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While Republicans are patting themselves on the back after the controversial Sarah Palin nomination for VP, the real conversations are happening online.
Chinese leadership totally clueless about Internet leaks on Tiananmen Square in the last millennium. US military colonels and generals emailing Iraqi counterparts to surrender in 2003. Obama text messaging supporters with timely announcements in 2008. Boeing-SAIC FCS BCT by 2015. An amusing timeline, no?— September 18, 2008 3:42 p.m.
Face value of derivatives floating around the world is $1.14 quadrillion
Thank you for an outstanding analysis comparing the paper value of derivatives with something more substantial like US and international economic output. It is outstanding for actually making the comparison, something I don't think I've seen in print or online before. Obama appears to be highly intelligent. I believe that the most intelligent before him as president was most likely Jimmy Carter, a former nuclear submarine commander. Unfortunately, many who Carter brought to Washington with him were not all that bright, just opportunistic. Anybody remember Billy Beer? Hopefully, if elected, Obama will have chosen his advisors and potential cabinet members more wisely, given that we are generally stuck with our family members, as mine are unfortunately stuck with me.— September 18, 2008 1:26 p.m.
The Most Recognizable Man in Movies Dies
I'm pretty sure he was second banana in a car insurance commercial that aired not too long ago... and it was funny!— September 18, 2008 1:06 p.m.
County Grand Jury recommends consolidation of CCDC, SEDC into single redevelopment agency
Fred: I've been out of the loop for a few days, but there seems to be at least one recent news report headline of our city leaders tending to keep both CCDC and SEDC. I'll be looking at that article later...— September 18, 2008 1 p.m.
Keeping it in the family
It is refreshing to see that many incumbents practice charity beginning at home as a family value. That doesn't mean that I'll actually vote for any of 'em...— September 18, 2008 12:45 p.m.
“Ghetto” is not an adjective
Regarding #2: It seems that propaganda is where you find it. It is interesting for me to see that a writing used for proclaiming what should be or not be an adjective is seen by the writer as having "little to do with... English grammar." Logically, we are therefore free to assume the writer had in mind other goals and intentions for raising the issue of undesirable adjectives, and then freely speculate on what those unstated goals and intentions might have been. Millions of Americans look to the discussions taking place in the ghetto for any significance to their own lives, only to find things of less importance or substance than a SEDC media release. From this, it only makes sense that issues here rarely receive national attention, or if they do, then only for a media minute.— September 18, 2008 12:34 p.m.
Stocks Plunge; Insurance Giant AIG May Be Next Casualty. Era of Excessive Debt Probably Coming to Inglorious End
I'm no economist, but the math logician in me says that all Wall Street models have changed enough just in the last week that wise people must realize we are in "long run" territory with so many changed variables (with a few of the "constants" no longer existing), and nobody has map and compass, least of all either presidential candidate or their invested political advisors. Based on observing the technical numbers, this week may be a bottom-indicating capitulation... or stepping back and squinting harder, it may just signal the beginnings of systemic "honesty" with additional downside moves, where investors get a revealing look through enforced diligence of more precisely who has been playing with subprimal derivative paper and other exotics for years... and has been too afraid to own up to it until now. There are many expert complaints that this week's apparent capitulation was merely triggered by a ratings downgrade that forced onerous cashflow requirements onto the new loser institutions... and this may be absolutely true from their view. This view however relies on too many assumptions of statistical safety, many of which lost credibility or were shown to be utterly false as self-preserving "fear" became the prime driver in the markets. Right now, people across America are being told that AIG subsidiary insurance is still good and people are still covered, so don't panic... unless there is an incident complex of national significance that opens the floodgates on legitimate claims in numbers that the actuaries simply do not foresee. The assumption of good news is based on there NOT being earthquakes, hurricanes or firestorms that open the floodgates, and this is NOT a safe assumption. In fact, it can be argued that individual state laws over insurance companies not holding cash above preset levels actually works against consumers in periods where claims exceed actuarial prediction. Where are the actuaries who predicted that the markets would be where they are today? The thought of many neighborhoods that were carpet-bombed with door-to-door Primerica "neutron loans" is somewhat chilling, where there is still a large number that have not gone off yet. The people who are the collateral damaged are not actually gone; they're just now in a lower socio-economic class where they won't be homebuyers or major appliance consumers until after the Mayan calendar resets or the end of the age. At least, that's my model.— September 18, 2008 9:03 a.m.
Union-Tribune obituary Allard Roen omits mob connections
I should have been clearer when including the link in #22 above. I included it because of Judge Sabraw's summary of the asbestos content of a sample (collected by the main defendant in the federal environmental crimes trial) that came in at over 50% asbestos. Other asbestos-contaminated samples were similarly described in the judge's new trial order. Obviously, the defendants would prefer that these sample results not be known, except that challenging the judge's order might mean that the public utility et al could be paying million$ in fines right now with individuals serving felony time... instead of waiting on a new trial or reinstated guilty verdicts on appeal.— September 17, 2008 2:33 p.m.
Union-Tribune obituary Allard Roen omits mob connections
I have no complaint about Judge Sabraw. In fact, I see him whittling down the defendants' future appeal issues in a case where government prosecutors have been handicapped by (1) old federal regulations that restrict the government's ability to test debris for regulated asbestos containing material, (2) the same regulations adopted under federal rule-making to use essentially outmoded science that undercounts the smallest asbestos fibers to defendants' advantage (at least one recent law review article was published because of these two issues in this case), and (3) an absence of other guiding case opinions in the relatively new area of National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) law that would make nailing down this case just that much easier. Judge Sabraw has moved delicately in his orders to avoid the appearence of "legislating from the bench"... or at least that's my otherwise-ignorant no-law-school take on things. The federal agents, investigators and prosecutors have been and remain my heroes in this. In the neighborhood, make that "our heroes." More than a few of us have the FBI on speeddial, and among us all, we only have nice things to say... because those nice things are deserved. In a way, it's kind of like watching the Chargers in the early part of the season. There are no blowout losses, and we're just waiting for the rest of what should be a winning trip to post-season play.— September 16, 2008 12:42 p.m.
Stocks Plunge; Insurance Giant AIG May Be Next Casualty. Era of Excessive Debt Probably Coming to Inglorious End
"A smashup, tied in with the plummeting dollar, was inevitable, and it's happening now." The fully-revealed truth about subprimality will set our stock portfolios free. Hopefully, that won't be "freefall"... but who knows?— September 15, 2008 2:44 p.m.