsets.

Knowing Microsoft they will then screw up and lock out any user with an older Blackberry and force them to upgrade to the newest models. This will allow a mass exodus to Android and IPhone handsets and MSFT will be holding a big pile of fail. They will then vainly try to ramp up the App store and offer 25,000 Apps (most of them somehow related to Office or Xbox Live) while IPhone and Android will offer 2 million Apps each or something similar.

MSFT will then quietly write off the acquisition and the Blackberry will join the Walkman as a product that was widely popular that had a competitor that come out with something even better. Then the company flails around and tries to protect their lead. Then they try to keep their product on life support. Then finally their product simply disappears.

I mean this trend seems to happen over and over in the tech world. It happened with the RAZR by Motorola, Guitar Hero and Rock Band, then the Nintendo Wii, and now the Blackberry. What a cutthroat world consumer tech is. You basically go from King to "whatever happened to..." in a few short years.

Weiner Resigns

2011-06-16T10:43:00.000-10:00

Well after hemming and hawing for weeks he is finally out of there.

Weiner said he had hoped to remain in Congress but conceded his predicament had made that impossible. Instead, he said he would resign "so my colleagues can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new representative and, most importantly, that my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused."

Now the Congress can work on the debt ceiling and not have to worry about getting questions about some idiot Congressman sexting porn stars and 20-something girls. Now he can get a nice cushy job as a pundit after a a year of reflection/divorce from Huma. I mean he has the firebrand chops to be the liberal version of Glenn Beck over at MSNBC if he wants to. I mean if the scumbag Spitzer can find work then Weiner will certainly get his own show.

Stick a Fork in Him Newt is Done

2011-06-09T11:31:00.000-10:00

Well I guess he really didn't want to be President after all. It seems his entire staff just resigned on him.

Rick Tyler, Gingrich's spokesman, said that he, campaign manager Rob Johnson and senior strategists had all quit, along with aides in the early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Other officials said Gingrich was informed that his entire high command was quitting in a meeting at his headquarters in Washington. They cited differences over the direction of the campaign.

In other words he has to start again from scratch and his ground game in those early states is probably destroyed. He should just pack it in and wait until 2016. Oh well Herman Cain is still in the race so I still have a chance to vote for a Conservative that I think can fix this ailing economy.

Who are Weiners Women? One is a Former Porn Star

2011-06-07T11:17:00.001-10:00

I'm sure we will be getting a whole blizzard of them going forward like Tiger's many many girls. But here are the ones we know about.

•Meagan Broussard: A 26-year-old single mom from Texas, Broussard is the women who provided the photos of Weiner published yesterday on Andrew Breitbart's Big Government site. She provided dozens of photos, emails, Facebook messages and cell phone call logs to ABC News detailing her online relationship with Weiner, which began in April. "I didn't think it was him," she told ABC. "I thought for sure, 'Why would someone in that position be doing this?'"

Way to keep it classy ABC News.

•Lisa Weiss: A 40-year-old blackjack dealer in Las Vegas, Weiss told RadarOnline that she "sexted" with Weiner for nine months, beginning last August after they exchanged messages on Facebook. She claims to have more than 200 messages from Weiner and says the congressman phoned her from his private congressional line during work hours. "A few days later, I tried to call him back on that number," Weiss told Radar. "But the number wouldn't connect to his office; instead there was a recorded message that it was an outgoing U.S. Congress line only."

Is that Sarah Palin to her right with the pixilated face? Plus TMZ seems to be a lot more classy than ABC News by showing this woman with clothes on. Go figure.

•Ginger Lee: A former porn star, Lee allegedly sexted with Weiner for months. She has provided emails to TMZ that allegedly show Weiner pressured her to lie about their relationship—going so far as offer "someone on team" to advise her on how to handle the media. On June 2, Weiner allegedly drafted a statement for Lee, that suggested she was merely followed the congressman on Twitter. "The key is to have a short, thought out statement that tackles the top line questions and then refer people back to it," Weiner allegedly wrote. "Have a couple of iterations of: 'This is silly . . . . And then maybe insert some y'alls in there."

You can go ahead and do a Google Image Search for her. Her pictures are NSFW. Suffice it to say she looks like a blond 17 year old who is very small up top and no butt. The part about having people on Weiners team "advising" her sounds pretty sleazy as well. In any case these gals seem to be the polar opposite of his quite put together wife.

So Who Did Weiner Cyber Cheat On? Hint: She is a Muslim "Body Person" of Hillary

2011-06-07T10:53:00.000-10:00

Wow from this write up she seems to have been one of the most eligible young women in liberal land.

Her first job for Hillary Clinton was as a White House intern in 1996 when Clinton was first lady. She always worked close to Clinton, and in 2000—when Clinton was running for the senate—Abedin became her ubiquitous traveling aide, the person with Clinton every waking minute, who makes the trains run on time and who must anticipate her boss’ needs. She carries two BlackBerries and is, in effect, the gatekeeper, thereby making her a rather powerful arbitrator of who reaches Clinton.

She seems to be a practicing Muslim that lived for many years in Saudi Arabia and seems to wield a lot of clout with the Clintons. She is one year younger than me and has only been married to Weiner for 11 months. I guess you can insert a joke about how Jews keep humiliating the Muslims but that would be crass.

She was also super private and this whole scandal must be driving her up the wall. I bet Hillary has been asking about Seal Team 6 to lay some smack down on Weiner. She is kind of good looking if you like awfully skinny girls. Yes you can see her bony wrist in this picture.

Base Found on Mars? Um, I'm not convinced.

2011-06-06T12:00:00.001-10:00

Well there seems to be a strange anomaly on a picture of the surface of Mars from an amateur astronomer.

Describing the 'structure' as a living quarters with red and blue stripes on it, to the untrained eye it looks nothing more than a white splodge on an otherwise unblemished red landscape.
He even lists the co-ordinates 49'19.73"N 29 33'06.53"W so others can go see the anomaly for themselves.

It seriously looks like a rendering anomaly to me but you can judge for yourself.