situation...what with the falling value of the dollar, the coming bank re-evaluations of level three assets, and the plunge in the market?
I'm not a student of economics, it's hard for me to relate today to past times and try to learn from history. I'm trying to figure what the economic future may look like for the guy on the street..
The only warm fuzzies I've got are a nice pair of camping socks. I'm hoping some financial wizard will tell dumb me what this is likely leading to (inflation/deflation/recession/depression) and what the smart money would do.
My Dad lives with us (90) and I asked him what he recalled about the Depression. All he could say was he remembers eating a lot of oatmeal and going hunting and fishing for the meat they put on the table. He was a young teen then so he doesn't recall anything of the financial aspects..except there wasn't much work and less money..
talked (unofficially) about redirecting its money to the Euro and away from the dollar. They currently hold something like $1.3 trillion in dollars. The sub-prime crisis is continuing to spread - and will soon shake the entire banking industry to its knees. Oil will hit $100 a barrel this week. And the idiot in the White House continues to spend non-existent money like a coked-up @$$hole.
...............................
I'd say the guy on the street is pretty much f*cked.
more for foreign/imported goods. I understand that...don't like it...but understand.
The Fed lowering the prime doesn't do much for us...just the banks who borrow a lot of money from each other at prime. At the same time I understand the big boys who are losing their shirts in the sub=prime need cash. I had a guy call me offering 15% on a four year bond backed by an A rated company. (I'm wondering who really is getting the money). So...why aren't the CD rates going up? ...or savings rates..? if cash is tight?
I feel like somebody somewhere is pulling levers (like the Wizard of OZ) and I don't know what those levers are gonna do...or how to prepare.
decided it was such a great idea to outsource American manufacturing to China?
Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.
In 1933, the Glass-Steagall Act was passed to require that the businesses of banks, securities, and insurance companies must be separated. One could not own another. Glass-Steagall was passed as a direct result of the 1929 crash.
In 1999, Gramm-Leach-Bliley was passed by Congress and signed by Clinton. Phil Gramm's bill repealed Glass Steagall's incest prohibition.
This law did not start the housing bubble, but I believe it set the stage for the credit speculation that is now crashing.
Gramm-Leach will continue to provide fuel for new forms of mischief conceived by the mind of greed.
I'm trying to figure what the economic future may look like for the guy on the street..
Along with the housing slump there will be a substantial drop in value/price, not only for properties but materials as well. Be on the lookout for deals on property purchases and home improvement projects. If you need a loan, and your credit is good, the money will be there.
For other investments, take a look at mid-cap growth funds, as they're less susceptible to fluctuating dollar value and should get well over 12% returns, and maybe as much as 20+%.
Mark Ortiz is well known with a lot of "political junkies" in the Charlotte area. He ran for office several times, last year for the congressional seat in the 8th district where he got beaten by Larry Kissell. I'm posting this message here in hopes of reaching as many people as possible that know him and that might not have gotten an e-mail that I've sent out.
Dear friends of Mark,
You might have heard by now that Mark Ortiz was involved in a serious hit-and-run accident late last night (Tuesday November 7).
As you will probably know, Mark is an avid bicyclist and he was riding his back home at about 10 pm, on his way back from attending a meeting at UNC Charlotte.
A driver hit him from behind somewhere on Roberta Rd. in Harrisburg. The driver just drove on and left Mark laying by the side of the road.
Apparently Mark laid there unconscious for quit some time before Concord Police found him. He was immediately brought to our local hospital in Concord, where they decided that his condition was too serious for them to handle. He was then transported to the trauma unit of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
We visited Mark there today.
The good news is that Mark's life is not in danger and that he's in stable condition. The bad news is that he has a lot of fractures. We know of at least 4 broken ribs, several broken vertebrae and a broken pelvis. The road to recovery will be long. The surgeon at CMC assured us that they "will pull him through". Mark was awake and spoke to us for a while, he's very beaten up, but he seemed pretty clear minded. He was interested in the election results, so we updated him on those.
State Highway Patrol has possession of Mark's bike right now. We believe they're holding on to it for evidence purposes. The silly thing is that Mark was very concerned about the fate of his bike :-)
Mark is in the trauma intensive care unit on the 5th floor of the hospital. You can visit this unit a few times a day for half an hour at a time. Since this unit is just one big room with 10 beds in it, they only allow visits when every patient in the whole unit is in stable condition. I would also ask not to go there with a big group of people.Visiting Mark will of course get a lot easier once they move him to another room and out of the trauma unit. We will keep you posted when that happens.
If you're interested in visiting Mark, please contact me at the e-mail address below.
In the meantime I have set up an e-mail account that people can use to send your wishes to Mark: getwellmark@gmail.com
I urge anyone that knows Mark to send him a little note and we will make sure he gets all the emails in the hospital.
Finally, please forward this to anyone you think might know Mark. I don't know all his friends, so please help me out.
I will keep you up to date if anything changes in Mark's condition.
Thanks and stay safe!
Thierry Wernaers
Cabarrus County Democratic Party volunteer
Mark Ortiz ran against Larry for the primary last cycle. He has endorsed Larry, attended most fundraisers and other campaign events and has been an all-round nice guy...who just happens to live an unconventional life. He is a dedicated liberal Democrat. It would be awful for this to happen to anyone. I can't imagine someone leaving a man to die on the side of the road.
Get well, Mark.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
*************************** Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Go HERE to read a good diary with an ACTION Link. It's suggested to add any personal story you might have about someone in trouble because of predatory lending...to add emphasis.
In many ways, the Web is more effective than television advertising and direct mail, the traditional methods campaigns and independent groups have used to try to define their opponents, political analysts say. It's cheaper, and it spreads information more quickly. But so far, anyway, its potential for affecting a presidential campaign is relatively untested.
The article notes the impact of viral videos - both negative and positive - that are so easily spread on the tubes these days. Very interesting read indeed.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
I made sure to include "internet organizer/blogger" 5 hours a week in my job description for next year, just as an excuse to come back and play (not to mention kick some NC Republican butt!) Thanks for always making me feel like I never left :)
I realize that IE is somewhat skittish, and freaks out if there are too many things "happening" on the screen at the same time, but now every time I try to open the Schuler/gay discrimination diary it refuses to let me in, and even makes me go outside and come back in again (after wiping my feet).
It's time for the truth, so here we go:
"IE, we need to talk...look at me! That's better. I think I understand why you're confused and angry over this subject, and it's okay. You've been fighting this thing for too long, and it's time you accept the fact that you're gay. It doesn't matter what those other programs think, it only matters what you think. Look, take some time to think about things. I'll be here if you need to talk. And forget about that Firefox threat I made the other day. I was just in a bad mood, and I didn't really mean it."
While my boy studies in Germany, he has to have medical insurance. If he doesn't have insurance from his home country that works in Germany (pfft ... are you kidding?! Cigna don't work in Germany), he has to buy a government provided student policy. No problem. It's 60 euros a month, less than my cell phone expense, and it covers everything. But until he can handle it himself ... i.e., next semester ... that money is coming from either his dad or I. We've talked his dad into saying he'll cover that expense, but after 18 years I've learned to count on nothing coming from that side of the world unless it's backed up by a stack of papers with a Judge's signature on the last page. :-/ ... so ... at the 1:1.4 exchange rate that 60 euro student insurance policy is costing $100.
I don't know how bad the exchange rate is going to get, but it could get pretty ugly. I heard the British pound was at $2.10 or something crazy like that. Did I hear that right? argh.
Happy thoughts happy thoughts happy thoughts
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
I don't know about y'all, but I could use a little lifting up. Have some Rory. :)
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
Evidently Dole is trying to shake the Bushbot tag. This from the Winston-Salem Journal.
The 79-14 vote included 34 Republicans who defied the president, including Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina. The override was a foregone conclusion, but it still marked a milestone for a president who spent his first six years with a much friendlier Congress controlled by his Republican Party.
Another rat leaving the ship of fools? Or some staffer finally told her that Bush is really unpopular, and it might be a good idea to create some space between herself and the prez.
He voted against the Peru Free Trade agreement while others, such as Mel Watt, Bob Ethridge, and David Price all must have figured we needed to send more North Carolina jobs south of the border.
Actually, I know he only did it so Larry Kissell couldn't smack him with voting for it. Robin seems to be a bit concerned about how many days he has remaining within the Beltway.
watch it there bud. I've actually met a couple of skunks and they were much easier to get along with and a fair bit smarter than W. And they knew when to make an exit, unlike that twit from Crawford.
Kidding aside, I do hope you are right. Dole is just .... worthless ... as a senator. I can see her trumpteting this in a debate as "proof" that she didn't always vote with Bush.
Comments
Anyone want to weigh in with their thoughts on our financial
situation...what with the falling value of the dollar, the coming bank re-evaluations of level three assets, and the plunge in the market?
I'm not a student of economics, it's hard for me to relate today to past times and try to learn from history. I'm trying to figure what the economic future may look like for the guy on the street..
Thoughts?
Stan Bozarth
Wait....while I throw myself off a tower
Gee Stan....you sure do know how to make a girl feel all warm and fuzzy about the future.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Sorry Betsy..... :-)
The only warm fuzzies I've got are a nice pair of camping socks. I'm hoping some financial wizard will tell dumb me what this is likely leading to (inflation/deflation/recession/depression) and what the smart money would do.
My Dad lives with us (90) and I asked him what he recalled about the Depression. All he could say was he remembers eating a lot of oatmeal and going hunting and fishing for the meat they put on the table. He was a young teen then so he doesn't recall anything of the financial aspects..except there wasn't much work and less money..
Stan Bozarth
Sorry...duplicate
n/t
Stan Bozarth
China today
talked (unofficially) about redirecting its money to the Euro and away from the dollar. They currently hold something like $1.3 trillion in dollars. The sub-prime crisis is continuing to spread - and will soon shake the entire banking industry to its knees. Oil will hit $100 a barrel this week. And the idiot in the White House continues to spend non-existent money like a coked-up @$$hole.
...............................
I'd say the guy on the street is pretty much f*cked.
It seems that if our money is worth less then we're going to pay
more for foreign/imported goods. I understand that...don't like it...but understand.
The Fed lowering the prime doesn't do much for us...just the banks who borrow a lot of money from each other at prime. At the same time I understand the big boys who are losing their shirts in the sub=prime need cash. I had a guy call me offering 15% on a four year bond backed by an A rated company. (I'm wondering who really is getting the money). So...why aren't the CD rates going up? ...or savings rates..? if cash is tight?
I feel like somebody somewhere is pulling levers (like the Wizard of OZ) and I don't know what those levers are gonna do...or how to prepare.
Stan Bozarth
What corporate genius
decided it was such a great idea to outsource American manufacturing to China?
CNN.com
FinanciaI incest
In 1933, the Glass-Steagall Act was passed to require that the businesses of banks, securities, and insurance companies must be separated. One could not own another. Glass-Steagall was passed as a direct result of the 1929 crash.
In 1999, Gramm-Leach-Bliley was passed by Congress and signed by Clinton. Phil Gramm's bill repealed Glass Steagall's incest prohibition.
This law did not start the housing bubble, but I believe it set the stage for the credit speculation that is now crashing.
Gramm-Leach will continue to provide fuel for new forms of mischief conceived by the mind of greed.
To my knowledge. :)
Crisis = opportunity
Along with the housing slump there will be a substantial drop in value/price, not only for properties but materials as well. Be on the lookout for deals on property purchases and home improvement projects. If you need a loan, and your credit is good, the money will be there.
For other investments, take a look at mid-cap growth funds, as they're less susceptible to fluctuating dollar value and should get well over 12% returns, and maybe as much as 20+%.
If anyone knows Mark Ortiz ...
Mark Ortiz is well known with a lot of "political junkies" in the Charlotte area. He ran for office several times, last year for the congressional seat in the 8th district where he got beaten by Larry Kissell. I'm posting this message here in hopes of reaching as many people as possible that know him and that might not have gotten an e-mail that I've sent out.
Dear friends of Mark,
You might have heard by now that Mark Ortiz was involved in a serious hit-and-run accident late last night (Tuesday November 7).
As you will probably know, Mark is an avid bicyclist and he was riding his back home at about 10 pm, on his way back from attending a meeting at UNC Charlotte.
A driver hit him from behind somewhere on Roberta Rd. in Harrisburg. The driver just drove on and left Mark laying by the side of the road.
Apparently Mark laid there unconscious for quit some time before Concord Police found him. He was immediately brought to our local hospital in Concord, where they decided that his condition was too serious for them to handle. He was then transported to the trauma unit of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
We visited Mark there today.
The good news is that Mark's life is not in danger and that he's in stable condition. The bad news is that he has a lot of fractures. We know of at least 4 broken ribs, several broken vertebrae and a broken pelvis. The road to recovery will be long. The surgeon at CMC assured us that they "will pull him through". Mark was awake and spoke to us for a while, he's very beaten up, but he seemed pretty clear minded. He was interested in the election results, so we updated him on those.
State Highway Patrol has possession of Mark's bike right now. We believe they're holding on to it for evidence purposes. The silly thing is that Mark was very concerned about the fate of his bike :-)
Mark is in the trauma intensive care unit on the 5th floor of the hospital. You can visit this unit a few times a day for half an hour at a time. Since this unit is just one big room with 10 beds in it, they only allow visits when every patient in the whole unit is in stable condition. I would also ask not to go there with a big group of people.Visiting Mark will of course get a lot easier once they move him to another room and out of the trauma unit. We will keep you posted when that happens.
If you're interested in visiting Mark, please contact me at the e-mail address below.
In the meantime I have set up an e-mail account that people can use to send your wishes to Mark: getwellmark@gmail.com
I urge anyone that knows Mark to send him a little note and we will make sure he gets all the emails in the hospital.
Finally, please forward this to anyone you think might know Mark. I don't know all his friends, so please help me out.
I will keep you up to date if anything changes in Mark's condition.
Thanks and stay safe!
Thierry Wernaers
Cabarrus County Democratic Party volunteer
Left on 49
Check on Mark Dog Please!
Can you check to see who is taking care of his dog...that is important since the dog might still be in the car......
The dog is being fed...
by Mark's landlord (who's the son of a big local Democrat here).
Left on 49
Thanks for letting us now LibNC
Mark Ortiz ran against Larry for the primary last cycle. He has endorsed Larry, attended most fundraisers and other campaign events and has been an all-round nice guy...who just happens to live an unconventional life. He is a dedicated liberal Democrat. It would be awful for this to happen to anyone. I can't imagine someone leaving a man to die on the side of the road.
Get well, Mark.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Good article on Neal
in the Independent.
Brad Miller's predatory lending bill needs your support!
Go HERE to read a good diary with an ACTION Link. It's suggested to add any personal story you might have about someone in trouble because of predatory lending...to add emphasis.
Stan Bozarth
Internet and Politics
From the Washington Post
The article notes the impact of viral videos - both negative and positive - that are so easily spread on the tubes these days. Very interesting read indeed.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Meet Pat McHorny's replacement
Daniel Johnson tours the 10th tomorrow . . .
Here's the schedule.
Excuse my pimping.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Congressman Pallone is blogging mountaintop removal
Over at DKos, check it out! - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/8/164448/657
Thanks, JW...and again, it's so wonderful to see you here again
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Yay!
I made sure to include "internet organizer/blogger" 5 hours a week in my job description for next year, just as an excuse to come back and play (not to mention kick some NC Republican butt!) Thanks for always making me feel like I never left :)
Michael Eisner Disrespects His Writers
michael-eisner-calls-writers-strike-insanity
- - - - -
- - - - -
http://twitter.com/Jerimee
My Internet Explorer is homophobic
I realize that IE is somewhat skittish, and freaks out if there are too many things "happening" on the screen at the same time, but now every time I try to open the Schuler/gay discrimination diary it refuses to let me in, and even makes me go outside and come back in again (after wiping my feet).
It's time for the truth, so here we go:
"IE, we need to talk...look at me! That's better. I think I understand why you're confused and angry over this subject, and it's okay. You've been fighting this thing for too long, and it's time you accept the fact that you're gay. It doesn't matter what those other programs think, it only matters what you think. Look, take some time to think about things. I'll be here if you need to talk. And forget about that Firefox threat I made the other day. I was just in a bad mood, and I didn't really mean it."
The falling dollar hits home.
While my boy studies in Germany, he has to have medical insurance. If he doesn't have insurance from his home country that works in Germany (pfft ... are you kidding?! Cigna don't work in Germany), he has to buy a government provided student policy. No problem. It's 60 euros a month, less than my cell phone expense, and it covers everything. But until he can handle it himself ... i.e., next semester ... that money is coming from either his dad or I. We've talked his dad into saying he'll cover that expense, but after 18 years I've learned to count on nothing coming from that side of the world unless it's backed up by a stack of papers with a Judge's signature on the last page. :-/ ... so ... at the 1:1.4 exchange rate that 60 euro student insurance policy is costing $100.
I don't know how bad the exchange rate is going to get, but it could get pretty ugly. I heard the British pound was at $2.10 or something crazy like that. Did I hear that right? argh.
Happy thoughts happy thoughts happy thoughts
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
A little worse than that actually ...
One UK pound gets you $2.11. Currency converter here.
Person County Democrats
I actively oppose gerrymandering. Do you?
Frak
I don't know about y'all, but I could use a little lifting up. Have some Rory. :)
"They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people a dollar 'n a half just to see 'em. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."
Dole takes a hard turn to the left ...
Evidently Dole is trying to shake the Bushbot tag. This from the Winston-Salem Journal.
Another rat leaving the ship of fools? Or some staffer finally told her that Bush is really unpopular, and it might be a good idea to create some space between herself and the prez.
Person County Democrats
I actively oppose gerrymandering. Do you?
Gee, kinda reminds me of our friend Robin (CAFTA) Hayes.
He is such a progressive lately that I'm expecting him to show up on DKos and tell everyone how badly BushCo has screwed the US.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
Don't spend any time on this but you've got me
curious .... Can you name any examples off the top of your head??
I am just stunned to see "Hayes" and "progressive" used in the same sentence. I may need therapy.
Person County Democrats
I actively oppose gerrymandering. Do you?
Sure.
He voted against the Peru Free Trade agreement while others, such as Mel Watt, Bob Ethridge, and David Price all must have figured we needed to send more North Carolina jobs south of the border.
Actually, I know he only did it so Larry Kissell couldn't smack him with voting for it. Robin seems to be a bit concerned about how many days he has remaining within the Beltway.
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
North Carolina. Turning the South Blue!
Too late for Liddy
Once you've embraced a skunk like Bush, there's no escaping the stink, no matter how much you try to wash it off.
Hey, hey , hey
watch it there bud. I've actually met a couple of skunks and they were much easier to get along with and a fair bit smarter than W. And they knew when to make an exit, unlike that twit from Crawford.
Kidding aside, I do hope you are right. Dole is just .... worthless ... as a senator. I can see her trumpteting this in a debate as "proof" that she didn't always vote with Bush.
Person County Democrats
I actively oppose gerrymandering. Do you?