Search found 75 matches

by ridgel
Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:11 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 4-Feb-11 News -- The lull before the storm in Egypt
Replies: 2
Views: 4533

Re: 4-Feb-11 News -- The lull before the storm in Egypt

It's amazoing all the attention paid to Egypt. Not sure why anyone cares, except those obsessed with Israel. Egypt could change governments every six months for the next five years and it would have no material affect on my life or the life of anyone I know. On the other hand, the wholesale capitula...
by ridgel
Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:00 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 7-Jan-11 News -- Food riots begin again as food prices spike
Replies: 6
Views: 6808

Re: 7-Jan-11 News -- Food riots begin again as food prices s

The survivors of World War II (GI and Silent generations) were well aware of the horrors of famine and starvation that occurred during the war, and they developed the Green Revolution to make sure that everyone in the world would be fed. Agricultural productivity has been rising at ~1%/yr in the U....
by ridgel
Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:20 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 4-Jan-11 News -- Republicans say they'll cut gov spending
Replies: 5
Views: 6073

Re: 4-Jan-11 News -- Republicans say they'll cut gov spendin

I'd bet that we see peace in the Middle East before Republicans meaningfully balance the budget. The current leadership started things off by extending tax cuts that were unaffordable 10 years ago and are unaffordable now. And like superstitious aborigines they repeat the mantra "tax cuts will bring...
by ridgel
Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:19 pm
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 29-Dec-10 News -- The real estate market is still crashing
Replies: 15
Views: 13238

Re: 29-Dec-10 News -- The real estate market is still crashi

Vince, that's obviously one way - severe inflation forces the Fed's hand, or rather diminishes its relevance. But John quoted the Bloomberg guest's description of the Fed as the only buyer, and a few paragraphs below repeats his prediction that the Dow will drop to 4000. So what happens between now ...
by ridgel
Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:48 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 29-Dec-10 News -- The real estate market is still crashing
Replies: 15
Views: 13238

Re: 29-Dec-10 News -- The real estate market is still crashi

So there's no money going into U.S. equities other than the U.S. government pumpting money in. So as long as [the Fed] is going to keep rigging the market, they're paying us to be bullish. That's from the Bloomberg guest John quoted. So the question for John is - what forces the Fed's hand and stop...
by ridgel
Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:38 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 13-Dec-10 News -- Suicide bomber in Stockholm, Sweden
Replies: 2
Views: 4860

Re: 13-Dec-10 News -- Suicide bomber in Stockholm, Sweden

I'm going with the "not that bright" argument. The would-be bomber in Portland, OR a couple of weeks ago, despite nominally being an engineering student at a local college, was apparently unable to make or procure explosives without the help of the FBI agents he thought were fellow Jihadis. It's ama...
by ridgel
Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:49 pm
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 3-Dec-10 News -- Iran/Arab relations roiled by Wikileaks
Replies: 15
Views: 13701

Re: 3-Dec-10 News -- Iran/Arab relations roiled by Wikileaks

Calling Assange nihilistic (death seeking) is a bit extreme for a man who heads an organization that posts information on his website. Ted Kazinsky - now there's a nihilist, sending bombs through the mail as he wrote end-of-the-world manifestos. What Assange is doing is pissing off the U.S. governme...
by ridgel
Sat Nov 20, 2010 12:14 am
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 19-Nov-10 News -- China accused of hijacking internet data
Replies: 2
Views: 4719

Re: 19-Nov-10 News -- China accused of hijacking internet data

Now that I know Obama always uses teleprompters I hear it in everything he says. His speech is just so unnatural. It's an embarrassment that our president can't even talk about the most common topics without reading the words from a screen. It's not like he covers much material. It should be a requi...
by ridgel
Fri Oct 15, 2010 12:04 pm
Forum: Finance and Investments
Topic: Inflation, deflation, gold and currencies
Replies: 768
Views: 399526

Re: 11-Oct-10 News -- Resignation of Abbas would trigger changes

John is a great historian but a lousy economist. Gold rising is Economics 101 - more demand, steady supply. Why more demand? Some of it is increased dollars in circulation. John's argument is that the dollars in circulation will fall as debt defaults. That may be true. But there's two other reasons ...
by ridgel
Tue Oct 05, 2010 12:49 pm
Forum: Weblog News Comments and Discussion
Topic: 4-Oct-10 News - Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) presents award
Replies: 6
Views: 8734

Re: 4-Oct-10 News - Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) presents award

John, I second and third the congratulations. Very impressive award, and great picture of you accepting it.