Metzenbaum Scissors's Comments

The Top 12 Brands Likely to Disappear

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:43:16 -0400

Seeking Alpha: best contributors have moved on... now it repeats others' content, only not as well as my Google reader.

Commercial Mortgages: The $400 Billion Ticking Time Bomb

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:58:10 -0500

SA is overrun with people half my age and less than half my smarts.
This is the best item from SA in a long, long time.

The Manipulation of Gold and Silver Prices

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:12:13 -0500

"Mysterious sudden drops"?

hedge funds dumping positions to raise cash.

Conspiracy theories...

Things Aren't as Bad as They Seem - Barron's

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:16:53 -0400

<< $80 crude produces an 'energy dividend' of about $170B >>

No, it doesn't. The $170B spent somewhere else. How is that a benefit?

It isn't.

Will the Market Break Its October 10th Lows?

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:22:57 -0400

With all respect, not a fact, just an opinion, gold is being sold to raise dollars which are funnelled into US Treasuries... .

LIBOR Shows Worst Is Yet to Come for Credit Markets

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:14:11 -0400

Great primer for those not familiar with OIS and LIBOR. Recall when no one knew what CDO meant? Watch for LIBOR and OIS on the Christmas cocktail parties. In Peoria.

As for your first choice of investment, Treasuries. Sure, they appear safe, with a negative return. Personally, I have loaded up on Canadian Gov't bonds. I don't feel much comfort in the long term trend of the US$.

The Real Reasons Fertilizer Stocks Are In the Dirt

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:40:12 -0400

Gentlemen,
Who doesn't get that it was over last week?

The rush to the exits ... began.

The prospects for ANY company's equity price are bleak. Get it? Bleak.

For your sake, stop looking at a leaf, and see the forest is a smoking hole.

If it wasn't enough for one to see AT&T was relying on OVERNIGHT financing last week to maintain treasury operations, then no amount of bad news will make it clear.

Disclosure: 100% double inverse index.

Think of These as Short-Term Troubles

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:37:53 -0400

IThinkBig--- yes, yes, yes.
Nanny is Washington won't be there to give you back 80% of the largesse you send to them. No longer are you too stupid and greedy to decide where your money will go.

Adios, politicos. Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.

And turn out the lights, parasites.

Gold Bulls: Beware

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:43:52 -0400

Oh yeah.

As a foreigner looking at the actions (manipulation is such a loaded word) of the treasury, Fed and Bernanke/Paulson, this image of instability does nothing to make me want to put my money anywhere near American equity markets, or $ denominated assets.

Uncertainty + arbitrary, sudden, capricious rule changes = ungood.

US, UK, and Germany Compete to Nationalize the Most Banks

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:52:53 -0400

ITS A PANIC!!!

SELL!!!

The Deal's Getting Done, But Will It Work?

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:32:47 -0400

Freedom is what created America, and made it great..

Putting financial expedience ahead of freedom is wrong.

Get the federal government out of the market.

Wall Street Bailout: Making a Deal With the Devil

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:07:35 -0400

Sigh.

You are correct. The economy won't collapse. The horrid financial architecture on Manhattan Island will collapse, and 300 million American ought to say bye-bye, not buy-buy.

The government aided in the creation of this wealth generating machine and now they want another transfer of wealth.

Poor, poor America.

Horrid Data: Housing, Jobs, Durable Goods

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:00:44 -0400

Gentlemen, relax your sphincters.

The 'bailout-as-trash-tabl... is getting stale.

While this is the end of American hegemony, on the 'day after', a farmer somewhere will have eggs to sell to someone with dollars. And so on.

Price discovery will reveal what things are worth, just like always. Maybe Manhattan will be a metaphorical smoking crater, so? They screwed up and it's time for reversion to mean.

FWIW, CNBC must exist for mouth breathing morons.

Thanks Mish for your insights.

The Hedge Fund of America, LP

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:12:28 -0400

There is NO market for toxic debt, otherwise it could be sold. Your government is the ONLY buyer. The ONLY buyer.

So, will it be purchased for mark-to-market?

For book value?

For purchase price?

Wake up America. Paulsen gets $700,000,000,000 to spend without recourse.

It's just wrong.

Your entrepreneurial culture of bootstraps and gumption and is as strong as ever. The will is there, but there is no longer a way.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the train coming at you.

Sic transit gloria.

The Bailout to End All Bailouts

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:20:56 -0400

Too big to fail?

Too big to exist.

U.S. Records Another Huge Current Account Deficit

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:26:40 -0400

Rabble,
China is a polluted prison filled with illiterate peasants trading their miserable agrarian subsistence for a slightly less miserable (but still Dickensian) 'life' on an assembly line on the coast.
PJ O'Rourke paraphrase on Purchasing Power Parity: saying the Chinese quality of life is in any way gaining on ours is like saying you can have a better house in a crime-ridden, crack district. Yes, it's a better house, but most folks would not choose it.

I think you over-estimate internal Chinese demand for 99% of their population. The rich 1% want to buy anything but tainted food, counterfeit brake pads, soy sauce made from hair, etc,

Deflation Takes the Reins

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:35:41 -0400

"printing money like crazy"

Can you reference that, please?

It's here: www.federalreserve.gov.../

Percent change at seasonally adjusted annual rates M1 M2
----------------------...
3 Months from May 2008 TO Aug. 2008 7.1 1.5
6 Months from Feb. 2008 TO Aug. 2008 2.8 3.4
12 Months from Aug. 2007 TO Aug. 2008 1.6 5.4

Unless THE FED IS LYING !!!

U.S. Records Another Huge Current Account Deficit

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:24:40 -0400

If your dumb-a** leaders insisted the Chinese buy a dollar of US goods for every dollar they sell here, and all their containers were inspected, it would accomplish two things: balanced trade deficit and a whole lot less drugs on US streets.
China needs America; America can get on without China... so why the kowtowing?

The Plunge Protection Team Goes to Work

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:03:59 -0400

Backed by the full faith and trust of junk bonds and equities... wha?!?

Market Skepticism About BofA / Merrill Deal

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:49:29 -0400

How much did he want the 'thundering herd'?

Lemme see, $50B / 16,000 sales people = $3M apiece.

Could have been recruited to B of A for less? And no toxic tailwind?

Shurley shome mishtake?!?

Lehman Files For Bankruptcy

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:05:16 -0400

""The AP also said officials at the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve say they are prepared to be more generous in the Fed's emergency lending program for commercial and investment banks.""

Sounds like US taxpayer $$$ for crap toxic assets... again.

How long are you gonna take this, American citizens? The rest of us need a vibrant economy from you... and not capitalist profits and socialized losses.

WAKE UP!

Lehman: A Damned Shame

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:40:32 -0400

Macro Man, I'm from the government and I am here to help.

Today, I am announcing a plan to lower your credit card interest rates to 0%, indefinitely. Hopefully (a key component of any bailout), this will motivate you to acquire even more TV cabinets, thus taking up excess supply.
Hoping (again), actioning on this crucial (everything is crucial in America) measure will rectify the supply imbalance, creating demand for your item.
At that point, you can sell into a rapidly inflating market, recoup your losses, and normalcy will return to the market.

CNBC has stated the short sellers have caused this.

You're welcome.

Calling a Bottom: It's Time To Party

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:32:23 -0400

Puh-leeze, enough with the "I wanna be the next to call the bottom", especially with a pseudonym.

I predict that Canada will invade Russia and start NOPEC.

Any other anonymous ridiculous guesses out there?

Global Capital Asset Death Spiral

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:23:38 -0400

F7 = spell check. Be sure to turn on the grammar option.

Fannie, Freddie Headed for Conservatorship

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:27:46 -0400

See two posts up. I was right.

Freddie/Fannie Plans In Motion; Why Are They Being Underplayed?

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:05:08 -0400

I ponder this:

The biggest mortgage lender and insurer in the world's biggest economy was taken over by federal authorities. There were no other possible lenders, and the government acted to preserve the world credit system.
Have I got that right?

And people are discussing whether FNM doubles or halves on Monday?!?

Shurley shome mishtake?!?

Fannie, Freddie Headed for Conservatorship

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:40:00 -0400

Sheeple, the common on Phonie and Fraudie is now worth zero. Only the senior debt will be made square... all the less-than-senior debt is will rely on the credit default insurance (whoever holds it, how do you know it isn't ... me ?!? You don't.), the preferred and common are subordinated to that.

Pfffffttttttt....

National City: Paying Customers To Close Credit Lines Smacks of Desperation

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:45:41 -0400

Speaking of HELOCs and investing, how much HELOC cash is there in the market, anyway?

Don't Believe the Lies: Ride the Bank Stocks Bull

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:19:44 -0400

Wild A** Guesses? If you are right, the sheeple will buy your book, if you are wrong... well, there is no cost there.

"President Putin announced from the Oval Office today that 6 zeros are being removed from US currency to make purchases easier. President Putin also announced rationing of flour and cooking oil..."

"the greatest financial stock bull market in our lifetime." C'mon financial astrologers, enough with the hyperbole.

Contrarian Trading Tips: Gold, the Dollar, Energy and Financials

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:35:10 -0400

LINK: massive U.S. naval armada heading for Iran.

Err... the reporter on this blog has completely fictitious title. I have lived in Canada for over 40 years and we ain't got no Lord Lieutenant, eh?

Over and oot.