Niner

From Obama's weekly address: "When we receive our monthly job report next week, it is likely to show that we are continuing to lose far too many jobs in this country. As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs. And I won’t rest until every American who wants a job can find one."

G W went from a $76 billion surplus in 1999 to a $407 billion deficit in 2008. And, that was before the bailouts. Nobody can compare to GW when it comes to deficits.

That man did not deserve to be elected dogcatcher let a lone President.........And, to think I voted for him once. I can't believe I was that ignorant!


On Aug 01 05:21 PM Neil459 wrote:

> On Aug 01 05:06 PM nmelendez wrote:

Goldman Sachs (GS) hires a law firm to shut down blogger Mike Morgan, whose Facts About Goldman Sachs blog apparently irks the firm it targets. In the meantime, the attention is driving traffic to the blog - big time. On Saturday, the blog's web counter had logged just 40 visits. Now it's up to 102,899... make that 103,517.

Goldman has the money to tie this site up. It's a shame the right to free speech can be taken away because big money can force the little guy to capitulate because he doesn't have the money to fight back.

The only side I'm taking is the right to free speech

Analysts React to Surprisingly Good BLS Report

Just as a point to consider....Canadian unemployement numbers were significantly better than expect too. Are they part of the coverup too?

Analysts React to Surprisingly Good BLS Report

Talk about BS (bear shit)!


On Dec 04 06:00 PM bottoms-up wrote:

> I shouldn't say this, but I will anyhow...
>
> I know someone who works at BLS... He told me, without telling me,
> that this was "BLS BS."
>
> I asked him several things but he wouldn't be specific, but in general,
> I surmise the reason that they did this was to hype confidence for
> the holiday season so people will spend since black this and cyber
> that were a wash-out.
>
> Even before talking to her, I put these numbers in the "too got to
> be true" category.
>
> I guess P.T. Barnum is running BLS now.

Harvard professor Brandon Adams says some of the best potential traders are professional poker players: "They’re used to skirting the edge of ruin and they learn the tools of how to do that." If so, maybe Wall Street recruiters should be looking here and here.

I'd bet you will find a greater percentage of Poker players who play by the rules than you will find Execs working on Wall St that do the same.

Mike Shedlock has a hard time seeing why markets went giddy over today's Q3 GDP data: "The government sloshed trillions around and yet disposable income is down, jobs are horrendously weak, and the only reason GDP rose is wasteful government spending, cash-for-clunkers and extremely unaffordable housing tax credits whose effect is soon going to start diminishing."

There are people that love wallowing in gloom and dispair. They just can't stand the thought that this recession will end and they'll have to find something else to whine about. Look at the earnings beats. The majority have been not just "less worse than expected" but the companies actually made more money than consensus some have had increases in revenue too. I quit counting at 35 beats on positive earnings this morning before the market opened. Companies are going to start spending the money they are making. New hires, new equipment, mergers and acquisitions the recovery is on the way. The only thing I can figure is the naysayers are short. Plus if one could take a head count, the number of Bears would far out number the Bulls on this site!

Jon Markman sees just enough parallels between now and 18 years ago to get pretty excited, and prompts investors: Get ready to party like it's 1991.

As I see it the market can only go 3 ways, Up, Sideways and Down. I think Mr Markman has the same odds as everyone else at calling the direction of the market; 1 out of 3. Do something I'm not real good at, develop 3 investing scenarios, one for each of the three directions, then ride whatever wave is coming your way.

Absurd Inverse and Leveraged ETF Product Whining (Updated)

"It was never pointed out by the products, but by bloggers and the like that if you hold these products for extended periods you'll always lose money." A quote from a blog.

A quote copied directly from the Direxion page. "Direxion Shares ETFs seek daily investment goals and should be used strictly as short term trading vehicles. Please read the prospectus and visit our Education Center before investing"

"...daily investment goals and should be used strictly as short term trading vehicles." Pretty much says it all to me.

The Senate bill would extend health coverage to more than 30M uninsured - covering 94% of all Americans - and put an end to industry practices such as refusing insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions. It will also give subsidies to help the underprivileged pay for mandatory health insurance. Critics say the bill is an expensive intrusion into the healthcare sector that will drive up costs and increase the budget deficit.

The mandatory part sucks......... How are they going to enforce this? The health care police. One inmate to another. "I'm in here because I didn't have my mandatory health care. What are you in for?" There isn't anything in the bill that would force a company to drop their health care coverage for employees; but, I don't think there is anything the bill to prevent either. Employer; "your health care costs me 200 a month. I'm going to give you 100 a month and you can buy into the pool and the ballance of the premium will come from the Government subsidy.

Hopefully, something will happen when they try to reconcile the House and Senate versions.

One way to thin out fat cat banks: replicate the Brits' windfall bonus tax.

There isn't anyone worth the kind of money they are getting paid. Bonuses above a certain amount should be taxed, just like they are getting ready to tax premium health care plans. How could taxing bonuses be anymore unjust than taxing health care plans?

Three Democratic senators could vote against the healthcare reform bill in the Senate, which would scuttle the bill.

I for one am for health care reform. Just not this reform package. I hope more than 3 vote "nay".

A good solid defeat would hopefully lead to a total rewrite.

The latest sideline cash report: American investors have $3.5T in cash - equal to 73% of the S&P 500's net assets - even after reducing money-market accounts by 11%, according to a new study. At the peak of the bull market in 2007, the figure was 62% of S&P assets.

I'd say most of the money on the sidelines, is money that did not buy into the current rally and now doesn't want to get in for fear of a down turn.

According to a study published yesterday, one American dies every 12 minutes due to the lack of health insurance.

The US Constitution and the state Constitutions don't mention cars, plains, trains, tvs, radios, banks, highways systems and thousands of other things. All governments are in some way involved in thousands of things not mentioned in their constitutions.
Carlos your reasoning is on the Lam, buddy

On Sep 18 05:47 AM Carlos Lam wrote:

> And? I checked the U.S. Constitution and constitutions of all 50
> states. None mentioned an individual right to health insurance.

Frustrated by criticism over his healthcare initiative, President Obama is considering proposing his own legislation. The Obama bill would include a trigger for the much-debated public option, having it kick in after 3-5 years if private insurers weren't living up to their obligations.

What's your income? You don't have the faintest idea what it's like to live in poverty. And you blame those that aren't as fortunate as you. You think they could do better if only they wanted. That is the elitest opinion that you and others have and isn't anything close to reality. Shall we discuss my mom. She's 83 and legally blind. Dad died 10 years ago and had a decent retirement with medical benefits. The company dad worked for filed bankruptcy. The bankruptcy judge drop kicked all the retirees pensions and medical benefits out the back door. Mom's social security and survivors benefits is less than 2000 per month. Yeah she is on medicare. But, if it weren't for the union providing her with a medicare supplement she would be down another 2-300 bucks. 15 years ago she had 5 bypasses. I don't know if that makes a difference on supplement premiums or not. Mom was lucky because dad retired at the right time and was covered under some special laws. Others I know personally, just lost their health care and pensions after 30 or 40 years of hard work. One works at the local City park so that he can health care.

Shall I tell you about the widow who isn't old enough for medicare. She has only a HS education and is over 60 and therefore has limited job opportunities. She worked for the school system and carried there plan b ins. She felt she could better use the difference in prem between A and B to live on. Now that she has some minor health problems and the plan A would serve her better, the ins company won't let her move up because she has a pre existing condition.

Bottom line is you don't know what the hell you are talking about.


On Sep 06 07:38 AM carbonblack wrote:

> You left out the "plaintiffs bar gets rich" in your statement, which
> does not happen in places like Canada or England.
> Where did the idea that regular Americans are "ok" with the Obama
> administrations takeover of Aig, Chrysler, GM come from? Certainly
> not from the great majority of the SA readers that post and comment.
>
> "Real loss of freedom is going bankrupt over medical costs". Wow,
> care to back that statement with something more than hyperbole?
> And if that is the case, you certainly hold your freedom cheap willing
> to sell it for some cheesy alloy clad coins called "health care reform".
>
> It is a shame how we treat poor people in this county, G-d forbid
> that they actually have to take some responsibility for their well
> being. Can you imagine the number of out of works pols if more people
> realized how they have been conned for the last 50+ years by the
> party of compassion? Have you been to any big city emergency room
> lately, the lines of people dying outside after being denied care
> stretch around the block, except that they don"t.
> The reality is that we, the others that are responsible enough and
> hardworking enough already pay for those people's health care, either
> thru taxes or higher insurance premiums. No one is denied care even
> when some should be.
> You fail at founding documents reading, health care is not mentioned
> anywhere. General welfare is not what you think it is, go back and
> read what the gentlemen that wrote the documents actually stated
> in their letters and writings.

Calling a bottom has always been tricky but this time may be even tougher, Jim Jubak says. "We're all so acutely focused on catching one that we've likely changed the bottom beyond all recognition."

One of the things I got from the article was something I got hammered for a few weeks ago. Jubak said with the tools etc now available to investors,individual and institutional, it is difficult to compare this recession with previous recessions. My point was with the speed at which information is diseminated today, can a day, week or a month in depression era time be compared to a day, week or month today. I say no.

I liked the article. No major claims to being correct or all knowing. All his statetments were conditioned as his opinions.

I don't care how big or little a dog you are, that is all you have, I have or anybody has, and that is an opinion. Roubini doesn't know, Soros doesn't know, Bernanke doesn't know and you can bet your sweet ass I don't either. The only absolute certainty is: nobody knows for certain.