Fremon

Weekend Madoffs

But the govt does protect us! We have military/cops/firemen/... security/laws, etc.


On Feb 08 09:50 AM The World's Worst Stock Picker wrote:

> The duty of the government is not protect you, is to protect the
> government. It is a Supreme Court opinion. Therefore, I am not surprised
> of the inaction of the SEC when presented with Madoff's scam. If
> SEC lawyers do not understand what a "collar" strategy is and how
> it works; then we as investors are truly screwed.

Weekend Madoffs

I watched the appearance of Markopolos before congress. He was very interesting in that he was assured that the information he provided was based on financial analytical reasoning. The SEC response was that they didn't or don't respond to tipster information. Yet there is some information that 54% of the concluded or cases undertaken come from tipsters and about 4% of cases undertaken or concluded come from the SEC internal investigations. If this be true (to my knowledge there was no dispute of this comment) then one has to wonder why the SEC never responded to his information on Madeoff.

The Obama Stimulus Plan: Why I'm Concerned

Bush administration not dominated by ideology? I would forgive them then first for stupidity and incompetence. Sorry, ideology and loyalty was first and foremost. Those that were bright and competent stayed away.


On Feb 02 07:49 AM cristian wrote:

> The "stimulus" plan is quite lame. Even their flagship ideas, hawking
> "green" technology, is little more than making fossil fuel technology
> more expensive. Hardly a stimulus of the economy.
>
> If the Bush crowd was dominated by crooks, idiots at that, O'Bama's
> crowd seems even more dangerous. Ideologically motivated, clueless
> sapsuckers. It would be a stroke of luck, if they will not drive
> us over the deep end.

10 Market Ideas to Start the New Year

I loved the various comments re CNBC. Interesting that many of the commentators re this article all seem to agree with many comments I have made to my friends. You can't make money watching these people talk as they seem more interested in hearing themselves. What I look to learn are broad themes that their guests provide re sectors, trends, etc. I take that info and do more investigation. That to me is the best that they offer in an entertainment venue.

Top Turkeys of 2008

For those who would blame the democratic congress, remember the Repos were in charge for 6 years and extended policies of the administration and deregulation. Yes, the Demos are complicit for not calling the failures and what would happen if these policies went unchecked. But again remember, the Senate had enough members to put a block on any Democratic changes. Don't blame Pelosi although I would like to see that change in the congress.

The Reagan Counterrevolution

Always interesting after what we have recently experienced that there are still people clinging to the crap of the Reagan administration. Our economy has done better under Democratic admins than Republicon's. Let's change back to a time where there was a strong middle class and the wealthy (who only got so while the middle class went down) will still be wealthy but less so. Viva the revolution and back to sanity. Let us not get back to trickle down; it has been discredited and no ideological talk will make it less so.

The Foreclosure States: Referendum for Obama, or Scapegoating the Party in Charge?

Well you lost!


On Nov 06 01:29 PM long_on_oil wrote:

> The solution is term limits but that got killed by the supreme court.
> With term limits no congressman stays in long enough to get established.
> With term limits the pork is removed from the federal budget because
> no confressman buys his reelection with taxpayers money.
> With term limits congressmen do the right thing because they don't
> have to worry about the next election.
> Congress has a single digit approval rating but no ones individual
> congressman is all that bad...lol What a joke. In order to save the
> nation and bring back fiscal sanity we are going to have to throw
> the baby out with the bathwater.
> The saddest thing about this election was people voted against Bush
> and not for Obama and Bush will not even be around come Jan 20th.
> I personally voted FOR McCain.

The Foreclosure States: Referendum for Obama, or Scapegoating the Party in Charge?

You are right. We don't even know how much damage was done!


On Nov 07 12:41 AM markg wrote:

> long_on_oil....well said. I believe that the saying, "we get the
> government we deserve" is depressingly true. Politicians in general
> make a living from taking credit for anything good, and pointing
> fingers for anything bad. The current situation certainly has plenty
> of room for the latter. The only good thing to come from the current
> federal government, the Democrats can't blame the Republicans anymore,
> except in retrospect. On second thought, can't you hear the "boy,
> we inherited an even bigger mess from the Bush than we thought"
>
>
> I wrote in a vote for Ron Paul.

The Foreclosure States: Referendum for Obama, or Scapegoating the Party in Charge?

This will not be an incompetent administration as was Bush's. All problems will not be solved immediately as there are too many of them. Obama has the intelligence,disciplin... and pragmatism and no ideologs on his team to disrupt his going forward. Naturally there will be the Republican sided who will castigate him for doing this or that (re Kudlow/WSJ and followers). All will not be solved as the problems are too deep caused by this administration. What Obama's administration will do will be measured steps that will show progress. It will be a transparent administration. It may not be fast enough for some but it will be progress as we escape the damage done. After 4 years he will add to the congress and 1/2 seats in the Senate and win re-election. His second 4 years will solve more of the social problems like universal healthcare which will take a back seat to the economy and Iraq/Afganistan.

Global Markets, Meet President Obama. Now What?

On Nov 05 01:54 PM Techzone12 wrote:

> Obama will have an ugly inheritance. He is going to inherit all the
> huge problems that Bush and Co. have created over years. It is going
> to be very hard to dig ourselves out from this deep hole. The economy
> is on the verge of collapse. Bush has destroyed Iraq, only to help
> unleash Iran (which is the real threat). America's image has been
> tarnished, thanks to Guantanamo and such, and the list goes on..
>
> It will take long time to cleanup the mess. But at least, we can
> say we are on the right track now, hopefully.

Obama has brains and is pragmatic. He will dent the horrible Bush legacy. The question will be the time needed and if the response rate will be fast enough to stem the bleeding caused by in incompetent President and administration.

Global Markets, Meet President Obama. Now What?

On Nov 05 01:21 PM DoubleM wrote:

> Personally, I would have voted for a qualified presidential candidate
> of any ancestry who offered credible and realistic proposals that
> would keep our country strong in every respect. To me, Obama offered
> a fairly polished yet stammering choice who usually spoke the right
> words, but has no governing experience and a questionable background.
> Foremost, our country faces many foes, as well as challenges, and
> we need a very strong leader who will defend our shores, as well
> as curtail leftist stupidity. My fear is that a mesmerized populace
> has been sold a bottle of snake oil.

McCain has not really had governing experience as well. However, look to the management and governing experience shown during the second time he ran for president. Hardly inspiring. His experience was not founded in the type that was needed for a new direction. As for "maverick" you really don't want this type personality running things. Think of undisciplined people taking over a military platoon, running a large organization, etc. Don't confuse "maverickism" with creativity or inspired thinking. They are different. In thinking about "maverick" I think of a spoiled child. Enough said.

Global Markets, Meet President Obama. Now What?

I am retired and the selection of either Obama or McCain would not have affected my life. But I supported Obama because I was concerned about the young people of this country and now they have a better chance. I understand the south still in Republican hands. Their legacy is hard to overcome. What I cannot understand is that we have trouble with talents, brains, and elitism. We like elite military but not in our politicians. I became more enamored with Obama after seeing how he ran his campaign without drama and with focus. Just the abilities we need in a new administration. He won't make all the moves with which all will concur but, with his gifts and pragmatism he will direct us from the slippery downward slope we found ourselves during the past 8 years. Their will be the tax concerned citizenry (who didn't raise a peep when vudoo tax policies were enacted to reward the ultra rich). Proof was provided that those expecting an average return of $1000 per found out the rich got it. We will all be very happy in the direction we find ourselves in 4 years and 8 if Obama is returned to office.

Corporate America Is Inadvertently Helping Obama

The Republicons have sold themselves as the party of the economy expertise. Yet, under the Democrats the economy has fared better. Reagan, Bush 1&2 increased the debt of the country more than the balance of the presidents combined. Some say it was planned so that we would be come so over indebted that we would have to starve programs like medicare and social security. I don't see it that way, I see it as incompetence and bankruptcy of an ideology based on trickle down economics and getting the rich richer at the expense of the balance of the citizens. They could not do it alone and had fellow travellers like Greenspan who ignored human frailties like greed and believed in markets and management that were self correcting and would work for the benefit of their companies. Lehman Bros with Fultz put an end to that notion. Of course, Greenspan was hoodwinked by the bankrupt philosophy of Ayn Rand who thought that acting in one's self interest would be tantamount to acting well.

Bernanke's Fall from Grace

Greenspan acknowledge that he was a victim of free enterprise and capitalism ideology and had not accounted for human beings acting on greed. He thought that the corporate leaders would self correct and think first about their organizations and not themselves. Essentially living in a fairyland philosophy which he adopted from Ayn Rand's books. It is not that he just grew old it is that living to a ripe old age did not provide him with an alternate wisdom of reality.

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

I found it interesting that OPEC may cut back on its oil production as demand slows. I made this point, to friends, that if and when we drill for oil, OPEC could cut back production to keep prices up and that there would be little benefit to the American consumers who want to drill drill drill now!