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Suz!

Word Press told me to slow down, I was posting to quickly…!

Late Late Nite pups!

hey suzanne!

Hah! That is to prevent the daily hat trick.

OK Suz where did you hide the Digg Button??

i so dislike it when i get that *shaking head*

i did a hard refresh and it was there, nahant

As I posted elsewhere, I just discovered that one dog had gone swimming in the fish pond, overturning plants and stirring the fish up (it is nearing koi spawning time in South Texas)and another dog had stolen one of my favorite down pillows and was making it “snow” all over the dog yard.

OK but you did hide it from me :>)

From Ameriablog

The Fed cut the interest rate tonight. Yes, tonight. On a Sunday night:

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said new steps announced by the central bank Sunday should help squeezed financial institutions get cash infusions– a fresh effort to provide relief to a spreading credit crisis that threatens to plunge the economy into recession.

The central bank approved a cut in its lending rate to financial institutions to 3.25 percent from 3.50 percent, effective immediately, and created another lending facility for big investment banks to secure short-term loans.

http://www.americablog.com/

The Fed did a cut on a weekend because they could not wait until their Tuesday meeting to cut rates? They couldn’t even wait until Monday?

I didn’t even get one today! Woulda been the first if WP hadn’t interfered… 8-(

pinkie swear, nahant – i did not do anything to the digg button. honest!

gnome, did you mention a longing for a cool winters day within hearing range of the dog?

nope, they’re trying to stop bank runs

like having toddlers around, constantly, ain’t it?

suppose to be a response to Gnome

Worse. Toddlers don’t sit and bark at buzzards roosting on the wire or possums hanging in the trees in the back field.

Hey Suz! Following up from my comment downstairs, Freshman Seminar discussion is via Facebook, and to respond to all the comments is almost like having my own blog.

All of my freshmen hate Bush. Whew. So at least I am free to speak on that subject. Otherwise, they are all over the map. I asked them last time what topic had been the most interesting so far: “global warming” “stem cell research” “the guy who ate his student”.

They live in a world of multitasking, video games, and movies. It HAS been an education for me!

GRRRR.

I started my day listening to Granny bitch for a half hour solid about her TV being messed up. This has been an ongoing nightmare since I got here.
At 94, thats all she is able to do mostly is watch the tube and complain, about everything.
I bailed out and went and started making my rat hole trailer less of a rat hole and getting ready to live in again.
I came home to a SERIOUS tirade, with a LIST of complaints. I finally had enough and grabbed her damn remote and went through the menu on the tv and fixed it ALL.
She must be hitting some buttons by mistake, she had that thing fucked up six ways from breakfast.
My folks are supposed to be back in two weeks. In two weeks and one fucking day I’m taking a vacation of my own!

I think it’ll only stoke the fears more, the Asian markets didn’t handle it well…!

I thought all the rate cuts they have been doing all year was suppose to stop bank runs? Instead things just get worse.

Ain’t doggies fun? Why would shaking a pillow be so important? They just get something in their minds, and it must be done…

Hey man, that fellow can honky tonk.

There is something worse than 350 pounds worth of dogs running around making my life “intersting.”

awwww here here you did right to help her. sometimes dealing with people (especially relatives) can be a wee bit of a challenge

OY! Buzzards and possums, oh my!

i love his stuff.

busted, you threw the remote through the tv?

As a teacher, I’m particularly interested in who ate a student.??? I mean I could see smacking one upside the head on rare occasion, but eating one? That’s a little over the top.

speaking of dogs, I had better box up the cake for tomorrow. She has been known to go on late night reconnaissance missions to ascertain where mommy or daddy left some goody out only to return later do devour it

I hear you.
I have the same issues with a relative in a nursing home. Constantly, it’s the remote messing up; can we come fix it/reprogram it/buy a new one?

oh busted, my best to you and your family. glad you were able to help with the TV remote.

Understatement of the day….

I’ll get my sense of humor back in a bit.
I also saw that Fed Bailout article on Bear Stearns and had a little something to say about THAT too.

yeah, and just wait until it hits london and wall street … i’m expecting a nasty day all around

AHH, a fellow sufferer!
That was the big deal today, Gotta go buy a new one. GRRRRRRR>

Oh, Busted. Poor granny needs her remote. It’s the only thing she still controls. Good for you and have a great vacation.

no, the rate cuts were to stimulate the economy and keep it from going into recession … it was a but more generic than directly with the credit crisis and any financial institution problems. they usually handle bank failures under the table if they can

It’s fixed, she’s happy, I will be.
Back to anything more interesting please
I just needed to ventilate a bit.
It’s good now.

My dad’s wife left the plate of fudge and Christmas cookies and candies on the table before bed. The beagle cleared the whole thing, and was found asleep and miserable ON THE TABLE the next morning.

Weird question. It’s cool here tonight. Texteen wants me to turn on the AC, but I said NO and opened window instead. Window is only a foot from the ground, and now he’s afraid that a neighborhood cat, wandering dog, or a deer (yikes!) will come through the open window. Crazy fear, yes? Or should I close the window?

Planning to close it when he falls asleep and before I do.

Suggestion to help save the economy if Bush is serious.
1) end the war
a)just think of how many banks that you can bailout with that money!
b)Just think of the size of your friends Golden Parachutes
c) think about your own financial situation Bushie! Do you really want to shop for your own groceries with the common people?
d)WallStreet will appreciate that when push came to shove that you put The Stock Market first…before your own war. WallStreet will Really Appreciate it ya know what I mean (wink).
e)Kudlow on the business channel will say that you are a Greater President than Reagen!
f) What more can a Republican ask for than that!

poor pup!

very nice!

DUGG……I waited!!

Tuesday should prove interesting too, Lehman, Citi, and JP Morgan are reporting 1st Q’s profits…

My mother is going through something similar with her godmother who is also suffering from senility and is paranoid.

Last time I talked to her she was telling me how there were people (gay men) living in her attic. I innocently asked how did she know they were gay men and she said they had been trying on her panties. I should have known better but I asked anyway (how did she know they were trying on her panties) and she said, matter of factly, that her underwear had holes in them from the men sticking their winkies through. (In reality her underwear was just old as hell and she desperately needed a few new pairs)

Oh they did just that alright, 200 Billion’s worth. They got a freebie twofer with Spitzer while they were at it.
Go read Greg Palast’s article if you want to see all that and a vivid lesson on why Chimpy is so desperate to get his immunity deal.

well, fed just extended discount window borrowing time …that should help them a bit

Fresh air from an open window is the best.

My wife’s daschhund once ate a pound of Valentine’s candy with no ill effects. I have no explanation.

Thanks :)

lmao that is terrible but funny at the same time (oh, the visual). My dog has eaten 3/4 of a pizza that we didn’t finish because we were too drunk to put the box in the fridge. talk about bloated the next day

I need an emoticon for stifling a guffaw!

my guess is he has a nice hacienda witing for him with the rest of the fascists in argentina

Suz, you got my email from this morning?

Sure, let’s throw more good money after the bad… 8-(

is the window screened?

That is just too funny! Winkies!!!

A guffaw?! I am ROFL just imagining the conversation.

screen came out when cassie moved out. i think they moved a few things that way rather than through the living room and front door. i didn’t realize it was still out until just now.

i thought i had responded…. was a rough night/morning/day

Imagine trying to keep a steady voice after she said that. I had to put the phone on mute a few times because I could barely breathe.

I can understand his fear, but I would have thought that it was burglars or rapists that he would have heard about on TV. Not wildlife. But then again the boy was born in NY. *g*

LooHoo!

I can’t find the link to the story. But it was about a teacher who had been released from a mental institution, having canibilised a student some years before. I got no idea how the student found the link.

But, it was in response to a YouTube that I sent to my students right after the first or second class meeting. Jane posted the YouTube as part of an FDL post. I came home and saw the YouTube, just after teaching my class, and told then “SEE, science is everywhere. Can you detect the scientific content in this YouTube?”

re: Your Brains
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjMiDZIY1bM

Some students did want to know WHERE and HOW I found that YouTube!!!!

Anyone who has read my comments knows how much respect I have for ace NYT reporter Michael Gordon. Well, he has another signature piece of idiocy out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03…..ref=slogin

In this one, Gordon engages in revisionist history blaming Paul Bremer for the disbanding of the Iraqi army. Of course, Bremer did sign the order but by putting all the responibility on Bremer he is taking it all off Bush and Rumsfeld. Who are some of his sources? Well one is the ever serious and trustworthy Doug Feith. OK, stop laughing. What makes this whole exercise even more improbable is that Gordon does it without a single mention of Dick Cheney, Ahmed Chalabi, or Paul Wolfowitz but such lapses can be excused I suppose when one is writing fiction.

Monday the question that everyone on WallStreet will ask is who is next?. After Morgan buys Bears at $2 a share there will be a run on the Banks, HedgeFunds, Mortgage companies, Home builders.
Now who am I leaving out?
On the other hand Gold, Silver, Payday loan companies and Pawnshops should do great.

WassamatterU?
not sleeping still?
Or did you punch another wall?

LOL.

She is sweet as pie and a firecracker but talking to her is to be in an alternate reality and requires a nap afterwards

I’m packing it in early tonite, I shall bid ya’ll a fond adieu! Aloha Oe!!!

Is Gorgon getting White House Emails from Darth? This sounds like what Darth is going to say at his defense at a war crimes trial.

Good Night!

UH OH, it’s tto quiet all of a sudden.
Suzanne must be setting the glare from stun to fry.

Texteen has a brown belt in karate. He’s not afraid of burglars and rapists. Just doesn’t want animals in his room.

3 maybe 4 hours last nite
no hand is still sore but no longer swollen nor bruised

‘night, CTuttle.

sleep well ct

You don’t need to respond. You can just forward it to your friend. I’ll bet she’s in a real panic right now.

Actually it’s Paraguay this time, not Argentina. Or did you think you were kidding? That happens to me all the time these days. Parody, it seems, is no longer possible.

(I’m just here on a quick drive-by, digging out from a vacation that The Sweetie and I picked one hell of a week to take.)

I’ll have to read that later but why am I just not surprised?

boa noite, CTuttle

Hello All,

Just a drive-by.

Hello TexBetsy,

Let me just say that I have to leave a window open when one of my cats goes out, the other is an indoor cat, and for two weeks another neighbourhood cat has been attempting to come in. Both my cats are livid and chase him away, but neighbourhood cats can certainly try to make themselves to home. I would keep a watch on the window.

aloha ct

Hello, Busted. What’s this trailer thing?

Suzanne,
N-Y-Q-U-I-L.

Lights out, guaranteed.

i did forward it to her – have not heard back from her – but yeah, she’s only got her stocks and social security and is quite upset (as of friday)

Good evening Heather.
Nice to see you in Late Late Nite!

Is Gorgon getting White House Emails from Darth? This sounds like what Darth is going to say at his defense at a war crimes trial.

Gordon actually had the chutzpah to bring up Jay Garner’s proposal to keep the Iraqi army intact as evidence that this was the Administration position before Bremer led them astray. Of course, what he doesn’t explain is why if they thought Garner’s idea was so great they fired him.

nope doesn’t do that to me

its not like i did not want to sleep – i wanted to – but i was cleaning after i left here last night – there was a big c21 open house heavily advertised and promoted – my house was one of those featured (balloons and the whole bit on the signs) here this afternoon. not one person showed up.

then the power went out.

My rat hole?
I bought a 26 ft Travel Trailer to live in, got rid of that leaky, small motor home.
Been working on it since about September, with a three month off period since the day after Christmas to house sit for my folks while they traipse about somewhere in AZ.

In a White House famous for having Everybody reading off the same page Bremer did his own thing on something as important as Iraq?
And Bush lets leak the name of a CIA agent to the press because her husband displeases me, just let this happen with No repercussions?
Hmm is Gordon the new Judy Miller cause it does not seem like he has an editor?

Yes. I remember knowing everything from about 15-20!

…and a “good night, all” from me as well. A bedtime story, in the form of the creepiest song ever:

Swamp Witch.

Hey Newton :)

It’s great to see you too :)

Hoo boy, here it comes: Gulf central banks urged to sever links with tumbling US dollar

Didn’t Ted Stevens just bring a bill to switch ANWR oil drilling on when oil hits $125/bbl?

g’nite rond

link doesn’t work hmmm

I wiil be so happy when you finally sell that damn thing. The power constantly going out alone would have me in kill mode.

boa noite, RonD

I love it when Hugh parses Gordon..)

Hi Suzanne. Link works for me, but here it is raw: http://business.timesonline.co…..564014.ece

dood, if and when this blasted place ever sells, i’m gonna have one hella party on late late nite.

Oh, Suz. What a mofo.

Valley Girl,
It’s true, I’m Trailer Trash.
LMAO.

It’s mine and it’s paid for.

Oil hits record over $111 a barrel as dollar slumps (Reuters)
from Yahoo! News

Sorry about your bad day, Suzanne.

Busted- Even tho you might not agree, I think there is something to be said for living in a small space, with only the necessities. Very elegant, in some ways, tho you might not agree…

worked fine that time, thanks

Hmm is Gordon the new Judy Miller cause it does not seem like he has an editor?

In fact, Gordon is the old Judy Miller. He co-wrote some of her most notorious Saddam has WMD and we are all going to die stories in the run up to the Iraq war. Unlike her, he has continued to expel bilge, notably in hyping the Iran threat in Iraq and in his hagiography of David Petraeus.

A lot to be said for owning your place, busted.

i plan on sleeping tomorrow until well after noon. :)

I love it when Hugh parses Gordon..)

Always aim to please. His sycophancy grates on my last nerve.

And why does the NYT keep him on?

Yes. I remember knowing everything from about 15-20!

Oh, ain’t that the truth!!!

“Pressure is mounting on central banks in the Gulf to fight surging inflation when they meet on Wednesday by severing the link between their currencies and the tumbling US dollar.

Officials in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have denied rumours of an imminent decoupling, but investors are betting on reform and are rushing to buy local currencies as investment banks issue fresh calls for revaluation.

Analysts said that, despite the momentum, the Gulf states were unlikely to decouple suddenly from the dollar. They predicted more measured moves towards links to a basket of currencies.”

The Fed meets on Tuesday so if the Fed cuts enough to save the banks the Arabs will stop linking their currency and likely the price of oil to the dollar.
Which will cause a rise in the price of oil.

http://business.timesonline.co…..564014.ece

Yeah, especially right now. Guess who holds the note on the Gnome House? Good ol’ Countrywide. Fortunately, but unintentionally, we downsized awhile back. It’s my credit cards I wonder about. What happens when we all stop payin’ ‘em?

Every time I read the name Paul Bremer, I immediately think of his mentor Kissinger.

Hmm is Gordon the new Judy Miller cause it does not seem like he has an editor?

In fact, Gordon is the old Judy Miller. He co-wrote some of her most notorious Saddam has WMD and we are all going to die stories in the run up to the Iraq war. Unlike her, he has continued to expel bilge, notably in hyping the Iran threat in Iraq and in his hagiography of David Petraeus.

You make him sound like the Dark Left hand of Darth at the Times.

It was ccompletely full of some ladies things when I got it. COMPLETELY. FULL.
Floor to ceiling, end to end. It took seven truckloads to empty it out!
Now I am in the process of getting rid of all my extra crap, several truckloads too. Pretty quick it will be as you describe.
It’s just me and the cat.
Starting over from scratch again at 48.
It does beat the hell out of living in a van like I did for a couple of weeks two years ago.
I could rent a place but I can’t stand apartments and I would just as soon do this, no one can throw me out of my own trailer, they can just make me move my house somewhere else!

The Timesonline article will go up in the news box next. thanks

I like apartment living Busted. Like knowing my neighbors. Like being able to get things fixed just by picking up the phone. Like having someone else responsible for cutting the grass.

I am too loud, too crazy and have been known to work on my cars at two AM.

i like non-apartment living because i can do what i want when i want how i want. well, i did until my lovely real estate agent entered my life

But to each their own honey. *G*

OK. shut the window. no critters wandering around the apt.

And why does the NYT keep him on?

The Executive Editor Bill Keller is a neocon and was a cheerleader of the Iraq war from the beginning. Judy Miller was too in bed, so to speak, with the Bush Administration but Gordon strikes for Keller at least exactly the right note as a shill.

…been known to work on my cars at two AM.

No better time, busted.

time for him to be sleeping anyway

2am is the best time to blare the stereo when a kick ass song comes on

I’m the neighbor from Hell..

LOL

My pleasure.

BTW USD hits 13 year low against the Yen, all-time low against the Euro. Yowch.

boa noite, pups
off to read a few chapters before hitting the sack

Yeah, we adore our alternative lifestyle here. Sacrificed wages and my career to have an independent way of living.
Kind of miss my career, but wouldn’t trade this life for the world.

g’nite wobbly

Right on.

BTW USD hits 13 year low against the Yen, all-time low against the Euro. Yowch.

Ya know you get people running things who can’t do simple addition and the economy goes to hell. There’s just no explaining it. How could this happen?

Yeah, I’m going to hit it too, I have to go to That place again in the morning.
I better not have another week like last week, somebody ain’t gonna like me if I do.

Gnite Firedogs.
Nite Suzy.

nite busted

g’nite busted

Busted, I think you have the pioneer spirit. Really, I do think that there is something very admirable and sane about being able to live in a small space- really forces one to make close choices and come up with clever solutions. I would probably be really bad at it, but I have certainly entertained the notion over the years.

putting a quarter in the jukebox

;)

busted- Oh, so glad I didn’t miss you on the way to bed. NIte!

Night Wobbly, Busted

sleep well tired ones. i am here a bit longer. gonna sleep all day tomorrow no matter how much or little i get tonight.

Well, I couldn’t sleep, so in honor of Bustednuckles, the neighbor from Hell, the DJ has this:

Cowboys from Hell

Your handle is perfect for what’s going on with our economy. It’s COMING UNDONE! Tomorrow is going to be ugly! Asia markets and the dollar are tanking. So “we” feel the desperation to announce a rate cut on a Sunday, but then it’s only .25 points, when most reports I read said it would be .75 or even a whole point. Yet the business times article notes that too much lowering will lead to Gulf decoupling. Screwed either way.

I know that the rush on banks during in the 1929 panic didn’t help anyone, but I keep thinking I should just sell everything, take it with me to France, and put it in euros. Can anyone tell me the downside?

Spitzer not only took on Countrywide, he took on their predatory enablers in the investment banking community. Behind Countrywide was the Mother Shark, its funder and now owner, Bank of America. Others joined the sharkfest: Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and Citigroup’s Citibank made mortgage usury their major profit centers. They did this through a bit of financial legerdemain called “securitization.”

What that means is that they took a bunch of junk mortgages, like the Grinning’s, loans about to go down the toilet and re-packaged them into “tranches” of bonds which were stamped “AAA” – top grade – by bond rating agencies. These gold-painted turds were sold as sparkling safe investments to US school district pension funds and town governments in Finland (really).

http://www.gregpalast.com/elli…..ts-nailed/

This is what I like about being here I get news that I need that is not on the Main Stream Media its like being a member of a secret insiders club with Access and Clout.
Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Citigroup see right there a list of banks that profited the most from subprime loans and more importantly who should then be the most vulnerable now.
Do you think Kudlow or any MSM talking head is going to tell you who not to buy? Who to watch out for if a company you want to buy has any connection to these firms.
If I shorted stocks these companies would be on my list. Except that I’m sure Bush will bailout some of them.

in the news box now

OT: very cool free music listening site: http://www.deezer.com/

Gold, Silver, Pawnshops and paydayloan companies should do good now. However I’ve been thinking of going to France myself and I suck at learning new languages.
On the other hand the watching Ben and Bush spin should be interesting.

Hugh,
This is exactly why I no longer linger over the Sunday NY Times like a sweet retreat. Fuck Them. Fuck Tim Russert, another Sunday staple until I was educated that he, too, was a shill. Not just me, my parents came over every Sunday before and directly after the war started, to have coffee and watch the ” Political Shows “.We were all protesting against the oncoming war. We actually trusted that prick to be giving us real information.
We are not going to financially support these assholes anymore.
As much as I hate to see The Gray Lady groan under the weight of her liaisons, such is fate. Fuck the NYT.
I’m a fatalist, so I can envision a time when the Internet is cut off. I assume that’s what our countryman Bill Gates is working on with China. Does anyone reading this know that the key people at Microsoft are required to donate to the Republican Party ?

Can you sell everything for enough to move to France? Will France be able to accept all of the American expats? This must be a good time to do something financially here…but what?

“Gold, Silver, Pawnshops and paydayloan companies should do good now”…and oil.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..oil_prices

Does anyone reading this know that the key people at Microsoft are required to donate to the Republican Party ?

Link, please?

from BBC News:

Last Updated: Monday, 17 March 2008, 05:50 GMT
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Cheney in surprise Baghdad visit

Dick Cheney is on a 10-day tour of the Middle East
US Vice President Dick Cheney has arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad for an unannounced visit, on the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion.

Mr Cheney was expected to meet the top US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, and the US ambassador to the country, Ryan Crocker.

He is also expected to hold talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and other Iraqi political figures.

The visit came as Mr Cheney began a 10-day tour of the Middle East.

He is due to hold talks with leaders in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Turkey.

Oman had been scheduled to be the first stop on Mr Cheney’s tour, but on Sunday night he left the vice presidential plane Air Force Two in England and boarded a C-17 flight to the Iraqi capital.

Mr Cheney landed at Baghdad International Airport, before flying by helicopter to the Green Zone for talks with Iraqi leaders and US officials.

Can anyone tell me the downside?

none, AFAIK..

No, I didn’t know that. Got linky? The NYT still has some good editorials, but without names/authors. I love Gail Collins, too. She puts words together like no other.

Do ya speak French?

Just to be clear, I’m nowhere near retirement, but I’m already going to France (in July) for a year. Have already traded half my savings into euros with the rest being transferred after we know our tax situation for 07.

It’s more about the long-term stuff we own, like our house, and our retirement funds. Why watch these funds lose 50% of their value over the next year like they did in 2001? Why not take the 10% early withdrawal hit and just go now before the bottom drops out? This is a rational question, no? Reading Ian’s post last night was so informative, but so depressing – we are a house of cards set to collapse. I don’t see how we avoid it…

Oh dear – have epu’s downstairs for Teddy, Wini & Suz # 223 and 224 – :~(

Had lovely distraction – a herd of deer stopped all traffic on Ocean Ave moseying on down the middle of the road. Quite a sight & sound and no doubt planning a raid on village window boxes in first spring bloom.

Wish I could. You’ll just have to consider my words on this one.
A relative through marriage, an incredibly intelligent, human database kind of computer person has to pay a donation to the Republican Party. It’s been going on for years.

hey npb

waving to npb across monterey bay

I absolutely agree that this is crisis time. Feels to me like it’s too late to take the money out of retirement accounts now, though. I am nearing retirement, and look at those monies as not to be touched for 10-15 years. They say that the people who kept their money in the stock market during the great depression actually did well afterwards. We’ll see, I certainly claim no expertise. I’m into Central America.

So John what if anything did you accomplish in the middle east… besides a photo OP of you not going to market in Iraq with a bullet proof vest a 100 troops and how many helicopters protecting you?
Because now after the Surge its to dangerous?

Is Cheney going to walk through the marketplace wearing a flak jacket, and buy some nice rugs to take home? (surrounded by 500 American troops, with helicopters overhead) and then tell us how safe Baghdad is and that The Surge Is Working?

I’m learning. Believe me, it’s tough with this 40+ year old brain and it’s deeply entrenched neural pathways, but I’m trying. Full immersion will hopefully do the trick. My wife speaks it well, and my daughter will be going to french public school so her skills will leave my in the dust I’m sure. My only real goal for the year is to be conversational in french. We’ll see.

Maybe FDL needs a foreign correspondent…

Hi TexBets and Suzanne! Have been missing all you late niters and good to welcome Wini’s delurking/arrival.

time for me to get some sleep. night all.

Interesting, ThingsComeUndone. I wrote and posted my No. 166 before reading your No. 165…

‘night, TexBetsy. Best wishes tomorrow.

gee, mccain is in bagdad. just posted in the news box.

pain free sleep wishes tex and let me know how tomorrow goes please

Is anyone scared to death about the economy?

There are times I’m almost paralyzed with fear.

It’s keeping me awake some nights. I’m using a lot of OTC sleep aids these days.

I can’t convince the SO to invest in a camper but I think we’re all gonna be in tent cities sooner than later.

God I hate feeling this way.

Rent the house out you can sell later at a better rate. Also what are your retirement funds invested in Hedge funds, bank stocks then yes sell now! But can’t you keep your money in your fund and invest in Europe.
I got Vestas a wind company from Denmark, and Solar World a German company in my IRA already I only lose money when I sell and the value of the dollar goes down after I sell.
Still I like France just not their new leader, he seems Bush like.

Wow! That sounds wonderful, except for the windowbox part. I see coyotes, but no deer. They do live several miles northeast of here though, on the reservation. I expect they are a smaller deer, though.

Great minds given similar sets of data can only come to similar conclusions the TRUTH.

thanks suz and ron D. i’ll be here on and off tomorrow afternoon/eve. don’t promise to be coherent.

You’ll do fine and haven’t a doubt you’ll achieve conversational French in less than a year. ;~) Am too jealous for words.

token loves deer… he tries to run up to them and rub noses… scared the pants off me when he got between mama deer and her babies last year, tail waggin in that ‘hi i’m cute lets be friends’ way

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody!

Anybody got any green beer?

Thing is, there are lots of good things that come with financial collapse, a real sense of community for one and people finally put their egos in their back pockets and become real. Adventures happen.
Yes, I would cash out, immediately. All indications are of a major crash, in slow motion but complete nonetheless. Many astrologers talk of different times, times we have never seen before.
Stop losing sleep, Surrender and let go to the inevitable. Live for now, every moment.
Love is all there is.

It’s very scary, ThatGuy. But the mortgage companies can’t take everyone’s home. I don’t blame people from walking away from mortgages now, though. It used to be the worst to claim bankruptcy, but it’s become okay these days. Sad, but true. Are you way upside down on your mortgage?

from the wa poo article about cheney and bush mccain both being in bagdad:

Cheney and McCain are not expected to cross paths.

edited to fix typo

hey spidey

I’m a renter – no mortgage. I’m just talking about keeping our jobs. But if I had a pickup with a full camper, at least I’d have a roof, a bed and a place to cook.

I often wonder how many people in their 50s when the Great depression hit, just gave up, everything they’d worked for their whole lives was gone.

I am afraid I will be one of those people.

you mean cheney and mcbush?

FORK.. yes, cheney and mcboosh… fork, i’m tired

I blew a fuse tonight and changed it all by myself…yes, this rat hole still has a fuse box….busted should come here if he wants to see a rat hole : 0

-going to try this again.
Goodnight, all. The best of all possible tomorrows to you all.
Especially you, TexB.

nite RonD

thatguy, don’t be attracting that kind of energy to yourself…see your future as the person who DOES have the camper with all the equipment and enough friends who will let you park on their land.

g’nite rond (again)

Yes be here now.
Unfortunately, we face potential famine. It would be a good thing for gardeners to take a risk and grow vegetables in “landscape challenged ” areas. Try growing heirloom vining squash up your fruit trees. Or the cool runner beans with beautiful flowers. Bring back the Victory Gardens of WWII.
Time to think outside the box.

The only predators our deer herds have are occasional mtn lions and stupid drivers – happily less so with decline of tourists and rising gas prices. I love living in a urban forest though our little village population continues to plummet and at least 50% of home owners actually live out of town and/or out of state.

half the places in the compound here are second homes and half are full time residents.

drivers are the #1 hazard for deer up here

i don’t understand how you can have rats when you have cats.

Just remember that the end of this republican clusterf*ck is about over. Don’t forget that this is America, and we can work together for the common good. I wouldn’t totally freak. It’s scary, but we are educated, we are productive, and we don’t mind hard work. We’ll get through this.

we are all survivors in a long line of survivors. its not going to be pretty but we will (gee, i feel like singing gloria gaynor now)

(((((((LOOHOO))))))

Lovely buck up buckaroo comment! Sure worked for me.

Would you, please? *g*

Now, that’s a teacher.

hell no, i like you guys.

Imagine that you are a WallStreet Broker and went to bed early to get up early for work on Monday and what do you find?
. Bear Stearns has lost 93 percent of its value compared to its closing stock price on Friday!
Everyone on WallStreet will be wondering who is next a Bank a Hedge fund who? Nobody on the Street will believe Helicopter Ben when he says that the problem is contained.
The Fed has just cut interest rates .25% on a Sunday while you were asleep. God knows how much they will cut on Monday if the market tanks.
Arab oil producing countries are meeting on Wednesday to talk about not pegging their currencies and oil to the dollar.
Because Helicopter Ben’s rate cuts are causing inflation and cutting into the buying power of Arab Shieks and even more importantly…Al Quieda. I’m sure Osama is in a cave somewhere complaining about how the drop in the U.S Dollar is making it hard for terrorists paid in dollars by the Saudis.
Oh and Bush is still upbeat about the economy!
Forget jumping off buildings I see WallStreet abusing some Fourth amendment rights.

Cats can’t get into the attic or the garage. or in the back yard. They are confined to the house and the front yard to avoid their killing birds. There is no stairway to the attic, I use my fruit tree ladder to get up there.
They catch an occasional rat in the front yard but that hardly makes a dent. And they are all over 15. Mostly they sleep.
Everyone says use poison but that goes right into the food chain. So I don’t.

dang. thanks for explaining it spidey. i’ve been trying to wrap my brain around that one for some time.

…anybody got a birthday today?

Just remember that we will be suffering the results of this Republican clusterfuck for years and years to come.

And don’t forget, starting next year it is ALL THE DEMS FAULT!!!!

not a birthday but i did start my wee blog this day in 2006

Aren’t the Dems the new repugs anyway? They vote like ‘em.

A cat door to the garage might help. Plus you might be able to rig a ramp so your cats can get to the attic some cat lovers have all kinds of cat centric home designs.

Happy BlogDay Suz!

James Madison?

whole other set of issues with the cats in the garage like spraying mr paws’s amps but I would like to put them in the attic. these rats are big, how well can a 16 year old cat tackle a big rat?

maybe st patrick

Geez, is it really James Madison’s birthday ?
And did you think you would be clued into that date 8 years ago ?!

Just had my b’day on 2/28 spiderpaws and beginning to understand why some fudge on their age. ;~)

Nobody takes the Baghdad airport road anymore, have you noticed?

thanks newton. 2 whole years and i’ve not crashed the internets yet (but not for a lack of trying – took me a solid month to figure out how to link)

tic toc, teddy, tic toc (wink)

npb…mental illumination

As bad as the news is today tomorrow should be worse and Wednesday after the Fed meeting might over load FDL.

I think it depends on what the democrats start saying and DOING. I don’t for the life of me understand why they don’t just say we can no longer afford the war in Iraq. I understand that we still need oil, but if America figures out using a whole lot less, what are the oil producing countries to do?

Just off the top of my head, I don’t know why I drive to work instead of working at a school I could walk to…there needs to be some organization and common sense.

Here’s how it worked: The Grinning Family, with US average household income, gets a $200,000 mortgage at 4% for two years. Their $955 monthly payment is 25% of their income. No problem. Their banker promises them a new mortgage, again at the cheap rate, in two years. But in two years, the promise ain’t worth a can of spam and the Grinnings are told to scram – because their house is now worth less than the mortgage. Now, the mortgage hits 9% or $1,609 plus fees to recover the “discount” they had for two years. Suddenly, payments equal 42% to 50% of pre-tax income. The Grinnings move into their Toyota.

Now, what kind of American is ‘sub-prime.’ Guess. No peeking. Here’s a hint: 73% of HIGH INCOME Black and Hispanic borrowers were given sub-prime loans versus 17% of similar-income Whites. Dark-skinned borrowers aren’t stupid – they had no choice. They were ‘steered’ as it’s called in the mortgage sharking business.

‘Steering,’ sub-prime loans with usurious kickers, fake inducements to over-borrow, called ‘fraudulent conveyance’ or ‘predatory lending’ under US law, were almost completely forbidden in the olden days (Clinton Administration and earlier) by federal regulators and state laws as nothing more than fancy loan-sharking.

But when the Bush regime took over, Countrywide and its banking brethren were told to party hearty – it was OK now to steer’m, fake’m, charge’m and take’m.

But there was this annoying party-pooper. The Attorney General of New York, Eliot Spitzer, who sued these guys to a fare-thee-well. Or tried to.

Instead of regulating the banks that had run amok, Bush’s regulators went on the warpath against Spitzer and states attempting to stop predatory practices. Making an unprecedented use of the legal power of “federal pre-emption,” Bush-bots ordered the states to NOT enforce their consumer protection laws.

Indeed, the feds actually filed a lawsuit to block Spitzer’s investigation of ugly racial mortgage steering. Bush’s banking buddies were especially steamed that Spitzer hammered bank practices across the nation using New York State laws.

http://www.gregpalast.com/elli…..ts-nailed/

Wow, can you imagine how distracted our warfighters must be with both those two warmongers in-country? I hope nothing goes wrong for our brave fighting men and women, I really do. That level of dignitary one at a time can seriously screw things up, let alone two.

ding ding ding

My cat Frances is a great tree rat huntress but they are not huge as you describe your rat critters- more like chubby mice with rather longer tails.

yeap. i still think cheney is meeting with other us official includes mcsame

The Gulf banks won’t decouple from the dollar while Cheney’s over there. Maybe that’s why he went. Maybe he’ll have to stay.

” Now, what kind of American is ‘sub-prime.’ Guess. No peeking. Here’s a hint: 73% of HIGH INCOME Black and Hispanic borrowers were given sub-prime loans versus 17% of similar-income Whites. Dark-skinned borrowers aren’t stupid – they had no choice. They were ‘steered’ as it’s called in the mortgage sharking business.”

If we make a sustained stink about racist, higher loans given to dark skinned Americans it will be politically impossible in a Presidential election year for Helicopter Ben to save his precious banks.

Sure Saudia Arabia gave Idi Amin refuge

Back for another quick drive-by. Realized I don’t understand something. That $30BB — is it an actual payment that’s currently due from the US Treasury to BearStearns or Morgan/Citi? Or is it more of a guarantee that the USG agreed to pay in the event that certain conditions (”unwinding” claims/demands?) arise? And if the BearStearns 10k filing said that the total possible liabilities on these instruments actually runs to $13T, what good does the measly $30BB USG figure do against that?

Will they keep him? They can have him for free, far as I’m concerned.

I think he’s over there to stir up trouble for Iran

“Maybe that’s why” Cheney “he went. Maybe he’ll have to stay.”

Works for me – especially if the Decider in Chief ollows him sooner then later.

Teddy, where are you seeing that both monsters are there? Going to check NYT…

to try to get israel to do what he wants done and then the us can come to the aid of its allie if iran retaliates?

“‘Steering,’ sub-prime loans with usurious kickers, fake inducements to over-borrow, called ‘fraudulent conveyance’ or ‘predatory lending’ under US law, were almost completely forbidden in the olden days (Clinton Administration and earlier) by federal regulators and state laws as nothing more than fancy loan-sharking.

But when the Bush regime took over, Countrywide and its banking brethren were told to party hearty – it was OK now to steer’m, fake’m, charge’m and take’m.”

We need Democrats to run against Bush Era banking because it DOES NOT WORK.
Helicopter Ben and Bush do not care about homeowners Bush is still trying to blame this mess on them and not the banks. But every rate cut that devalues the Dollar, every bailout only helps the rich EHEN PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES!
But Bush can still find money for Iraq.
Voter anger by November should be enough that we could have FDR the second coming! If only we had Dems with Stones.

So crash the world economy as a distraction for Iran war preparations, is the theory?

loohoo, check the front page of the lake – i’ve got both articles posted

posted in the news box.. sorry

i would not put much past darth cheney

Krugman:

Last week, Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary, and John Lipsky, a top official at the International Monetary Fund, both suggested that public funds might be needed to rescue the U.S. financial system. Mr. Lipsky insisted that he wasn’t talking about a bailout. But he was.

The unthinkable is about to happen.

Thanks all for such splendid late late nite company & especially SUZ. Hugs all around. zzzzzzzzz

Sweet (as possible) dreams NPB.

hugs back atcha npb. sleep well

Sure another war is just what the NeoCons think they need to make Bush popular again. But where is Karl? even his *cough* “math” should be telling him that if he attacks Iran now the counter reaction on the left er 70% majority will cause a huge backlash.
Just how deep though is the Bush bubble from reality that anyone would think that this is a good idea?

public funds and the US Financial System are the same thing, aren’t they?

They are not suppose to be.

very deep and that has been cheney’s goal since day one – back in the Nixon day

i thought they were the same. what’s the difference?

It’s a tragedy we have a bunch of morons running the finances…even I could do better and that is not saying much.

Bush and Helicopter Ben have failed everything they have tried has made things worse. We need to go Left end the war and rebuild America only then will Bush’s precious market recover.
Just like the high tax rates, GI bill, push to build out nation’s highways after WW2 gave us our best economic growth ever!

bush has failed at everything he has done. the only thing he has ever done successfully is get elected and that involved a the end justifies the means attitude and at least one questionable result.

ok pups, that’s it for me. time for me to drag my tired self offline for some pillowtime. thanks for hanging with me tonight.

Boy, am I glad we’re no longer in the stock market like we were in the nineties. And that my wife’s pension is tied into a small (population-wise) state with a $7 billion dollar surplus coming this year.

But that doesn’t help my feelings about how incredibly wrong this whole Bush era has been for everything and everyone. Even a lot of the fucking sleazebag financiers who supported every goddam thing Bush has done are going to go down in flames this coming week, which should make me feel good. But it doesn’t.

nite suzanne
tough day. sleep well

nite, suz…

I DO show up late late, don’t I?

On the $30B, your second roughly does it. It’s a committment to non-recourse financing by the Fed, should JPMC need it while unwinding BS liabilities. Non-recourse, of course, means that Fed will not pursue JPMC for payment, though most seem to think it’ll be repaid unless JPMC themselves go belly-up.

The $13-15T figure [shudder] I think represents the fully played-out value of BS contingent payment committments. So, they’re not real in the sense that BS would never have to pay them all out at once unless every state of the world showed up simultaneously or something. But they are real in the sense that the counterparties that carry the other side of the committments on their books would all start to releverage, revalue, whatever, in accord with what they figure a result of a BS bankruptcy would be. The thought of that is what has apparently prompted this exercise. It’s hard to see how we won’t have a few more of these to get through over the next months or more.

Night, Suz. Sleep well.

I know what you mean, ET. My retirement pension has always felt safe, but who knows?

i thought they were the same. what’s the difference?

The U.S financial system is private and only regulated by the Fed. Companies should stand or fall on their own, unless Bush wants Socialism.
Taxpayer money should not be used to bailout business. Especially not by accepting mortgage loans at pre subprime crisis levels as collateral for U.S T-bills. That is just a way to lose the taxpayers money and lower the value of the Dollar.
But if Bush wants to keep bailing out these companies then at some point these companies become Nationalized, the U.S government will own them once they buy enough of the companies 51% and the companies can’t pay their loans.
Ford Motor Company mortgaged everything to the banks even the rights to its own name. Chrysler was taken private by hedgefunds who borrowed money from banks. ClearChannel is still trying to be bought by Bain Capitol if the economy goes down.
Well then if the companies can’t pay the banks and the banks can’t pay the Fed.
The End Result is that we will have defacto Nationalized all these companies which is something I am pretty sure is the exact opposite of what Bush wants as his legacy.
Anyway we can’t have free enterprise if even special connected companies are not allowed to fail.
If the Fed and the Government had not been so hot to cheat people and regulated the private financial system like they were suppose to we would not be in this mess.
Short term thinkers! Arrgh!

They’re going down, but they’re gonna take the entire country with them, if possible. With not a shred of oversight because the regulations aren’t there, and Congress is nearly non existant. I’m worried for myself since i have so little to actually live on. And my parents especially.

thanks things – i got public and regulated confused.

et – sorry to miss ya but this pup is dog tired.

loohoo, i worry about my state of ca pension. a lot.

poofing for realsies

Good Night Suzanne

When I look at the numbers involved in these potential bailouts, my mind can scarcely compute. I’m old enough to remember when a coke cost 7 cents, a snickers bar cost a nickel, and my sister and I could get into the Saturday movie matinee for 15 cents for the two of us.

At 51% ownership will the Fed or the U.S government have the power to appoint directors to the board and CEOs?

Memo

From: The Department of Having Enough to Do Already
To: Whom It May Concern

Someone needs to figure out ASAP what incantation keeps making this happen, so we can all stop saying it.

Grrrrr, indeed.

Wow! Where did you live as a kid. Seems to me San Francisco? I’m 55, but I don’t remember prices that low for movies and such.

TCU-You make a good point. If the taxpayers bail them out, the taxpayers should own them.

I know Bush and Helicopter Ben will never collect on these funny loans to banks but have they thought this through?
A new administration GOP or Dem desperate for cash after the war debt Bush has left us might ask for an independent accounting of the value of the homes that the Federal Reserve accepted Mortgage paper on in exchange for government T-Bills.
Now unless home prices bounce back any such independent accounting will show that the home loans made when home prices were high do not have the same value as now.
So if a bank gave the Fed $100 dollars in mortgage loan debt today in return for $100 in government T-bills but the home is now worth only $90 dollars then things get interesting.
The Fed can and should ask for more collateral for its loans.
If the Fed gets 51% of the Banks assets then they defacto become the bank, leaving shareholders with only the 49% remaining of the banks assets.
Bush in effect is doing what Karl Marx only dreamed of…without freakin violence.
Bush has set up a chain of events that could Nationalize business ownership in the Government/People.
Or if the Fed never takes ownership and home prices never recoup the cost of the loans PLUS INTEREST then we get a Japanese style decade of bad economy and the Tax Payers get screwed.

South Seattle, near Sea-Tac Airport – Burien/Normandy Park.

I can even remember cokes going from a nickel to 7 cents. I’m remembering the early 1950s.

Thank You, while I am a Lefty Bush by his failure’s is pushing the country more Left than even I might be ok with:)

Love the exposure…hope it is Dugg

Sounds right up BushCo’s alley. No doubt he’s re-reading “My Pet Bloat.”

What the heck?

I thought foreigners couldn’t contribute to a pres campaign. Didn’t Clinton get knocked for having Chinese contributions?

It is important, indeed crucial, that any reforms in, and adjustments to, the structure of markets and regulation not inhibit our most reliable and effective safeguards against cumulative economic failure: market flexibility and open competition.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.c…..-us-again/

Does Greenspan know what Bush and Helicopter Ben have done? Nationalizing all these banks and the companies that owe them money by letting the Government take their debt IS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS WARNING AGAINST BUT STILL HE SAYS NOTHING DIRECTLY AGAINST BUSH!

This is the housing bubble all over again!

That occured to me as well… …IOKIYAR

Krugman NYT read my mind: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03…..ref=slogin

The Resolution Trust of the 80’s Savings and Loan bailout cost us citizens $3 Trillion. Bush’s brother owned Silverado S&L which was another bailed operation.

This Subprime is a similar scam on a grander scale. These people are flat out crooks. Where in the fuck is the god fucking damned Impeachment? Nancy Peloisi is complicit in all of this shit.

Krugman rightly says that the Bear Stearns rescue is one of many financial institution rescues on the horizon.
Who is rescuing the poor people who got fucked out of their homes 2 million that Bush won’t help but his buddies on wall street get a free fucking ride on the taxpayers backs. The 50 million people homeless, in poverty or near it get zip.
I call bullshit on all Americans that don’t call for Impeachment.

Bear has $13 Trillion in bad paper, the crime is called “paper hanging”.