simplesimon's Comments RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.comuser/160160/comments http://seekingalpha.com/article/152909-cash-for-clunkers-may-cost-up-to-45-354-per-vehicle?source=feed#comment-610632 610632 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:19:43 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/149209-are-gld-and-slv-legitimate-investment-vehicles?source=feed#comment-592694 592694 How easy it is to fool most of the people most of the time....and get away with it. Lincoln said that. You know it isn't robbery if you give someone permission to rob you. I said that.]]> Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:19:13 -0400 How easy it is to fool most of the people most of the time....and get away with it. Lincoln said that. You know it isn't robbery if you give someone permission to rob you. I said that.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/148184-forget-green-shoots-these-are-the-brown-shoots-turning-black?source=feed#comment-584862 584862
{In it, the host of Mad Money says he regularly manipulated the market when he ran his hedge fund. He calls it "a fun game, and it's a lucrative game." He suggests all hedge fund managers do the same. "No one else in the world would ever admit that, but I could care. I am not going to say it on TV," he quips in the video.

He also calls Wall Street Journal reporters "bozos" and says behaving illegally is okay because the SEC doesn't understand it anyway.}

Michael Shulman is a specialist in short selling. It is to his advantage to foment negative market sentiment. It is both illegal and immoral. If you take someone who doesn't care if 20 M retired lose their means of survival...you probably find someone who also believes in evolution-that is to say, this 'highly adapted animal' ( in his own view ) sees "The Weak" as" Prey". Moreover, he feels it his Duty to devour them in order to "advance the species"
( himself ).
I consider this contributor to SA a predator= breaking the law. I will now file a formal complaint to the SEC, using his own fear tactics above in the original article. I will also be looking for others on SA who I feel are in collusion to create market fear/panic, in order to maximize their gains from short sales. Soon, all these 'animals' will be in the bread lines with the now unemployed, and despised Hedge Fund managers. Then, of course, I want to have a discussion with them about survival of the fittest.]]> Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:28:26 -0400
{In it, the host of Mad Money says he regularly manipulated the market when he ran his hedge fund. He calls it "a fun game, and it's a lucrative game." He suggests all hedge fund managers do the same. "No one else in the world would ever admit that, but I could care. I am not going to say it on TV," he quips in the video.

He also calls Wall Street Journal reporters "bozos" and says behaving illegally is okay because the SEC doesn't understand it anyway.}

Michael Shulman is a specialist in short selling. It is to his advantage to foment negative market sentiment. It is both illegal and immoral. If you take someone who doesn't care if 20 M retired lose their means of survival...you probably find someone who also believes in evolution-that is to say, this 'highly adapted animal' ( in his own view ) sees "The Weak" as" Prey". Moreover, he feels it his Duty to devour them in order to "advance the species"
( himself ).
I consider this contributor to SA a predator= breaking the law. I will now file a formal complaint to the SEC, using his own fear tactics above in the original article. I will also be looking for others on SA who I feel are in collusion to create market fear/panic, in order to maximize their gains from short sales. Soon, all these 'animals' will be in the bread lines with the now unemployed, and despised Hedge Fund managers. Then, of course, I want to have a discussion with them about survival of the fittest.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/147604-boston-fed-we-don-t-understand-foreclosures?source=feed#comment-578567 578567 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:49:36 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/147108-mid-year-2009-recap-what-s-ahead?source=feed#comment-575804 575804 Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:46:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/145927-paul-volcker-the-voice-in-the-wilderness?source=feed#comment-566807 566807 Lots of us recall Paul Volcker...many of us were lithe and eager youths then...but a little alarmed at his, Volcker's, setting in place a staggering prime interest rate. It was the bullet that shot Pres. Carter in the foot. We also recall what seemed an endless round of hostile takeovers and greenmail mergers following Carter's demise and the 'deregulating GOP's' rise to stardom... the term "hostile" not nearly the melifluous sound of "mergers and acquisitions".
The picture is becoming more clear. Write on, Trader....
( hmm...sounds almost like (shudder ) "Right On"!]]> Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:50:25 -0400 Lots of us recall Paul Volcker...many of us were lithe and eager youths then...but a little alarmed at his, Volcker's, setting in place a staggering prime interest rate. It was the bullet that shot Pres. Carter in the foot. We also recall what seemed an endless round of hostile takeovers and greenmail mergers following Carter's demise and the 'deregulating GOP's' rise to stardom... the term "hostile" not nearly the melifluous sound of "mergers and acquisitions".
The picture is becoming more clear. Write on, Trader....
( hmm...sounds almost like (shudder ) "Right On"!]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/144531-corruption-in-the-executive-branch?source=feed#comment-557865 557865

On Jun 22 10:33 AM fireball wrote:

> chicago politics, actually chicago has just been caught more often.
> a man that can look you in the eye and lie without flinching is destined
> for high political office.
> a phrase the media coined which caught on comes to mind. "character
> isn't an issue?" it has always been the number one issue for me.
> without good character there is no "hope" for honesty, duty, honor
> or integrity.
> as i watched obama stand and lie so smooth and with such an altruistic
> demeanor it was chilling. at least mccain was a stumbling bumbling
> lier. these two were the best our nation could offer? i guess they
> were the best at the slime of politics.]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:28:46 -0400

On Jun 22 10:33 AM fireball wrote:

> chicago politics, actually chicago has just been caught more often.
> a man that can look you in the eye and lie without flinching is destined
> for high political office.
> a phrase the media coined which caught on comes to mind. "character
> isn't an issue?" it has always been the number one issue for me.
> without good character there is no "hope" for honesty, duty, honor
> or integrity.
> as i watched obama stand and lie so smooth and with such an altruistic
> demeanor it was chilling. at least mccain was a stumbling bumbling
> lier. these two were the best our nation could offer? i guess they
> were the best at the slime of politics.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/144301-chart-of-the-day-inflation-adjusted-dow?source=feed#comment-555457 555457 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:05:29 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/142874-mini-bull-trap-200-day-exponential-ma-holds-again?source=feed#comment-543872 543872 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:42:52 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/140486-federal-rescue-unthinkable-trillions?source=feed#comment-525745 525745 Sun, 31 May 2009 20:29:36 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/97306-the-700-billion-disconnect-lost-in-translation?source=feed#comment-264744 264744 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:31:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/97102-don-t-be-fooled-short-selling-restrictions-do-work?source=feed#comment-263555 263555 When will any of us blame ourselves. We're the ones who thought we'd all move to Boardwalk and Parkplace with our Humvees, 50 miles or more from town....with our high maintenance women drooling over the Sex and the City designer outfits, and charging it all on high interest charge cards. Credit cards, by the way that your Congress approved laws that allow them to charge you 30% interest if you are late with another creditor? Or allow GMAC to repo your car for only 30 days arrearage,and sell it to Carmax , on a short sale, and legally be allowed to bill the previous owner the difference, and keep the 'profit' for yourselves?....Isn't this similar to short selling? Isn't this like "I'll borrow your car, without your knowledge, bash it up, then sell it, and keep the difference between its former value and the bashed up value?
Yes...we hear a chorus of short sellers crowing about the valuable service they provide re. "true valuation". But trust me, the vast majority of us see these institutional short sellers as grand theft auto repo kings, snorting and chortling with slobbering greed and utter disregard for any 'weakling' who gets in their way to Boardwalk and Park Place.
Keep boasting of your right to naked short selling, so we can identify you , round you up, and send you to camp......camp penitentiary.]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:15:45 -0400 When will any of us blame ourselves. We're the ones who thought we'd all move to Boardwalk and Parkplace with our Humvees, 50 miles or more from town....with our high maintenance women drooling over the Sex and the City designer outfits, and charging it all on high interest charge cards. Credit cards, by the way that your Congress approved laws that allow them to charge you 30% interest if you are late with another creditor? Or allow GMAC to repo your car for only 30 days arrearage,and sell it to Carmax , on a short sale, and legally be allowed to bill the previous owner the difference, and keep the 'profit' for yourselves?....Isn't this similar to short selling? Isn't this like "I'll borrow your car, without your knowledge, bash it up, then sell it, and keep the difference between its former value and the bashed up value?
Yes...we hear a chorus of short sellers crowing about the valuable service they provide re. "true valuation". But trust me, the vast majority of us see these institutional short sellers as grand theft auto repo kings, snorting and chortling with slobbering greed and utter disregard for any 'weakling' who gets in their way to Boardwalk and Park Place.
Keep boasting of your right to naked short selling, so we can identify you , round you up, and send you to camp......camp penitentiary.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/97045-market-meltdown-we-need-congress-to-make-this-right?source=feed#comment-263263 263263 I've heard an awful lot of cynical mockery and anger about the ban on naked short selling...I am making a stab in the dark here- but I am guessing that this outrage is coming from a million or more blackberry whizes who now have to hurry and cover their shorts?
I'm also astounded that there would be so much resistance to the gov't's bailout proposal. I am guessing here also, it is more about congress diverting blame from itself to the current whipping boys, Bernanke and Paulson.
I'd like to hear more from this contributor and others whether the Dow, which has swooned 4,000 points - whether it could fall another 4,000 with what appears to be political wrangling this close to election time? And why not fall to a DJIA of 6,000? My personal view is that we should not abandon ship at this moment in history. Buffet placed his bet on the table, and I encourage others to gird their loins also, and make a show of some modicum of courage-and, make for some gesture of 'this far down, and no farther' bottom. In a word, stop dumping shares out of panic. To quote another whipping boy of late, "Stand up and fight!" Show some hutzpah, goys and shiksas.]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:02:25 -0400 I've heard an awful lot of cynical mockery and anger about the ban on naked short selling...I am making a stab in the dark here- but I am guessing that this outrage is coming from a million or more blackberry whizes who now have to hurry and cover their shorts?
I'm also astounded that there would be so much resistance to the gov't's bailout proposal. I am guessing here also, it is more about congress diverting blame from itself to the current whipping boys, Bernanke and Paulson.
I'd like to hear more from this contributor and others whether the Dow, which has swooned 4,000 points - whether it could fall another 4,000 with what appears to be political wrangling this close to election time? And why not fall to a DJIA of 6,000? My personal view is that we should not abandon ship at this moment in history. Buffet placed his bet on the table, and I encourage others to gird their loins also, and make a show of some modicum of courage-and, make for some gesture of 'this far down, and no farther' bottom. In a word, stop dumping shares out of panic. To quote another whipping boy of late, "Stand up and fight!" Show some hutzpah, goys and shiksas.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/95447-housing-bigger-isn-t-always-better?source=feed#comment-255473 255473 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:31:31 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/95137-boeing-strike-seems-more-like-corporate-terrorism?source=feed#comment-252775 252775
This all by itself is enough to drag BA down into the penny stock class, ultimately to disappear from America altogether. Then where will you go with 'hat in hand' looking for work?...To Ford? they've already been striked to death. How about Snappy Hamburger Palace?

This nation is in an economic death spiral. To strike Boeing now is egregiously unAmerican.
To quote Abraham Lincoln: "Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged"
BA has military contracts in the offing-the nation is going down like the Titanic...and machinists are sabotaging the company, and wanting more comfortable deck chairs. Trust me...most of the nation despises these striking machinists. You want to help this nation? Or are you only interested in your self interest? Then you are absolutely no different from the money lenders who wrecked the economy. You strikers are doing precisely the same thing. Say to your union bosses, "This is NOT the time to strike. We recognize this nation is at war, Americans are bleeding everyday and night...this is wrong. WE want to go back to Work." I assure you the nation will honor you like you would not believe. But you insist on this sabotage...you will forever be the jackasses you are making of yourselves...for all the world to see, and in all the history books for generations to come., when the young students ask, "What happened to the once great America?"....Yes by all means...you will deserve the ignominy . We would love to see you all 'let go'. We have no respect for you whatsoever. If you don't like this opinion, you can call 1-800-Crybaby. ]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:55:02 -0400
This all by itself is enough to drag BA down into the penny stock class, ultimately to disappear from America altogether. Then where will you go with 'hat in hand' looking for work?...To Ford? they've already been striked to death. How about Snappy Hamburger Palace?

This nation is in an economic death spiral. To strike Boeing now is egregiously unAmerican.
To quote Abraham Lincoln: "Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs, and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged"
BA has military contracts in the offing-the nation is going down like the Titanic...and machinists are sabotaging the company, and wanting more comfortable deck chairs. Trust me...most of the nation despises these striking machinists. You want to help this nation? Or are you only interested in your self interest? Then you are absolutely no different from the money lenders who wrecked the economy. You strikers are doing precisely the same thing. Say to your union bosses, "This is NOT the time to strike. We recognize this nation is at war, Americans are bleeding everyday and night...this is wrong. WE want to go back to Work." I assure you the nation will honor you like you would not believe. But you insist on this sabotage...you will forever be the jackasses you are making of yourselves...for all the world to see, and in all the history books for generations to come., when the young students ask, "What happened to the once great America?"....Yes by all means...you will deserve the ignominy . We would love to see you all 'let go'. We have no respect for you whatsoever. If you don't like this opinion, you can call 1-800-Crybaby. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/94953-thursday-outlook-commodities-emerging-markets?source=feed#comment-251370 251370 Reform, ethical conduct...THESE are the words I listen for in the campaign blurbs. Perhaps a chant, "No more quid pro quo; no more quid por quo..."]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:46:16 -0400 Reform, ethical conduct...THESE are the words I listen for in the campaign blurbs. Perhaps a chant, "No more quid pro quo; no more quid por quo..."]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/94250-defense-spending-and-the-presidential-election?source=feed#comment-247487 247487 In a word, we truly have lost the will to fight. And why not? With our iPods in our ears, our advancement to Boardwalk foremost in our minds, and busy painting our faces to attend the NFL game? We 'can't be bothered with the messy business of being at war'. As much as we would all like to close our eyes and 'cause it to disappear from view'...it ain't boys and girls! It just ain't. Nice try. I'm happy that you've found the moral high ground. Our enemy does not see you as standing on moral high ground...they see the egregious, unbridled greed that dragged the economy down the primrose path to the abyss we are 'enjoying now' - so we could all indulge our sopohmoric lusts for lots of 'stuff'. They see pornography and gambling on every corner, and the biggest customer for illicit drugs in the world...they feel a 'need' to destroy us.
Thus I adjure everyone to focus on the final words of McCain's convention address...."Stand up and fight...stand up and fight...stand up and fight". Put it down, and step away from your iPods. We are at war. Remind yourselves that the dollar of 1965, when homes could be bought for $18K, is worth a dime today. Viewed from that perspective, this war is cheap. Remembering that more men were shot dead in a matter of hours at the Battle of the Bulge in WWII...this casualty rate is phenomenally low. Gird your trembling loins, and stand up and fight. OR...you could run home to mamaobama. "Protect me Daddy"...clue...he ain't gonna protect you from anything. He's only one man. A young, idealistic, but inexperienced young man who stutters, and has a hard time finishing a sentience. he won't be able to finish anything.]]> Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:03:06 -0400 In a word, we truly have lost the will to fight. And why not? With our iPods in our ears, our advancement to Boardwalk foremost in our minds, and busy painting our faces to attend the NFL game? We 'can't be bothered with the messy business of being at war'. As much as we would all like to close our eyes and 'cause it to disappear from view'...it ain't boys and girls! It just ain't. Nice try. I'm happy that you've found the moral high ground. Our enemy does not see you as standing on moral high ground...they see the egregious, unbridled greed that dragged the economy down the primrose path to the abyss we are 'enjoying now' - so we could all indulge our sopohmoric lusts for lots of 'stuff'. They see pornography and gambling on every corner, and the biggest customer for illicit drugs in the world...they feel a 'need' to destroy us.
Thus I adjure everyone to focus on the final words of McCain's convention address...."Stand up and fight...stand up and fight...stand up and fight". Put it down, and step away from your iPods. We are at war. Remind yourselves that the dollar of 1965, when homes could be bought for $18K, is worth a dime today. Viewed from that perspective, this war is cheap. Remembering that more men were shot dead in a matter of hours at the Battle of the Bulge in WWII...this casualty rate is phenomenally low. Gird your trembling loins, and stand up and fight. OR...you could run home to mamaobama. "Protect me Daddy"...clue...he ain't gonna protect you from anything. He's only one man. A young, idealistic, but inexperienced young man who stutters, and has a hard time finishing a sentience. he won't be able to finish anything.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/93308-questioning-obamanomics?source=feed#comment-242607 242607 This is a real and dangerous world. One young idealist is not going to make much of a dent in the larger forces at play. It will take time, and huge partisan wrangling to get anything done; in the meantime, the markets will be more panicky, as described above. In particular, the dollar may lose value ( already too low for us old timers who remember when a home could be bought for $18K ! Can we agree that the dollar is worth about a tenth of its former worth based on housing costs alone? ) Market forces can abandon the dollar if they decide another currency is stronger. This can shipwreck any idealist plan of egalitarian economics-namely by way of the sovereign funds of Kuwait , e.g., wind up owning GE , Ford, and Boeing, owing to the exacerbated decline in value which may be brought on by all this "I have a dream" mentality.... In short, not to be too much of a dash of a bucket of ice water here, but Obama makes me think of the Fairy Godmother in the Disney version of Cinderella...where he will , by the wave of his wand, transform our 1989 station wagon into a pearlescent Cadillac CTS with moonroof, and take us all to the resplendent ball where we get all kinds of free stuff- stuff that churls like us don't ordinarily have access too, like those "war mongering , right wing religious republicans do"....."yeah...dat's da ticket"...In other words, this is about "Winning"...which is something lawyers do as wind up dolls..."presenting the case for my being President'...it IS a popularity contest, vis Paris Hilton, where you tell the disaffected everything the disenfranchised like hearing...and vadda boom, vadda bing...you da president!
.... This is a real and dangerous world....I personally dread an Obama presidency. If I turn out to be wrong, well save this comment, and rub my face in it 6 years from now; and I will humbly apologize. But for now, I am going with someone who has earned his stripes, and possesses a vastly wider experience and wisdom regarding the big picture.]]> Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:36:01 -0400 This is a real and dangerous world. One young idealist is not going to make much of a dent in the larger forces at play. It will take time, and huge partisan wrangling to get anything done; in the meantime, the markets will be more panicky, as described above. In particular, the dollar may lose value ( already too low for us old timers who remember when a home could be bought for $18K ! Can we agree that the dollar is worth about a tenth of its former worth based on housing costs alone? ) Market forces can abandon the dollar if they decide another currency is stronger. This can shipwreck any idealist plan of egalitarian economics-namely by way of the sovereign funds of Kuwait , e.g., wind up owning GE , Ford, and Boeing, owing to the exacerbated decline in value which may be brought on by all this "I have a dream" mentality.... In short, not to be too much of a dash of a bucket of ice water here, but Obama makes me think of the Fairy Godmother in the Disney version of Cinderella...where he will , by the wave of his wand, transform our 1989 station wagon into a pearlescent Cadillac CTS with moonroof, and take us all to the resplendent ball where we get all kinds of free stuff- stuff that churls like us don't ordinarily have access too, like those "war mongering , right wing religious republicans do"....."yeah...dat's da ticket"...In other words, this is about "Winning"...which is something lawyers do as wind up dolls..."presenting the case for my being President'...it IS a popularity contest, vis Paris Hilton, where you tell the disaffected everything the disenfranchised like hearing...and vadda boom, vadda bing...you da president!
.... This is a real and dangerous world....I personally dread an Obama presidency. If I turn out to be wrong, well save this comment, and rub my face in it 6 years from now; and I will humbly apologize. But for now, I am going with someone who has earned his stripes, and possesses a vastly wider experience and wisdom regarding the big picture.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/91935-is-the-commodity-super-cycle-dead-or-alive?source=feed#comment-235524 235524 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:23:08 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/91743-wednesday-outlook-commodities-emerging-markets?source=feed#comment-234671 234671 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:32:26 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/90002-this-recession-will-be-neither-short-nor-shallow?source=feed#comment-226785 226785 My point being we can all return to being 'normal'...that is, realize we're not impressing anyone with our $750K home brimming over with debt. WE can all just get real, get honest, get ethical, treat labor fairly...adjust if for inflation; it won't kill us-as the guy pointed out above...THAT is what will drive Wall st....working stiffs spending , but spending wisely. Bear in mind ( no pun intended), that the dollar, compared to 1965, when the minimum wage was $1.75 an hour...that the dollar is now worth one thin dime!...That means the minimum wage should be $17.50 an hour. Horrifying, you say. When really , it only means the 'dollar menu" at McDonald's, et. al...is totally unrealistic...their workers, part time, below subsistence, is the only reason they can offer food that dirt cheap...it's because the execs have no conscious, morals, or ethics...it's all about living in their $750 K homes, while the little grey haired lady serving burgers, can afford her medicine. When the CEO of McDonald's was asked about promoting his company in China with no human rights..he replied that commerce is his only concern. ...hmmm. I see.
Screw the old lady. Torture the dissident. What matters is profit, and a golden parachute for me the CEO. And we wonder why we're falling, falling, falling.]]> Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:47:03 -0400 My point being we can all return to being 'normal'...that is, realize we're not impressing anyone with our $750K home brimming over with debt. WE can all just get real, get honest, get ethical, treat labor fairly...adjust if for inflation; it won't kill us-as the guy pointed out above...THAT is what will drive Wall st....working stiffs spending , but spending wisely. Bear in mind ( no pun intended), that the dollar, compared to 1965, when the minimum wage was $1.75 an hour...that the dollar is now worth one thin dime!...That means the minimum wage should be $17.50 an hour. Horrifying, you say. When really , it only means the 'dollar menu" at McDonald's, et. al...is totally unrealistic...their workers, part time, below subsistence, is the only reason they can offer food that dirt cheap...it's because the execs have no conscious, morals, or ethics...it's all about living in their $750 K homes, while the little grey haired lady serving burgers, can afford her medicine. When the CEO of McDonald's was asked about promoting his company in China with no human rights..he replied that commerce is his only concern. ...hmmm. I see.
Screw the old lady. Torture the dissident. What matters is profit, and a golden parachute for me the CEO. And we wonder why we're falling, falling, falling.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/89767-detroit-tow-ridiculous?source=feed#comment-226221 226221 And while we're in the house cleaning mode, how about something besides the power elite governing the nation? Why does it have to be a lawyer? Do they know anything at all about being foreclosed? reposessed? insurance canceled so they can no longer drive? How is it any of these people know what is best for the people? They don't, actually. But like any self respecting lawyer, they do know how to make a murderer look like the victim. They do know how to come on television 20 times a day encouraging you to sue somebody, anybody...let's sue the hell out of everything that moves, any corporation with a lot o' dough....that will really fix it all up, huh? Either that, or it will drive every entrepeneur offshore, don't you imagine? Choose your president, and your representatives carefully this time. I think a few working stiffs might be helpful, frankly.]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:06:48 -0400 And while we're in the house cleaning mode, how about something besides the power elite governing the nation? Why does it have to be a lawyer? Do they know anything at all about being foreclosed? reposessed? insurance canceled so they can no longer drive? How is it any of these people know what is best for the people? They don't, actually. But like any self respecting lawyer, they do know how to make a murderer look like the victim. They do know how to come on television 20 times a day encouraging you to sue somebody, anybody...let's sue the hell out of everything that moves, any corporation with a lot o' dough....that will really fix it all up, huh? Either that, or it will drive every entrepeneur offshore, don't you imagine? Choose your president, and your representatives carefully this time. I think a few working stiffs might be helpful, frankly.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/89955-wake-up-america-youre-sinking?source=feed#comment-225969 225969 well, so did the 'dot-com' IPO's, and their non existent profits, yielding millions in gains overnight.
All this points to slobbering human greed and utter lack of restraint or mitigation of national identifying trait of one upmanship, conspicuous consumption. Did we really think that our $750K home would impress our friends and poorer relations? Or did it just foment resentment and envy and familial strife; in tandem with our ludicrous spending habits, only serving to drag everyone, including those who could never afford a home, into deep financial crisis?
On Good Morning America just this morning, Aug. 8th, on their so called "Recession Rescue", the gals demonstrated how to go find 'bargains' in the brand racist clothing stores, where $2,000 worth of high fashion garments, like $120 jeans, could all be had at a savings of $500! Wow..whoopee. Only Robin had any voice of reason at all during this stupid reportage...asking how is it, and why is it considered 'smart shopping' if we buy a pair of jeans for over $100?
Thank you , Robin...for the love of God, may we all return to something remotely resembling sanity and reason in this country before we are all body slammed into the poor house. ]]> Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:17:20 -0400 well, so did the 'dot-com' IPO's, and their non existent profits, yielding millions in gains overnight.
All this points to slobbering human greed and utter lack of restraint or mitigation of national identifying trait of one upmanship, conspicuous consumption. Did we really think that our $750K home would impress our friends and poorer relations? Or did it just foment resentment and envy and familial strife; in tandem with our ludicrous spending habits, only serving to drag everyone, including those who could never afford a home, into deep financial crisis?
On Good Morning America just this morning, Aug. 8th, on their so called "Recession Rescue", the gals demonstrated how to go find 'bargains' in the brand racist clothing stores, where $2,000 worth of high fashion garments, like $120 jeans, could all be had at a savings of $500! Wow..whoopee. Only Robin had any voice of reason at all during this stupid reportage...asking how is it, and why is it considered 'smart shopping' if we buy a pair of jeans for over $100?
Thank you , Robin...for the love of God, may we all return to something remotely resembling sanity and reason in this country before we are all body slammed into the poor house. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/89661-the-cyclical-nature-of-markets?source=feed#comment-225086 225086 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:06:52 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/88847-moving-to-a-trans-industrial-paradigm?source=feed#comment-222160 222160
Some of us recall being in the military, with our "Flight" ( Air Force Boot training ) brought to a company halt; left face, parade rest-and without a word from our drill instructor, encouraged to watch as bedraggled, wrinkled, filthy uniformed, no hat, no haircut, hair flopping like comb overs, as they shame facedly pick up cigarette butts and chewing gum wrappers. With the occasional, "Hey Sealed Beams...you missed a spot" being heard from the sharply creased squadron. My thinking here is that a few million 'what were you thinking' type executives should be paraded around like this, sweeping and cleaning, and repainting, and pot hole patching, with hot steamy tar on 95 degree days, for the whole world to see. Not beaten, not tormented, just humiliated for a few months incarceration; and then returned to the work force from which they came...like the desk from which they issued risky loans. I say this, for a guy in our Sunday school class who is a car salesman ( they can make $100K a year, people, selling cars with blown engines and not losing a minute's sleep over it! ) ..who when asked about the repossession rates, confessed that approximately 22% of all cars sales end up on the back of a repo truck at 3 a.m. for having missed as little as the Second Payment ! And THAT only because GMAC would NOT accept a partial payment, and demanded both payments at once on the next due date. This, of course, set you up for the 2 payments in arrears. This provided the legal right, at one minute past the second due date, at midnight, to come get the car, sell it to auto advantager, and carmax, for 50% its value or less..and the remaining balance owed, billed to the repossessee! Why? Simple...this is a fabulously lucrative business. but think, people!! think!...how long does it take for 60 million people to wind up the worst credit rating possible, and teh infamous subprime, translate usorious loan sharking...and thus completely torpedo new car sales? Had any one thought of the down side of this unbridled, ruthlesness? THESE are the folks we would all love to see picking up cigarette butts. "Hey bubble gut,plumber butt...you missed spot!"]]> Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:54:54 -0400
Some of us recall being in the military, with our "Flight" ( Air Force Boot training ) brought to a company halt; left face, parade rest-and without a word from our drill instructor, encouraged to watch as bedraggled, wrinkled, filthy uniformed, no hat, no haircut, hair flopping like comb overs, as they shame facedly pick up cigarette butts and chewing gum wrappers. With the occasional, "Hey Sealed Beams...you missed a spot" being heard from the sharply creased squadron. My thinking here is that a few million 'what were you thinking' type executives should be paraded around like this, sweeping and cleaning, and repainting, and pot hole patching, with hot steamy tar on 95 degree days, for the whole world to see. Not beaten, not tormented, just humiliated for a few months incarceration; and then returned to the work force from which they came...like the desk from which they issued risky loans. I say this, for a guy in our Sunday school class who is a car salesman ( they can make $100K a year, people, selling cars with blown engines and not losing a minute's sleep over it! ) ..who when asked about the repossession rates, confessed that approximately 22% of all cars sales end up on the back of a repo truck at 3 a.m. for having missed as little as the Second Payment ! And THAT only because GMAC would NOT accept a partial payment, and demanded both payments at once on the next due date. This, of course, set you up for the 2 payments in arrears. This provided the legal right, at one minute past the second due date, at midnight, to come get the car, sell it to auto advantager, and carmax, for 50% its value or less..and the remaining balance owed, billed to the repossessee! Why? Simple...this is a fabulously lucrative business. but think, people!! think!...how long does it take for 60 million people to wind up the worst credit rating possible, and teh infamous subprime, translate usorious loan sharking...and thus completely torpedo new car sales? Had any one thought of the down side of this unbridled, ruthlesness? THESE are the folks we would all love to see picking up cigarette butts. "Hey bubble gut,plumber butt...you missed spot!"]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/88677-bill-miller-on-this-tough-market?source=feed#comment-221259 221259 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:21:06 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/88529-gmac-s-results-show-declining-used-suv-values?source=feed#comment-219999 219999 Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:01:50 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/88219-some-real-talk-on-housing?source=feed#comment-219210 219210 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:38:01 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/84411-the-brightest-stars-in-the-commodities-boom-part-two?source=feed#comment-202203 202203 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:51:19 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/84077-the-future-of-gm-s-brands?source=feed#comment-201718 201718 Incidentally, we bewail and bemoan how costly it is to mount a nationwide ad campaign for the presidency...and the truth is it is like spare change found down in your couch compared to what is spent on car ads all day every day...don't you think that makes cars twice as costly as they should and could be? "Oh to hell with the buyer".
Yes....both GM and F should go ahead and file for bankrupcty and let's get on with the 21st century and a return to good ol' American engineering and design know how...and perhaps a new generation of young executives who operate their companies with integrity, like Zappos.com...where the CEO has a cubicle right in their with the res of the grunt employees!]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:52:27 -0400 Incidentally, we bewail and bemoan how costly it is to mount a nationwide ad campaign for the presidency...and the truth is it is like spare change found down in your couch compared to what is spent on car ads all day every day...don't you think that makes cars twice as costly as they should and could be? "Oh to hell with the buyer".
Yes....both GM and F should go ahead and file for bankrupcty and let's get on with the 21st century and a return to good ol' American engineering and design know how...and perhaps a new generation of young executives who operate their companies with integrity, like Zappos.com...where the CEO has a cubicle right in their with the res of the grunt employees!]]>