Good morning. What a festival.

Could someone else please watch Lieberman whine and tney tell me about it? I don’t have the emotional fortitude to watch it live.

Gertz-Gaffney must be a replay. I watched it last weekend. That’s another whinefest. It’s actually pretty funny because it’s everybody’s fault except theirs.

Sotille connection here. A good preview for the movie.
http://antiwar.com/radio/2008/…..h-sottile/

TPM has a great clip from the Iowa debates where it is already pointed out that he’s no break from the past.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…..245525.php

Everynody sleeping on on this cold morning?

The Guardian reports:

The eco machine that can magic water out of thin air

The company, Element Four, has developed a machine that it hopes will become the first mainstream household appliance to have been invented since the microwave. Their creation, the WaterMill, uses the electricity of about three light bulbs to condense moisture from the air and purify it into clean drinking water.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/envi…..-invention

blame it on Canadians. ;-)

Morning Everyone.
I am still celebrating a big Sooner win last night. Elliot thanks for the list.
This is going to take a big pot of coffee

The Guardian reviews:

Waltz With Bashir
Cert 18
Ari Folman’s animated memoir of Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians is surreal, hypnotic and devastating

Three of the most extraordinary films of the past six months have been animated movies, all doing something like justice to major themes. Only one of them, Wall-E, Pixar’s SF comedy about global warming, is marketed as family entertainment. The other two are the work of film-makers from the Middle East: Iranian cartoonist Marjane Satrapi’s superbly comic Persepolis, about growing up under the Shah and the ayatollahs, and Israeli documentarist Ari Folman’s sombre Waltz With Bashir, a memoir about his experiences as an Israeli national service soldier during the 1982 incursion into Lebanon.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film…..hir-review

The appliance is 3 feet in diameter. Are they crazy?

Your diagnosis is as good as mine, it may be only inches thick.

Obama needs a commission to decide what to do about torture. That’s encouraging. /s
http://www.washingtonmonthly.c…..015780.php

Doesn’t matter how thick. Who has 3 feet of blank wall space in the kitchen?

http://www.elementfour.com/products/the-watermill#

At last!

WaPo: Regulatory Failure at the Office of Thrift Supervision

Sports doping now includes Viagra. No snark.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11…..=1&hp

way too many variables to answer that question ;-)

Here’s another good one, assigning a lot of blame for Citi’s demise on Rubins. Duh.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11…..ti.html?hp

Matthews has a good go round on Obama’s world view and other aspects different from W, then, a “takek” of whether W will pardon Stevens and Scooter. An interesting split there. Good Morning.

The Guardian again (BBC is also awash with reports)

Is this the final death knell for Citigroup?
The once-confident bank is unrecognisable as it faces 52,000 job losses and a spiralling share price

Heather Connon
guardian.co.uk, Sunday November 23 2008 00.01 GMT

Vikram Pandit, chief executive of US bank Citigroup, started last week by telling the group’s staff that 52,000 of them would lose their jobs. A few days later, it looked as if he could soon be following them. The bank’s share price halved in just four days and continued to slide as investors and rivals started to bet it could not survive the financial crisis, despite a chorus of protests from its executives, one of its leading investors and some high-profile analysts.

As the bank’s executives staged a crisis board meeting, rumours swirled around Wall Street that it was preparing to ditch its Smith Barney brokerage business, or to sell off its cards business. Or that it would need an extra $100bn (£68bn) from the government, on top of the $25bn that it already has; or that Pandit’s fellow directors were calling for his head. Others said it was poised to merge with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs – or, indeed, any bank with the financial capacity to absorb it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/busi…..p-downfall

good morning,
is someone shorting citi-shares?

Not sure I understand how when you have banks that are to big to fail combining them makes a lot of sense.

Robert Reich explains why we’ll bail out Citi but not GM. (Though the reverse is what we should do.)
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsme…..ll_street/

Abbas says may call for Palestinian elections

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters)- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday he would call for elections in 2009 if his secular Fatah movement and its Islamist rivals Hamas do not reconcile by the end of this year.

Where is Frank Rich today?

Oh joy. So Hamas wins in West Bank giving Israel the opportunity to starve all Palestinians?

yeah, doesn’t make sense to me. even reading the Reich article eCAHN posted. self serving seems to be the reason.

the main topic of the shows today is the auto industry crisis.

Gonna try to get away from the computer & do something else today. Be back later and I expect full report on talking heads. *g*

How can they consistently put up the same crappy guests (ok, not Frank today) and expect people to continue watching? As much of a junkie as I am, I stopped watching during the election and never felt the need to go back to the shows.

ditch its Smith Barney brokerage business

What does this mean? Someone I love dearly (a friend of my son) works for S-B. He and my son were together last weekend and he said he was okay, might not earn as much but wasn’t afraid of losing his job.

I’m on it. I even plan to watch short-ride for you.

I dunno, with all the fresh faces and fresh voices out here, you’d think they’d stop going back to their old faithfuls. Brokaw even went down in the vault to fill chairs.

would like to see Roubini, Stiglitz, Naomi, and Jane. for atarters

I intend to watch him too, more to see how he’s questioned than to hear his answers.

That’s my focus, as well. I want to see if his inaction is questioned. If it wasn’t so early, I’d suggest a drinking game. Want to hear if he says ‘blame game’ or ‘looking backwards’.
If he uses the term ‘center-right’, then screw the early hour, I’m chugging something.

That’s one thing I really miss about the election season, all the neat games to play! Will we have ObamaBingo for the SOTU Address?

I’m taking that day off, Going to have an all day party with me and all my jobless friends. Plan on printing out lots of info (like Hugh’s list) and spreading it around the rooms (may even frame them). You all are invited.

I don’t even want to know what sport that affects.

I’m waiting for Janet Napolitano do the questioning of him.

ditch its Smith Barney brokerage business

What does this mean?

it looks to read that there are many rumors afield as to what Citi will be doing in this emergency. YMMV

Good Morning Elliot and Firedogs,

even though has yet to be named to a post, Goolsbee may be worth a listen to – econ advisor to the campaign, he was the little twirp caught talking to the Canadians about Trade Agreements during the primaries – but apparently still within the inner circle

and will any of the bobbleheads be chatting about this Gail Collins Op/Ed:

Mr Bush, Do Us All A Big Favor . . . and RESIGN!

Unfortunately it won’t be Napolitano with the gavel.

Now that would be worth seeing!

will actually prolly be a replay of the lame-o McCain interview he did. I wonder when Brokaw is actually going to step aside. It’s my understanding that Chuck Todd is to replace him.

I’d like to see them go back to the original format with a panel of journalists asking the questions. With Naomi and Jane as frequent panelists.

One thing that puzzles me is the perceived concern over Bill Clinton’s financial ties after we’ve gone for eight years with nary a mention of Bush, Cheney & Company’s gargantuan conflicts of financial interest.

And as a spouse example, what about Lieberman’s wife?

cbl, I’d be surprised if that topic comes ups this morning. it would be nice if this administration was all rady gone tho…

yes, the time has past for Russert’s gotchas

Perfect. Chuck Todd is 100% about politics. He doesn’t know or care anything about issues.

Their site indicates appliance will be affixed to an exterior wall.

note for Ian Welsh:

ABC News has learned that President-elect Obama has decided to name former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers the director of the National Economic Council, essentially the president’s senior economic adviser

And as a spouse example, what about Lieberman’s wife?

funny, eight years ago, there wasn’t a peep about 41’s Carlyle ties either

Good morning everyone. It’s cool and windy here in Maine this morning. MSNBC put up the Gallop Poll results in which Romney the “Yes On 8 Hate” Mormon is who the republicans want in 2012 for the presidency. Oh boy. We will have a field day with that pick….and I’m sure Sarah “11 year olds who are raped must go full term in their pregnancies!” Palin will be his VP pick.

I just rose but have yet to shine. First wee little Ativan tablet. Booyah!

This sounds like putting lipstick on an old evaporative (swamp) cooler.

I think globally, moisture in the atmosphere might be pretty close to a zero sum game. I’m not sure how millions of people sucking water vapor out of the air would effect rainfall, rivers, etc.. Also, it would seem like the device would have to work pretty hard in a lot of places, like the Mojave Desert, to get a teaspoon full of water.

Well, 41 did step down as an investor in the Carlyle Group after the first boot hit the ground in Iraq, because 41 thought it was a conflict of interest to be part of a secret group that also has the Saudi royals and the bin Ladens on it. Yep, doing business with the enemies is a Bush Family Trait! Oh, but we’re not supposed to mention it. Only Democrats should be investigated about these things.

Good Morning you later birds

sounds like you got good rest last night, barbara.

and Kay, in Maine what is “cool” It’s downright freezing here in the Mid Atlantic

Republicans are oddly incurious about their own. Fingers in the ears, lalalalalala. If they don’t hear it/see it/read it, it doesn’t exist. Pretty sure we need a 12-step program for that level of denial. Well, this one might take 43 steps. Ooooh! 43. Four plus three equals seven. The day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Cosmic!! (Of course, it could also be about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.)

FOX NEWS is talking about Obama moving to the center. Where have they been during the election? Personally, if Obama passes Health Care Reform, modernizes the car industry and creates a job program, I don’t care what they call him. Middle Class tax cuts would be nice also.

What? There’s still a middle class? How’d they let that happen?

Barbara, I’d laugh if your statement didn’t ring true.

The Principle of the Stopped Clock is at work because MoDo actually makes sense today.

Mornin’

do you mind my asking if you meant lst of the day, or first of a new regimen ?

if you’re just starting out, how long before one feels positive effects ? most of the ones I’ve read up on claim 3 to 6 weeks

full disclosure and no doubt tmi – used to have hideous anxiety tied to hormonal spikes, but it’s looking more like a permanent state of mind – made an appointment to discuss with Doc and would like to hear of others experiences

LOL Okay, let me try to explain “cool”. Cool would mean, we Mainers can go outside with 2 layers on, hat, and mittens. Cold is when your boogers freeze instantly, your face or any exposed skin turns red from the air, and there isn’t an amount of layers you can put on to protect yourself from the elements (mainly January/February weather). See? It’s simple. LOL

Sorry you’re so cold down there in the mid-Atlantic! I heard Georgia was in the 20’s/30’s. Wow. I’m sure the people there are now craving the hot humid days of the summer. It should be illegal to be that cold in an area where it’s usually hot & nice.

OK, I just watched Meet the Press.
When asked about any aspect of the last 18 months, Joe Lieberman essentially said crap like I don’t want to look backward, I want to look forward and in that spirit I’m not going to comment on anything I have said in the last 18 months.
Way to show moral courage and accountability, Joe.
Not that I’m surprised; just disgusted.

LOLOL! thanks Kay

and thanks,
it won’t be on here for a bit. not surprised that he’d answer that way. I’d say more but I’d get moderated.

Joe LIEberman is turning into a “typical Nazi”. He’s using the same defense. Yeah, yeah, with all the atrocities committed by the Nazis, they just wanted everyone to forget what happened, what they did, and just concentrate on the future because it’s all water under the bridge. Spit.

It’s not easy to explain, Elliott, but we base everything on how many layers we have to put on to get to the car comfortably to warm it up without keeling over and dying right there. LOL!

Mornin’, my dear. I have been having fiercely sleepless nights for several months. David. Brother Garry. Tried every OTC med. No go, and now my bedside table looks like Target Pharmacy north. David was given Ativan to help mitigate against steroids in chemo prep, reduce anxiety and also to give him some help getting through the night. This for a man who all his life had been resistant to the occasional aspirin. So I went to school on that. Doc has prescribed a small amount of the stuff, pending a conversation with him next week about my state of being. What I don’t know (and need to) is whether it’s an addictive substance. At this point, I really don’t care, because it’s giving me what I need, i.e., some uninterrupted zzzz’s. Depression/anxiety courses through my family like a mountain stream. Melting season exacerbates the flow, I guess. More than anyone wants to know about my pathology, but there you have it. And apologies for this WAY OT.

booyah!

lol!

It should be illegal to be that cold in an area where it’s usually hot & nice.

we’ve had two major freezes in the 5 years we’ve been here and I give ‘em credit for stayin’ off the roads – although I did worry one self righteous fundie neighbor telling her it was the Rapture . . .”maybe they’re comin’ for you and yours later, can I have your bobcat ?”

I know, goin’ straight to hell :D

When I lived in Syracuse, The frozen mustache standard. It froze when you exhaled and your breath hit it. About 0.

I’m not even interested in listening to his whining. Although I do wish that all those that voted in favor of allowing him to keep his chairmanship would be locked in a room with his whining voice streaming loudly through speakers.

POS he is…….and *will* be taken care of his next election. It’s a long time to wait but it *will* come.

LOL.

thank you so much. am so glad to hear (((you))) are getting rest. that whole rose under the snow thing.

am so anxious, wanted to retrieve my question the second I hit submit – lol

appreciate your response :D

C-span has the repugnant Eric Cantor, the new Republican Whip, on from a Friday interview.

I’m reasonably convinced that if a body gets enough sleep, we can endure almost anything. Even Lieberman. Maybe.

Hillary Clinton Still Doesn’t Understand the Boys’ Club Senate Game
watertiger’s up

My diary quotes a bunch of industry types saying there is a lot of shorting against Citi.

thanks, I always appreciate your diaries

Not sure I understand how when you have banks that are to big to fail combining them makes a lot of sense.

It’s all about aggregation of demand, synergies, economies of scale, shell games, and above all else see that shiny object over there?

Cbl2, staying off the road is a good thing when it snows or ices in an area that isn’t prepared for it! Good call. ;-)

Nonplussed, yep! The Frozen Mustache thermometer is also good to use! LOL

Lieberman is a tiny, scurrying weasel. And I apologise to any insulted weasel out there. It just had to be said.

Yes, I have been wondering who is shorting Citi for a couple of days now. As for its derivatives exposure, JP Morgan is by the biggest holder of derivatives with a notional value of $91 trillion. Most of these are currency swaps. Re CDSs, JPM has about $4 trillion and Citi about $1.6 trillion.