axelrod608

T. Boone Pickens' Epic Wind Fail

Pickens just timed it wrong. His first challenge should have been to get the LNG production and pipeline geared up for national distribution and convinced automakers to ramp up production of LNG burners. That would have alleviated the current glut of NG and made a serious dent in our oil imports.

LNG first, wind second.

Tidal and wave action production third. Most of the population lives near the coasts. Put the production near the users and save $trillions on the distribution net. Duh. And the tides and waves work 24/7/365. Another Duh.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

XOM's big NG find begs the question - in a massive glut of NG oversupply, why isn't LNG for auto fuel a national priority ??

Our "leaders" are too busy clamoring for another "stimulus package" to notice.

Natural Gas ETF: Nowhere to Go but Up, Yet It Keeps Going Down

skrangeo's comments beg the question - WTF are this nation's "leaders" doing by ignoring the situation ?? One would think that LNG for auto fuel - and cars that burn it - would be a national priority. Unfortunately, outside the box thinkers are in short supply at the levels where national policy is made.

This nation has, more than any other problem, a leadership deficit. We throw money at problems while alternative solutions are in plain sight to the astute observer.

Seven Car Companies Pulling Ahead Despite Recession

From above
"My buddy has a Class A MOTORHOME.... that gets close to 20 mpg. So an SUV hybid that gets 20mpg is a JOKE !!!

Seven Car Companies Pulling Ahead Despite Recession

>> "The auto industry's depression started..." " Happened right after Clinton ..." Sorry, Theresa, it started generations before your frame of reference. My father quit working at Fisher Body ( the old timers will remember GM's 'coach' division) in the 1930's because of inhuman working conditions and labor/management violence.

I grew up in a Chevy town where labor/management feuds were ongoing for decades. The old saying "united we stand, divided we fall" has been the working motto of the US automakers for generations, pushing them toward the cliff.. All it took was for organized, well run companies to start competeing.

US automakers have for decades claimed they couldn't make a competitive small car and kept making motorized livingrooms and motorized family rooms and gigantosaurus trucks. And it worked great while gas was less than $2 a gallon. GM is touting it's new hybrid Caddy Escalade that gets, drum roll please, 20 MILES TO A GALLON !!!! What an accomplishment, right ??? My buddy has a Class A MOTORHOME

The real irony is that all 3 US automakers make competitive small cars in other countries. When you figure it out, let me know. caise I'm clueless why they just don't do it here. Their business plans are just plain bass ackwards.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

>> "G-8 diverge on future stimulus needs. G-8 leaders said the global economic recovery is still too weak to..." >>

This is the politically correct way to phrase this concept, "the recovery is too weak". The accurate phrasing would be there is no recovery, but the rate of economic decline has slowed.

When one in four (perhaps one in three) Americans who used to work full time and want to work full time can't, "recovery" is an incorrect descriptor. The stats don't include the millions of workers whose work week has been shortened and paycheck reduced but their status remains unchanged.

Yes, some corporations are making money, but they've done it by slashing employment and other costs and balance sheet maneuvers. So while there may be a "recovery" in some stock prices, there is no recovery in the overall economy.

In a consumer driven economy, "Jobless recovery" is an oxymoron.

What Causes Foreclosures?

>> "When has common sense been displayed in the halls of Congress?" >>

Perfect concluding sentence. Only when Congress stops trying to GIVE stuff to people will things change for the better.

Anyone who can't SAVE the downpayment can't save for the new roof, the new AC, the new water heater that we all know they will eventually need. The absolute reliance on credit and Uncle Sam to bail us out of every problem under the sun just plain doesn't work over the long haul.

This morning's news announced a new Florida $8000 downpayment program for first time homebuyiers. We have learned NOTHING in the past 3 years and will surely repeat the mistakes..

Why Did Economists Fail to Predict the Crisis?

SOME economists accurately predicted the crash. The pity is that the economists influencing current fiscal policy are the ones that got it wrong. Our institutions are still following the advice of those that got it WRONG and ignoring or heaping scorn on the ones who got it RIGHT.

Current public fiscal policy is straight from Hell. The idea that we can spend our way to prosperity is idiotic, moronic and just plain stupid.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

PLEASE return to the old format listing SA articles.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

>> "DoJ probes telecoms. " >>

About time. The only bad credit report items I have EVER had - three total - have all been from telecoms. They REFUSE to follow the requirements of debtor/creditor law. When I dispute a charge, they make no attempt to resolve the issue, charge it off, send it to a collection agency and report it as a chargeoff. Damn scofflaws.

It is SOP in the telecom biz to bypass the required attempt to collect disputed amounts in court. They know the legal requirement and refuse to follow it. And until Uncle Sam makes them adhere to the law, they'll keep doing it.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

>> "Car-accident victims with pending lawsuits and those who won damages against GM before it filed for bankruptcy will still be unable to bring claims against the new GM.]

Tort bar raised to a new high. " >>

Not really. There's winners and losers in every bankruptcy.

Probably $1000 of every new car's cost is for lawyers and litigation. Same for $100 or more of every insurance premium. We - each and every one of us - pay a very high price for our litigious society. 5% of the world's population with 90% of the world's lawyers doesn't come cheap.

Our national health care cost would drop 30% without the cost of litigation/insurance.

Why 'Cash for Clunkers' Is a Bad Idea

Thanks for the program details. I was starting to look for an old Suburban beater I could get for $100 to trade in.

Firms Accelerate Refinancings, Convey Fragility of Recent Credit Recovery

There's the additional risk that interest rates will rise by the time these come due, thus costing substantially more to roll over. I'd like to think the Fed can't give money away for free forever.

Why Are So Many U.S. States Facing Budget Deficits?

The county I live in, in Florida, doubled - no I am not making this up - doubled its spending in a two year period. That was during the home price inflation extravaganza. Property taxes soared and they spent every penny of it PLUS they floated a bunch of bond issues, adding more debt.

In a county where the average worker still makes under $30k, ALL the administrators in the Fire Dept make six figures. More than half of all six figure earners in my county are on the government payrolls.

Ever wonder where the fiscally irresponsible congress critters come from ? They get their start as fiscally irresponsible Republican and Democratic local and state "representatives".

So, yes, falling tax receipts are a problem, but the CAUSE behind the crisis is elected government officials at all levels with no concept of fiscal responsibility.

Commercial Real Estate Is Plunging

One needs to bear in mind that insurance companies are very large investors in CRE. They, as well as the small and mid sized banks, are facing a serious threat of losses and reduced revenues.

One wonders what the Fed and Treasury will do for this sector. Will the big banks will be the only ones put on federal life support.

It's probably not a swell time to be buying annuities from the insurance companies. What's a retiree to do ? There's no port open to weather this storm.