pimpjui's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/114390/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/177790-how-buying-a-home-is-gambling?source=feed#comment-801968 801968
The sense of self control over you shelter requirement is probably the main motivation for borrowing money to buy your primary residence. The second is probably the assumption of "appreciation", which is basically a combination of leverage on the buyers side and infaltion on the nation's side; these two things combined create a myth of return on investment.

If all people had enough wealth to buy their own home cash, they would view it much differently (i.e. as an required expense, like a doctor bill). If you pay cash....ask the few weatlhy people that do, and you won't hear them gloating about house appreciation or other such drivel.......they are probably thinking more about the tax value of deprecation.

What the country needs is a very solid set laws that favor the tenant from a security standpoint (i.e. cannot kick him out), motivate the landlord/owner to maintain the property above the standard which a potential homeowner would, and at the same time, make the penalty for not paying rent very painful. If this occurs, you'll see many people begging to rent homes.]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:16:29 -0500
The sense of self control over you shelter requirement is probably the main motivation for borrowing money to buy your primary residence. The second is probably the assumption of "appreciation", which is basically a combination of leverage on the buyers side and infaltion on the nation's side; these two things combined create a myth of return on investment.

If all people had enough wealth to buy their own home cash, they would view it much differently (i.e. as an required expense, like a doctor bill). If you pay cash....ask the few weatlhy people that do, and you won't hear them gloating about house appreciation or other such drivel.......they are probably thinking more about the tax value of deprecation.

What the country needs is a very solid set laws that favor the tenant from a security standpoint (i.e. cannot kick him out), motivate the landlord/owner to maintain the property above the standard which a potential homeowner would, and at the same time, make the penalty for not paying rent very painful. If this occurs, you'll see many people begging to rent homes.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/177484-american-dream-2-fun-with-dick-and-jane-deleveraging?source=feed#comment-801942 801942 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:00:07 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/176141-facebook-s-dual-class-shares-another-reason-to-avoid-this-company?source=feed#comment-790796 790796
1. The fact that he stole the idea from more talented people. No surprise there. Completely obvious.

2. Dual share structure. If this means control with less liability, and he can sell this to various idiots (e.g. Microsoft) sure, I'd try for it too. I fact, selling to Balmer or the oligarchs was really not that tough of a sell now, was it?

3. 13 departures. Of course....the ship is sinking.

4. Google COO. Big deal. Not even the same level of company here.

5. Silicon Valley VC's. What a joke. This drivel is so year 2000.

6. This company is that last dying gasp for breath of an era and industry that no longer has anywhere near the upside of what it used to.

7. Focus on things that bring genuine talent and utility to society.....this company is not in this category.]]> Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:40:12 -0500
1. The fact that he stole the idea from more talented people. No surprise there. Completely obvious.

2. Dual share structure. If this means control with less liability, and he can sell this to various idiots (e.g. Microsoft) sure, I'd try for it too. I fact, selling to Balmer or the oligarchs was really not that tough of a sell now, was it?

3. 13 departures. Of course....the ship is sinking.

4. Google COO. Big deal. Not even the same level of company here.

5. Silicon Valley VC's. What a joke. This drivel is so year 2000.

6. This company is that last dying gasp for breath of an era and industry that no longer has anywhere near the upside of what it used to.

7. Focus on things that bring genuine talent and utility to society.....this company is not in this category.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/instablog/350214-michael-david-white/26337-medical-reform-in-one-word-or-less-switzerland?source=feed#comment-666255 666255 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:16:25 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/159962-china-urges-citizens-to-buy-gold-and-silver?source=feed#comment-662828 662828 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:13:44 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/147216-goldman-arrest-highlights-problem-with-ip-law?source=feed#comment-576143 576143 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:33:58 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/146689-is-inflation-a-fact-or-just-an-opinion-part-ii?source=feed#comment-572939 572939
You already gave us the answer. If currency debasement is the worst thing the US does, then it has very good company (e.g Switzerland).

Fiat currency is not about how much is printed. By definition, it is already worthless.

It's about confidence levels in the government that issues it. It should be painfully clear that for various reasons, most of the world still has great confidence in the US system.

The most probable inter-dependent reasons are:

1) US military might trumps all (if you can get nuked into oblivion, the expected value of your currency will be worth less than that of the nuker.)

2) US market liquidity is tops, hence the liquidity premium of the currency.

3) US market elasticity. Name one 1st world market that can drop 40% and at the same time keep the standard of living for its people at pretty much the same level. The UK is probably the only close 2nd.]]> Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:14:00 -0400
You already gave us the answer. If currency debasement is the worst thing the US does, then it has very good company (e.g Switzerland).

Fiat currency is not about how much is printed. By definition, it is already worthless.

It's about confidence levels in the government that issues it. It should be painfully clear that for various reasons, most of the world still has great confidence in the US system.

The most probable inter-dependent reasons are:

1) US military might trumps all (if you can get nuked into oblivion, the expected value of your currency will be worth less than that of the nuker.)

2) US market liquidity is tops, hence the liquidity premium of the currency.

3) US market elasticity. Name one 1st world market that can drop 40% and at the same time keep the standard of living for its people at pretty much the same level. The UK is probably the only close 2nd.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/124049-revisiting-the-weimar-gold-and-silver-ratio?source=feed#comment-413380 413380 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:52:59 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/122135-lessons-for-the-u-s-banking-authorities?source=feed#comment-400612 400612 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:00:10 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/121442-why-are-gas-prices-still-so-high?source=feed#comment-394672 394672 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:55:39 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/120801-barron-s-plan-to-save-the-economy-for-just-200b?source=feed#comment-391014 391014 Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:54:16 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/120647-why-is-everyone-blaming-the-ceos-it-s-the-government-s-fault?source=feed#comment-388979 388979 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:11:41 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/120622-it-s-not-a-recession-it-s-reality?source=feed#comment-388977 388977 Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:05:39 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/118994-in-search-of-a-new-hedge-fund-business-model?source=feed#comment-380142 380142 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:09:10 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/116351-the-street-wants-more-job-cuts-from-microsoft?source=feed#comment-374136 374136 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:19:58 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/116368-thain-s-undoing-thinking-he-s-worth-it?source=feed#comment-365903 365903
1. Not that smart
2. Very poor investors
3. Very poor leaders/managers

These people as a group have had a relatively sweet position in society because the government has let them have access to lots of free capital in there positions as "liquidity providers" and at the same time turned a blind eye to the risks that they were taking. Understandable when this group of people are generating so much corporate tax revenue. Of course they are not generating any tax revenue now.

Not that smart. Even a 1st year finance grad student can see that their business models are overly dependent to leverage, and their risk models are bogus. I find it strange that a PhD in Electical Engineering only just a engineer when he's doing electirlcal engineering, but somehow a genius when he's doing quant finance.

Poor investors. The main problem, in the end of the day is that these pathetic "investors" can't take a drawdown on their account. Any moron can leverage up to infinity if the banking system allows it. I wish that someone would bail me out everytime I had a drawdown on my account that could break me.

Poor leaders/managers. I am pretty certain that we coud fire all of the managers of these failed institutions, and promote everyone at the same companies from the bottom up, and still not be a position any worse than now. If these "managers" are now government employees, they should get the same pay and benefits as government employees. Their modus operandi is to milk the system for as long as they can get away with it. Get rid of them, the country has nothing to lose. There are plenty of competent people who can do a better job.]]> Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:59:44 -0500
1. Not that smart
2. Very poor investors
3. Very poor leaders/managers

These people as a group have had a relatively sweet position in society because the government has let them have access to lots of free capital in there positions as "liquidity providers" and at the same time turned a blind eye to the risks that they were taking. Understandable when this group of people are generating so much corporate tax revenue. Of course they are not generating any tax revenue now.

Not that smart. Even a 1st year finance grad student can see that their business models are overly dependent to leverage, and their risk models are bogus. I find it strange that a PhD in Electical Engineering only just a engineer when he's doing electirlcal engineering, but somehow a genius when he's doing quant finance.

Poor investors. The main problem, in the end of the day is that these pathetic "investors" can't take a drawdown on their account. Any moron can leverage up to infinity if the banking system allows it. I wish that someone would bail me out everytime I had a drawdown on my account that could break me.

Poor leaders/managers. I am pretty certain that we coud fire all of the managers of these failed institutions, and promote everyone at the same companies from the bottom up, and still not be a position any worse than now. If these "managers" are now government employees, they should get the same pay and benefits as government employees. Their modus operandi is to milk the system for as long as they can get away with it. Get rid of them, the country has nothing to lose. There are plenty of competent people who can do a better job.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/116181-the-fallacy-of-floating-exchange-rates?source=feed#comment-364480 364480 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:42:03 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/81823-speculators-continue-to-drive-oil-higher-at-risk-of-global-recession?source=feed#comment-187886 187886 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:03:10 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/80553-the-second-wave-of-bank-troubles?source=feed#comment-181682 181682 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:38:37 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/78819-how-deceitful-are-the-big-banks?source=feed#comment-174063 174063 Mon, 26 May 2008 12:45:06 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/78731-fiat-money-and-the-silver-coin-quotas?source=feed#comment-173527 173527 Sun, 25 May 2008 11:34:57 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/70302-bear-stearns-bailout-by-the-fed-jpm-a-century-old-conspiracy?source=feed#comment-133459 133459 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:06:26 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/57453-hedge-fund-performance-it-s-the-driver-that-matters?source=feed#comment-105607 105607 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:26:18 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/53705-understanding-the-dollar-s-decline?source=feed#comment-101603 101603
I guess if any currency were to knock USD of its perch, it'd be EUR. But does EUR really have the track record to become the world reserve currency? Considering Europe was at war with itself less that a generation ago, I can't imagine that we can extrapolate that it is now the supreme example of federal stability. I'd still take the CHF over the EUR any day. The Swiss have at least proved that their currency can withstand war all around them. Granted, though, the Swiss simply do not have the size to handle world reserve currency status.

Pound might be the next best bet. But it too does not have the size in order to handle this role. It's run up over the last couple of years has been basically against USD. Go to the UK. Outside of London, there is not much happening. Granted, the UK does have a huge amount of legitimacy in the area of soft power. Unfortunately, a reserve currency needs hard power behind it (e.g. USD has big guns/ships/nukes; CHF has (or had) lots of gold).

Yen? C'mon. The Japanese are xenophobic, the country is stagnating, and the US still occupies it with army and naval forces. The minute the US pulls out of Japan, they will re-militarize, which will cause huge instability as well as a drain on finances.

What's left? Yuan and Ruble. Oh yes, these two governments are beacons of transparency and honesty. Yep, that's where I'll keep my money. Russia has a male mortality rate lower than Africa. Russia exports weapons and commodities--that's it. China's government is desparately holding to power by giving it's poor citizens the hope of upward mobility. All of the problems they face (great domestic wealth disparity, pollution, corruption, poor healthcare, large standing army, etc.) suggest some type of civil or foreign war coming soon.

It's great that we have the freedom and inclination to bash the USD (and the US), because it still means we care. Otherwise we'd be sticking Yuan under the mattress. Indeed, the alternatives to the USD are not as great as would seem.]]> Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:26:50 -0500
I guess if any currency were to knock USD of its perch, it'd be EUR. But does EUR really have the track record to become the world reserve currency? Considering Europe was at war with itself less that a generation ago, I can't imagine that we can extrapolate that it is now the supreme example of federal stability. I'd still take the CHF over the EUR any day. The Swiss have at least proved that their currency can withstand war all around them. Granted, though, the Swiss simply do not have the size to handle world reserve currency status.

Pound might be the next best bet. But it too does not have the size in order to handle this role. It's run up over the last couple of years has been basically against USD. Go to the UK. Outside of London, there is not much happening. Granted, the UK does have a huge amount of legitimacy in the area of soft power. Unfortunately, a reserve currency needs hard power behind it (e.g. USD has big guns/ships/nukes; CHF has (or had) lots of gold).

Yen? C'mon. The Japanese are xenophobic, the country is stagnating, and the US still occupies it with army and naval forces. The minute the US pulls out of Japan, they will re-militarize, which will cause huge instability as well as a drain on finances.

What's left? Yuan and Ruble. Oh yes, these two governments are beacons of transparency and honesty. Yep, that's where I'll keep my money. Russia has a male mortality rate lower than Africa. Russia exports weapons and commodities--that's it. China's government is desparately holding to power by giving it's poor citizens the hope of upward mobility. All of the problems they face (great domestic wealth disparity, pollution, corruption, poor healthcare, large standing army, etc.) suggest some type of civil or foreign war coming soon.

It's great that we have the freedom and inclination to bash the USD (and the US), because it still means we care. Otherwise we'd be sticking Yuan under the mattress. Indeed, the alternatives to the USD are not as great as would seem.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/50529-seven-reasons-why-a-weak-dollar-hurts-america?source=feed#comment-99200 99200
If the Fed's goal is to stimulate domestic consumption, then a weak dollar helps by making domestically produced goods cheaper than imported ones. I guess the assumtion is that there should be more Americans buying Ford cars versus taking vacations in Europe. I have found that most Americans are oblivious to the real reduction in purchasing power of dollars abroad, and are quite happy if the Fed drops interest rates so low that it appears that their house values are going up (I guess they take out a line of credit against their home to buy the Ford).

It depends on who you consider to be investors. If you mean countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, even China, then the answer could be pretty Machaivellian. Saudia Arabia and Japan are forced into buying our debt. Saudi is a US puppet regime. That oil belongs to the USA. Japan, well, we heck, the US nuked them, and we still have 50,000+ troops occupying Japan. Of course they will buy our depreciating "assets".

China (or more specifically, the Chinese government) on the other hand, is desparately trying to keep a lid on social unrest and possibly revolution. Ironic that the way to do that is capitalism. It works for both the US and the Chinese government, at least at the moment.


If America is trying to walk down the price curve, the American worker could wind up like his Chinese or Indian counterparts. The reality is that Americans are too expensive compared to Chinese and Indian workers, even if American quality is better. What America needs to do is make American skilled labor (service, manufacturing) better by improving worker skill. This is a tough nut to crack.


The US government will never do anything that will decrease it's power over the American people. Confusing tax codes gives control. When you say federal spending, you really mean miltary spending. With out it's weapons systems, the US would be reduced to the status of, say, Brazil. Don't expect any reduction in military spending anytime soon. Ironically, the USA is better at encouraging productivity than any country in the world. I think the main problem is that the people and the country, are in to deep of a mess to get out with out a lot of pain and more specifically, huge transfers of wealth.]]> Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:26:33 -0400
If the Fed's goal is to stimulate domestic consumption, then a weak dollar helps by making domestically produced goods cheaper than imported ones. I guess the assumtion is that there should be more Americans buying Ford cars versus taking vacations in Europe. I have found that most Americans are oblivious to the real reduction in purchasing power of dollars abroad, and are quite happy if the Fed drops interest rates so low that it appears that their house values are going up (I guess they take out a line of credit against their home to buy the Ford).

It depends on who you consider to be investors. If you mean countries like Saudi Arabia, Japan, even China, then the answer could be pretty Machaivellian. Saudia Arabia and Japan are forced into buying our debt. Saudi is a US puppet regime. That oil belongs to the USA. Japan, well, we heck, the US nuked them, and we still have 50,000+ troops occupying Japan. Of course they will buy our depreciating "assets".

China (or more specifically, the Chinese government) on the other hand, is desparately trying to keep a lid on social unrest and possibly revolution. Ironic that the way to do that is capitalism. It works for both the US and the Chinese government, at least at the moment.


If America is trying to walk down the price curve, the American worker could wind up like his Chinese or Indian counterparts. The reality is that Americans are too expensive compared to Chinese and Indian workers, even if American quality is better. What America needs to do is make American skilled labor (service, manufacturing) better by improving worker skill. This is a tough nut to crack.


The US government will never do anything that will decrease it's power over the American people. Confusing tax codes gives control. When you say federal spending, you really mean miltary spending. With out it's weapons systems, the US would be reduced to the status of, say, Brazil. Don't expect any reduction in military spending anytime soon. Ironically, the USA is better at encouraging productivity than any country in the world. I think the main problem is that the people and the country, are in to deep of a mess to get out with out a lot of pain and more specifically, huge transfers of wealth.]]>