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Union-Tribune is up for sale, company tells employees
We have new bids for the Grand Old Lady of San Diego! The fabled Union Tribune, treasured civic jewel, indispensable dispenser of truth, justice, and the American way is up on the block, shackled and shamed, cowering as she's led off for sale to a new master. Reclusive Colorado-based Mega-Billionaire Don Bauder bids $100 Million inclusive of cash-in-value. He has officially announced plans to turn the La Jolla properties into a rastafarian conference center for world peace and marijuana legalization. The Union Tribune itself will be converted over to a publication about, for, and by the homeless population of San Diego, the only San Diego growth demographic so far identified by various investment analysts. Instead of living under the bridges near the San Diego river, the homeless will have a new headquarters between the bridges near the river in the former Union Tribune Mission Valley Operations Building. Do I hear any more bids..?? One Hundred Million Going Once, One Hundred Million Going Twice, ....— July 26, 2008 11:37 a.m.
More Wall Street Socialism: SEC Wants to Thwart Short Selling of Fannie, Freddie, Brokerage Stocks
Anon, Perhaps you could augment your interest in recurring expand/collapse behavior through looking at evolutionary biology. The human organism, in many ways, behaves like a virus. Most viruses learn to live with their hosts. Some viruses kill their hosts. Which are we? Best, Fred— July 26, 2008 11:15 a.m.
Union-Tribune is up for sale, company tells employees
(Technical Note: SignOffSanDiego disabled comments on this story...http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/…)— July 24, 2008 8:42 p.m.
SDPD dog handlers want pay for after hours
Official Police Department Policy is clear... Roasting dogs is NOT considered a legitimate overtime activity. Not if it happens at a ball game, a police event, or the driveway of your own home. In addition, eating the hot dogs is also not an official reason for claiming overtime pay and benefits. I hope official policy is now clear to you. Be on your way now, there's nothing more to see here...— July 24, 2008 8:40 p.m.
San Diego Unemployment Rate for June Leaps to 5.9 Percent; County Lost Jobs Over Last 12 Months
Anon, I agree the world is f***ed. I wrote a song about it. I hope, however, it is not all so hopeless and gloomy as it appears just now. I too get frustrated as all hell over what is happening to my own damn country, and I mostly feel I have little power to do much about it. But not this year. This year I'm devoting my free time specifically to working on political issues. Part of it is reading and writing as much as I can on current events, as you do. This is hopeful. For each of us posters, there may be a hundred readers. The downside is that we end up congregating where we all already agree with each other. It turns into an echo chamber sometimes. On the other hand, over at the UT, you've got so many posters who have taken over that facility to agree with each other or shout down anyone who dares question their "rightness". It would be interesting to integrate the two communities, though the Reader community ("Don Bloggers" especially) are far more articulate IMHO (Don, that means "In My Humble Opinion", another of them newfangled acronymn thingy-ma-bobbers us kids are keen on). I think a sense of humor helps some of the bitter medicine go down...which is why we tagged Scott Peters the "Million Gallon Man". The UT would never publish that, but I don't need their permission any more. Look how it spread into other online forums. Type "million gallon man" into Google...the third and fifth results are about Scott Peters. Look around at some other reasons to hope beyond the technological... I've spent my whole life eager to talk politics with people, convinced it was important and a grave mistake to ignore it. They shined me on. I was totally uncool for even having an interest in that stuff. Now so many people, especially the young, are newly energized and engaged. No matter what, the next year brings a new council. I'm supporting candidates I think will make a difference in changing San Diego. Don Bauder gives us the facts, numbers, names, and the details to help us explain to others what the hell is going on in San Diego. So does VOSD and CityBeat. I'll even admit I read the UT everyday online. I am glad to know as much as I can about what is going on. Finally the shams we've decried for all these years are come to light. Look at how VOSD cracked SEDC wide open. Great work there! We've got an opportunity in San Diego to change things this year. So while you are correct that things are dire, seriously hosed, screwed, blued, and tatooed...we just might turn things around. One thing is certain. If we loose hope, we'll just complain instead of getting out on the streets and taking back this town. See you on the campaign trails.... Best, Fred P.s. Fun Link to a song about Scott "Million Gallon Man" Peters...see comment #41 here: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2008/feb/13/du…— July 24, 2008 8:25 p.m.
Union-Tribune is up for sale, company tells employees
I'll open bids at $0.25 Going Once, Any takers? Going Twice, .... $0.30 from the gentleman in the Russian Mafia hat and trench coat Going Once, Going Twice, .... $0.32 from the wall street government bailout specialist Going Once, Going Twice, .... Do I hear any more bids? An even thirty five cents! Yes, ladies and gentlemen for the venerable Union Tribune and all the Copley assets Going Once, Do I hear any more bids? Please bid now for this valuable part of San Diego's rich and illustrious history Going Twice, ....— July 24, 2008 7:59 p.m.
Lost in the Cracks
Fumber, it's always a pleasure to hear from you.— July 21, 2008 6:45 p.m.
More Wall Street Socialism: SEC Wants to Thwart Short Selling of Fannie, Freddie, Brokerage Stocks
Back to the Freddie/Fannie bailout, here's something to ponder... http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/20/business/c… Asian institutions and investors hold some $800 billion in securities issued by Fannie and Freddie. The bulk of this is held in China and Japan, with $376 billion and $228 billion, respectively, according to the most recent country-specific Treasury figures, which date to June 2007. Bank of China, a major state-controlled Chinese bank, has $20 billion in exposure, estimates CLSA Group, or about 2.6 percent of its total assets. In Europe, roughly $39 billion in Fannie and Freddie debt is held in Luxembourg and $33 billion in Belgium, which are both home to large investment management firms. Investors in Britain hold $28 billion and Russian buyers took $75 billion. Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East are also believed to be big investors in Fannie and Freddie debt.— July 21, 2008 9:49 a.m.
Administration Wants To Bail Out Wall Street Through Massive Subsidy of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac. But Market Not Buying It
Trestles and Johnny, you boys need to play nice! One of the great things about the Bauder blog is it's a place for economically literate and concerned San Diegans to debate the issues. I appreciate reading both of you bantering the numbers back and forth and I've been enriched in my understanding from the postings here. But if you guys keep going down the "you're a poophead"..."no you're a poophead" route, we'll lose that. What's next? We'll have to invoke Godwin's Law? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law (Full disclosure...I'm currently volunteering at the Wiki Media Foundation and sit near Mike twice a week.) So please shake hands and agree to play nice, okay fellas? Irregardless (one of my favorite non-words) of the past S&L debacle, we're on the verge of something far worse. I thought the policy makers would do their best to stave it off until after the elections, but it seems beyond their power to do even that. 2009 is going to be a very, very bad year. Anyone disagree? Best, Fred— July 21, 2008 8:35 a.m.
Lepine Drops Harassment Suit, Receives No Payment. Will Campaign Now Focus on Goldsmith's Domestic Uproars?
From angry gals to bouncy vals... What a long and twisted comment thread this has become, going from germanity of spousal accusations to Burt Reynold's ferret which was actually Nicholson, but never mind let's get onto Zappa...whew! So, will Goldsmith Zappa Aguirre with the help of Dancing Fools, or will Jack "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Pension" McGrory finally face justice and end up all alone in a Moon Unit? Let's forget for a while the SEDC, which is right now causing me to gag without a spoon...like, totally. Someone in San Diego has to, like, do the dishes AND clean out the cat box, you know? I mean, oh my god! Grody to the max! Gag me with a spoon! Totally...— July 18, 2008 7:46 a.m.