Joyful Alternative

China Sneezes, the U.S. Catches a Cold

Out here in the boonies, there's a CRE building boom, including car dealerships. I hope it's a green shoot and not just a hinterlands lag.

Finding the Real Economy

At some point after I passed Economics 101, GNP became GDP. Was there substantive change or just new terminology?

Bloomberg Reports Extreme Recession: I'm Shocked

This program will also help those states that tax cars as personal property: Clunker owners pay peanuts; new car owners pay a lot.

Debt, Debt, and More Debt in Store for the U.S.

The first link doesn't work, which makes it really hard to comprehend.

(Full Social Security is now age 66 and rising, on its way to 67. Additional increases to 70 are not impossible. I'd like to see civil service full retirement hit at least 60.)

A Nation of Savers: What Difference Would It Make?

One little caveat: those compliant cruise ship unions. I took a cruise last year (someone else paid), and it didn't look to me like there were any unions, compliant or otherwise, or, in fact, any Americans on staff. Maybe there's a hardnosed union of captains and first mates?

All those Thais and Russians and whatnot do speak adequate English, and a cruise is a cheap vacation, costing per day what a modest hotel room would but with free food (surprisingly good) and "entertainment." Most people have to fly to wherever the ship is in port, however, and that's expensive and aggravating.

I won't go on another cruise without Internet improvements. There's an extra fee for using a computer, for which I got the slowest, crankiest connection since AOL was young.

And back to the topic of the article, if we want a nation of savers, raise the interest rate.

When It Comes to Politics, Successful Investors Should Be Agnostic

Mark Haines by himself is a good reason to avoid CNBC. He persists in proving he knows nothing, especially how to interview.

Stocks Are Hot, But Do the Americans on Food Stamps Care?

Ah, Mr. Galt is unaware of the McDonald's dollar menu.

Stocks Are Hot, But Do the Americans on Food Stamps Care?

It isn't just food stamps. Our local food banks are swamped, and new food banks are opening in rural areas. So many people have lost their jobs that paid minimum wage, and there's very little hiring going on. People are scrambling to make enough on odd jobs and part-time stuff to keep the utilities on. I've never seen so many yard sales!

And yes, healthful food is much more expensive than the fattening stuff. That bowl of field greens salad I just had for lunch cost more than a box of macaroni and imitation cheese!

The Leading Cause of Personal Bankruptcy

I did better than watch "60 Minutes." I saw it on C-SPAN live on my computer monitor.

So when will Medicare Part D be revised? Before I hit age 65 I hope.


On Jun 05 01:12 PM TraderMark wrote:

> If you did not see the 60 Minutes piece on what happened the night
> of Medicare D passing you have no idea how the sausage is made in
> American politics.
>
> Most of the sponsorers are long gone from their "low paying" Senate
> and Congressional jobs and now are working as multi millionaire lobbyists
> for... the healthcare biz.
>
> We all win here
>
> If you've never seen this video it is something to pass along to
> neighbors and friends so they understand how captive Washington is
> to big money.
>
> www.cbsnews.com/storie...
>

The Leading Cause of Personal Bankruptcy

TeresaE, that was the notorious Republican Congress that got no Democratic votes and had to issue threats and bribes and extend the voting time beyond legality to get enough Republican votes to pass. We wound up with Medicare Part D, with huge rewards for big pharma (no volume buying like the VA!) and health insurers (free to change medicines provided and/or prices at any time after the insured signs up for a mandatory year!), billions in costs per year for taxpayers, and a doughnut hole for the insureds.

Any reform of health care has to start with the billions we waste on Medicare Part D, yet no one mentions this topic.

I buy health insurance, yet my knee replacement cost me $9,000 out-of-pocket. I carefully chose the hospital with the lowest infection rate, so I lucked out and had no complications that would have bankrupted me.
I favor single-payer universal health insurance. It appears the Beltway Gang is too paid off to consider what makes sense for taxpayers and citizens. At a minimum, there must be a "public component" along the lines of Medicare for all.

The Problems with CDS Purgatory

Seems to be a lot of moral hazard floating around.

In the Eye of the Banking Hurricane

I got a 4.8% 15 at the beginning of 2008, and now the 30-year rates are in that range. I'm thinking about a refi; it's too tempting to ignore, given that inflation is the only way I see of getting out from under the national debt we acquired.

So if the fees aren't too high---

The Markets' Improvement Will Be Very Slow

We can "shop" by investing. Insulate your house, caulk, and do whatever else you can to reduce your future heating and cooling costs. Reduce your future electricity needs; rates will be rising. Invest in a garden; food costs won't be going down. Yesterday I bought more stock for my hobby business.

Spending doesn't have to mean granite countertops, an Easter outfit, and a backyard pool.

Will the Geithner Plan Work? Let's Hope Not!

I though Econ 101 was going to tell the story of Governor Mark Sanford's address to the South Carolina State Legislature on waste, fraud, and abuse and cutting the state budget. He walked into the chamber with a piglet under either arm to represent, of course, pork barrel spending. Barnyard animals did as barnyard animals do, the address did not ensue, and state carpet cleaning staff were paid overtime.

Mine has the virtue of being a true story.

Another Day, Another Couple Banks and Credit Unions Down

Your first link is bad: double http. The article's well worth the reading, though.

And Atrios listed 3 FDIC eateds.