Thoughts before heading home for Thanksgiving...

1. If you have a spare hour to waste, try reading this. The author found some of the people who actually saw the markets for what they were, and were probably able to make a boatload of money betting against the market. Interesting how even though they couldn't figure everything out beforehand, they were able to piece together enough details by (a) paying attention to who was getting these loans (i.e. people who can never afford to pay these loans) and (b) talking to some of the people that were actually making the sausage (especially the people that were chopping up junk mortgages and able to sell them as AAA bonds). The information was out there, few were willing to look for it. Very telling to me is Eisman's quote:

“That Wall Street has gone down because of this is justice. They fucked people. They built a castle to rip people off. Not once in all these years have I come across a person inside a big Wall Street firm who was having a crisis of conscience.”


2. The way they are currently structured, I realize that a bailout of the auto industry doesn't make sense. They definitely need some new leadership and a change in the corporate philosophy. But isn't it weird how everyone is up in arms about a $25B loan, when we seem to be shoveling that much out a week for the financial sector. At least with the auto makers I can see the results (workers employed, products manufactured).

3. I figure j will blog about it eventually, but we are both disappointed in the cancellation of "Pushing Daisies." I guess there's not enough demand for whimsy in the world. That's sad.

4. I'm looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving. It's been one of longer stretches without going home since moving to Philly. I have too many young nephews to be gone this long. They're going to forget who I am.

5. Is it just me, or is Obama dipping a little too much from the Clinton era cronies? Pretty much the entire economic team is from the Clinton team, but not from the Robert Reich side.

6. Thank goodness for basketball season. I don't think I can stand much more U of L football.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Executive Culture at GM

Last week, Mitt Romney made an appeal for bankruptcy for the Big 3 was the only way to allow them to survive.

This blog will make you feel even more unsure that even that will help without a change in the executive culture, at least for GM.

I'll admit I'm not sure what the answer is, but it most definitely should not involve the current leadership of these companies (or their private jets).

Why don't I watch the Mayne Street videos?

I like Kenny Mayne's weird sense of humor. I like to watch Sportscenter and most the games that ESPN covers. I get infuriated when I go to ESPN.com and the main page is covered with Mayne Street video stuff.

Why can't they just talk about sports? Why is this front and center? Why can't I bring myself to even watch one video?

I love Liz Lemon...

Liz Lemon from 30 Rock about the relationship she's looking for:

"I just wish I could really start a relationship about 12 years in.
You really don’t have to try anymore.
And you can just sit around together and goof on TV shows.
And then go to bed without anyone trying any funny business."

She says this as j and I sit on the couch together, goofing on the Office and 30 Rock, and j is now going to bed as I stay up to watch The Daily Show.

PostScript j and I made it in 10 years.

Colbert Report

He really gets going 2/3 of the way through, but this was pretty brilliant.

Pop Quiz...

The above map is:

A) The Presidential map of Election map.
B) The TV ratings for the 2007 World Series
C) The percentage of state population above 30 BMI in 2006.

(The answer is C)

You can really breakdown the scary epidemic of obesity through the last 20 years here at the CDC website.

Compare that map to this map:



What does it mean?

Election day nearing and other thoughts...

Election day is tomorrow, and if you are like me, you're starting to get nervous because Obama is predicted to win and you just know it's too good to be true. My own thoughts are that he should win, if it's close, we'll have to sit through weeks of tit for tat, so I'm hoping a fairly convincing win. Either way, whoever wins, it's not really the best environment to be elected because you promised a lot of things and the economy is just not set up for those programs to go through. So some quick thoughts:

1) For me the election is about whether you think that the country needs to make a fundamental change of direction. If this is the case, then you should be for Obama. If you think it's going the right direction but there have been just a few bad actors, vote for McCain. While I think Obama will largely bring symbolic change, but only incremental actual change (he's largely consensus building and risk averse), I think (hope) it will signal an end (lessening more likely) of the culture wars of the 60s. I'm sick of fighting the same battles as my parents and think that younger voters are looking for a different model of government.

2) Part of my annoyance with the Republican party is that I feel like they lambast science and evidenced based research, and therefore me. The bashing of intellectualism has also been lamented by David Brooks, conservative columnist for the NY Times. Christopher Landing has been harsh on the McCain-Palin campaign, particularly Palin, for this, and two articles ago unleashed a torrid final paragraph that makes me feel a release but also fear that it has a little too much smugness in itself and risks the same ignorance of the opposing viewpoints, particularly if is not considered "intellectual" enough. There can still be validity in populist ideas, even if they are more conservative.

Final paragraph of Palin's War on Science:

This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity.

3) Charges of Obama being a socialist are way overblown. t gives a good rant on the idoicy of this argument.

4) At long last, have you no shame? Have you know decency? Where your tax dollars are going... socialism for the rich.

5) Rick Pitino had some interesting comments on what kills potential.

"There are four things that are killers of potential," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "One is drugs. Two is alcohol. Three is disrespecting women, and four is a lack of humility. You will never reach your potential if you think you've arrived before you have."

Should it be xRick Pitinox?

6) Some interesting detective work on the web for the origin of:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked, so Obama could run.
Obama is running so our children can fly.

Peace. Go Obama.