“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Who Will You Trust With the Economy?
This is a billion mark note. It represents failure. The cost of government failure can cost you everything. It has happened before.
Well, they'll soon have no mocey for imported food, in Pakistan ...
Soon no money for the 2009 $6 billion USD+ deficit in CA ...
Marketed as the "Twentieth Largest Economy, in the World"
as I recall
``The first quarter of the fiscal year has just ended, and we already are short $1.1 billion,'' California Controller John Chiang said in statement. ``Revenues are deteriorating faster than expected, and September's cash flows send strong signals that the recently enacted budget is more out of balance than we feared.'' Bloomberg
It indicates that the years of Democratic control of the Executive brought higher rates of growth than did the management of the Executive branch by the Republicans.
Good question deuce. In the sparest, simplest terms, do you trust and old erratic hothead who picks a ditz to cover his back in case of death (which is highly likely according to actuarial tables) or someone who picks an experienced joe AND can think on his feet answering questions on the fly? The answer's pretty simple and obvious and it'll yield an Obama landslide.
To your deeper question regarding trying to inflate our way out of the dire financial problems we've got ourselves into - welp, you are a bailout supporter and that school of thought basically accepts as truth that tight monetary policy will yield cascading bankruptcies so the only thing left is to pump in the cash to prevent that.
As a small business owner business is pretty close to where it was last year. I've got a bunch of receivables though and if my clients shouldn't pay (cascading bankruptcies) then things won't be too cool.
Kicking the can down the road inflating the tires as we go seem to be the only option. That and a prayer followed by some shrewd business moves.
A group of Wayne State students seeks to educate others about medical marijuana and to encourage voters on Nov. 4 to pass the Proposal 1 initiative, which would legalize marijuana for patients.
Jane Stewart, a 50-year-old patient and WSU senior, is in the process of starting the group Warriors for Medical Marijuana, in the hopes of encouraging those registered to vote to do so for Proposal 1 on Election Day.
...
At the suggestion of a friend, Stewart started smoking marijuana a couple of years ago to help with nausea caused by her treatment and general pain caused by her disease.
Obama is so susceptible but McCain cannot respond properly. Obama left himself wide open when he said he can not figure out why we went into Iraq, "A country which presented no threat to us." Obama then went on to make a case for intervention in other areas such as Darfur.
McCain should have pointed out the inconsistentcy.
Now that i know my black friends think that rev wright is "brilliant * a great preacher" I'd vote for sheet wearing racist over obama and farakkan/wright/ayers/ rezko axis of evil
'The US ignored the opposition of China to sell military arms to Taiwan, which poisoned the Sino-US relationship and also harmed the sound atmosphere between the two militaries,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing earlier Tuesday.
The arms package includes components for upgrading E-2 Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, 30 Apache attack helicopters, the PAC-3 short range missile-defence system, 32 Harpoon missiles, spare parts for F16A/B, F5E/5F and C-130 aircraft as well as 182 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The US has sold weapons and military equipment to Taiwan even after reversing policy and recognising China in 1979. The US has aided Taiwanese defences to help fend off any attempts by Beijing to retake the island by military force.
John McCain is way too Washington-centric for my taste. He views everything through the DC prism. That is no matter what the problem, "the government can fix it." Not that Obama is better.
Obama thinks we can throw money at everything and that "we're" so much more brilliant than those that came before.
If anyone thinks Obama is going to see to it that Iran doesn't get nuclear weapons, I think you are living in an alternative universe.
You might as well trust Ash to disarm 'em.
That's would be the same Ash that once said, gee, they have their rights too, the same Ash that said the US Marines don't have a legal right to recruit out of a store front they rented in Berkeley, California.
gee, I think it's only fair that Iran or whoever wants gets nuclear weapons. gee, why should we be the only folks that have 'em. gee, let's get real here guys.....gee, we got to be fair you know, gee, we'll gain the respect of the world, gee.....
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada state authorities are raiding the Las Vegas headquarters of an organization that works to get low-income people to vote. A Nevada secretary of state's office spokesman said Tuesday that investigators are looking for evidence of voter fraud at the office of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, also called ACORN.
No one was at the ACORN office when state agents arrived with a search warrant and began carting records and documents away.
Secretary of State spokesman Bob Walsh says ACORN is accused of submitting multiple voter registrations with false and duplicate names.
The raid comes two months after state and federal authorities formed a task force to pursue election-fraud allegations in Nevada.
The Post Debate Headline NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain pledged Tuesday night in campaign debate to require the federal government to renegotiate the mortgages of individual homeowners and make them more affordable, a sweeping proposal to help families in the grip of a financial crisis
The very scope of renegotiating all the mortgages of America is staggering. And it would certainly have to be all the mortgages or it wouldn't be "fair."
Who is going to do such a thing and how could it end?
There is no greater bore on the planet than Tom Brokaw, and he used all his talents to take the starch out of what was to be a debate.
McCain failed to rally the troops. Obama sensed he had the advantage, and did not do anything that would risk his lead.
This election may yet be decided by unforeseen events. Let's hope things do not get worse, but they certainly may. Obama succeeded in presenting himself as a credible alternative.
Obama will have a very tough time keeping the crazies in the Democratic party and on the left in control. He may have to look for assistance from the Republicans in the Senate.
Both Obama and McCain are saying and promising things that will upset their constituencies, but Obama will say anything to get the crown.
The Court will be gone. The legacy of George Bush and the craven behavior of the Republican party will leave little discretionary spending for much innovation for any new administration.
Our enemies, if they have any money left, will test the US and an Obama Administration. We have some tough days ahead of us.
The entire evening involved a boring back and forth posturing between two unimpressive candidates as they laid out their views on energy policy, their approaches to fixing the economic crisis and their positions on foreign policy.
Nothing new emerged and I imagine that many Americans were disappointed. Both men tried to accuse the other of bearing responsibility for the current economic crisis but neither really seemed to make it work.
All in all, the anticipated great debate in Nashville was “Boring”.
According to a little blurb at CNN, neither was willing to say that things will get worse before they get better. Is that some kind of a taboo? Are people actually thinking that the recession will be done by the weekend? That the Fed and Treasury can bring it to a halt?
from VoxEU:
The unique nature of the current financial crisis—combining a house price bust, a credit crunch, and an equity price bust—unlike any other one the US has experienced before, makes it difficult to assess its implications for the real economy. Barry Eichengreen recently assessed the lessons from the Great Depression (Vox 2008), but what of the evidence from modern times? However, around the world we have witnessed many such episodes of credit crunches and busts in house and equity prices. In fact, in recent work, we identified 28 credit crunches, 28 house price busts, 58 equity price busts, and 122 recessions in 21 advanced countries over 1960-2007 (Claessens, Kose and Terrones, 2008). These episodes provide some insights on how financial crises evolve and their implications for the broader economy....
How costly are recessions?
As shown in Figure 1, a recession on average lasts about 4 quarters (one year) with substantial variation across episodes — the shortest recession is 2 quarters and the longest 13 quarters. The typical decline in output from peak to trough, the recession’s amplitude, tends to be about 2 percent. For recessions, we also compute a measure of cumulative loss which combines information about both the duration and amplitude to proxy the overall cost of a recession. The cumulative loss of a recession is typically about 3 percent of GDP, but this number varies quite a bit across episodes. We classify a recession as a severe one when the peak-to-trough decline in output is in the top-quartile of all output declines during recessions. These recessions tend to be more than a quarter longer and much more costly than do typical recessions.
Crunches and busts: Often Long and Painful
The episodes of credit crunches and housing busts are often long and deep (Figure 2). For example, a credit crunch episode typically lasts two and a half years and is associated with nearly a 20 percent decline in real credit. A housing bust tend to last even longer: four and a half years with a 30 percent fall in real house prices. And an equity price bust lasts some 10 quarters and when it is over, the real value of equities has dropped to half.
Are recessions associated with crunches and busts worse than other recessions?
Contrary to the view of some commentators, the triple whammy of a house price bust, a credit crunch and an equity price bust has not always led to an eventual recession. What is true is that many recessions are indeed associated with credit crunches or asset price busts. In about one out of six recessions, there is also a credit crunch underway, and in about one out of four recessions a house price bust. Equity price busts overlap for about one-third of recession episodes. There can also be considerable lags between financial market disturbances and real activity. A recession, if one occurs, can start as late as four to five quarters after the onset of a credit crunch or a housing bust.
One of the key questions surrounding the current financial crisis is whether recessions associated with crunches and busts are worse than other recessions. Here, the international evidence is clear: these types of recessions are not just slightly longer on average, but also have much more output losses than others. In particular, although recessions accompanied with severe credit crunches or house price busts last only a quarter longer, they have typically result in output losses two to three times greater than recessions without such financial stresses. During recessions coinciding with financial stress, consumption and investment usually register much sharper declines leading to the more pronounced drops in overall output and unemployment.
Global nature of economic and financial cycles
For some, the global nature of the current crisis has been unprecedented as several advanced economies have simultaneously witnessed declines in house and equity prices as well as difficulties in their credit markets. However, this is not unusual as recessions, crunches and busts often occur at the same time across countries. Recessions in many advanced countries have been bunched in four periods over the past forty years—the mid-70s, the early 80s, the early 90s and the early-2000s—and have often coincided with global shocks. Moreover, when many countries experience a recession, many also go through episodes of credit contractions, declines in house and equity prices.
What are the lessons for the current episode?
The lessons from the earlier episodes of recessions, crunches and busts are sobering, suggesting that recessions, if they were to occur, would be more costly since they would take place alongside simultaneous credit crunches and asset price busts. Furthermore, although the effects of the current crisis have already been felt gradually around the world, its global dimensions are likely to intensify in the coming months.
The main take-away of the past episodes is that some tough times are ahead for the global economy before matters get better. Nevertheless, the nature of a recession in a particular country, if it happens, would ultimately depend on a number of factors, importantly how healthy the financial positions of its firms, banks, and households are prior to the recession, and what policies are being employed. This is high time for policy makers to act swiftly and decisively to undertake the necessary measures at both the national and global levels to meet the challenges of the crisis.
Bernanke said today that "experimentation" will be required. And no one doubts that that is exactly the case.
G'nite, Bob. Me got plenty of blanks to waste on Ashley. I just hope one of these Deuce will lend me the plane so I can carpet bomb Ashley back to her cave in Iran.
Obama said the U.S. should not be afraid to have direct talks with its enemies. "To deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that if you don't change your behavior then there will be dire consequences.
If you do change your behavior, then it is possible for you to rejoin the community of nations. Now, it may not work," said Obama.
Obama and McCain both assured they would do everything in their power to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. As McCain put it, "we can never allow a second holocaust to take place."
Obama had vowed that his administration "would kill Bin Laden" and "crush Al Qaeda." and replied, "Sen. McCain, this is the guy who sang, ‘Bomb, bomb,bomb Iran, who called for the annihilation of North Korea.
That I don't think is an example of ‘speaking softly.'"
The zinger put McCain on defense, and back and forth they went.
Well, then, we should have had them both in swimsuits.
Obama said the U.S. should not be afraid to have direct talks with its enemies. "To deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that if you don't change your behavior then there will be dire consequences.
If you do change your behavior, then it is possible for you to rejoin the community of nations. Now, it may not work," said Obama.
And this is the thing that I really think Obama does not understand. People tend to focus on the upfront consequence of state-level talks, which is that they are a prize for the other guy. That's a fact. But the real risk you're running is one of high visibility failure, and that's the reason they are usually shunned. In favor of less visible water-carrying, which can flop without your head of state or foreign secretary sticking his dick out, so to speak.
It's a mundane business that doesn't often benefit from the injection of political celebrity.
No Friend of Solar Power McCain's Words and Votes Don't Match.
PHOENIX— In one of the most contested exchanges from the first presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama attacked Sen. John McCain's voting record on alternative energy.
"Over 26 years, Sen. McCain voted 23 times against alternative energy like solar and wind and bio-diesel," Obama said.
McCain dismissed Obama's statement as if it were an absurd claim. "No one in Arizona is against solar," McCain retorted.
Moments later, Obama sought to make another point about McCain and Arizona. The Arizona senator interrupted the Democratic presidential nominee to make a sweeping assertion about his unwavering support for alternative energy development: "I have voted for alternate fuel all of my time," McCain said, "and no one can be opposed to alternate energy."
McCain's legislative record shows otherwise.
Michael Neary, president of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, a non-profit trade association, said McCain frequently says he supports renewable energy development, but his deeds do not match his words. McCain, Neary said, has skipped many important votes or voted against measures that would spur alternative sources like solar and wind.
"If he was truly an ally of alternative energy, he would have taken the time to get out there and vote and maybe rally some of the troops on the Republican side to get [measures] passed," Neary said. "That's something he hasn't done, and this is extremely important to Arizona."
McCain's underwhelming support of alternative energy is well known to Arizona's solar industry leaders, several of whom were surprised to hear the GOP presidential candidate proclaim his strong support for solar during the first debate. McCain's campaign and Senate office did not return numerous phone calls and emails seeking comment.
Tubular Solar Panels Slash Costs, Boost Efficiency Written by Hank Green Tuesday, 07 October 2008
There are a lot of reasons to think that flat solar panels would be the right way to go. The best way to capture sunlight is by being perpendicular to the sun and it's usually cheaper to make things flat than round. But the folks at Solyndra have discovered that this traditional wisdom might be a bit faulty.
First, as to the second point, when dealing with thin-film CIGS solar panels, cylindrical is just as good as flat. But the first point, concerning harvesting the maximum amount of sunlight, gets a little confusing.
The cylindrical solar panels (think of fluorescent tube lights...except in reverse) can absorb energy from every direction, and when combined with a white roof (which are now the only legal, flat roofs in California) can capture up to 20% more light than traditional solar panels. The other gigantic advantage is that they don't have to move to track the sun. The panels are always presenting some of their face directly perpendicular to the sun.
By removing solar-tracking and orientation from the equation, these systems can simply be laid onto roofs. Tracking solar panels have to be able to resist the force of strong winds, these will just lay flat and out of the way reducing installation costs, which often comprise about half of the price of a solar project.
And with 30 billion square feet of flat roofs in America, this could be quite a market for cheap, clean electricity. Solyndra just announced, in fact, that they've got $1.2 B in contracts throughout Europe and America, and I can't imagine that going anywhere but up.
US Army gets eco-conscious, preps mega solar plant
Get in da choppah, Mother Nature!! By Austin Modine Posted in Science, 7th October 2008 21:34 GMT
You know the "go green" push is reaching a zenith when the fuel-slurping US Army wants to get serious about having a daintier environmental footprint.
The Army said (http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/10/06/13073-army-launches-new-energy-initiatives-test-projects-at-posts/) it's enlisting several big new energy projects to promote less energy waste in local and overseas bases. Among its ambitions are rolling out a fleet of electric vehicles, establishing biomass fuel demonstrations at select Army posts, and constructing what could be one of the most powerful solar power plants in the world.
"We spend over $3bn every year on energy and the majority of it is spent on our installations. We can significantly reduce our energy consumption by partnering within government and with the private sector to capitalize on the great strides in proven technology that have been developed and implemented across the country," said Secretary of the Army Pete Geren.
Projects will be overseen by the Army's newly-established Senior Energy Council. Logically, plans for the foreseeable future are directed at the low-hanging fruit of energy conservation at military posts rather than attempt to push for eco-concious war zones.
Among the most ambitious project proposed is partnering with the private sector to construct a 500-megawatt solar thermal plant at Fort Irwin, California in the Mojave desert. The plant is expected to provide renewable power to the entire fort, with excess power pumped into the Southern California Edison grid. Fort Irwin is currently one of SC Edison's top energy consumers.
Presently, the world's largest solar farms produce a comparatively minor 10- to 14-megawatts, although a handful of much more ambitious projects are supposedly underway.
The Army also plans on working with the private sector and the Navy to construct a geo-thermal plant at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada that can produce 30-megawatts of clean power.
On the transportation side of the plans, the Army said it's "pursuing the purchase" of 4,000 small battery electric vehicles to replace gasoline-powered vehicles used by maintenance and operations staff. Six Army posts will also be chosen to become biomass fuel demonstration sites through a contract with the US Defense Logistics Agency.
Topping off the project is inking a pilot energy savings performance contract with a civilian firm. An Army installation will be selected become a model to all other bases for monitoring and reducing energy consumption. As an incentive, the contractor gets a share of the savings.
"The Army plans to increase efficiency and serve as a model for the military and the nation when it comes to the operation of our housing, buildings, and forward operating bases," said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations [gasp for breath] and Environment Keith Eastin. ®
He's too thick to be embarassed and learn better, Trish. If he were smart enough to get it, he'd still be too arrogant to admit it. An angry, ignorant little punk is the latest Democrat Savior, following the White Trash President and his do-nothing, misogynistic wife.
Meanwhile, Claire maintains her part of the bargain:
McCaskill was stepping out of her chair at the end of an MSNBC interview, and Romney was up next. She and a staffer unplugged her various wires, and she handed Romney the earpiece the guests use to hear the host.
"I spit on this before I put it in," she said to Romney, with a sweet smile.
UPDATE: Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom emails: "You should have seen what she did to the chair."
whit said... "The very scope of renegotiating all the mortgages of America is staggering. And it would certainly have to be all the mortgages or it wouldn't be "fair."
Who is going to do such a thing and how could it end?" --- So far, we have this as an example of the economy and efficiency we can expect when we have the helping hand of the government: --- Citibank plus the Government grabs Wachovia for $1.4 Billion.
Wells Fargo, backed by their biggest investor, the richest, most successful investor in the World, figures it's worth at least $14 Billion and submit their offer, ...so Citi sues Wells, and that's where it stands.
I'm sure the Wachovia shareholders and the taxpayers will be grateful if the Govt prevails upon Wells to butt out and let the larceny continue.
Not even the world's credit crisis can bump the greens off message. "Carbon and Climate" remain the mantra of the left who sense great opportunity to advance their cause out of the chaos and uncertainty.
A President Obama will be under tremendous pressure to tax carbon (essentially maintain gasoline at about $4.00/gal.) in order to affect their desired social changes.
One need only look to California, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as examples of the result of unbridled Democratic social spending.
Well, they'll soon have no mocey for imported food, in Pakistan ...
ReplyDeleteSoon no money for the 2009 $6 billion USD+ deficit in CA ...
Marketed as the
"Twentieth Largest Economy,
in the World"
as I recall
``The first quarter of the fiscal year has just ended, and we already are short $1.1 billion,'' California Controller John Chiang said in statement. ``Revenues are deteriorating faster than expected, and September's cash flows send strong signals that the recently enacted budget is more out of balance than we feared.''
Bloomberg
The Federal Reserve of New York has an interesting chart, 1990 through present.
ReplyDeleteEconomic Indicators
(By the Numbers)
REAL GDP
Percent Change at Annual Rate*
It indicates that the years of Democratic control of the Executive brought higher rates of growth than did the management of the Executive branch by the Republicans.
Goldman Sachs v Citibank, aye?
"Who do you trust?"
ReplyDeleteGood question deuce. In the sparest, simplest terms, do you trust and old erratic hothead who picks a ditz to cover his back in case of death (which is highly likely according to actuarial tables) or someone who picks an experienced joe AND can think on his feet answering questions on the fly? The answer's pretty simple and obvious and it'll yield an Obama landslide.
To your deeper question regarding trying to inflate our way out of the dire financial problems we've got ourselves into - welp, you are a bailout supporter and that school of thought basically accepts as truth that tight monetary policy will yield cascading bankruptcies so the only thing left is to pump in the cash to prevent that.
As a small business owner business is pretty close to where it was last year. I've got a bunch of receivables though and if my clients shouldn't pay (cascading bankruptcies) then things won't be too cool.
Kicking the can down the road inflating the tires as we go seem to be the only option. That and a prayer followed by some shrewd business moves.
Bobal,
ReplyDeleteMat's a fool and you seem inclined to toss your lot in with him. Good luck with that.
A group of Wayne State students seeks to educate others about medical marijuana and to encourage voters on Nov. 4 to pass the Proposal 1 initiative, which would legalize marijuana for patients.
ReplyDeleteJane Stewart, a 50-year-old patient and WSU senior, is in the process of starting the group Warriors for Medical Marijuana, in the hopes of encouraging those registered to vote to do so for Proposal 1 on Election Day.
...
At the suggestion of a friend, Stewart started smoking marijuana a couple of years ago to help with nausea caused by her treatment and general pain caused by her disease.
Close to a Warrior's Heart
This is not going well for the old man.
ReplyDeleteI can't watch. Can't do it. I get a running commentary from the guy in the next room.
ReplyDeletedidn't McCain, right off the top, promise to bail out, like actually deal with, each individual's deadbeat mortgage?
ReplyDeleteObie demonstrates some of the "logic" sometimes seen @ the Bar:
ReplyDeleteOlbermann's Special Comment Scorches Palin for Slandering Obama
Olbermann argues that words = bombs, and 2 appearances by a preacher = Obama's 20 years w/Wright.
This debate is depressing.
ReplyDeleteTotally depressing.
McCain just sucks.
Fucking Bob Dole II.
they both are sucking
ReplyDeleteboring
maybe national security will wake things up
ReplyDeletegood obama is now speaking out his ass
ReplyDeletehe sucks at foreign affairs
ReplyDeletemccain needs to break out and wake things up
ReplyDeletebe erratic and BE...
ReplyDeleteobama will win by draw.....
this aint a townhall meeting its a boring q & a
Obama is so susceptible but McCain cannot respond properly. Obama left himself wide open when he said he can not figure out why we went into Iraq, "A country which presented no threat to us." Obama then went on to make a case for intervention in other areas such as Darfur.
ReplyDeleteMcCain should have pointed out the inconsistentcy.
He looks old and tired against a novice.
McCain is scoring points on Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteobama the KILLER...
ReplyDeletewants to kill bin laden.....
obama is getting off his mark..
ReplyDeletegood...
PAKIstan... got to love how the ONE says it...
didn't McCain, right off the top, promise to bail out, like actually deal with, each individual's deadbeat mortgage?
ReplyDeleteEssentially, but remember, we're not McCain acolytes here at the EB. Merely interested in the lesser of two evils.
it's not that i worship McCain....
ReplyDeleteI HATE the socialist/marxist Messiah
Now that i know my black friends think that rev wright is "brilliant * a great preacher" I'd vote for sheet wearing racist over obama and farakkan/wright/ayers/ rezko axis of evil
ReplyDeletemccain is much more awake with foreign affairs
ReplyDeleteobama is now agreeing with much of mccain...
ReplyDeleteso what do we need obama for?
'The US ignored the opposition of China to sell military arms to Taiwan, which poisoned the Sino-US relationship and also harmed the sound atmosphere between the two militaries,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing earlier Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThe arms package includes components for upgrading E-2 Hawkeye early-warning aircraft, 30 Apache attack helicopters, the PAC-3 short range missile-defence system, 32 Harpoon missiles, spare parts for F16A/B, F5E/5F and C-130 aircraft as well as 182 Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The US has sold weapons and military equipment to Taiwan even after reversing policy and recognising China in 1979. The US has aided Taiwanese defences to help fend off any attempts by Beijing to retake the island by military force.
Reducing Contact
John McCain is way too Washington-centric for my taste. He views everything through the DC prism. That is no matter what the problem, "the government can fix it." Not that Obama is better.
ReplyDeleteObama thinks we can throw money at everything and that "we're" so much more brilliant than those that came before.
"Is the Soviet Union an Evil Empire?"
ReplyDeleteObama; "They have evil impulses."
McCain had a much better answer. He declined to label them and explained the possible consequences of doing so.
ah... the israel iran question..
ReplyDeletefinally
obama is not talking about talking directly to iran...
ReplyDeletehe's now talking about threats to iran!!
ReplyDeleteobama mis-answered that one
ReplyDeleteBoth candidates agreed that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
ReplyDeleteObama became long-winded and fell back on the political bs that Bush had refused to deal with Iran.
and he falsely said we ignored north korea
ReplyDeleteno mention of the multiparty talks
no mention of the 14 years of talks with iran
An 'Ash' In The Audience Is Told To Shut Up By Sarah
ReplyDeletevideo
mccain aint a movie star...
ReplyDeleteobama is an empty suit
I vote for the crusty old man....
Two billion people worldwide have been lifted out of poverty but it's not good enough for Obama.
ReplyDeleteDespite coming off a tremendously longest run of global economic expansion, Obama sees the glass as half-full.
It's easy to appeal to populist senses of entitlement and victimology.
obama:
ReplyDeletefree food, free medical care, good easy jobs, free college, governmental controls on businesses...
reminds me of 1984.....
orwell that is
Dennis Miller asks,"Is Obama an empty suit or an animated mannequin?"
ReplyDeleteIf anyone thinks Obama is going to see to it that Iran doesn't get nuclear weapons, I think you are living in an alternative universe.
ReplyDeleteYou might as well trust Ash to disarm 'em.
That's would be the same Ash that once said, gee, they have their rights too, the same Ash that said the US Marines don't have a legal right to recruit out of a store front they rented in Berkeley, California.
That Ash.
gee, I think it's only fair that Iran or whoever wants gets nuclear weapons. gee, why should we be the only folks that have 'em. gee, let's get real here guys.....gee, we got to be fair you know, gee, we'll gain the respect of the world, gee.....
ReplyDeleteFox News all-stars were just discussing McCain's $300 billion plan to buy down/buy out American mortgages.
ReplyDeleteThat's on top of the $700 billion Wall Street "rescue."
Crank up the printing presses.
According to Frank Luntz's focus group more people "chose" Obama.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a younger group.
If anyone thinks Obama is going to see to it that Iran doesn't get nuclear weapons, I think you are living in an alternative universe.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. In fact, I think the US military will get a long, long rest under President Obama.
Whit, Occupation -
ReplyDeleteThanks for the play-by-play.
You are never going to see a guy like Ash stand up for his country. He'll be on a golf course in Canada.
ReplyDeleteBut, I leave it there. I can't stand Ash. But, I quit with it.
Voter Fraud Task Force Raids Vegas ACORN Office
ReplyDeleteLAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada state authorities are raiding the Las Vegas headquarters of an organization that works to get low-income people to vote.
A Nevada secretary of state's office spokesman said Tuesday that investigators are looking for evidence of voter fraud at the office of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, also called ACORN.
No one was at the ACORN office when state agents arrived with a search warrant and began carting records and documents away.
Secretary of State spokesman Bob Walsh says ACORN is accused of submitting multiple voter registrations with false and duplicate names.
The raid comes two months after state and federal authorities formed a task force to pursue election-fraud allegations in Nevada.
Where's all the post-debate shots of McCain? All I see is Barack and Michelle.
ReplyDeleteThe Post Debate Headline
ReplyDeleteNASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain pledged Tuesday night in campaign debate to require the federal government to renegotiate the mortgages of individual homeowners and make them more affordable, a sweeping proposal to help families in the grip of a financial crisis
McCain looked like a shuffling old man staying up past his bed time although he clearly excelled on foreign affairs and military matters.
ReplyDeleteObama is a smooth BS'er who occasionally contradicts himself but says just enough of the "right things" to keep hope alive.
No game changer, that' fer sure
ReplyDeleteLooks like everyone was a winner
Another $300 billion, should have bought me a bigger taco bell house.
Then I'd be deserving of a subsidy, too.
Who can "give" the most?
ReplyDeleteVote McCain, hope he dies, so's we get Sarah, finally a person of the people.
ReplyDeleteThen, when she screws up, as everyone does, but she would do it with a good heart, we'll put her fingernails to the fire.
The very scope of renegotiating all the mortgages of America is staggering. And it would certainly have to be all the mortgages or it wouldn't be "fair."
ReplyDeleteWho is going to do such a thing and how could it end?
McCain pledged to require the federal government to renegotiate the mortgages of individual homeowners and make them more affordable.
ReplyDelete"It is my proposal. It's not Senator Obama's proposal.
It's not President Bush's proposal," said McCain, clearly attempting to distance himself from the policies of his wildly unpopular predecessor.
Town Hall Face-off
Rat, you might think about going into farming.
ReplyDeleteYou'll get some g'ment money, and probably go broke slowly.
It's a tough businees, I'll tell you that, for sure.
When I was really at the top of my game, really, I just barely made it. Kept the old family farming alive.
There are better ways to make a living.
But it was satisfying to me.
When I die, my ashes are to be scattered there on the hill, with those of my ancestors. It's in my will.
this story is not going to have a pretty ending regardless
ReplyDeletedid either provide an answer about sacrifices that would have to be made?
what's the song - going downhill like a snowball headed for hell
Corsi may be coming home.
ReplyDeleteWe may have that guy Obama leading us, elijah, with millions of assholes like Ash leading the formations.
ReplyDeleteMeditate on that in your inner being.
And become strong.
Sinless, on previous thread:
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Hope it helped a tiny bit.
The Best Way To Wash Ash Out Of Your Mind
ReplyDeleteGoodnight to all.
ReplyDeleteYou are never going to see a guy like Ash stand up for his country.
ReplyDelete==
But Ashley will stand for jihadis, the ummah, and dar al islam. Funny how that is, isn't.
Just for you, Bob. ==>>>
ReplyDeleteThere is no greater bore on the planet than Tom Brokaw, and he used all his talents to take the starch out of what was to be a debate.
ReplyDeleteMcCain failed to rally the troops. Obama sensed he had the advantage, and did not do anything that would risk his lead.
This election may yet be decided by unforeseen events. Let's hope things do not get worse, but they certainly may. Obama succeeded in presenting himself as a credible alternative.
Obama will have a very tough time keeping the crazies in the Democratic party and on the left in control. He may have to look for assistance from the Republicans in the Senate.
Both Obama and McCain are saying and promising things that will upset their constituencies, but Obama will say anything to get the crown.
The Court will be gone. The legacy of George Bush and the craven behavior of the Republican party will leave little discretionary spending for much innovation for any new administration.
Our enemies, if they have any money left, will test the US and an Obama Administration. We have some tough days ahead of us.
Nothing to worry about, deuce, we have Ash on the ramparts.
ReplyDeleteNite.
The entire evening involved a boring back and forth posturing between two unimpressive candidates as they laid out their views on energy policy, their approaches to fixing the economic crisis and their positions on foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteNothing new emerged and I imagine that many Americans were disappointed. Both men tried to accuse the other of bearing responsibility for the current economic crisis but neither really seemed to make it work.
All in all, the anticipated great debate in Nashville was “Boring”.
Presidential Race
Dang, Mat, there is a chess piece that means something!
ReplyDeleteSleep well, up there, in the great north. Night.
According to a little blurb at CNN, neither was willing to say that things will get worse before they get better. Is that some kind of a taboo?
ReplyDeleteAre people actually thinking that the recession will be done by the weekend? That the Fed and Treasury can bring it to a halt?
from VoxEU:
The unique nature of the current financial crisis—combining a house price bust, a credit crunch, and an equity price bust—unlike any other one the US has experienced before, makes it difficult to assess its implications for the real economy. Barry Eichengreen recently assessed the lessons from the Great Depression (Vox 2008), but what of the evidence from modern times? However, around the world we have witnessed many such episodes of credit crunches and busts in house and equity prices. In fact, in recent work, we identified 28 credit crunches, 28 house price busts, 58 equity price busts, and 122 recessions in 21 advanced countries over 1960-2007 (Claessens, Kose and Terrones, 2008). These episodes provide some insights on how financial crises evolve and their implications for the broader economy....
How costly are recessions?
As shown in Figure 1, a recession on average lasts about 4 quarters (one year) with substantial variation across episodes — the shortest recession is 2 quarters and the longest 13 quarters. The typical decline in output from peak to trough, the recession’s amplitude, tends to be about 2 percent. For recessions, we also compute a measure of cumulative loss which combines information about both the duration and amplitude to proxy the overall cost of a recession. The cumulative loss of a recession is typically about 3 percent of GDP, but this number varies quite a bit across episodes. We classify a recession as a severe one when the peak-to-trough decline in output is in the top-quartile of all output declines during recessions. These recessions tend to be more than a quarter longer and much more costly than do typical recessions.
Crunches and busts: Often Long and Painful
The episodes of credit crunches and housing busts are often long and deep (Figure 2). For example, a credit crunch episode typically lasts two and a half years and is associated with nearly a 20 percent decline in real credit. A housing bust tend to last even longer: four and a half years with a 30 percent fall in real house prices. And an equity price bust lasts some 10 quarters and when it is over, the real value of equities has dropped to half.
Are recessions associated with crunches and busts worse than other recessions?
Contrary to the view of some commentators, the triple whammy of a house price bust, a credit crunch and an equity price bust has not always led to an eventual recession. What is true is that many recessions are indeed associated with credit crunches or asset price busts. In about one out of six recessions, there is also a credit crunch underway, and in about one out of four recessions a house price bust. Equity price busts overlap for about one-third of recession episodes. There can also be considerable lags between financial market disturbances and real activity. A recession, if one occurs, can start as late as four to five quarters after the onset of a credit crunch or a housing bust.
One of the key questions surrounding the current financial crisis is whether recessions associated with crunches and busts are worse than other recessions. Here, the international evidence is clear: these types of recessions are not just slightly longer on average, but also have much more output losses than others. In particular, although recessions accompanied with severe credit crunches or house price busts last only a quarter longer, they have typically result in output losses two to three times greater than recessions without such financial stresses. During recessions coinciding with financial stress, consumption and investment usually register much sharper declines leading to the more pronounced drops in overall output and unemployment.
Global nature of economic and financial cycles
For some, the global nature of the current crisis has been unprecedented as several advanced economies have simultaneously witnessed declines in house and equity prices as well as difficulties in their credit markets. However, this is not unusual as recessions, crunches and busts often occur at the same time across countries. Recessions in many advanced countries have been bunched in four periods over the past forty years—the mid-70s, the early 80s, the early 90s and the early-2000s—and have often coincided with global shocks. Moreover, when many countries experience a recession, many also go through episodes of credit contractions, declines in house and equity prices.
What are the lessons for the current episode?
The lessons from the earlier episodes of recessions, crunches and busts are sobering, suggesting that recessions, if they were to occur, would be more costly since they would take place alongside simultaneous credit crunches and asset price busts. Furthermore, although the effects of the current crisis have already been felt gradually around the world, its global dimensions are likely to intensify in the coming months.
The main take-away of the past episodes is that some tough times are ahead for the global economy before matters get better. Nevertheless, the nature of a recession in a particular country, if it happens, would ultimately depend on a number of factors, importantly how healthy the financial positions of its firms, banks, and households are prior to the recession, and what policies are being employed. This is high time for policy makers to act swiftly and decisively to undertake the necessary measures at both the national and global levels to meet the challenges of the crisis.
Bernanke said today that "experimentation" will be required. And no one doubts that that is exactly the case.
G'nite, Bob. Me got plenty of blanks to waste on Ashley. I just hope one of these Deuce will lend me the plane so I can carpet bomb Ashley back to her cave in Iran.
ReplyDelete..one of these ^days..
ReplyDeleteA "boring" debate? What did anyone expect? Curtain climbing? WWF? Japanese parliament?
ReplyDeleteWhat did anyone expect?
ReplyDelete==
Legs, Trish. Legs!
Obama said the U.S. should not be afraid to have direct talks with its enemies. "To deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that if you don't change your behavior then there will be dire consequences.
ReplyDeleteIf you do change your behavior, then it is possible for you to rejoin the community of nations. Now, it may not work," said Obama.
Obama and McCain both assured they would do everything in their power to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. As McCain put it, "we can never allow a second holocaust to take place."
Barbs Over Iran
bobal said...
ReplyDeleteYou are never going to see a guy like Ash stand up for his country. He'll be on a golf course in Canada.
But, I leave it there. I can't stand Ash. But, I quit with it.
Tue Oct 07, 10:48:00 PM EDT
Sez I to myself, "...for tonight maybe, Bob, but wait til tomorrow. You'll be back on it."
Then,
bobal said...
We may have that guy Obama leading us, elijah, with millions of assholes like Ash leading the formations.
Meditate on that in your inner being.
And become strong.
Tue Oct 07, 11:27:00 PM EDT
39 minutes of self discipline and forebearance! :-)
Good night, Bob. Hope you catch this in the morning.
Obama had vowed that his administration "would kill Bin Laden" and "crush Al Qaeda." and replied, "Sen. McCain, this is the guy who sang, ‘Bomb, bomb,bomb Iran, who called for the annihilation of North Korea.
ReplyDeleteThat I don't think is an example of ‘speaking softly.'"
The zinger put McCain on defense, and back and forth they went.
2nd Debate
Well, then, we should have had them both in swimsuits.
ReplyDeleteObama said the U.S. should not be afraid to have direct talks with its enemies. "To deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that if you don't change your behavior then there will be dire consequences.
If you do change your behavior, then it is possible for you to rejoin the community of nations. Now, it may not work," said Obama.
And this is the thing that I really think Obama does not understand. People tend to focus on the upfront consequence of state-level talks, which is that they are a prize for the other guy. That's a fact. But the real risk you're running is one of high visibility failure, and that's the reason they are usually shunned. In favor of less visible water-carrying, which can flop without your head of state or foreign secretary sticking his dick out, so to speak.
It's a mundane business that doesn't often benefit from the injection of political celebrity.
The notion that you, Obama, have to deliver in person the "news" that if they don't do a, we will do x, is fantastically silly.
ReplyDelete"You're not interested in hearing politicians pointing fingers," Mr. Obama said.
ReplyDelete"Thank you," several debate watchers here said in unison.
But the candidates didn't really keep to that idea, and several voters at the party said they wished the debate would have stayed more positive.
Jeers From Viewers
No Friend of Solar Power
ReplyDeleteMcCain's Words and Votes Don't Match.
PHOENIX— In one of the most contested exchanges from the first presidential debate, Sen. Barack Obama attacked Sen. John McCain's voting record on alternative energy.
"Over 26 years, Sen. McCain voted 23 times against alternative energy like solar and wind and bio-diesel," Obama said.
McCain dismissed Obama's statement as if it were an absurd claim. "No one in Arizona is against solar," McCain retorted.
Moments later, Obama sought to make another point about McCain and Arizona. The Arizona senator interrupted the Democratic presidential nominee to make a sweeping assertion about his unwavering support for alternative energy development: "I have voted for alternate fuel all of my time," McCain said, "and no one can be opposed to alternate energy."
McCain's legislative record shows otherwise.
Michael Neary, president of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, a non-profit trade association, said McCain frequently says he supports renewable energy development, but his deeds do not match his words. McCain, Neary said, has skipped many important votes or voted against measures that would spur alternative sources like solar and wind.
"If he was truly an ally of alternative energy, he would have taken the time to get out there and vote and maybe rally some of the troops on the Republican side to get [measures] passed," Neary said. "That's something he hasn't done, and this is extremely important to Arizona."
McCain's underwhelming support of alternative energy is well known to Arizona's solar industry leaders, several of whom were surprised to hear the GOP presidential candidate proclaim his strong support for solar during the first debate. McCain's campaign and Senate office did not return numerous phone calls and emails seeking comment.
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http://washingtonindependent.com/10938/10938
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Tubular Solar Panels Slash Costs, Boost Efficiency
ReplyDeleteWritten by Hank Green
Tuesday, 07 October 2008
There are a lot of reasons to think that flat solar panels would be the right way to go. The best way to capture sunlight is by being perpendicular to the sun and it's usually cheaper to make things flat than round. But the folks at Solyndra have discovered that this traditional wisdom might be a bit faulty.
First, as to the second point, when dealing with thin-film CIGS solar panels, cylindrical is just as good as flat. But the first point, concerning harvesting the maximum amount of sunlight, gets a little confusing.
The cylindrical solar panels (think of fluorescent tube lights...except in reverse) can absorb energy from every direction, and when combined with a white roof (which are now the only legal, flat roofs in California) can capture up to 20% more light than traditional solar panels. The other gigantic advantage is that they don't have to move to track the sun. The panels are always presenting some of their face directly perpendicular to the sun.
By removing solar-tracking and orientation from the equation, these systems can simply be laid onto roofs. Tracking solar panels have to be able to resist the force of strong winds, these will just lay flat and out of the way reducing installation costs, which often comprise about half of the price of a solar project.
And with 30 billion square feet of flat roofs in America, this could be quite a market for cheap, clean electricity. Solyndra just announced, in fact, that they've got $1.2 B in contracts throughout Europe and America, and I can't imagine that going anywhere but up.
Full press release from Solyndra below
Via Scientific American
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http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2187/83/
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US Army gets eco-conscious, preps mega solar plant
ReplyDeleteGet in da choppah, Mother Nature!!
By Austin Modine
Posted in Science, 7th October 2008 21:34 GMT
You know the "go green" push is reaching a zenith when the fuel-slurping US Army wants to get serious about having a daintier environmental footprint.
The Army said (http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/10/06/13073-army-launches-new-energy-initiatives-test-projects-at-posts/) it's enlisting several big new energy projects to promote less energy waste in local and overseas bases. Among its ambitions are rolling out a fleet of electric vehicles, establishing biomass fuel demonstrations at select Army posts, and constructing what could be one of the most powerful solar power plants in the world.
"We spend over $3bn every year on energy and the majority of it is spent on our installations. We can significantly reduce our energy consumption by partnering within government and with the private sector to capitalize on the great strides in proven technology that have been developed and implemented across the country," said Secretary of the Army Pete Geren.
Projects will be overseen by the Army's newly-established Senior Energy Council. Logically, plans for the foreseeable future are directed at the low-hanging fruit of energy conservation at military posts rather than attempt to push for eco-concious war zones.
Among the most ambitious project proposed is partnering with the private sector to construct a 500-megawatt solar thermal plant at Fort Irwin, California in the Mojave desert. The plant is expected to provide renewable power to the entire fort, with excess power pumped into the Southern California Edison grid. Fort Irwin is currently one of SC Edison's top energy consumers.
Presently, the world's largest solar farms produce a comparatively minor 10- to 14-megawatts, although a handful of much more ambitious projects are supposedly underway.
The Army also plans on working with the private sector and the Navy to construct a geo-thermal plant at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada that can produce 30-megawatts of clean power.
On the transportation side of the plans, the Army said it's "pursuing the purchase" of 4,000 small battery electric vehicles to replace gasoline-powered vehicles used by maintenance and operations staff. Six Army posts will also be chosen to become biomass fuel demonstration sites through a contract with the US Defense Logistics Agency.
Topping off the project is inking a pilot energy savings performance contract with a civilian firm. An Army installation will be selected become a model to all other bases for monitoring and reducing energy consumption. As an incentive, the contractor gets a share of the savings.
"The Army plans to increase efficiency and serve as a model for the military and the nation when it comes to the operation of our housing, buildings, and forward operating bases," said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations [gasp for breath] and Environment Keith Eastin. ®
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http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/07/us_army_energy_savings_program/
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I can do this all night..
ReplyDeleteZzzz
ReplyDeleteHe's too thick to be embarassed and learn better, Trish.
ReplyDeleteIf he were smart enough to get it, he'd still be too arrogant to admit it.
An angry, ignorant little punk is the latest Democrat Savior, following the White Trash President and his do-nothing, misogynistic wife.
Meanwhile, Claire maintains her part of the bargain:
Obama backer hands TV earpiece to Romney: 'I spit on this'...
McCaskill was stepping out of her chair at the end of an MSNBC interview, and Romney was up next. She and a staffer unplugged her various wires, and she handed Romney the earpiece the guests use to hear the host.
"I spit on this before I put it in," she said to Romney, with a sweet smile.
UPDATE: Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom emails: "You should have seen what she did to the chair."
whit said...
ReplyDelete"The very scope of renegotiating all the mortgages of America is staggering. And it would certainly have to be all the mortgages or it wouldn't be "fair."
Who is going to do such a thing and how could it end?"
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So far, we have this as an example of the economy and efficiency we can expect when we have the helping hand of the government:
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Citibank plus the Government grabs Wachovia for $1.4 Billion.
Wells Fargo, backed by their biggest investor, the richest, most successful investor in the World, figures it's worth at least $14 Billion and submit their offer,
...so Citi sues Wells, and that's where it stands.
I'm sure the Wachovia shareholders and the taxpayers will be grateful if the Govt prevails upon Wells to butt out and let the larceny continue.
Chicago - Put Out More Buckets - How the Mayor Wants to Fight Floods
ReplyDeleteNationwide, Real Estate prices are still higher than they were 5 years ago:
ReplyDeleteI guess Govt's job is to see to it that those that profited by the Bubble must be gauranteed against any possible loss?
...and maintain our non-affordable Real-Estate Inventory?
16 Tongans, Why We'll Beat You
ReplyDeleteNot even the world's credit crisis can bump the greens off message. "Carbon and Climate" remain the mantra of the left who sense great opportunity to advance their cause out of the chaos and uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteA President Obama will be under tremendous pressure to tax carbon (essentially maintain gasoline at about $4.00/gal.) in order to affect their desired social changes.
One need only look to California, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as examples of the result of unbridled Democratic social spending.
I'll suggest to Pat Hill that FSU should consider recruiting at Trinity High.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete