I usually object to religious symbology in a court of law, we should all stand equal before an onjective set of laws.
Unless of course, it's my religion getting the statue.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Newer, Sader, World Order
From the Cunning Realist:
Third, the implications for the future are far more troubling than this single episode. Because the government just deemed Bear, a medium-size player and non-commercial bank, as worthy of a public backstop to the tune of tens of billions, what do you think will happen if a Citi or Washington Mutual -- not too mention a Fannie -- finds itself in the same position? Fourth, in the debate about bailouts, Fed mandates etc., don't lose sight of the fundamental story: a small coterie of unelected and in many ways unaccountable statists just reached into the public till to facilitate a transaction between private parties who've made an extraordinary amount of money during the past few years (more on that soon from a personal perspective; I think many non-industry readers will be stunned).
Yes, it seems one of the many legacies of the Bush Administration is going to be the dismantling of the capitalist economy, replacing it with a guarantee system where if you make money fleecing folks great, and if you get caught, the government will bail you out.
But touch a hooker and you're toast.
Third, the implications for the future are far more troubling than this single episode. Because the government just deemed Bear, a medium-size player and non-commercial bank, as worthy of a public backstop to the tune of tens of billions, what do you think will happen if a Citi or Washington Mutual -- not too mention a Fannie -- finds itself in the same position? Fourth, in the debate about bailouts, Fed mandates etc., don't lose sight of the fundamental story: a small coterie of unelected and in many ways unaccountable statists just reached into the public till to facilitate a transaction between private parties who've made an extraordinary amount of money during the past few years (more on that soon from a personal perspective; I think many non-industry readers will be stunned).
Yes, it seems one of the many legacies of the Bush Administration is going to be the dismantling of the capitalist economy, replacing it with a guarantee system where if you make money fleecing folks great, and if you get caught, the government will bail you out.
But touch a hooker and you're toast.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I see a little silhouette of the Fed
This is currently making the rounds. It works a little too hard in places, but it's pretty good:
CDO fantasy - to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this the real price?
Is this just fantasy?
Financial landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
And look at your buys and see.
I'm now a poor boy
High-yielding casualty
Because I bought it high, watched it blow
Rating high, value low
Any way the Fed goes
Doesn't really matter to me, to me
Mama - just killed my fund
Quoted CDO's instead
Pulled the trigger, now it's dead
Mama - I had just begun
These CDO's have blown it all away
Mama - ooohI still wanna buy
I sometimes wish I'd never left Goldman at all.
I see a little silhouette of a Fed
Bernanke! Bernanke! Can you save the whole market?
Monolines and munis - very very frightening me!
Super senior, super senior
Super senior CDO -
magnifico
I'm long of subprime, nobody loves me
He's long of subprime CDO fantasy
Spare the margin call you monstrous PB!
Easy come easy go, will you let me go?
Peloton!
No - we will not let you go - let him go Peloton!
We will not let you go -let him go Peloton!
We will not let you go -
let me go
Will not let you go -
let mego (never) Never let you go -
let me go
Never let me go -
oooNo, no, no, no, no, no, no, -
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
S&P had the devil put aside for me
Forme, for me, for me
So you think you can fund me and spit in my eye?
And then margin call me and leave me to die
Oh PB - can't do this to me PB
Justgotta get out - just gotta get right outta here
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah No price really matters
No liquidity
Nothing really matters - no price really matters to me
Any way the Fed goes...
CDO fantasy - to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this the real price?
Is this just fantasy?
Financial landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
And look at your buys and see.
I'm now a poor boy
High-yielding casualty
Because I bought it high, watched it blow
Rating high, value low
Any way the Fed goes
Doesn't really matter to me, to me
Mama - just killed my fund
Quoted CDO's instead
Pulled the trigger, now it's dead
Mama - I had just begun
These CDO's have blown it all away
Mama - ooohI still wanna buy
I sometimes wish I'd never left Goldman at all.
I see a little silhouette of a Fed
Bernanke! Bernanke! Can you save the whole market?
Monolines and munis - very very frightening me!
Super senior, super senior
Super senior CDO -
magnifico
I'm long of subprime, nobody loves me
He's long of subprime CDO fantasy
Spare the margin call you monstrous PB!
Easy come easy go, will you let me go?
Peloton!
No - we will not let you go - let him go Peloton!
We will not let you go -let him go Peloton!
We will not let you go -
let me go
Will not let you go -
let mego (never) Never let you go -
let me go
Never let me go -
oooNo, no, no, no, no, no, no, -
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
S&P had the devil put aside for me
Forme, for me, for me
So you think you can fund me and spit in my eye?
And then margin call me and leave me to die
Oh PB - can't do this to me PB
Justgotta get out - just gotta get right outta here
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah No price really matters
No liquidity
Nothing really matters - no price really matters to me
Any way the Fed goes...
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Just Enough
Me; Fine, I'll send you $50
Geoff: Oh wow. $50. ho hum.
Me: $50 is a lot of money young man!
Geoff: You used to send me $50 just because it was Tuesday.
Me: hmmm.. it would buy you...32 seconds with Eliot Spitzer's hooker.
Geoff: That's just enough!
Geoff: Oh wow. $50. ho hum.
Me: $50 is a lot of money young man!
Geoff: You used to send me $50 just because it was Tuesday.
Me: hmmm.. it would buy you...
Geoff: That's just enough!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My Life is a Total Failure
As I was about to write a blistering, hard edged retort to this, a distrubing thought occured to me:
I'm 43 years old and arguing with nerds over the subtle rules differences between D&D and GURPS.
I have utterly failed the bright promise of my youth.
On the bright side, I am not living in my parents basement.
yet.
I'm 43 years old and arguing with nerds over the subtle rules differences between D&D and GURPS.
I have utterly failed the bright promise of my youth.
On the bright side, I am not living in my parents basement.
yet.
Finally, Something to Admire About the President
and I do! From Slate:
When a Houston reporter asked Bush about the difference between the Episcopal Church he was raised in and the Methodist one he began attending after he was married, he replied, "I'm sure there is some kind of heavy doctrinal difference, which I'm not sophisticated enough to explain to you." His religion has often been best described as evangelical, but in various respects it appears not to conform to the definition. Unlike most other evangelicals, Bush blithely uses profanity and as governor would play poker. He doesn't tithe. He didn't try to convert others—one of the central obligations in most evangelical denominations—even before he resumed a political career. He didn't raise his daughters in his faith. On issues that divide evangelical Christians from nonevangelical Christians—and varieties of evangelicals from each other—Bush does not need to feign ecumenical neutrality. He isn't hiding his beliefs; he simply doesn't have many of them.
I admit I didnt know this about him and I give him credit.
When a Houston reporter asked Bush about the difference between the Episcopal Church he was raised in and the Methodist one he began attending after he was married, he replied, "I'm sure there is some kind of heavy doctrinal difference, which I'm not sophisticated enough to explain to you." His religion has often been best described as evangelical, but in various respects it appears not to conform to the definition. Unlike most other evangelicals, Bush blithely uses profanity and as governor would play poker. He doesn't tithe. He didn't try to convert others—one of the central obligations in most evangelical denominations—even before he resumed a political career. He didn't raise his daughters in his faith. On issues that divide evangelical Christians from nonevangelical Christians—and varieties of evangelicals from each other—Bush does not need to feign ecumenical neutrality. He isn't hiding his beliefs; he simply doesn't have many of them.
I admit I didnt know this about him and I give him credit.
Charm School
Hillary Clinton, like many egomaniacs, blames her problems on other people, usually the press or the VRWC(tm). This comes out in not very subtle ways, like setting up the press room in the men's bathroom (and later serving lunch there).
and yet somehow people think that a McCain presidency will more resemble the current one.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
On The Hook
I stand in slack-jawed awe of this:
Prosecutors specializing in government corruption cases are leading the investigation into what authorities say was a prostitution service that charged up to $5,500 an hour ...
$5500!!
An Hour!!!
wow.
just.... wow. That's like ... hiring the entire cast of Zumanity for the night.
I am in awe of this man.
Prosecutors specializing in government corruption cases are leading the investigation into what authorities say was a prostitution service that charged up to $5,500 an hour ...
$5500!!
An Hour!!!
wow.
just.... wow. That's like ... hiring the entire cast of Zumanity for the night.
I am in awe of this man.
Not the Philosopher Jagger
Someone I know once said he thought an issue should be made of Huckabee's "ability to objectively evaluate evidence" based on his total abandonment of logic and reason in insisting on a biblical law based system of government. In that spirit:
[Huckabee]...ran into a guy he thought was Mick Jagger, but who was really his younger, less successful brother Chris Jagger, at a Miami taco stand during a stop on his campaign trail. According to politicaltabloid.com, Huckabee "couldn't believe his eyes. He approached him and said he's always loved the Rolling Stones and has almost all of their albums on vinyl," the Web site reports. "Jagger recognized him and started talking about the presidential race ... Huckabee asked Jagger if he would come to a campaign rally that night and sing with them. Jagger eagerly agreed." Later at the rally, Huckabee announced a "surprise visitor" who performed with the band. "The crowd went crazy," the site reports. Later, Huckabee was told he had been duped.
The New York Post.
In similar form, I guess the headline for the faithful on Mike would be Tough Luck, Huck Sucks. I, for one, won't miss him all that much.
[Huckabee]...ran into a guy he thought was Mick Jagger, but who was really his younger, less successful brother Chris Jagger, at a Miami taco stand during a stop on his campaign trail. According to politicaltabloid.com, Huckabee "couldn't believe his eyes. He approached him and said he's always loved the Rolling Stones and has almost all of their albums on vinyl," the Web site reports. "Jagger recognized him and started talking about the presidential race ... Huckabee asked Jagger if he would come to a campaign rally that night and sing with them. Jagger eagerly agreed." Later at the rally, Huckabee announced a "surprise visitor" who performed with the band. "The crowd went crazy," the site reports. Later, Huckabee was told he had been duped.
The New York Post.
In similar form, I guess the headline for the faithful on Mike would be Tough Luck, Huck Sucks. I, for one, won't miss him all that much.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Catholic Church Branches Out
Sin, it isn't just about you you know!
"While sin used to concern mostly the individual, today it has mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization," said Girotti, who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican body that issues decisions on matters of conscience and grants absolutions.
See what you can come up with after 2000 years of socialism?
"While sin used to concern mostly the individual, today it has mainly a social resonance, due to the phenomenon of globalization," said Girotti, who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican body that issues decisions on matters of conscience and grants absolutions.
See what you can come up with after 2000 years of socialism?
Socialists and Science
They often don't get the point, and more often, they think science works like social science or religion. Vox Day doesn't seem to get the point over at the Bad Astronomy blog, posting something worthy of any Smith undergrad with a 2.4 GPA and a head full of nonsense:
In other words, even by its own lights, science and rational materialist philosophy is only relevant to five percent of what we currently consider to be all known Creation. Combined with its complete inapplicability to abstract concepts such as justice, equality and freedom, this shows that even attempting to build a social order on a secular basis is not only doomed to failure, but is quite arguably insane.
Just because only 5% of matter in the universe is Byronic (which I still think might be wrong), doesn't mean you're free to make up your own, untestable rules for the other 95%. I would argue that the biggest problem with science these days is probably not, "its complete inapplicability to abstract concepts such as justice, equality and freedom", but that religious nutjobs get 95% of the airtime and seem unembarrassed to spout this kind of pure, 100% weapons-grade Bolognium.
In other words, even by its own lights, science and rational materialist philosophy is only relevant to five percent of what we currently consider to be all known Creation. Combined with its complete inapplicability to abstract concepts such as justice, equality and freedom, this shows that even attempting to build a social order on a secular basis is not only doomed to failure, but is quite arguably insane.
Just because only 5% of matter in the universe is Byronic (which I still think might be wrong), doesn't mean you're free to make up your own, untestable rules for the other 95%. I would argue that the biggest problem with science these days is probably not, "its complete inapplicability to abstract concepts such as justice, equality and freedom", but that religious nutjobs get 95% of the airtime and seem unembarrassed to spout this kind of pure, 100% weapons-grade Bolognium.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Puns Are Not Humor
This article in the WaPo on the world's first highwire competition:
They came from all over the world, poles in hand, and feet ready to inch more than half a mile across a high wire strung over the Han River in a spine-tingling battle of balance, speed and high anxiety.
As part of its annual city festival, the South Korean capital staged Thursday what was billed as the world's first high-wire championship, drawing 18 contestants from nine countries for three days of supreme feats of concentration.
Each acrobat must navigate the 1.2-inch-thick wire that spans the river, with the top prize of $15,000 going to the person crossing it fastest.
the title?
Skywalkers in Korea Cross Han Solo
They came from all over the world, poles in hand, and feet ready to inch more than half a mile across a high wire strung over the Han River in a spine-tingling battle of balance, speed and high anxiety.
As part of its annual city festival, the South Korean capital staged Thursday what was billed as the world's first high-wire championship, drawing 18 contestants from nine countries for three days of supreme feats of concentration.
Each acrobat must navigate the 1.2-inch-thick wire that spans the river, with the top prize of $15,000 going to the person crossing it fastest.
the title?
Skywalkers in Korea Cross Han Solo
Friday, March 07, 2008
Trapping Lightning in a Box
This is pretty cool. If I had an unused electron accelerator around, I'd... wait a minute.... I do....
Threshold
Hillary Clinton says:
“I think that since we now know Sen. (John) McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it’s imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold,” the New York senator told reporters crowded into an infant’s bedroom-sized hotel conference room in Washington.
odd. I think her only qualification for having crossed that threshold is having once fucked the commander-in-chief. If that's the threshold, shouldn't we elect Jennifer Flowers?
“I think that since we now know Sen. (John) McCain will be the nominee for the Republican Party, national security will be front and center in this election. We all know that. And I think it’s imperative that each of us be able to demonstrate we can cross the commander-in-chief threshold,” the New York senator told reporters crowded into an infant’s bedroom-sized hotel conference room in Washington.
odd. I think her only qualification for having crossed that threshold is having once fucked the commander-in-chief. If that's the threshold, shouldn't we elect Jennifer Flowers?
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