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The Stock Market Roller Coaster
This has gotten far off topic, as usual. Let me respond, again, to Jeff's self-aggrandizing description of what he does as "trading". It's not trading. It's gambling. It's not investment, it's parasitism. Futures contracts for agriculture were never intended to be a gambling sport, but to even out price gyrations for farmers. Nowadays it's all about swarms of day traders jockeying to grab a percentage for themselves. They produce zero value, and serve only to distort markets, too often with the result that the poorest in the world starve. At the basis of all this behavior is morality, or a lack thereof. People like Jeff subscribe to the Mandevillian "Parable of the Bees" analogy, claiming that even evil acts are magically transformed by the "invisible hand" to public good. This is flat out wrong. It's immoral to profiteer on the backs of starving children...to then brag about it is even worse. Those of us who actually produce goods and services of value ought to be outraged at the parasites who suck value out of the real economy. Yet folks like Jeff look on us with scorn. The insiders game that is derivatives and futures trading is far worse for the world than illegal drugs...the least we can do is tax every transaction he makes until the only transactions that make sense are the ones that actually have a relationship with underlying values of commodities, rather than rewarding people like Jeff with his gangster's "vig".— January 2, 2012 9:07 p.m.
Allegations of Police Brutality at Occupy San Diego
At what point does it become an ethically and morally required duty to strike back at these steroid-abusing goons with badges? This will not end well if the police continue their unlawful abuses against peaceful protesters. The right to petition the government is protected under the constitution. There's ZERO constitutional justification for arresting and brutalizing those who merely rest a sign on the ground for a moment (we have that on video in San Diego). Personally, I'm wondering at what point it becomes morally necessary to fight back against official thugs, meeting their violence in kind. Look at the history of the end of communism, or even recent events in the Arab world. Today's respected police officer is tomorrow's despised convict, answerable for his crimes against the citizens.— January 2, 2012 8:57 p.m.
Three Arrested at Occupy San Diego; SDPD Sgt. "Was Hearing Voices"
At what point does it become moral and ethical to confront this kind of official violence in kind? I spent four years in our military (84-88) to be part of the fight against totalitarianism and governments that persecute their own citizens merely for daring to disagree. I was willing to fight, kill, and die for this. Today it's not the commies who are throwing people in jail for the "crime" of disagreeing with the government, but my own country. Today we celebrate the brave few who fought against the official lies, abuse, and illegal behavior by police under repressive communist regimes. The world's leaders praised Vaclav Havel for his bravery in defying the illegal and corrupt regime of his country. Tomorrow will we celebrate the ones who dare to stand up to official thugs like Sergeant Steffen, and are arrested, charged, and persecuted for daring to exercise their rights? One thing is clear to me...as long as ignorant, abusive, arrogant, and out of control cops like Steffen are on the SDPD, they deserve zero respect and cooperation from the citizens of the city. So again, at what point is it moral and ethical to respond in kind to this kind of abuse of official power? It's clear to me that Sargeant Steffen is hiding behind his badge, deliberately breaking the law (false arrests under the color of the law for non-existent infractions) in an attempt to provoke and thereby justify his outrageous behavior. Sargeant Steffen should be in jail, or at best pumping gas for minimum wage. That this goon still wears a SDPD badge is a disgrace to our city. Fred Williams (former member, San Diego Crime Commission)— January 1, 2012 11:12 p.m.
Does it Still Pay to Have a College Degree?
Kinsman, the community colleges have had the ability to graduate students quicker for decades. They've chosen not to do it because of opposition from entrenched interests. There are two reasons it takes three years to finish a two year degree: 1. Required classes are full. 2. Students don't know which classes are required. Typically, the incoming community college student's first year is filled with about 50% "fluff", or courses that cannot transfer or help in earning a certification. This is NOT because the freshmen want "enrichment" (the argument offered by the entrenched interests). It's simply because there is no simple way to get the information on which classes do what in the complex relationship of UC/CSU/CC credit transferability. The colleges retort that counselors are there to provide this advice. However, if you ask three counselors how to achieve the same educational goal, you'll get three answers. Student find out from each other which classes actually transfer to the school they want to get into, or which classes complete the certification. This can be solved with a database. It's what computers are quite good at. The student should be able to access their own records, and then query the system about what would be required to achieve various goals. "What do I need to take to get into UCSD pre-med." hmmmm.... "What do I need to transfer to State and get into the teaching program." hmmmm.... "What about going to Berkeley?" As it is now, students are denied this information. Hence the first year especially is spent spinning, trying sometimes to get into any available class just to get enough units to qualify for students loans and financial aid. The current system is expensive. It wastes time and talent. I proposed a transfer credit database like this in the mid nineties when I ran for the SDCCD board in San Diego...the teachers union and administrators who benefit from the current system immediately gave $50k to my rival, who went on to win the city wide election. Almost twenty years later nothing seems to have changed, except the system is more expensive and tragically wasteful than ever before... ...don't blame the students. This was caused by our elected officials and could be solved by them working together. For all the vaunted TAG programs, transfer credit is still a mess. Fix that. See community college graduation and transfer rates soar... Best, Fred Williams— December 4, 2011 9:43 p.m.
How Sempra used cash-balance plans
I believe Jeff is saying there are interesting TRADING opportunities in muni bonds...not investments. Traders try to make money whether the issue goes up or down, depending on their strategy. Since Jeff deals with derivatives rather than real goods, he's experienced in this craft of squeezing points out of price movement...not actual value, but short-term movements in the market. Since anyone with an IQ above room temperature can see that US municipalities, especially our beloved San Diego, have been mismanaged for decades and issued a mountain of debt that cannot be serviced in any likely future scenario, I'm sure Jeff is betting on the Detroit bonds dropping in future value. Jeff, would you mind telling us how to take advantage of our certainty that San Diego is going to eventually default? How specifically would you profit from this knowledge? Best, Fred— December 4, 2011 9:29 p.m.
Petroleum pigs underreporting pipeline decay
"It's kabuki" An apt description of much of what goes on in America today, especially in the modern "public meeting" where residents views are aired, only to vanish in a cloud of lobbyist cigar smoke... Seems Jefferson was right, and American got the government it deserves...hubris always meets nemesis eventually. I think I'd rather leave pretty Point Loma than gamble against an explosive blow out, and I guess being downwind of San Onofre is rather bad planning too...our paradise has indeed been plundered.— November 16, 2011 10:38 p.m.
How Sempra used cash-balance plans
Taibbi spent several years covering Moscow politics and culture...he knows grift and graft when he sees it. Time to starve the vampire squid! It's long past time for so-called "reporters" to abandon their sham "neutrality" and just tell the truth as they see it. Sometimes it's not fair to give equal time to "both" sides...like when one side behaves with remorseless criminality. Taibbi sets a great example and does a great service in his work. The Reader gives similar trust and latitude to you, Don, so that you can abandon the chains of "objective" journalists who report press releases as news. That's the reason The Reader is forbidden any contact with our city's elected officials and public employees...because you actually tell the truth rather than parrot the same lies and lazy equivocations. I'm sure Taibbi is equally welcome on Wall Street as The Reader is welcome on C Street.— November 16, 2011 10:14 p.m.
How Sempra used cash-balance plans
Visduh, I would add that the 401k money that has sloshed into the system over the last few decades has already been squirreled out by the crooks and liars running the show. So those 401k funds, meager as they already are, will prove to be a chimera...the vaults are empty and the crooks have absconded to a tax-friendly no-questions-asked bankers haven. Problem is, I have no proof of this assertion...just a gut feeling based on how these charlatans have already acted. They have no shame, pity, or empathy and will happily rob granny of her last cat food. As one writer put it, "We've eaten what's on our plates, now we're gonna eat what's on yours." Pitchforks. Torches. It's gonna get ugly folks...— November 16, 2011 10:07 p.m.
How Sempra used cash-balance plans
I think both Occupy and the Tea Party have the same root cause... Nobody is jealous of the genuinely successful executive who builds a business. We're angry at the CHEATERS and LIARS who robbed legitimate businesses under the noses of incompetent or toothless regulators, blessed by elected officials who they later hired as lobbyists, and then destroyed those businesses or moved them overseas. These crooks, felons, traitors to their nation, are who we want to see dancing on the ends of pitchforks by firelight. Is that so unreasonable?— November 16, 2011 10:01 p.m.
After Ocean Beach, Santee, our bid was accepted in La Mesa
"I have zero qualifications. The prospect of seeking a job makes me feel silly, like the person with a really bad perm in a roomful of well-dressed La Jollans. I don’t know what to do with my life. Who would hire me?" Amazing! You write like a dream. Employers complain, loudly, that they cannot find anyone who can write. There's a missing connection. You need to get out and meet some people who also write for a living -- but about boring (yet highly lucrative) topics such as law, technology, or finance. They probably won't describe themselves as writers, but if you ask how they spend their days you'll find that they complain about endlessly drafting and editing reports, letters, emails, documentation...and that's what actually brings in the day to day pay. They'd love some help, but who can actually write these days? When they find out that you are a very skilled writer...well, at least hint that you could do some editing for them. It's a start. Then it depends on who you meet, how productive you can be, and how much time and emotion you want to put into making money. Working a menial service job would be wasting your hard won writing skills. Still, writing for a living, especially on boring topics you don't really care about but need to work on because it's what pays best, requires an unwelcome intensity that drifts into the rest of your life...so beware. (Sometimes I'd rather wash dishes for a living than face another requirements specification draft!) I sincerely wish you the best, not just with the house which you have all the time in the world to transform. Best, Fred P.s. The neighbors don't really care what you do with the pink lady, since they're living under their own imagined spotlights performing for YOU in their turn. Jump off that merry-go-round and enjoy your home and your life...besides, those "weeds" are simply asserting their evolving views of landscape design and if the neighbors disagree they should take it up with their favorite deity. Dandelions can make excellent salads and wines... :-)— November 16, 2011 9:53 p.m.