Equal Time / Thanks for the 411
Thank you to Larry Kudlow for straightening us out.
He’s finally gotten to the bottom of it, establishing the source of our economic instability. We were mistaken, when we thought it might be,
- oil at $125 a barrel, gas prices rising to over $4 a gallon;
- a plummeting dollar;
- food prices skyrocketing, worldwide starvation, riots;
- 12 billion dollars a week spent on a War that no one wants;
- a U.S. economy kept afloat by foreign investors, our distressed corporate and financial assets purchased by anonymous sovereign wealth funds;
- actions of the Treasury/Fed/Investment Banking systematically destroy trillions in economic value;
- foreclosures at record levels, housing market continues to contract…
Sure, 80% of Americans have lower relative household income than they did in 1973, but those folks are not Larry’s cup of tea. He’s a market guy.
Larry knows the real source of our dilemma. You see, he was an advisor to Ronald Reagan. He is the staunch supply-sider, the resident expert on tinkle - down economic theory. He knows our real problem is the mere possibility, the mere spectre of …Barack Obama.
Larry describes the Obama administration’s enormous tax increases, bloated social programs, no-growth economy. But there’s a problem, Larry…we remember election rhetoric. We remember, “read my lips, no more new taxes.”
So, thanks anyway, Larry. You serve an important purpose for us - clarity. When we want to identify the problem, we look to you.
Thanks for the 411, Larry.
Equal Time/ Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
I’m driving down the road, and I’m listening to one of the female funditz on conservative talk. Fortunately, I’ve missed a good portion of it, but interspersed with the riveting reports on the sexual exploits of yet another politico, we have the results of a psychological survey…conservatives are happier than liberals, have more satisfaction, and more sex. How do we know? They say so.
If you haven’t guessed, there are a number of inherent problems in such a survey.
First of all, you’re assuming that respondents are telling the truth. Perhaps liberals are just more honest, more introspective. Perhaps liberals are less concerned about the “right answer.” Maybe they have a capacity for compassion that conservatives lack? Their experience of happiness might have a broader, societal definition. Maybe conservatives lack a depth of feeling, affecting their ability to determine what happiness is.
Maybe they’re just confusing comfort, with happiness.
As far as the sex part goes, it only makes sense. They’ve been screwing America for almost 8 years now.
E-Harmoney
E-Harmoney
There’s a great amount of research being done on the emotional and psychological impact that money has in our lives. Any day now, Barnes & Noble will announce their “Money & Happiness” section. We’ll see the different ways that we are affected, but first let’s get some basic facts out of the way.
Investor psychology
Psychology affects investor returns, more than any other factor. Studies have shown that
losing
Tulips Part II
So, we’ve established that, with a little creativity, almost anything can be considered an investment. Tulip bulbs mesmerized the Dutch.
A recent example in the extreme was a young man who listed his “soul” on eBay.
The buyer was a priest who was touched by the young man’s plight. The young man thought he had a buyer (the Devil), but was considering other offers.
There is a serious point that I want to… Read Entire Article >
Tulips (Just in time for Spring)
It is April 3rd , the 66th trading day of the year, and we’ve already had 30 days where the markets have been up or down at least 1%. That’s volatility with a Capital “V” my friends. However, it might be comforting to know that we’ve gone through this sort of thing before.
Our current crisis of confidence is all about the perception of value. This manifests itself in a number… Read Entire Article >
The Ingenuity of Man
I have great news for you.
I know for certain that government can work, that government can be efficient, responsive and effective. I’ll say that again for those of you who may think you didn’t quite hear that quite right. Government can work. I’ve seen it happen.
Sure, we have memories of FEMA’s lightning-quick response to the disaster in the Gulf Coast, but that was the Bush administration. I’m talking about government.
Fed Up?
Quote: “We can’t solve problems with the same kind of thinking that created
them.”
Albert Einstein
Maybe it’s time to shake the cobwebs out, order another espresso (make it a double), and get to work. Historic changes are occurring right before our eyes.
Last week, the Federal Reserve Bank in an unprecedented move, offered JP Morgan a $30 billion credit line, to allow the investment banking firm to take over Bear Stearns, which had… Read Entire Article >
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing
It becomes apparent as the green revolution evolves, that we have to be careful who we listen to.
The Motley Fool, the stockpicker / online blogger, is running a green investing series in advance of Earth Day on April 22. The MF perspective re: green investing focuses on long-term shareholder value, but so be it. Pretty one-dimensional, but we get a habitable planet in the process.
The companies that Motley Fool highlights… Read Entire Article >
The Fifth Element
Al Gore is a winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
This is a statement, but not about Al Gore, although his decades - long commitment to the issues of global warming are finally being properly recognized. It is a statement about what this issue is really about. Perhaps you did not notice that this is a Peace prize. Not a scientific prize, but a peace prize. If you understand why… Read Entire Article >
Moved by the Movie
Longing for Bedford Falls….
I think I’ve got the answer.
Do you remember the story of “It’s a Wonderful Life”? The story of George Bailey, and his “wonderful old Building and Loan”? It’s a story about community, about values, about what is really important in our lives.
Why has this movie become a classic? Why do we watch it over and over again, every holiday season? Not surprisingly, it was panned by the… Read Entire Article >
Bad Santa
Written Christmas 2006
It is obvious to all of us, that we have major threats we must deal with.
We can no longer allow refuge to the rest of the world. We must patrol our borders, ensure our safety, and our security.
No one is beyond scrutiny, there is too much at stake-and so I call for an investigation of what may be the most dangerous threat yet uncovered to our economic… Read Entire Article >
