Monday, April 21, 2008

Monday Morning Ramblings

Bank of England announces program similar to the Fed's asset swap program.
BAC reported to realize some value its large China Construction Bank investment.
RBS announces large rights offering. Why didn't US banks do these instead of selling shares at low prices to favored large institutions ?
Saudi Arabia announced it is putting exapnsion plans on hold. Naturally. They have no more to pump or fields to expand. Prior talk was just bluster.

Why do TV and other "news" outlets create surveys which they then report as "news" ? I suppose they are just lazy and cheap. The Wall Street Journal has really declined in value to me. I still read it, but I notice few and fewer stories that contain hard facts. I plan to try the Financial Times soon.

I drove to & back from Connecticut over the weekend. The roads seemed quite crowded. I suppose people will drive as much as possible ... as much as they can afford, that is. Diesel fuel costs about $4.50 per gallon, much more than gasoline. I'm not complaining or whining, but merely observing that the $100 fill-up for large vehicles has arrived.

Spring weather is now very pleasant here and the blosssoms are really beautiful. As long as the heat holds off, the blossoms can last.

I expect to do nothing this week. I might add to my TLT short if that rallies a bit.

PS: BAC reports a profit. No dividend cut.

Word of the Day

"Snide" - adjective [? ... perhaps $1]
Snide means derogatory in a malicious, superior way.
Sentence: Persons in a clique often can be overheard making snide comments about those not in the clique. That's part of what having a "clique" means.

"Snarky" - adjective [$100 !!!]
Snarky means 1. testy, irritable; 2. (Urban Dictionary) tending to make snide remarks. The word is onomatopoetic from "snide remark".
Sentence: A person overworked might be snarky to others, while being quite pleasant under normal conditions.

"Snark" - noun [$10]
Snark means a fabulous animal, or a mysterious, imaginary animal. The term was coined in 1876 by Lewis Carrol in his poem, "The Hunting of the Snark."
Sentence: The unicorn might be deemed a romantic snark of medieval writings.

PS: "Snorky" was Al Capone's preferred nickname meaning a snappy dresser in 1920s slang.

59 comments:

mern said...

Christina Pond of Arlington, Texas, makes her own detergent. Other moms are growing their own vegetables. With American families facing a double whammy of higher gas and food prices, CNNMoney.com reports moms nationwide are trying to stretch their budget.

someone needs to tell her the "CORE" is ok.

mern said...

watched A LOT of TV this weekend.

maher was hilarious, really smashed the catholic church.
pa reporter said he almost attended a bigots for obama rally. all these bikers that voted for bush in 00 and 04, going for obama. i guess chris mathews hates the hildog, he crushed her on maher. kept railing how her campaign has been a total failure and she has been playing a dirty game.

real sports with bryant gumbel, obama interview. obama came off great, like an actual human being. he played some hoops and is pretty decent. i think his observations about the game were quite interesting. like if u got a guy on your team who continues to shot even though he keeps missing. he considers that person delusional. ive played on teams like that and he is exactly right.

bet hildog and bush wud both be gunners. mccain back in the day probably wud have been very team oriented.

imo, many many americans r so sick of the debates and usual media outlets for news, its these type of interviews that really seperate obama from the lying snakes known as the clintons.

a friend of mines mother called me saturday and asked me, obama or hildog. she was up in the air, and isnt the smartest knife, more like a butter knife, but she thinx she is clever. i told her obama, and she said "gud enuff for her"

lol

stupid americans

mern said...

BREAK UP THE SIXERS!

stupid phoenix!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

agent 0 is insane. lebrown is even better, WHAT A GAME!

flyers sux!

phillies sux!

Bunkerman said...

I have some books called the "Tightwad Gazette" - have lots of money saving tips.

mern said...

1. I am most concerned about the cost of…
Gas 65%
Food 16%
Housing 6%
Health care 13%

total responses to this question: 39768


wow 40k responded to this.

stagger lee is here, its real, and its not going away.

Bunkerman said...

no doubt wasteful behavior has to change ... living in distant suburbs, driving SUVs, wasting $$$ on video games, prepared foods, taxi service for kids everywhere ...

Hmmm maybe back to style of life I grew up in.

Cook meals, read books, walk or ride bikes, combine trips. What hardship !

I eat raw rolled oats - not granola - for breakfast mixed into yoghurt. Much cheaper, nutricious.

Bunkerman said...

Mrs. B seems to be able to save about 20% of grocery bill with coupons on almost every shopping trip.

Bunkerman said...

I saw an article about FL real estate ... not good. Seems much building was driven by demand from flippers, not anyone who wanted to live in the house.

Could take years to clear ... I suppose until economy improves in MidWest so retirees & second home buyers return.

Frosty said...

Bunkerman...rolled oats is horse food...sure it makes for a nice mane, but...............

ops expo hang over...burned that tinder hot and fast last week...mind the gappas index futures...QQQQ gappas 43.20, 44.30, 44.75...on gaurd for a potential trap.

Bunkerman said...

I wonder how many who gripe about high gasoline prices vote for liberal D's who restrict oil drilling and impose high sulfer rules for diesel ?

[not implying anything about gripers here ... I mean in polls]

Bunkerman said...

rolled hearts is heart friendly ... so says my box of Quaker Oats. Lots of fiber, too ;-)

mern said...

Hmmm maybe back to style of life I grew up in.


but that was a 1 person working household, right?

i asked my mom what it was like growing up during the depression. she responded, "well i remember we went from having 2 maids to just 1"

OH THE HARDSHIP!

crackerville gets funnier by the week. right now they r building 3 malls within a few miles from my crib. and these r super duper huge malls.

so we have people abannoning thier homes left and right. commercial real estate is still exploding. so i guess those empty homes r gonna fill those empty malls?

BRILLIANT!

cut rates some more!

we can worry about oil and food when oil hits 200 and a bag of popcorn is a hamilton.

Bunkerman said...

The problem with oil is that too many refineries can't use the high sulfur stuff, which is the surplu oil that the Saudis, etc. produce. And with the sulfur rules, the problem is worse. So the refiners have to bid up the price of the cleaner, sweet crudes that are the benchmark prices.

So government rules create high prices.

Bunkerman said...

By the way, massive new government environmenal rules were a contributory factor in the 1970s stagflation. But printing money was the primary cause. The regualtions prevents expansion of supply for much, and demand from printing money was unrestrained ... hence very high inflation.

I suppose I just threw gasoline on the staggerlee argument ... oh well .. facts are facts.

Frosty said...

Bunkerman...you follow the oil futures...what is your take...itching (like Bud's sack after a date) to get dark or should I say darker...long DUG, I know how chum boy comes off the hook when I fail to fully disclose.

mern said...

(like Bud's sack after a date)

rofl

Bunkerman said...

I think oil goes back to $100 at some time this year. But with the pension fund money going into commodities, it might not happen until they stop adding.

In past, mid-summer is the peak. Serious drop in US demand that shows up in early summer driving would be a sign. Suggest patience.

mern said...

t boone never got his retracement to 85; wonder if he is still short?

great sales on silver north of 20.

time to reload on some SLV?

i blasted mine at 18.00, months ago.

mern said...

Senator kicks off last day of PA campaigning in her father's home town, Scranton



WOW, we both have that in common.

i wonder if she hit the "victory pig" yet?

Bunkerman said...

Boone covered the short, said he went long around 110.

no opinion on silver. For long term, re-buys around the old top at 15 make sense.

I figure the dollar rallies after the Fed meeting & gold & silver drop some.

Spin-em said...

Sue and Bill at the Four Seasons.....Liz get the Sharpie out and mark those glasses!!!

mern said...

boone up his yr end target from 120?

i remember my tree hugging 3rd grade teacher blaming inflation on money supply.

maybe she shud have dropped her resume off at the fed instead of wallingford elem.

so hildog win on tues?
does she win by less than 10 bips?
less than 5?
or lose all together?

i got 2 bits that says she wins by less than 5.

ill take the moneyline that obama wins outright, with a washington.

mern said...

frosty knowing u r a blazers fan, but u shud be ashamed the supersonics leaving for KKK country.

lenny wilkens wud be rolling in his grave, but he aint dead yet.

all i want for passover is CHAD JOHNSON!

Frosty said...

uh Mern...you survived friday so you can spend all day in the bunker...you bankers suck...Bunkerman, these new JPM boys making you any money?

Bunkerman said...

I have a good profit on JPM and expect to hold most of it awhile .. years perhaps.

mern said...

i did?

imo, this job is gud until the end of month, maybe into may.

june 1st, hello retirement/unemployment.

but JPM is networking for me.

FANTASTIC maybe i can catch on (again) at do we rob cheat em and how. i dont think they r laying off the supervision floor until july.

this is economic growth?

Bud said...

'hold it for years'


gimme a break!

Bud said...

great trade Bob!!


pfffffffffffffffffft

Bud said...

am i understandin the Bman correctly??

he thinks there is no inflation????

sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh

Bunkerman said...

Yes, years. A life of collecting ever increasing dividends has attactions, if I can get good yields on core holdings.

Bunkerman said...

Inflation is about 2% = PCE core rate. THe press and people see the big increases in a few sectors whci are undergoing permanent re-adjustment like energy and some foods, while the declines in many prices are small & hidden by quality & taste adjustments.

But no doubt people living in high demand areas like Florida, California, NYC, DC see more "inflation" since prices there are bid up by the rich. That is made up for with declines in many small town, small city & rural areas. Again, that is permanent re-adjustment of prices in high demand places.

Bunkerman said...

BEA+BLS has it about right. No serious inflation.

Bud said...

i guess i'll have to take the Bman grocery shoppin one day


meats fruits vehgetables all up 150% since last spring

Spin-em said...

My oh my..Salvatore sounds a bit snarky today...took those Thomas Jefferson,John Adams July 4th deaths hard...... I guess he's just tired..We're all tired...

mern said...

"the BLS has is right"

the bls keeps the cpi watered down so the fed can feed the asset portion of our economy. also, a low cpi waters down the social security benefits.

do we believe the govt is shooting it straight with us? or r they lying (again) to keep a few bucks in the till?

Joba Chamberlain has thrived as Mariano Rivera's set-up man. But he also owns four pitches, including 100 mph heat. Hank Steinbrenner says only "an idiot" wouldn't start Joba.

ahhh Hank off to a fine start replacing his dad. calling a "manager of the yr" an idiot, and its only may. plus he called torre and idiot, too. he only won the yankees 4 rings.

mern said...

oops its still april.
yesterday was 4/20, and i celebrated all day.

today is 4/21. my mom wud have been 78 today.

ahh memories! i can hear her know.

"u god damn fucking drug addict, u will never amount to anything. u r a loser, all your friends r loser drug addicts. u cant do anything right." (except make your nazi ass into a millionaire. she was right about those friends, none saw 21) but she was nasty mean!

Bud said...

lmaooooooooooooooooo spin


and you are right.......jefferson dying was very sad to watch for me (last nite's adams episode was the worst)

but mainly..............i have a very bad feeling on PA......i think Hillary may be toast after tomorrow


die obama doe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bud said...

exactly mern

'the BLS has it right'

may be about the most ridiculous thing ever said by the Bman

and he has said alot

mern said...

talked to an old tank member today.

seems like im not the only one who isnt trading all that great.

hearing stories about cats, we know, down over 20% ytd and taking sometime off.

everyone mentioned is throughly better than i ever was, but that is no big deal.

geesh the thought of a 20% drawdown wud kill me. i nearly died giving back 6%.

Bud said...

i paid 5.79 a pound for ground beef 85% at whole foods yday

i think that was 3.99 last year

if this keeps up.......i'll have to go back to publix or wynn dixie shortly

Spin-em said...

Got a question? For all of lifes answers write...www.mernknowsitall.com

lool

mern said...

bud u may warm up to obama if u watch real sports with bryant gumbel.

i cant believe u will vote for a 100 yr war becuase u pissy at who the left will throw out on the mound.

so what if obama is only 46, doesnt have a clue, and no agenda. he is a straight shooter.

watching maher friday nite was very interesting. bikers, in droves, that supported dubya going for obama. bikers voting for a negro? YOWZA

just remember i guranteed an obama victory, in nov, 2/21/08. and put money on it.

i was gonna vote for mccain, but after i saw obama dish the rock, i decided, he deserves a shot and cant do worse than bush.

the avg guy does stupid crap like that to decide who they vote for. lord knows im retarded.

mern said...

spin i have an opinion on just about everything.

i know it all about a few things.

philly sports teams.

the dead.

the green.

and PORN!

speaking of porn, bman catch the latest SP? best of the season, imo.

"u dont understand, its been two weeks since i jacked off. and when u get used to looking at 2 japs puking on each other: playboy just doesnt do it anymore!"

ROFL

Spin-em said...

Santelli was saying last week groud beef $8/lb next year or so......farmers cant afford higher grain prices so they bring herds to market ...So we get "lower or level" prices now but next year,with no stock in place....lookout

Frosty said...

Spin making his move soon...word on the street, along with MLF59...they plan to put the corner on the bcon8r.

mern said...

luckily i dont eat read meat.

ill keep eating fish, which has gone through the roof. also roasting whole turkeys and chickens on the weekends.

turkey 89 cents a lb, if u buy the whole bird. i think, back of the envelope, thats about 3 bucks for white breast meat. i think boars head is about 8.50 a lb, now. anything but boars heads, is slimmy, gross, road kill.

mern said...

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-13734

a buck 89 for lettuce. last yr that was 89 cents.

i grow my own lettuce and spinach until about july, then it gets too hot to grow down here.

thats insane.

replacing lettuce with spinach in your salads and samis, tastes better and is much better from a nutrient perspective.

last nite i made a white pizza with tomatoes, home grown spinach and basil. and i ate the whole thing watching the sixers.

i wonder if the sixers r so clueless they can actually beat the pistons. they had no idea last nite they were supposed to get waxed. i dont think i ever saw billups miss 3 out of 4 foul shots, late in the 4th q of an important game. meanwhile reggie evans cudnt miss, even though he avgs 47% from the charity stripe.

welp is the sixers can take game 2, they have a chance.

honestly, i say the pistons in 5. i doubt they win another, this series.

flyers must win tonite!

Spin-em said...

was tellin my bro about the spicy BCN8R...so we went..2 BCN8R's 2 fries 2 frosty's(lmao)......$16.50

they screw ya at the drive thru....no bacon..pffffttt

lmao

Bunkerman said...

I guess I'll have to go to the butcher shop & price some food for you guys, so you can see how cheap things are outside of sun & surf rich man's playgrounds.

Going to hometown in Ohio next week for a few days ... stuff is really cheap there.

I made my own bread again this weekend.

Bunkerman said...

Hmmmm the double cheeseburger was still $1 at McD's last evening, too. Same price for years. No inflation.

I'll have to get beer prices soon. Need some for summer soon.

Bud said...

scranton is rich man's playground?


huh?????


'no bacon'

pfffffffffffffffy

mern said...

who saw darren mcfaddens mom on espn. she was a crack head, mother of 12. she actually said she didnt think her crack addiction affected the lives of her children.

she wud take food money and buy crack. they wud eat mustard sandwhiches.

she did ok, only 1 kid got shoot to death, in thier home. a couple of gang member and all owned guns by thier teen yrs.

joe pesci hates getting screwed at the drive through but he knows scranton is A list compared to say. glenn lyon, duryea or pittson.

lol

u can smoke crack and raise 12 kids. so y wont the worden make 1 with me? im just a lush with blood shot eyes.

Spin-em said...

maybe she feels she already has one......loool

Bunkerman said...

I don't know what a BCN8R is. I've never text-messaged ... ever.

But McD did screw me at the drive-thru leaving out a chicken grilled sandwich for my dog, Spike. Grrrr.

mern said...

except i pay the bills, cook the food and clean. for the most part.

she just works and banks her pay.

its actually getting to the point where im gonna have to say something. in our bathroom, her sink is so nasty i wont even clean it. ive let it go for over a month and she hasnt done anything.

she works like 70 hours a week. comes home, drink a beer or two and goes to sleep.

at least she lets me hit it in the am. then i go back to sleep until 8am. she gets up at 4am.

i better be quiet though. it mite be another, summer of mern starting june 1st!

at the waterhole yesterday about 6 people told me not to have kids and they regretted ever having any. they were like....... "what r u stupid? u have the perfect life. your alcoholism is not impeded by kids..... keep drinking!"

Bunkerman said...

took some LT sugar on AAPL. Had too much at 168. 100% profit.

mern said...

well done sir!

Spin-em said...

"great trade Bunk"...

Spin-em said...

obama/hilldawg..full court press today

4 phone calls from Barry
1 dawg

1 knock on door from 2 hilldawgs..

geesh