Thursday, October 9, 2008

Dow Jones

Wow, Isn't this interesting. We are watching this and most people do not understand what is going on. What we are being told is that the housing crisis has caused this and that it was the law Clinton passed in Dec. 1999 is what made is happen.
So let me get this straight, a law passed in Dec. 1999 by a Democratic President, that passed through a Republican House, and Senate was the cause. So if it was the catalyst, why did the Republicans allow it to remain in force? Didn't they control the House, Senate, and Presidency for 6 of the past 8 years? Maybe because they and all of their friends were reaping the benefits.
We don't want to sit and listen to blaming because there is enough fault to go around for everyone.
As far as I was concerned this market has been doomed for years. My son Richard said in his blog, math doesn't lie, over and over again. Well I felt the same thing. I sat down 3 years ago and started looking at the PE's (profits to earnings ratio) and saw that the math wasn't adding up. I argued that the market belonged between 7500 and 7800. There is no justifiable reason for a company to have a PE over 14. We were seeing between 40:1 to 150:1 PE's. What this meant was that companies were making $150 on $1 investments. Worse yet they were selling no products. So why were they doing so well. SPECULATION. there was no reason for it people just got greedy and thought that this company was valuable and kept buying it and drove the prices up and up. It's kind of like a pyramid scheme, every one give a dollar and they tell friends to do so and so on. Now we all know only the ones at the top of the pyramid make money but that didn't stop these people from investing because they all got greedy.
This market will settle in at $7500-7800 and I believe that enough people have been stung to allow for normal growth from now on. The market will get better, and not due to any political candidate, but due to the fact that people are now understanding that playing the market is gambling. You can play the $5 slots and hope for a big win or you can go the the Blackjack table and have a %50 chance of winning. If people invest in companies with between 7 and 10 to 1 PE companies, they will receive steady growth and get their accounts back on track. Do not listen to the pundants who talk about this being a good time to get great deals on breakout companies, stay with many small companies that have lower PE's and be comfortable in the knowledge that I am just a guy that kind of gets it. Those pundants, they are called BROKERS and what is the root word of Broker...BROKE.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Debating Politics

I am a very active debater. I love to talk politics. It is so much fun to me and I learn so much. I love hearing opposing views and doing the best I can to refute them. In argumentative situations there are do's and don'ts.
Do allow the other person to make their point.
Don't interrupt.
Do offer valid points and counterpoints.
Don't use slippery slope or straw man arguments.
Do know what you are talking about.
Don't speak if you know not the subject.
Do use facts.
Don't use talking points.

When ever you get into a debate about politics, speak of your opinions, never use the words you hear on TV or in the news or on political campaigns. If a person asks you a question about your party or candidate, answer it. Stop using the "oh Yeah. well what about their party or candidate. Answer the f' ing question asked. There is nothing so ignorant to me as when I ask and their come back is a talking point or an attack on my belief. There is no way you can enlighten a person as to what it is you believe in if you never tell them what it is or why you believe in it.
I am irritated when watching the 2 parties debate on TV after a big event. It is just ridiculous. It's like watching 4th graders in the school yard. Na na na na boo boo. After watching the VP debate, I was astounded that everyone was going so ga ga over the fact that Sarah Palin didn't fall on her face. Well, I for one, feel like she did. I saw an antagonistic, undereducated, semi-illiterate, unjustifiable excuse for a candidate. She has no grasp of the English language, and doesn't understand the difference between NUCLEAR and NUCULAR. I have cringed for 8 years as our current President has butchered the English language and cannot believe that they want me to go through this again.
Her demeanor, her winks, her talkin' strait to the people of Amairaker bullshit was offensive to me. If there is a "g" on the end of a word...use it. For sure, golly gee, gosh darn it.
IF I WANTED THE GROCERY STORE CHECK OUT GIRL TO RUN THE COUNTRY I ASK HER TO RUN MYSELF. I want an educated person that has a grasp of the English language, who doesn't try to play cutesy when they don't have a good answer for me, and does not speak of the American Public as Joe Six Pack and Hockey Moms.
I wrote this before the SNL skit...Man they nailed it!

The Surge Is Working

That is one of the most ludicrous talking points out there. What are they gauging this by? The fact that there is less violence now does not mean it is working. The 911 attack on America was done to destroy the American Economy. Every one thought it was over when the stock market crashed on Feb 16th 2002. What they didn't know is that the terrorist knew the Arrogant Americans will buy anything from their government if they call it "The War On". Think about it, The War On Drugs...The War on Terror, The War on Poverty, and The War on Crime. All those three words preceding anything the government wants to go after mean, is that they will get an open checkbook from the people of America. After all if you care about your country, you want to win all of these battles.
So Bin Laden attacks us, our supposed conservative Republican Party comes to power, and proceeds to spend 10 billion dollars a month on a war against "TERROR". There is no uniformed enemy, no face, no locale, just a word...Terror. Now the open checkbook that can be spent on anything! The terrorists knew that if they did this they could watch our country destroy its own economy by chasing their own tail and spending every penny they had to prove that we are "Right". They are laughing at our stupidity, 10 billion a month! Isn't that amazing, Since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Congress has approved $691 billion to pay for the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. So was it really the fault of the lenders, the buyers who couldn't afford to buy homes, the big CEO's salaries, Clinton for changing the lending rules so that there were different rules for investment banks and savings banks? I contend no! If there wasn't this war, there wouldn't be these problems.
Even I understand the basics of economics. If you set your budget up based upon what you can afford, and an unexpected expense comes up, you must choose which expense is more important and sacrifice one. Instead our government decided that "the fundamentals of the economy were sound" so they could just keep writing bad checks to both causes. These blind mice lead all of the United States into a giant mouse trap and we all followed like lemmings jumping off of the cliff in unison.
I am not saying which the most important cause was, I am just saying that during the entire Bush Administration, interest rates stayed as low as they have ever been in history, and the War has continued without regard for how much it will cost. We are being told we cannot stop until we achieve victory. Well, ask yourself what is going to be the gauge of victory. I believe that victory has already been accomplished, by the terrorist. They have destroyed our economy which was their goal. Now if you listen to what our government is saying, they believe they can still achieve a victory in the physical battles. So we are bigger and stronger than you...WOW. Kind of sounds like the schoolyard bully to me. He comes from a broken home, has no money, no education, and has a very false high opinion of himself, but if you want to fight, he can beat you up.
It is the constant barrage of "Patriotism, Country First, Flag waving" politics that have duped Americans into believing that we are right and the rest of the world is wrong giving us a very false high opinion of ourselves, that have broken our homes, broken our banks, and lead us to become a nation that other countries look at and shake their heads wondering what the hell are they thinking. But don't worry folks...we can just beat them up!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bail Out

Doesn't it seem ironic that companies want a Capitalistic Government when they are doing well in the market but then want a Socialistic Government when they get in trouble?
Really, I do get it. I can relate because I have been on both sides of the spectrum in my life when I struggled, and when I have had more fortunate times. That is why I am so against the ideology of the Republican Platform. You would think that more people would get this, and with the way things are going maybe they will. It really depends on just how we get out of this mess.
I am fearful and skeptical of the McCain move to "Suspend" his campaign to get back to work. The skeptisism comes from knowing that he is slipping in the polls and needs to distance himself from the attitude that his party was responsible for the "do nothing" government to create this mess. On the other hand if he goes back and they do accomplish something, albeit they will come up with something even if he isn't there, he will come out boasting the propaganda that he went in and saved the world while the other candidates sat back and did nothing.
This is nothing but politics as usual and again, the public fails to see it.
We really do need a change. I again will say it is not necessarily Obama, but this country is in a mess and if we keep going along with the tide, we will end up like every other great society and come tumbling down.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Family Values

Republicans are Christains. Focus on the family Christian group were selling Obama Waffles http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNafTsdlgbSZ8YMoFRDSgrVlEwGwD936205O0at a recent political forum. Before you laugh, take a look at the box, especially the back. It shows Obama in a turban like he is a Muslim. These are Christians. The front is just as bad with the racist depiction.Well I guess they just haven't gotten to the part in the bible about casting stones and bearing false witness, or even the treating others as you would like yourself. None the less, I am still searching for the Christian draw to this party. Where did Christ say go fourth and tell everybody what they can and cannot do? Christ taught through example, he said GOD FIRST, not country, he said Family second, not country. I really want to be un-biased here but I cannot find anything good to say about the actions of these self proclaimed Christians. It is like the white version of Rev. Wright has been instructing these people..I am not saying Obama is the answer, I am saying how can I believe in any party the professes family values and Christianity, then goes out and does these things. The hipocracy is astounding.
They have their role model, candidate for President who admitted to affairs when he was married and then divorced his wife of 14 years for the newer younger version. There are claims that the imprisionment in Vietnam, or the accident his wife had lead to the divorce but his first wife put it simply that John had turned 40 and just wanted to be 25 again.
All of these claims that are coming out of the Religious Right and the Family Values Party are just lip service. It just seems to me they are so much for the rights of children and their right to life before they are born, but once they are born, they must fend for themselves. After all we can't be paying for all of these welfare children.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Miss Information

The girlfriend of a political candidate. All we get from both sides is things that are partial truths that are intended to grab the uneducated and give them a reason to oppose the other guy. What I don't understand is why many of the educated people I know don't research any of the rhetoric. We live in an era that gives you all the info you want in seconds. We have web sites that will do all the research for you ie. http://www.factcheck.org/, http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/sendler.asp, etc.
Obama
  1. School Funding MisleadsSeptember 11, 2008
    An Obama ad plays fast and loose with McCain's voting record on education and proposals as a presidential candidate.
  2. Obama said he could “pay for every dime” of his spending and tax cut proposals “by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens.” That’s wrong
  3. He twisted McCain’s words about Afghanistan, saying, “When John McCain said we could just 'muddle through' in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources.” Actually, McCain said in 2003 we “may” muddle through, and he recently also called for more troops there.
  4. He said McCain would fail to lower taxes for 100 million Americans while his own plan would cut taxes for 95 percent of “working” families. But an independent analysis puts the number who would see no benefit from McCain’s plan at 66 million and finds that Obama’s plan would benefit 81 percent of all households when retirees and those without children are figured in.
  5. Obama noted that McCain’s health care plan would "tax people’s benefits" but didn’t say that it also would provide up to a $5,000 tax credit for families
  6. Obama said "average family income" went down $2,000 under Bush, which isn't correct. An aide said he was really talking only about "working" families and not retired couples. And – math teachers, please note – he meant median (or midpoint) and not really the mean or average. Median family income actually has inched up slightly under Bush.

Now on the other side McCain


  1. McCain claimed that Obama’s health care plan would "force small businesses to cut jobs" and would put "a bureaucrat ... between you and your doctor." In fact, the plan exempts small businesses, and those who have insurance now could keep the coverage they have.

  2. McCain attacked Obama for voting for "corporate welfare" for oil companies. In fact, the bill Obama voted for raised taxes on oil companies by $300 million over 11 years while providing $5.8 billion in subsidies for renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative fuels.

  3. McCain said oil imports send "$700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much." But the U.S. is on track to import a total of only $536 billion worth of oil at current prices, and close to a third of that comes from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

  4. He promised to increase use of "wind, tide [and] solar" energy, though his actual energy plan contains no new money for renewable energy. He has said elsewhere that renewable sources won’t produce as much as people think.
    He called for "reducing government spending and getting rid of failed programs," but as in the past failed to cite a single program that he would eliminate or reduce.

  5. He said Obama would "close" markets to trade. In fact, Obama, though he once said he wanted to "renegotiate" the North American Free Trade Agreement, now says he simply wants to try to strengthen environmental and labor provisions in it.
  6. There He Goes AgainSeptember 18, 2008
    McCain ad misrepresents Obama's tax plan. Again..

Now this is just the tip of the iceberg but my point is that I can find all of this in 30 seconds so why do people take what these politicians say and run with it. Where have their brains gone. Why are "Talking Points" so effective.

It reminds me of someone I work with who lies perpetually. He tells the same lies over and over again and everybody knows it. All of the people that work with me say how can he keep doing this, and I tell them that he tells the lies so often that they become truth to him and as we all know, "Perception is Reality".

One of my favorite songs in the world has a line,

"When it's time to function, as a feeling human being, will your Bachelor of Arts help you get by". This is responded to with, " I hope to study further, a few more year or so, I also hope to keep a steady high".

God were they right when they wrote that, that has to be it, I have answered my question of why do people believe the rhetoric and accept talking points... they are all high!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Anger, Aggression, All over

So, last night I sat and watched all of the news channels, FOX, CNN, CNBC etc. I was amazed and dismayed at all of the anger and attacking. It seems that we are still in the mode of "If you are not with us, you are against us". Why is this so glaring among the Republican Party? Why is everything us against you? It is impressive that the party has been able to build such an army of supporters that are so passionate, but it is also disturbing. I love to talk politics. I love to hear peoples' views and I also love to be the antithesis. Ask the tough questions.

When I question a Democrat they argue but will listen and actually sometimes agree with the counter point, but at the end they usually do not feel a the need to question our friendship. The problem is when I disagree with a Republican, I feel attacked and they believe that I am personally attacking their being. They will then actually take it personally enough that they question your friendship. You have just become one of the enemies. Why?

As a very free thinker I do not take anything I hear about or from Politician at face value. I absorbe, research and form my own opinion. There is not a party line in my body. I should be a Republican by all rights given my stature in America however, I consider myself a nice person. I want to do what is right for everyone. It is not my place to tell anyone their beilefs are wrong. I just feel compelled to question everything that is valid. It is the way the world works. It is what lets us grow. In every thing there is a "Thesis" and an "Anti-thesis". When the two are looked into in depth and arguments are made, we usually come up with a "Synthesis" which creates a new "Thesis". ie. the world is flat...(thesis) no it's not(antithesis), someone questions, explores and then comes up with the new Synthesis the world is round. Columbus sails and viola...now we have a new Thesis.
As a Christian, I believe in the scripture and know that Jesus would never approve of me standing in judgement of anyone.

"And Joshua said unto all the people. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh. 24:2, 15).
What does that mean to you? Does it mean he thinks everyone else is wrong and he must try to change them...Does it mean that if they don't believe like he does he will dislike them...does he stand in judgement of anyone? I don't see that. I see a man convicted in his beliefs and knowing that there is no need for him to tell you what you should do. He will do what he thinks is right. You have your beliefs and you are allowed them. That is the gift that God has given us all, the gift of free will.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

What the heck is going on here

As I sit and ponder the current political landscape I am in a bit of a quandry. Being raised a Catholic I was told that my vote must be for a pro-life candidate. In as much as I believe in pro-life, I have come to believe that just because they say they are pro-life doesn't mean they will do anything about it.
If we look at history, we have Nixon, who was in office when Roe v Wade was passed...republican. Next came Ford...republican. Then there was Reagan, twice...republican. After that there was Bush Sr...republican followed by Bush 2, Twice..republican. That gives us 25 years of republican presidencies with currently 7 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices having been appointed by Republicans.
So why then haven't they changed the law? Do they really have any intention of doing so? Are people so dense that they can't understand that politicians say things so that they can get elected but when it comes to real issues and having to actually do something, there is no interest in what we the people want? Abortion is a talking point, a tool that has been used by the republican party since Roe v Wade to assure that they get their votes.
This is a classic example. People need to start thinking for themselves, voting based upon more than one point, and understand that they do have a say but they must actually get up and say it.