Pages

Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday Open Thread

A cute comic I came across in my wanderings around the interwebs.

81 comments:

  1. Nice one Thor:).

    Talking about "paupers", I hear job report ain't that good today on your side of the pond... Oh well. May be better next time. :s

    ReplyDelete
  2. Virtually bought some big French stock this morning BTW. Let's see how it fares (bad so far! lol).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Thor, at least someone is still here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Greg, Can't stay away from you people :P

    Slow morning so far for me, waiting for the chaos to begin.

    ReplyDelete
  5. re Greg,12:00PM: I for one plan to stay around, as schedule allows:)

    It's my understanding that Denise has chosen to resign from the whole blogging thing. That's a sad news to me,enjoyed the chatting with her.. :'(

    But I'm in good position to know that real life is more important than anything, even our nice little blog here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Greg - I am still here too.

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wolfie - she's still over at TBP, go over and say hi! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey, I thought we were done. "I tried to get out but they keep pulling me back in." LOL. Let's face it, we can't stay away but maybe this forum will just be a little more loosey goosey going forward?

    Anyway, pretty damn crappy jobs number. Of course the GOP now saying "no new taxes" because of the jobs number. If we had a good number, they'd say no new taxes, an OK, number same thing. Any news, really. A one trick, broken down pony.

    Meanwhile the Obama and his merry band of weasel, wussy Dems try to figure out just what base negotiating chip or "store" they'll give away next.

    ReplyDelete
  9. PK on that very topic of the Obama and his corrupt, wussy band of Dems:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/opinion/08krugman.html?_r=1&hp

    ReplyDelete
  10. Meanwhile, yet another slap on the wrist for JP Mafia, I mean Morgan......

    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/jp-morgan-chase-fine-another-slap-on-the-wrist-for-wall-street-20110708

    ReplyDelete
  11. Friends Come and GoJuly 8, 2011 at 2:32 PM

    Mannwich - Friends may come and friends may go and good times may peter out, but peter in or peter out, I will always be your friend :)

    It is always sad to see someone we have gotten to know leave, but life does go on.

    And as much as Denise is liked and cared for this blog (Us collectivly) is bigger then just one of the memebers.

    I wish her the best of luck and hope to see her down the road someday, but life is what it is.

    But just because she is gone, does not mean we need to even think about closing down our blog, make some changes, sure but not close down.

    Anyway that is my two cents...Spend them wisely, cuz I ain't got no more sense after that.

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  12. Agreed, Mutt. The only constant is change. Let's keep it open and see what happens. Maybe we just can't spend as much time as we used to but that's no reason to close it down entirely.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Can I take this as a sign that the ultimate top is in before the cyclical bear down trend starts up in earnest? S&P 600 baby. ;)

    Personally, a plain open topic is fine. If someone wants to post something, then post.

    For me comments and responses rank higher than the actual post. Some post are though provoking. Others , great learning tools.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Agreed, Todd. You know, I had similar thoughts about this being "the ultimate top" indicator the other day! I think when ZH closes up shop for good is when the real final, penultimate top will be in. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Manny - naw, I don't think I could give the blog up entirely. I've spent two years getting to know you all and have learned so much!

    I do like the easier posting schedule a LOT though :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. The only thing I could see preventing this from being the final top before another bear market is a successful resolution to the debt deal on time. I think that would propel the market up another leg.

    ReplyDelete
  17. @Thor: Maybe that will be priced in by then? And then what happens if the jobs situation STILL doesn't improve? Sorry, but I still think we are far closer to THE top than many realize. Of course, we could run further than anyone thinks, just like the last two bubbles, but that doesn't mean I'll be going "all-in" any time soon. I'll take my small gains in TLT, with a few equity longs and shorts, and continue to be happy "playing small".

    ReplyDelete
  18. Just look at this chart! Can anyone say zombie employment? Very nearly flat-lined, despite our fearless leaders throwing the kitchen sink and then some (the Sheeple's kitchen sink, while asking us now to sacrifice the fridge and dishwasher to pay for it), and this is all we get for jobs? Yikes.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pN72vZXkx_8/Thb6nvJpNXI/AAAAAAAAKeQ/HwHyhhiiuDA/s320/EmployRecessAlignedJune2011.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  19. Marshall Auerback: Time to Panic. Yikes.

    http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/07/marshall-auerback-time-to-panic-ii.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. By the way, I have no proof, but I'm convinced that all of this "austerity" talk (and action by the States) has had a contributing effect on the weakening jobs situation and overall economy. If only I could prove it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Playing Small BallJuly 8, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    Manwich (3:52) - No matter what the market says, I have no intention of going all in either.

    The last two years has been a huge learning experienc in learning and I believe once the market actually clears it's self of all the garbage and games being played, the lessons we have learned now will prove very profitable for us then.

    But until then I am happy playing small ball.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  22. Austerity = Unemployement.July 8, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    Mannwich - If you have ever gotten the privilege of doing business with any type of goberment bureaucracy, you will know they are bloated with un-necessary and un-productive workers.

    Austerity is basically cutting back on perks and as you know one of the major costs of any business is paying employees.

    States, counties and cities are now being forced to make drastic cuts and that means letting people go, these people are being let go into an extremely soft job market, so it is doubtful they will find meaningful employment.

    As many state and county jobs that have already been eliminated, I believe we are just at the beginning of some pretty major cuts.

    These cuts are due to austerity....There for austerity is pushing down the employment rate.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  23. Stupidity at it's finestJuly 8, 2011 at 5:08 PM

    Michele Bachmann became the first presidential candidate to sign a pledge, vowing to support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage between a man and a woman, and which calls for a ban on all pornography.


    http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/bachmann-signs-pledge-for-ban-on-porn-and-same-sex-marriage.html


    Is this REALLY what our country has come to - On one hand we have an Empty Suit, who is willing to tell us anything he thinks we want to hear, then turns around and does the oppisite,

    On the other hand we have a contenter for his job, who wants to do WHAT!!!!! Have a Constiutiona Amendment that defines marriage, a definition that only the church and states should have the right to define. AND Ban all pornography - Good luck with that. Ban pornagraphy, how the hell can that be done?


    Sheesh what an idiot....Now mind you I think Barak is just as big an idiot, though.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  24. re Manny,3:59PM:"If only I could prove it."

    After the fact experts will decide whether austerity was a good answer to the current mess of Western nations' finances.

    I for one don't think it's the way to go either.

    I know I'm over-simplifying, but basically TAXING companies' profits, and the ubber rich, plus cutting down on the globalization dumb promises (yeah "protectionism", if you will) are the only way out of the current dead end situation.

    All-in-all, I think we share this same view here.

    ReplyDelete
  25. And Mutt/Manny wise words about keeping the shop open. Doesn't hurt. Whatever happens to the schedule or to individuals, hopefully there'll always be some of us to pop up here and there for a cool chat.

    Gotta go. Good evening all.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Banning PornagraphyJuly 8, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    Years ago, I worked at a Mom & Pop pharmacy and among the many services that were provided was selling magazines and comics. The magazines were in a magazine stand at the front of the store.

    Not only did we sell Better Homes and Gardens, but we also sold Playboys and Penthouses.

    A local church group decided, Evil Pornography had no place in our small town. So one Saturday the pastor, his wife and one of their children made picket signs that spoke of how vile and sinful it is. And this went on every Saturday for about a month.

    Not only were we amused and entertained by their goofy antics so were several of the other town folks, who would go the magazine stand, pick out a Playboy and hold it up to the window for the picketers to see, one guy even made photo copies of one of the magazines and we ended up selling more during that time then usual.

    Well I guess the picketers felt they had succeeded, because one Saturday they did not show up and we never saw them again....oh well.

    But a few months after that the Playboys started ending up missing….Someone was stealing them

    And the Pharmacist told me, you know if they really wanted to stop me from selling them all they had to do was steal them and after that they were pulled off the shelf.

    The bottom line is you can not legislate morality – ESPECIALLY at a federal level.

    Who in their right mind would vote for someone like Michele Bachmann?

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow Mutt, she is a real piece of work. Ban on pornography? Good luck with that. MN's "finest". Makes me proud. Not.

    @Wolfie: Yep, you and I are basically on the same page. Gotta go where the money is, and that's at the very top of the individual and corporate food chain. Start there and ensure they're all paying their fair share and everything else falls into place fiscally. Don't even call it a "tax". Call it a "forced donation" by the truly priveleged in the name of "patriotism". Go where da money is first, and then leaders can also make a case on moral grounds that others should also sacrifice for the greater good. The "best" among us (if that's what the uber-rich are, although I highly doubt that), or truly most fortunate need to set the example. Problem is, that's where the real sociopathic entitlement class resides now.

    So much for "quitting" the blog, by the way. "I can't quit you!" LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  28. @Mutt: If they banned pornography, 90% of our politicians (and a good part of our country) would suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. LOL.

    Old Michelle wants to take us back to the Stone Ages, or at least Biblical times anyway, even if those times were largely mythical or downright made up.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Maybe we'll even change the whole blogging paradigm with our "open" loosey goosey format? Whenever the mood strikes, just post a new topic? I kind of like the whole free form aspect of it, to be honest. Some days we could have no new posts, while others could have several. We'll allow it to "flower" on its own.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Big shocker here. Based on these poll results, the BOTH the O man and the GOP are out of touch on what people want. I think the key distinction here is what THEIR people want is what's important to our politicians. Not any of us.

    http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2011/07/07/mr-president-you-are-out-of-touch-on-debt/

    ReplyDelete
  31. GOP Not out of TouchJuly 8, 2011 at 6:31 PM

    Mannwich - How could you or anyone else think the GOP is out of touch when they support people like Bachmann?

    You know you are 100% correct in your 5:56, but the sad thing is hypocrites like to hide behind people like Bachmann, so I would not be overly shocked to see her get lots of support for her idiotic statements.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  32. The packing and loading's done. I cleaned until midnight and was too tired to trade. Good thing, it looks like after the poop at the open, it was just chop. Hopefully Monday will be more normal.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Good luck on the move, Rock!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Rock - What the heck is "More Normal"

    And I do not envy you and having to move.

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  35. Mutt - it's 111 outside. The heat hits you like a wall when you go outside. SO nice :-)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thor - It is cool that you are back in your eliment.....The HEAT!!!!!!

    The weather up here has been a little crazy, it was 85 on Thursday then got all the way up to 68 yesterday, only to have it get back up to 80 today.

    I am actually getting a little bit of a tan though, wich is kind of cool.


    Enjoy the heat my friend.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  37. Mutt - yup yup, I must have been a lizard in another life or something. The drier and hotter the better!

    Tans are nice, sort of a must to live down here ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thor - I work indoors and since moving to the west side of the state a couple years ago it has been difficult to find sunny days that I am off to spend time working on that tan.

    I am pretty light complected to begin with and this has been the first year in several that has allowed me out in the sun.

    My wife on the other hand is naturally fairly dark complected and browns up quickly in the sun.

    We have been going on 5 mile walks 4-5 days a week and even though she wears a full length shirt her hands are still exposed to the sun and have gotten pretty dark.

    Anyway this morning we were sleeping in, I have my back to her and she places her hand on my butt, she got a big kick out of the color contrast and took a picture of her hand on my butt and woke me up laughing.

    Anyway that is probably WAY to much information to be sharing, but I guess I am going to have to start taking my walks naked :)

    Mangy Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  39. @Mutt:

    Enjoy those moments. They are fleeting. And unlike trading opportunities, they don't come along very often at all, and sometimes stop altogether.

    ReplyDelete
  40. They're running the Stanley Cup playoffs. I can't trade right now.....too bad, good time for a short on the snapper.

    But Boston is up 4-0 over the Canuks. 4-0. Wow.

    Wait, this is August! I guess this it the king of delayed broadcast.

    This is definitely a disadvantage of living in Singapore.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Market teetering again. Crazy stuff. Really a trader's market now more than ever, which is something I'm not.

    ReplyDelete
  42. The circus act has left Greece (for now) and has moved onto Italy. Here we go again. Is Spain or Portugul next? Is there enough paper in the world to bail everyone out at once? I'm guessing not, which is why the Global Sheeple will continue to be euthanized, I mean, austeritized, so that the wealthiest among us never have to take a loss of any kind. Or pay any more taxes. Ever. Again. The end.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Here's a link to BR's post:

    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/07/look-out-below-italian-edition/

    ReplyDelete
  44. And, just what is all this austerity talk (and action) going to do to the actual global economy? Well, it doesn't look pretty to me. Obama = the 2nd coming of Herbert Hoover? Who will be "FDR"? Bachmann? LOL.

    http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/07/more-proof-that-obama-is-herbert-hoover.html

    ReplyDelete
  45. From the post. It's pretty clear to me that without gov't intervention, we'd be in GD II right now, and may well get there if this austerity nonsense continues.

    "Close to $2 of every $10 that went into Americans’ wallets last year were payments like jobless benefits, food stamps, Social Security and disability, according to an analysis by Moody’s Analytics. In states hit hard by the downturn, like Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Ohio, residents derived even more of their income from the government.

    By the end of this year, however, many of those dollars are going to disappear, with the expiration of extended benefits intended to help people cope with the lingering effects of the recession. Moody’s Analytics estimates $37 billion will be drained from the nation’s pocketbooks this year."

    ReplyDelete
  46. @Rock, that is a little delayed. All the teams are playing golf at the moment.
    I won't give away the ending.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Risk off. Yo-yo we go.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Commodities getting slaughtered. Global deflation trade back on?

    ReplyDelete
  49. This market action of late is eerily reminiscent of those not so heady '08 days.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Just prior to the ultimate crash, I should say.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Mannwich (9:42) - It sure is a traders market and I am glad I am not in it right not, But learing a lot.

    With QEzing and HFT and PO being able to front run tresuary sales, it is difficult to see where the silly games end and actual market conditions begin.

    Maybe others have a better clue and can time things better, but for now I am staying out.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  52. Huh uh. Freeging cloudy today ...

    ReplyDelete
  53. I say let start all anew. $1M monopoly bills for everyone, and good luck with that!

    ReplyDelete
  54. On a more serious note, "they" say Spain has better hold. No more surprise bailout packages this time it seems. :( Oh well..

    ReplyDelete
  55. @Manny:As mentioned the other day, I'm with you on the cautious standpoint regarding the austerization of the sheeple.

    Namely because that will/would lead to social unrest, thereby triggering more deadly dominos, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Morning all! In traffic, shhhhh :-)

    ReplyDelete
  57. Wolfie - is the EU going to make it?

    ReplyDelete
  58. Could Murdoch and his empire finally be going down? If there is a God, or any justice, this WILL happen. Why do I get the sense that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that most of Murdoch's entities are involved in many similar shady doings?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/11/news-international-murdoch-gordon-brown-hacking_n_894588.html

    ReplyDelete
  59. @Thor,12:13PM: I hope so... can only hope so. Namely because I'm not sure I want to see what happens if they don't get us out of this mess.

    ReplyDelete
  60. VERY surprising to see this angle out on CBS News:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/08/opinion/main20077841.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  61. Still n my way in - manny, new open thread after the close? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  62. Sure! I can put something up.

    ReplyDelete
  63. This is good as well:

    http://www.declineoftheempire.com/2011/07/this-time-really-is-different.html

    ReplyDelete
  64. This is VERY telling. No recovery on Main Street!

    Dollar Stores Find Splurges Drying Up

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304793504576434110314201664.html?KEYWORDS=ANN+ZIMMERMAN

    ReplyDelete
  65. Manny, you know when the dollar stores start hurting for business something is going on!

    ReplyDelete
  66. And I don't think those who shop at the dollar stores are all of a sudden trading up either.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Bruce Bartlett with a little truth-telling session. Bottom line is the GOP has become a radical party.

    http://live.washingtonpost.com/outlook-five-myths-debt-ceiling-0711.html

    ReplyDelete
  68. Manny - Let's just call them what they really are - Fascists. I hope we're all dusting off our Guilded Age terminology, come on folks, everyone's doing it, it's BULLY!

    ReplyDelete
  69. I'll throw up another thread tonight when I get home. Dan, if you have something to put up in your regular slot let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  70. OK, sounds good, Thor. I still intend to post as well from time to time, but just can't guarantee any regularity.

    ReplyDelete
  71. How Much is THAT!!!July 11, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    I like going into the Dollars Store and asking how much stuff is.

    How much is that tooth paste?

    1 dollar.

    How about the glass, how much is that?

    1 dollars.

    So if I got one toothpaste and one glass how much would THAT be?

    Oh yea all kinds of fun, but sometime they do have items 3 for a dollar and that can get kind of confusing.

    Mutt

    ReplyDelete
  72. This is '08 all over again with sovereigns in Europe replacing Lehman and Bear. Matter of time before it all comes crashing down again.

    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/07/qotd-brussels-we-have-a-problem/#comments

    ReplyDelete
  73. This guy should have ensured the Yanks would pay the taxes on this AND his $100K in student loan debt. He chose unwisely, if you ask me. I would have held out for much more than he did.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/nyregion/fan-may-owe-taxes-for-claiming-jeters-3000th-hit.html?hp

    ReplyDelete
  74. Straight out of "The Shock Doctrine" playbook. Hudson nails it. Again.

    http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=7010

    ReplyDelete
  75. New thread set for tomorrow.

    Manny, Not quite 2008. The economy was better back then, the unemployment rate was far lower, housing prices were far higher . . . :-)

    Ugh

    ReplyDelete
  76. Here's the thing that's really sorta freaking me out. The economy is barely skating above the treetops right now, yet we're about to pull at least 2 Trillion in government spending out of it. That's not counting state and local governments. How can the economy handle that?

    Can it?

    ReplyDelete
  77. @Thor

    Yes I'm going to keep the posts appearing every Tuesday.If you want to make any schedule change please let me know.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  78. This is very very good, and very very sobering. It will surprise no one here.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-next-worse-financial-crisis-2011-07-06

    ReplyDelete
  79. Dan - Excellent! I'll put my open thread on hold for now. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete