10.31.2009

Greenspan's Body Count: Fore! Steven DeMocker chooses the 7-iron

In today's episode of Greenspan's Body Count, debtor Steven DeMocker stands accused of killing his ex-wife over money:
Accused killer Steven DeMocker and his ex-wife Carol Kennedy both struggled with finances after their divorce, which caused extreme friction between the two, a fraud examiner testified Friday at the Yavapai County Courthouse.

On the fourth day of the evidentiary hearing surrounding Kennedy's murder, Richard Echols said DeMocker and Kennedy argued extensively about money in a slew of e-mails during the months, weeks and days leading up to the victim's death on July 2, 2008.

Prosecuting attorneys accuse DeMocker, 55, of bludgeoning Kennedy to death with a golf club at what was their Williamson Valley home. The state is seeking the death penalty for DeMocker, a former financial advisor, based on five aggravating circumstances, including pecuniary gain.

On July 1, 2008, the day before Kennedy's death, e-mail correspondence between DeMocker and Kennedy indicates she complained about not receiving a second alimony payment of $6,000, money she was entitled to from her ex-husband and had planned to use to pay down debt.

She also could not afford to take over the mortgage on the couple's house, where she was living by herself after the split.

Essentially, prosecutors allege DeMocker killed Kennedy to avoid paying her $6,000 per month - $576,000 total - in alimony and to keep her from receiving a share of a 401K plan after the divorce.

Echols said Kennedy had a job but could not pay all of her bills. She was relying on DeMocker for help. However, Echols testified that DeMocker penned in a March 13, 2008, e-mail that he was unable to pay off his debts on five credit cards and he had borrowed $50,000 from his father.

Echols added that DeMocker's income shrunk by 30 percent in the first six months of 2008 when compared with the same timeframe the previous year. He estimated DeMocker owed creditors $160,000 in 2007.

To cover his shortfall, Echols said DeMocker tried to get money from the company he worked for, Phoenix-based UBS Financial Services Inc., and made a premature withdrawal of $89,000 from an IRA. Prosecutors say Kennedy also had two separate life insurance policies, including one for $250,000 that would go directly to DeMocker if Kennedy died.

The next time you're tempted to run up the credit cards to buy crap that you can't afford, think about where that got Steve and Carol.

Greenspan's Body Count stands at 112:

Debra K. Gibbs
Otis Beckford
Carol Kennedy
Diane Ward
Edith Moreno
Diana Moreno
Scott Peters
Tom Blackmore
Kevin Daniel O'Connell
Julie Fay
Wallis Fay
Siu Fong Ng
Ernest Scherer Jr.
Charlene Abendroth
J.D. Wood
Cynthia Wood
Aubrey Wood
Dillon Wood
Betty J. Lipply
Dwight Deely
Linda Patrick
David Kellerman
Christopher Wood
Francie Billotti-Wood
Chandler Wood
Gavin Wood
Fiona Wood
Gil Weber
Gregory Graham
Randolph Graham
David Kelley
Ramona woman
Del Mar man
Wayne "Mike" Anderson
Jeffrey M. Pearson
Ervin Antonio Lupoe
Ana Lupoe
Brittney Lupoe
Jaszmin Lupoe
Jassely Lupoe
Benjamin Lupoe
Christian Lupoe
Steven L. Good
Adolf Merckle
Mike Upham
Randy Motts
Kristy Hunt
Joseph Nesheiwat
Tom Brisch
Alex Widmer
Brian Pugh
Marilyn Lewis
Sid Agrawal
Kirk Stephenson
Barry Fox
Dallas Dwayne Carter
David Hetzel
Sharron Hetzel
Cliff Kendall
Pamela Ross
Roland Gore
Mrs. Gore
Wanda Dunn
Karthik Rajaram
Subasri Rajaram
Krishna Rajaram
Ganesha Rajaram
Arjuna Rajaram
Indra Ramasesham
Joe X
Isabelle Jarka
Robert Wagner
Lt. Michael Howe
John Roberts
Palmer C. White
Dianne Pittman White
Ed Boesen
Edwin F. Rachleff
Carlene Balderrama
Troy VanderStelt
Scott M. Coles
Dawn E. Armstrong
Thomas Lizotte
Jonathon Calvin "40-Cal" Jacques
Salvador X
Lupe X
Jade X
Little Boy X
Little Girl X
Kashmir Billon
Bill McMurtry

Lisa McMurtry
James Hahn
Raymond Donaca
Deanna Donaca
[redacted]
[redacted]
Michel Veillette
Nadya Ferrari-Veillette
Marguerite Veillette
Vincent Veillette
Mia Veillette
Jacob Veillette
Maurice Pereira
Natasha Pereira
Mark Achilli
Raed Al-Farah
Andrew Kissel
Rufus Shaw Jr.
Lynn Flint Shaw
Mr. Pierce
Walter Buczynksi
Marci Buczynski
Jason Washington

Ally Bank lies to public about being part of bankrupt GMAC

Thursday brought us the news that GMAC was asking for yet another multi-billion-dollar bailout. And, given GMAC's status as Obama's preferred slush fund to funnel tax dollars to Government Motors and the autoworker unions, it's a certainty they will get it:
The U.S. government is likely to inject $2.8 billion to $5.6 billion of capital into the Detroit company, on top of the $12.5 billion that GMAC has received since December 2008...
Given public outrage toward the bailouts and the Obama Administration, the deposit-seeking arm of GMAC rebranded itself "Ally Bank" with warm, purply, roundy, lower-case letters that are about as far from Government Motors, GMAC, and Obama Nation as you can imagine.

You can imagine the public might be reluctant to bank with Ally Bank if they knew it was really the same GMAC that is bankrupt and leeching off taxpayer dollars to support Obama's political allies (allies! get it?).

So I thought it would be interesting to ask Ally about the relationship. I went on their online chat. From the slow and considered pace of the responses ("Customer Advocate is typing a message" ... long pause ... "Customer Advocate is typing a message" ... long pause ... ), it was clear that Customer Advocate was asking a supervisor, "Hey, boss, what do we say when they ask us about GMAC?"




Completely "independant," huh? Not according to GMAC's latest 10-Q, which calls Ally Bank "our wholly owned banking subsidiary."

Ally Bank: leeching off taxpayers, supporting Obama's union allies, and lying about it all the way.

I'd encourage anyone who wants to have a little fun to click on over and hassle the lying dirty bastards.

UPDATE: Webuchadnezzar on the Yahoo boards reports a similar experience, but he had more patience and balls than I did:
You are now chatting with 'Heather'
Heather: Thank you for chatting with me today. How can I help?
Web: I have a question about your bank
Heather: Hello! What questions can I answer for you?
Web: So are you guys part of GMAC
Heather: I will give you a little background about our bank, Web...
Heather: We were established in 2001 and solely became an internet bank in 2006. We were formally GMAC Bank and changed our name to Ally Bank back in May of this year. We are a part of GMAC Financial Services and are privately owned and are our own separate entity...
Heather: We're one of the best capitalized banks in the country. And all Ally accounts are covered by the FDIC up to $250,000 per depositor.
Web: Privately owned or GMAC owned? Those guys are in trouble again
Web: It's in all the papers
Heather: GMAC does not own us. We are our own company and a part of GMAC Financial Services. Whatever is effecting GM at this time has absolutely no effect on us. We are our own private financial entity.
Web: I just pulled up the GMAC 10Q
Web: Wait a sec
Heather: Okay. Not a problem.
Web: It says "As a bank holding company, we and our wholly owned banking subsidiary, Ally Bank, are subject to risk-based capital and leverage guidelines by federal regulators that require that our capital-to-assets ratios meet certain minimum standards."
Web: Is that another Ally Bank then?
Heather: Ally Bank is not a bank holding company, GMAC is.
Heather: Have you viewed the GMAC Financial Services website?
Web: Not lately
Web: Wait let's get back to the question. Doesn't GMAC own you?
Heather: There is a lot of information in there. The website is www.gmacfs.com ...
Web: Wholly owned, to me, means '100%' owned
Heather: GMAC does not own us.
Web: So you are saying GMAC's 10Q is inaccurate? or have things just changed since June?
Heather: Would you like to open an account with us?
Web: I would like an answer, is what I would like
Heather: What that statement is saying is they are comparing GMAC to us in relation to them becoming a bank holding company. And the standards they will need to maintain their status as a bank holding company.
Web: But they are calling you their subsidiary.
Web: Wholly-owned
Web: that means 100% owned by GMAC
Web: It just appears as though Ally Bank is trying to deny an embarrassing connection to GMAC
Web: And it IS embarrassing
Web: Because they are leeching billions off of taxpayers
Heather: I can understand your concern, but whatever is effecting them does not effect us. Ally Bank is not owned by GMAC. Ally Bank is owned by Cerberus Capitol Management LLC.
Web: You do realize Cerberus owns 51% of GMAC
Web: That means they control GMAC
Web: And GMAC's financial statements they make to the SEC say they own you
Heather: Cerberus and GMAC are two separate companies. Cerberus does not own GMAC.
Web: It owns 51% of GMAC
Web: That is a controlling interest
Web: This is important because if you guys are denying a connection to GMAC it seems like you are being told to lie by somebody.
Heather: Although Cerberus has investments with GMAC, it does not control GMAC or any of its subsidiaries.
Web: GMAC's 10Q is a legal submission to the SEC. It's very illegal to lie on there. However, I'm just uncertain if maybe what was true as of June is no longer true now. That could be the case. In other words, I am not 100% certain you are not correct
Heather: Thank you for your opinions. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Web: I just wanted a truthful answer to my question -- right now, I can't say I really believe you
Heather: There is no reason for me to lie to you.
Web: Uh, yes, there is
Web: You might want my account
Web: You want my business
Web: You clearly realize that GMAC is an embarrassment to be associated with
Heather: I'm sorry you feel that way. Ally Bank will never lie to you. Our foundation is built on customer service. We are here to talk straight, do right and be obviously better for our customers.
Web: So you are denying the very fact that they state as a matter of public record
Web: I must tell you, this was interesting, to say the least
Web: The new Obamanomics
Web: In the future, I think Ally Bank should at least try to tell the truth.
Heather: I apologize you feel that way. Is there anything else I can assist you with?
Web: I don't think so, Heather.
Heather: Thank you for chatting with us. We value your feedback. Please click the “Close” button at top right to answer a few questions about your experience with us today.
Your chat session is over. Good-bye.

Happy Halloween!

Is Heidi DeJong Barsuglia dead?

No one has heard from her since the scandal broke, and this morning someone in Sunnyvale is Googling "Heidi DeJong Barsuglia body."

If she did kill herself, it would be a surprising indication that lobbyists can feel shame.

W.C. Varones Blog was right: Kumar is the new Goebbels Kal Penn Kalpen Modi

You heard it here first, two months ago: Is Kumar from White Castle the new Joseph Goebbels?

Yesterday a Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch revealed that yes, Kumar was deeply involved in orchestrating the NEA propaganda campaign:
Former actor and present White House associate director of public engagement Kalpen Modi was directly involved in planning the controversial conference call hosted by a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) flack to encourage tax-supported artists to create propaganda for President Obama, according to emails obtained by Judicial Watch via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.


HT: Jammie Wearing Fool

10.29.2009

Retarded Economists Club

Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Joseph Stiglitz:
Deficits are of course only one side of a country’s balance sheet. On the other side are assets.

Debtors' Revolt's Ann Minch: Chase Bank, Are You Stupid?

Last month we linked this video of a woman telling Bank of America to pound sand. They raised her interest rate to an obscene rate despite a perfect payment history, and she declared they wouldn't get another dime from her.

Well, her video went viral and she went on a bunch of MSM shows. And after ignoring the requests of private citizen Ann Minch, the Bank that Retarded Hillbilly Ken Lewis Built caved in to the demands of TV star Ann Minch.

Next up: Chase, which tried to smack her with a 21% interest rate.



Advantage: Minch. Minch's blog can be found at Debtors Revolt Now.

You know our philosophy here: Neither a borrower nor a lender be. But if ye be a borrower anyway, squirrel away some gold, run up your credit cards, and then go out with a bang. The dirty banks will settle for pennies on the dollar if you look like you have no assets.

10.28.2009

Walnut Creek Teabagging - A Civic Park Romp

Tonight the Tea Party Express rolled into sunny Walnut Creek's Civic Park. A crowd of probably 500 teabaggers strong were in attendance. There was also an odd assortment of Obama Nation supporters probably numbering 20 or so. They actually provided the highlight of the evening, but first the main event. The message was consistent - bash those who don't represent the people and adhere to the Constitution. It wasn't a Republican gathering though a couple of Republican candidates were schlepping their candidacy. It was a liberty gathering. It was about the Constitution and about how our current government has broken its oath to follow it. The message was inspiring and gave this reporter hope that people do realize that our liberty is what is at stake here.
But the highlight of the evening involved a couple members of Obama Nation. Your reporter was dressed innocuously enough so as to be able to mingle among both sides of the intelligence aisle. Actually I was wearing a California sweatshirt which unintentionally is offensive to central government socialists, but I doubt they realized it.

The Obama protesters had that liberal smirk, you know the one that says their beliefs are stronger than math as in "you can't spend more than you make forever" is a debatable thesis. One of them was chanting something about GW that I couldn't entirely make out, AS IF this crowd was somehow Republican. But that's all that matters to these folks. It's their team and the other team. Facts, discourse and documented political beliefs (à la self proclaimed Maoists on Obama's Staff) are not important. All they ignorantly thought was this was a Republican gathering; had they listened at all, they would have realized this was definitely not the case.

But really the moment that truly exemplified Obama Nation came when this reporter was taking pictures of the Obama supporters. Apparently that's not appropriate to them. I didn't say a word, seriously not one word to anyone until one of Obama Nation's female, probably 65-year-old members, seen here in full attack mode, came at me and pushed me for taking a picture of her and the other supporters... carrying big Obama signs... standing on the sidewalk at the corner of Civic and Broadway... at a RALLY. Not sure what the complaint could have been. Again I didn't say a word to anyone. In response to her un-Constitutional act of that right hand finding my right ribs, I exercised my Constitutional right of Freedom of Speech. She ended up leaving almost in tears as I unloaded a profane, Southie-esque diatribe, that would have made Mark Walberg blush, on the topic of why she has no right to touch me.
The co-Obama supporter above (yes she's cute but obviously there's not too much between the ears) started yelling at me, which is her Constitutional right, that I had no right to be disrespectful to the woman who came at me and pushed me for taking her picture. She also heard an earful from me and that's when I realized that man, living in Boston teaches you how to insult at a level that terrifies Californians. It's a powerful, legal weapon when confronted.

Now obviously I didn't feel that I was in any danger, but it perfectly exemplifies the mindset of Obama Nation. They feel free, in themselves and through their leaders, to ignore the Constitution. And when they do they expect respect in return. Doesn't that seem more like a mafia than a democracy?
"I try not to be judgmental in this life; I also try not to let a whore kiss me on the mouth."

-Charlie McDanger's page-a-day calendar

The Year of Living Veganously

It was one year ago that Mrs. V suggested we try veganism for a month. Well, the days went by, like paper in the wind. When the month was up, we never looked back, and it's been a year now. Here's to the next decade of living veganously!

555YVR Luxury Low-Income Housing

We've regularly documented the trials and tribulations of The Mercer condo complex in Walnut Creek. This is where you pay SF condo prices for a suburban setting. The 1 bedroom/1 bath units were going for $500K while the 3 bedroom units were asking $1Mil. As we reported the holding company is now renting out he units and folks who bought in are trying to sell at a $200K loss and still unable to do so.

Then there was 555YVR. Located on the busiest street in Walnut Creek that isn't I680, this luxury complex was asking $700K for their 2 bedroom units and around $500 for their 1 bedroom accomodations. AND if you were lucky enough to purchase a West facing unit you got a wonderful view of the Walnut Creek Motor Lodge parking lot.

So how successful has this development been? Let's check today's SFGATE:
First Marin County, now Walnut Creek. Both communities -- neither of whose populaces are usually seen to be lacking in the greenbacks department -- have recently announced plans to accommodate lower income residents.

Habitat For Humanity let it be known this week that it is building its first home in Marin County. It has bought, and will renovate, a foreclosed home in Novato.

Meanwhile in Walnut Creek, a new condominium building is now accepting applications for five below market rate homes. The project, known as 555YVR, is a four-story development with 87 condos and several townhomes and live-work units. It is located downtown at 555 Ygnacio Valley Road, a block away from BART.

The affordable condo prices range from $133,000 to $148,000 and have either one or two bedrooms. Applicants must be first time homebuyers within the past three years and have qualifying income. Household incomes cannot exceed $46,350 for one person, $53,000 for two, $59,600 for three and $66,250 for four people.

All residents will share amenities such as a courtyard, private fitness center, media room and Sky Lounge, a roof top terrace with outdoor kitchen and fireplace surrounded by 360-degree views of the valley and Mt. Diablo.
Would it be possible to see how much Habitat for Humanity, or whoever, paid for these units? Could we also see how much the builders of these units donated to the current administration? Something tells me there are 2 groups taking a bath on this deal: 1. the current owners, there are a few, poor bastards, and 2. the taxpayers.

10.27.2009

Serious lack of humanity ...

On a more serious note ...

Something is seriously wrong with our society when people can stand by and watch a girl get assaulted and not do anything about it.

As many as seven people assaulted her as she lay on a bench, while others jeered, beat her, robbed her and took photos with their cell phones. Police say they don't know how many people watched during the course of the attack, but some reports have said as many 20.


When we lose our ability to have compassion for each other, we lose what it is that makes us human. Yes I am judging here. They stood by and watch, cheered on, took pictures, of a young girl being beaten and raped. No one took action for two f*&^ing hours. Let that sink in. Two hours.

"Our assumption is that when parents bring the kids to the school, to the dance, that they also arrange for a safe ride back," said spokesman Marin Trujillo. "If kids wish to leave the dance in the middle of the dance, we assume they have a safe ride back. There's a limit to what we can do."


Sorry no. This happened on school property, during a school function. Therefore the school is responsible for the safety of the children. There is no passing the buck to responsibility here cause you f*&^ed the hell up majorly. Unbelievable.

There is nothing good from this whole situation. Everyone in Richmond loses from this. When did they forget that people are suppose to care bout one another. When did they forget they are human.

Richmond High gang rape, lack of action from onlookers outrages community

Second Suspect In Custody; More Arrests Expected

Arnold to S.F. - F*&^ you! AB 1176

It's very possible this is just a coincidence, but funny regardless.

Seems the stars lined up just right in Arnold's veto letter explaining why he was vetoing the bill to benefit the Port of San Francisco. For those that look for hidden messages, it says clearly "f&*^ you". Now of course, Sacramento is saying it's just one of those things.

Bring out the gimp!

It's not quite Greenspan's Body Count, but Greenspan's housing bubble caused a scene right out of Pulp Fiction when underwater homedebtors took their revenge on loan modification scammers:
As Los Angeles housing advocates launched a campaign warning of mortgage rescue scams, a couple hit by foreclosure are charged with torturing two loan-modification agents they suspected of fraud, authorities said on Monday.

The couple, Daniel Weston and Mary Ann Parmelee, and three other people are accused of luring their two victims to an office where the men were tied up, held for hours and beaten, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney said.

Police were called after one of the victims managed to escape, said the spokeswoman, Shiara Davila-Morales. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the town of Glendale, just north of Los Angeles.

Weston, Parmelee and the three other defendants each were charged with two counts of torture, two counts of false imprisonment by violence and two counts of second-degree robbery, according to a criminal complaint filed against them.

Sweet Dreams



- from Tortillitas Para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes

10.26.2009

One of these things is not like the others



Would you prefer the $6 on the left or the 50 cents on the right?


Highlight the area below with your mouse for the answer:
Independent Accountant nails it in the comments.

Through 1964, U.S. coins were actually worth something. They were made of silver, with approximately 0.72 ounces of silver per dollar face value (dimes, quarters and half dollars had weights and silver content in exact proportion to their face value, so a quarter weighed 2.5x as much as a dime, and 1/2 what a half dollar weighed).

Once the Federal Reserve had debased the currency to such an extreme that the metal value exceeded the face value, the mint stopped making coins of valuable silver and started making coins out of nearly worthless copper-nickel alloys. That debasement continued so far as to make a penny not even worth a penny's weight in copper, so copper pennies were replaced in 1983 with copper-coated zinc.

With spot silver at $17, that 50 cent piece has about $6.12 in silver content, while those six copper-nickel dollars have a metal value far less than the face value. And that face value is guaranteed to lose purchasing power over time.

We Love Illegals!

There's a new driving law in the People Democratic Republic of San Francisco.

Call it sanctuary on wheels: San Francisco is about to give a big break to people, many of them illegal immigrants, who are caught driving without a license.

Beginning Sunday, cops will no longer impound cars the first time drivers are pulled over without a license.

The reason: Many such drivers are in the United States illegally - and thus unable to get a license - and the officials pushing the change think that impounding their cars is an unfair hardship.

Instead, unlicensed drivers will be given 20 minutes to phone a relative or other acquaintance with a valid license and insurance to pick up the car. If the driver doesn't have a cell phone, police will help him contact someone.

If no one shows up, then the cop is to call a supervisor to approve the tow.

A second offense within six months means an automatic tow. But, for those who stay clean for half a year, the clock starts over.
But hey, any of you legals drive without a license, good luck!

10.25.2009

An easy answer to the dirty dishes in your sink

From craigslist:

$300 SUBMISSIVE OPENMINDED MALE LOOKING FOR A ROOM

NY-23 Doug Hoffman vs. Dede Scozzafava

I've been remiss in not mentioning the Congressional race in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

GOP party insiders picked Dede Scozzafava, a left-wing, card-checking, Obama-porkulus-supporting, ACORN-connected kook. Doug Hoffman is running an insurgent campaign on the Conservative Party ticket. He is attracting support from Tea Partiers, bloggers, the Club for Growth, and conservatives like Fred Thompson and Steve Forbes. He is burying Scozzafava in fundraising and surging in the polls.

If Scozzafava doesn't withdraw, she may split the vote and end up electing the Democrat Bill Owens -- but he's actually more conservative than Scozzafava.

More info at DumpDede.com and The Underground Conservative.

You can donate to Doug Hoffman here.

W.C. Varones supports SEIU purpleshirts

... in this endeavor, at least: harassing the banksters who are partying on our dime in Chicago.

If you're going to San Francisco...

... be sure to bring a camera to take pictures of the goons at 555 California Street.

555 California used to be called the Bank of America building, when Bank of America was still a San Francisco bank before it got taken over by NationsBank and run by the retarded hillbilly Ken Lewis.

I've been to the building on many occasions, including lunch at the Bankers' Club on the top floor and visiting friends who worked for the Vampire Squid on another floor. I'll be stopping by to take pictures of goons when I'm up there for 11/22 End the Fed.

10.23.2009

Unprecedented move! White House BANS Fox News from Press Corps!

This incredible move, which should remove any doubt that we are all now subjects of a regime that meets the dictionary's definition of fascism, was summarized quite well at this blog (and below). The rest of the networks rightfully protested, saying they'd all leave if Fox was not allowed to stay in the pool. That's shocking to me, but I'm glad it happened.

Today the White House stepped up its attack on Fox News, announcing that the network would no longer be able to conduct interviews with officials as a member of the Press Pool. The Pool is a five-member group consisting of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC organized by the White House Correspondents Association. Its membership is not subject to oversight by the government.

Before an interview with "Pay Czar" Kenneth Feinberg, the administration announced that Fox News would be banned from the press pool. This marks the first time in history that an administration had attempted to ban an entire network from the press pool.

To their credit, the other networks objected. They told the White House that if Fox were banned, none of the other networks would participate. The White House relented, but in an apparent act of petulant retaliation, it restricted each network to a two-minute interview instead of the standard five.

Steve Wynn rips Obamunism

Fast forward to minute 5 of this.

Gray areas

I saw this video over on Tyler Durden, which, incidentally, is the greatest website since Jesus.



I have no idea if that is satire or not. Your vote?

Voters are too stupid to have a say in how their tax dollars are spent - Malin Burnham

... says greedy developer Malin Burnham, who wants to build a big new City Hall for the bankrupt city of San Diego.

- Richard Rider

10.22.2009

Now we're favored guests... treated to the finest in beverages that make you blind

While the Nixon Obama White House is compiling its Enemies List with Fox News at the top, there's a little special treatment for those who are totally in the tank for Obama:
On Monday, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow were among several people who attended an off-the-record briefing with Pres. Obama at the White House. Sources tell us other attendees at the two-and-a-half hour chat included Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, Gwen Ifill of PBS and Gloria Borger of CNN.

[...]

The White House has sent TVNewser the complete list of those who attended the off-the-record briefing Monday: Eugene Robinson, E.J. Dionne, Ron Brownstein, John Dickerson, Rachel Maddow, Frank Rich, Jerry Seib, Maureen Dowd, Keith Olbermann, Bob Herbert, Gloria Borger, and Gwen Ifill. Several members of the staff also attended.

That's your post-partisan President: declaring jihad on Fox News, and hanging out with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.

Money can't buy me love

It's just not your day when you borrow, print, and spend trillions of dollars to pump up the Dow all the way to 10,000, but the people still don't like you.

Advice from the sane on gold and the dollar

One of the perils of the gold discussion is that gold people are generally kooks. I happen to think they are right, but it's hard to deny that Marc Faber, Peter Schiff, et. al. are a little bit odd. It's kind of like the guy on the street corner with the "End of the World" sign. He may very well know something you don't know, but your first instinct is that he's just crazy. Faber, for example:
Capitalism has been the engine driving America and the global economies for over two centuries. Faber predicts its collapse will trigger global "wars, massive government-debt defaults, and the impoverishment of large segments of Western society." Faber knows that capitalism is not working, capitalism has peaked, and the collapse of capitalism is "inevitable."

When? He hesitates: "But what I don't know is whether this final collapse, which is inevitable, will occur tomorrow, or in five or 10 years, and whether it will occur with the Dow at 100,000 and gold at $50,000 per ounce or even confiscated, or with the Dow at 3,000 and gold at $1,000." But the end is inevitable, a historical imperative.

So it was a pleasant surprise today to come across two sensible articles by decided non-kooks: Charles Schwab's Liz Ann Sonders and Greenlight Capital's David Einhorn.

Moderate, characteristically optimistic Sonders suggests that everything might work out if we simultaneously get real deficit reduction and robust economic growth:
History shows we can run lofty deficits for some time before the cart tips. But the markets' and investors' tolerance won't last forever.[emphasis Sonders']

If the bond market specifically, and investors generally, see a credible deficit-reduction plan that's aided by strong economic growth, a dollar crisis can likely be avoided. However, without that plan, the doomsayers could be proven right.

Strong economic growth and a credible deficit reduction plan? Why don't you throw in world peace and free houses for everybody while you're at it?

As Christina Romer pointed out today, deficit spending is the only thing keeping GDP propped up where it is. We're running 10% GDP deficits to generate 4% GDP growth. And this is not organic, sustainable GDP growth but the economic equivalent of a crack hit -- a big but very temporary frenzy of activity with no employment generation that will end as soon as the crack runs out.

If Sonders' only non-disaster scenario requires unicorns puking rainbows, I'm heading for the bunker.

Secondly, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital gave this speech this week to the Value Investing Congress. Read the whole thing; it has wonderful commentary on the Wall Street - Washington corruption. But here I will highlight only what Einhorn says on gold, which is similar to what I've said many times before:
Four years ago I spoke at this conference and said that I favored my Grandma Cookie’s investment style of investing in stocks like Nike, IBM, McDonalds and Walgreens over my Grandpa Ben’s style of buying gold bullion and gold stocks. He feared the economic ruin of our country through a paper money and deficit driven hyper inflation. I explained how Grandma Cookie had been right for the last thirty years and would probably be right for the next thirty as well. I subscribed to Warren Buffett’s old criticism that gold just sits there with no yield and viewed gold’s long-term value as difficult to assess.

However, the recent crisis has changed my view. The question can be flipped: how does one know what the dollar is worth given that dollars can be created out of thin air or dropped from helicopters? Just because something hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it won’t. Yes, we should continue to buy stocks in great companies, but there is room for Grandpa Ben’s view as well.

I have seen many people debate whether gold is a bet on inflation or deflation. As I see it, it is neither. Gold does well when monetary and fiscal policies are poor and does poorly when they appear sensible. Gold did very well during the Great Depression when FDR debased the currency. It did well again in the money printing 1970s, but collapsed in response to Paul Volcker’s austerity. It ultimately made a bottom around 2001 when the excitement about our future budget surpluses peaked.

Prospectively, gold should do fine unless our leaders implement much greater fiscal and monetary restraint than appears likely. Of course, gold should do very well if there is a sovereign debt default or currency crisis.

A few weeks ago, the Office of Inspector General called out the Treasury Department for misrepresenting the position of the banks last fall. The Treasury’s response was an unapologetic expression that amounted to saying that at that point “doing whatever it takes” meant pulling a Colonel Jessup: “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” At least we know what we are dealing with.

When I watch Chairman Bernanke, Secretary Geithner and Mr. Summers on TV, read speeches written by the Fed Governors, observe the “stimulus” black hole, and think about our short-termism and lack of fiscal discipline and political will, my instinct is to want to short the dollar. But then I look at the other major currencies. The Euro, the Yen, and the British Pound might be worse. So, I conclude that picking one these currencies is like choosing my favorite dental procedure. And I decide holding gold is better than holding cash, especially now, where both earn no yield.

So yeah, I'm still buying gold even though it's at all-time nominal highs. There still may be a violent pullback in gold prices at some point, central bank orchestrated or otherwise, but if that happens I'll back up the truck.

UPDATE: See the prolific Michael Panzner's 10/22 post for horrifying facts, figures, and graphs.

The new landlord can always keep the lights on; he has a printing press!

Fed now owns deserted Oklahoma City mall.

Consider it a thank-you gift from the Wall Street banksters whom the Fed bailed out last year, the same banksters who are now reporting obscene profits and bonuses.

10.21.2009

File this under "Who knew?!?"

You know the saying - Your home is your castle. Well who knew you couldn't get naked in your own castle huh? Seems that is the case in Virginia tho. In a city I lived in as a child even.

So remember - no walking around your place naked. Some busybody might take offense.

Link found at The Agitator.

Neal Fox's "Take out the Trash"

Neal Fox, the lifelong music industry insider who has Gone Rogue and brought us F(*& the Fed, follows up with another on-target polemic, Take Out the Trash:



And don't miss We're all gonna be there (when she dies).

You can buy Neal Fox tunes and gear at his label Wire Duck Records.

Jerry Brown vs. CNBC

This was a treat to watch yesterday.

Here's a paraphrased summary.

CNBC bimbo: Thank you for coming on to talk to us about California's lawsuit against State Street Bank over alleged ripoffs in foreign exchange pricing in CalPERS and CalSTRS transactions. Aren't you just grandstanding because you are running for governor?

Jerry Brown: Screw you, you New York media elitist bimbo! You're the one who invited me on here to talk about it. This is a major fraud case brought to us by whistleblowers a year ago. It has nothing to do with my run for governor. If you don't want to cover this, why did you invite me on?




I will probably vote for Jerry. He's a real maverick, and everybody on the Republican side is a go-along-get-along tax-and-spender. Poizner, who claims to be the "conservative" in the race, has a history of supporting tax increases and just decided this year that it might be convenient for him to run against taxes.

I'll take my chances with the maverick Democrat over any of the three Republicans who are likely to turn out to be Schwarzenegger II.

Matt Taibbi on the Wall Street Naked Swindle

Matt Taibbi once again preaches our gospel to the masses.

Go on, read it, if you're not yet angry enough to take torches and pitchforks to Wall Street and Washington.

Happy Anniversary, Jr. Deputy Accountant!

It was one year ago today that the Jr. Deputy Accountant blog was born with this tentative post.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of blogs were similarly born that day. How could we have have known that the nemesis of the Fed would rise from such humble beginnings? JDA's next posts were longish, personal, and well-written, but didn't contain a hint of the Van Helsing who would take on a single-minded quest to attack and expose the bloodthirsty vampires of the Federal Reserve. Perhaps she felt the calling at last year's End the Fed, because since that post, she's never looked back. She's expanded her hunt to the rest of the vampires in the Fed's clan, chief among them being Goldman Sachs and the U.S. Treasury (in that order, obviously).

Congratulations to Jr. Deputy Accountant on a hell of a rookie year, and we expect more great things in the years to come!

Congress voluntarily gives up its power and becomes, what?

Over the last 100 years or so, Congress has steadily and willingly given up some of its most important powers. The Constitution gave Congress many specific powers and duties, some of which made that body our primary bulwark against some of the most dangerous forces the history of human governance had seen up until the American Revolution (Pointless Wars, Tyranny, Usurpation of basic Freedoms, Monetary Policy Malfeasance, Approval of the President's Cabinet Members, and Reckless Spending).

Amongst these critical powers were the sole power to spend our money and to handle our monetary policies, the sole power to declare war. Let's examine briefly how Congress has handled these critical duties over the last 100 years:

1) With the Federal Reserve act of 1913, Congress willingly gave up the power to control our monetary policy. I personally believe that was an unconstitutional act. Regardless, with that act, Congress voluntarily relieved itself of one of its most important burdens/duties.

2) When was the last time we had an officially declared war? It was WWII! Yet the U.S. has been in plenty of actual wars since then! There was the Korean War, The Viet Nam War, the Gulf War, (we significantly contributed to) the war in Kosovo, the Afghanistan War, and the Iraq War. How many thousands of soldiers' lives were lost in these undeclared wars? Congress, in each case, pulled an Obama before anyone had ever heard of him, and essentially voted "Present". Since WWII, Congress has routinely left questions of war to be decided only by the President. They've completely abdicated this crucial, and Constitutionally critical power.

3) Congress has allowed the stable of unconfirmed "special advisers" (Czars) hired by our Presidents to swell beyond the small few most reasonable people might find acceptable. The count is over 30 and rising. The current President has hired multiple Marxist, Maoist, or other self-described "Communists" or Socialists as Czars! There's Van Jones, Cass Sunstein, Anita Dunn, John Holdren, Mark Lloyd, Carol Browner, and Ron Bloom. The list goes on. I bet there are more to come. Bloom's opinion on Capitalism? He said, "We get the joke. We know that the free market is nonsense......We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun." Anyway, that's 8 (EIGHT) radical Czars advising our President that I can think of off the top of my head! These people are crafting policy details on a daily basis, and we will have to live with/suffer through the results of what they decide. Yet, we never got a chance to vote for any of them, and our representatives never even got to give them the once-over. There is no way to recall any of them. Heck, we don't even know how much they're being paid. With this particular group of radical extremists Obama's brought in, does anyone think any of them would've been confirmed by a reasonable Senate if they had gotten a chance to vote on them?

These Czars are handling issues like how the FCC will manage content of broadcasts. Here, again, Congress has entirely abandoned another of its duties.

What kind of Congress are we left with? Obviously, they were designed to be our representatives. But if they've completely ceded some of their most important powers, then it leaves that body as an empty shell that does not represent us on important issues. It's a shell into which big-time money now pours. We've always known they're a bunch of lobbyists, basically. But taking a look at the power they've given up over the last 100 years gives us yet another angle from which we can view how that situation evolved. They voluntarily gave up their key powers! As a result, they are nothing more than a bunch of shallow playboys and celebrity-like lobbyists shilling daily for their corporate pimps. Why would they need to worry about anything serious? They're free of that burden now.

The end result? Lots of Power has left Congress's hands, and has concentrated in two main places; the Executive branch, and the Special Interests. It's no wonder the people feel like they have no real representation.

Big-time HT: NL

ADDENDUM: Other trends that Congress has allowed to increasingly erode its power include Presidential Signing Statements, and Executive Orders.

-Sic Ibid

10.18.2009

Giant Vampire Squid attacks SEC

Goldman Sachs goon becomes Managing Executive of Enforcement Division at the SEC.



HT: Skeptical CPA, who also gave me the headline.

Chrissy Matthews embarrasses himself trying to defend Obama

You can skip to about minute 4 or 5 in this video when Chrissy goes to Defcon 5 Obama defense mode.

What a waste. Matthews is a good interviewer and could have been one of the greats like Tim Russert. Instead he throws it away being a partisan in the tank for Obama.

10.17.2009

Tea Party breaks out at Obama event in San Francisco

Temple of MUT and City Square have the story.

Ya think?

Barron's to Zimbabwe Ben: Enough Already!



Evil Zimbabwe Ben laughs at naive stories like this. Destruction of the dollar is his explicit goal. And he loves seeing old people have to eat Alpo because they are earning 0% on their savings.

Eco-Tyranny Tea Party Pics

Another beautiful day and friendly mob on Harbor Drive.



Organizers Sarah Bond, Dawn Wildman, and Leslie Eastman as SNL's Tina Fey. Speaking is Larry Naritelli. Topics were water for the Central Valley, AB 32, Cap and Trade, and the announcement of the first Tea Party petition, a proposal to free union members from having their wages taken for political purposes.



More pics over on my Picasa.

UPDATE: Here's Leslie as Tina Fey. I'm sorry I only caught the end of the skit!



... and here is Leslie's account of the event.


Photo courtesy Neal Fox

10.16.2009

Analogies

Noam Chomsky: speaking out against the charismatic leader of a vast expansion of government power is like inciting Jew-hatred in Germany.

Happy BFF - Bakersfield Edition

I was really starting to worry that things were askew at the FDIC. They didn’t shut anyone down last week and as of 6PM PST they hadn’t shut anyone down this week. I thought that one of the following must have happened:

1. All banks became solvent, the crisis is over, there’s nothing to look at here, move along folks.
2. The FDIC finally ran out of money. SAY WHAT?!?
3. Sheila and Suze were on a 2 week, instead of 1 week, retreat to solve their recent bout of lesbian bed death.
But as I log in at close to 10 PM on a Friday evening, I see that Sheila was back in action, at least bank-wise. She took down the San Joaquin Bank in Bakersfield, California signaling to the world that everything is normal once again.

Barney Frank, Predatory Lender

Yes, that headline sounds like a lot of headlines on the W.C. Varones Blog.

But that's not my headline; it's from the Wall Street Journal:
Recent reports that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will suffer default rates of more than 20% on the 2007 and 2008 loans it guaranteed has raised questions once again about the government's role in the financial crisis and its efforts to achieve social purposes by distorting the financial system.
The Wall Street Journal agrees: FHA is the new subprime. Click on over and read the whole thing.

Hyperinflation tipping point

Following up yesterday's post on inflation-defense investments, Paul Hsieh and Amit Ghate cite John Mauldin's weekly newsletter, which notes that the hyperinflation "tipping point" generally occurs when governments have to borrow 40% of what they are spending, which, coincidentally, is exactly where Barack Obama and his printmeister Ben Bernanke have the United States at the moment:
"There have been 28 episodes of hyperinflation of national economies in the 20th century, with 20 occurring after 1980. Peter Bernholz (Professor Emeritus of Economics in the Center for Economics and Business (WWZ) at the University of Basel, Switzerland) has spent his career examining the intertwined worlds of politics and economics with special attention given to money. In his most recent book, Monetary Regimes and Inflation: History, Economic and Political Relationships, Bernholz analyzes the 12 largest episodes of hyperinflations - all of which were caused by financing huge public budget deficits through money creation. His conclusion: the tipping point for hyperinflation occurs when the government's deficit exceed 40% of its expenditures.

"According to the current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) projections, US federal expenditures are projected to be $3.653 trillion in FY 2009 and $3.766 trillion in FY 2010, with unified deficits of $1.580 trillion and $1.502 trillion, respectively. These projections imply that the US will run deficits equal to 43.3% and 39.9% of expenditures in 2009 and 2010, respectively. To put it simply, roughly 40% of what our government is spending has to be borrowed.
But hey, what's the worst that could happen? Recent hyperinflations have only brought about little things like civil war and genocide. A small price to pay to give Wall Street, the autoworkers, and Realtors another well-deserved bailout!

10.15.2009

Shall we play a game?

"How about Global Thermonuclear Depression?"

"Wouldn't you prefer a good game of chess?"

"Later. Right now let's play Global Thermonuclear Depression."

"Fine."


HT: Instapundit.

CalPERS: not just bad investors, but crooked too! Pay-to-play

We've been documenting the CalPERS debacle here for more than a year:

CalPERS' magical performance numbers -- 7/19/2008
CalPERS implodes just as predicted --12/18/2008
CalPERS fraud countdown -- 6/21/09
CalPERS fraud watch -- 7/21/09
CalPERS tragic in its hilarity -- 7/27/2009

Today the Wall Street Journal exposes CalPERS board members taking bribes to put CALPERS money into losing investments.

America's largest public-pension fund, Calpers, revealed that a former board member had reaped more than $50 million in fees for arranging investments that could saddle state taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

The disclosure deepens concerns that alleged conflicts of interest are undermining state retirement funds.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System said it is launching a "special review" into payments by money managers -- including billionaire Leon Black's Apollo Management LP -- to firms including Arvco Financial Ventures LLC. Arvco is headed by Al Villalobos, who served on Calpers's board from 1993 to 1995.

End the Fed rallies November 22

Mark your calendar for an End the Fed rally on Sunday, November 22. They'll be happening nationwide at Federal Reserve Bank branches. I'll be at the San Francisco Fed yellin' at Yellen.

Here is Jr. Deputy Accountant's recap, with pics, from last year.

More info at End the Fed.


Advice to a young man on supporting a mistress

Instapundit links to this Virginian post on protection against hyperinflation. I agree with his conclusion of real estate, gold, and stocks.

Coincidentally, I had just written an e-mail last night to a young professional who was looking into investment ideas to protect against dollar collapse. Here are my thoughts:

My overall philosophy is that individual investors should manage their own investments via very low-cost mutual funds and ETFs -- the money they save by not paying advisors really adds up.

A few of my favored low-cost vehicles are:

Foreign stocks:
VWO, VEA -- Vanguard emerging markets and EAFE index ETFs
SWISX -- Schwab international index fund
EWA -- Australia stock ETF
EWC -- Canada stock ETF

Foreign currencies:
FXA -- Australia currency ETF
FXC -- Canada currency ETF
Everbank.com -- savings accounts and CDs denominated in many different currencies

Foreign bonds:
PFUIX -- Pimco Foreign Bond (unhedged)

Commodities:
GSG -- Goldman Sachs Commodity Index ETF (yes, they are evil, but their index is OK)
GLD, SLV -- gold and silver ETFs
GDX -- gold miner index ETF
gold coins -- pick them up at your local dealer for $50 -$70 per ounce above the spot price of gold

For most investors with a long time horizon, I'd recommend a very diversified portfolio with most or all of the above in addition to significant chunk of US stocks (VTI -- Vanguard total index is the only thing you need to hold there) and a good chunk of cash/short-term CDs.

There are other great advantages to managing your own money -- like managing your own tax liability. Professionally managed funds generally generate capital gains, but if you manage your own you only take gains when it makes sense for you. And you can actually manage tax losses to offset 3k per year of ordinary income.
Of course, I left out real estate. Real estate is a brilliant inflation hedge because it's typically highly leveraged. Buy a home with an FHA loan and a phony 3.5% down payment, and you're essentially getting it for free as inflation erodes the value of your debt and future payments to nearly zero. The downside of that leverage is that if we're wrong and we get recession rather than hyperinflation, you're way underwater on an overpriced house. But that's OK with an FHA loan, as you can just walk away and hand the house back to the government.

Also left out were TIPS. TIPS are a fine choice for the most conservative savers, but the real return is near-zero. You may protect your purchasing power, but your money is not going to grow. And TIPS are based on government CPI, which may or may not reflect the true cost of living. The government has an incentive to understate inflation in the CPI as this reduces payments like SSI and keeps taxpayers in higher CPI-adjusted tax brackets.

10.14.2009

You call that exuberant?

When even the cheerful folk sound like Cassandras, we're in a world of hurt.

Exuberant Accountant:
Is our Country on a Collision Course?
As an accountant and auditor I have been trained to make assessments on the health of organizations. In fact, we even have a special model we use called the Altman Z-Score. This mathematical formula determines the probability that an organization will go into bankruptcy. As I read Lawrence Kadish’s article titled, Taking the National Debt Seriously in the Wall Street Journal, I just kept thinking of the Altman Z-Score.

The answer to the question in the title is a resounding "Yes."

Thanks to Jr. Deputy Accountant for pointing me to a good new blog.

THE RECESSION IS OVER!

US Recession Over, Joblessness to Reach 10 Percent: NABE
"The great recession is over," said NABE President-Elect Lynn Reaser.
This is wonderful news and I have no doubt that no truer words have ever been spoken.

This reminds me of a great quote:
"Gentleman, you have come sixty days too late. The depression is over."
- Herbert Hoover, responding to a delegation requesting a public works program to help speed the recovery, June 1930

US Committed to Beating Mother Nature

Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. is “deeply committed” to solving the problem of climate change, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

So the United States is going to change the warming patterns that have been around for tens of millions of years? That's not arrogant.

Our planet has a long, long, long history of climate changes but apparently the United States, with about 5% of the earth's population, is going to somehow stop that. That's science fiction my friends.

This green movement is to the Democrats what the Christian movement is to the Republicans. It's a motivator that causes people to believe in things that can without a doubt be refuted scientifically. It's religion. Those people believe in their leaders as gods instead of as employees. So they elect their leaders, watch them destroy everything else in the country but hold onto the one thing that they are certain their leader will achieve. In Obama it's the end of global warming. For GW it was the end of abortion.

But here is the contradiction: George W. Bush and the Republican party got control of the legislature and the executive in 2000 with the loud drum beat of anti-abortion, a very Christian evil. So why didn't they immediately pass legislation outlawing it? The answer is because then there would be no reason for those who voted for them to vote for them again. And those who did vote for them would be forced to think about something else.

I believe the same will hold true with the Obama administration. Actually it's turning out that Obama is doing NOTHING he promised in his campaign, but on this issue I am confident that they will hem and haw about their commitment to stopping global warming. They will pass legislation that will funnel money to certain folks all in the name of saving the planet. In the end all they will have accomplished is more theft of money and the weakening of our country.

So my question is, why stop at halting global warming? Why not build a tractor beam and move Mars much, much closer to earth so we can mine all that iron ore that is on it? Also shouldn't we try to reduce the temperature of the Sun while we are at it?

UPDATE: Check out the first thing Senator Lindsey Graham uses to defend his record in a raucous town meeting the other day. He's anti abortion and if they ever abolish it he'll be out of a job. That's why they'll never abolish it. At least the Dems have it easier because it's impossible to impact such macro cycles of climate change on Earth without maybe lighting off 100 nukes. They'll have that cause forever for people to vote for.

10.13.2009

Freedom of Speech - so much better during the last administration

There's a war a brewin' and it's not against the evil Al-Qaeda, Hamas or those who thought it was absurd that Obama won the Nobel Piece Prize. This war is between the righteous White House and evil Fox News. Fox is broadcasting opinions and apparently that's just a little more than the White House wants.

White House accuses Fox News of 'waging war against Barack Obama'
Published: 11:45PM BST 12 Oct 2009

Anita Dunn, communications director, has led the charge, appearing on CNN television and conducting interviews with Time magazine and The New York Times in recent days to make her case.
....
Speaking of media magnate Rupert Murdoch's Fox, Ms Dunn told the Times in an interview published Monday: "We're going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent.

"As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don't need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave," she said.

In comments just days earlier to Time magazine, Ms Dunn, a veteran Democratic Party communications strategist who joined the White House in May, denounced Fox as "opinion journalism masquerading as news".

"They are boosting their audience. But that doesn't mean we are going to sit back," she said.

Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Ms Dunn said "the reality of it is that Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party".

She said the White House would not be a "passive bystander" as opponents try to "tear down the president and his presidency."

So what do "active bystanders" that happen to be executive branches of governments do in these sort of situations?

And She states "opinion journalism masquerading as news" and later the article refers to Glenn Beck.
The White House blog singled out Glenn Beck, a conservative talk show host on Fox, for criticism, saying his program "has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings."

Wait just one second there deary, a television program is molding it’s message to target a specific demographic?!? SAY IT AIN’T SO! Thank goodness John Stewart and Stephan Colbert don’t do anything like that! Oh wait, they do (and I enjoy their shows) because in America we have freedom of speech and there is nothing wrong with people paying you to say something. If there is some legal issue with what they say then settle it in a legal arena. This sort of mob tactic, media attack further illustrates how desperate and unhinged the Democratic party is becoming.

Ms. Dunn appeared on CNN, a Network that is well known to never attempt to make a profit from the hard core news it reports.

CNNMoney - What To Do With $1000 Now. Suggestion 10 - Invest in Schwab.

That's some kind of unbiased, profit independent journalism.

Animal Farm

Obama sides with Republicans on Patriot Act renewal.

No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

10.12.2009

Invite a Marine to Holiday Dinner

No, this isn't for you horny USD girls. Wholesome families only, please.

Bring a Marine to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

That link, from North County Conservatives, focuses on Camp Pendleton Marines in San Diego County, but those of you scattered around the rest of the country could do your part by reaching out to your local military base, too.

10.11.2009

In praise of Barack Obama

Thank you, President Obama, for announcing an end to discrimination in the military.

This is the first Obama policy decision I can remember agreeing with. Why Obama would decide to start doing the right thing after nine months of pork, corruption, government expansion, and bailouts for Wall Street crooks is a bit curious. Maybe he wants to lock down a 10% voter base.

Let's hope this promise isn't just another Obama lie, like:

- No tax increases on families making under $250,000
- No one will lose their existing health care plan
- Closing Guantanamo
- Unemployment will stay under 8% if we pass the $787 billion porkulus bill

Based on his track record, I'm not holding my breath. Apparently, neither are gays.

I'm sorry if my praise of Obama was a bit effusive.

Meanwhile, obviously closeted and self-loathing homosexual (come on now, a 54-year-old bachelor named Lindsey who is a McCain sycophant and cries like a little bitch in public when he doesn't get his way?) Lindsey Graham went on NBC to trash the proposal to try to show off his anti-gay credentials.

Equal rights
For Sodomites!
Loaded guns
For lez-be-yuns!


UPDATE: Obama White House tells uppity homos to know their place.

QE has permanently ruined bonds for investors

You used to earn an interest rate roughly inline with nominal GDP growth, even slightly better. Since the Fed started manipulating interest...