Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Declare Victory ...

A brilliant new idea has broken onto the front pages on how to improve the national mood: let's just have the State declare that national happiness has been achieved. Here's how the French are doing it -

From FT: "France to Count Happiness in GDP - Happiness, long holidays and a sense of well-being may not be everyone’s yardstick for economic performance, but Nicolas Sarkozy believes they should be embraced by the world in a national accounting overhaul. France’s president on Monday urged other countries to adopt proposed new measures of economic output unveiled by a panel of international economists led by Joseph Stiglitz, the US Nobel Prize winner. Mr Sarkozy, who set up the Stiglitz-led commission last year, said the world had become trapped in a “cult of figures”.

"One consequence of the commission’s proposed enhancements to gross domestic product data would be to improve instantly France’s economic performance by taking into account its high-quality health service, expensive welfare system and long holidays."

And here's how Bhutan does it: "Bhutan has warned its citizens over cutting down thousands of young trees every year to make prayer flags, a threat to the tiny kingdom’s lush scenery and the government’s duty to bring “Gross National Happiness”. Himalayan Buddhists put up prayer flags for good luck or to help the dead find the right path to their next life. The more flag poles put up for the departed the better, and Buddhist monks say fresh poles must be used each time.
Having failed to convince its citizens to switch from wood to steel for prayer flags, the government of the Himalayas’ last Buddhist kingdom is growing bamboo, which it hopes will be an attractive alternative. "The pressure on forest is from all sides – from flagposts to hydropower. We are discussing this every day,” agriculture secretary Sherub Gyaltshen, said.
Bhutan’s constitution, which emphasises the importance of Gross National Happiness over Gross Domestic Product, stipulates the country must have at least 60 per cent forest cover.
Himalayan Buddhists believe winds will carry positive vibrations of tantric symbols written on the prayer flags in yellow, green, red, white and blue to represent the five elements, and 108 prayer flags are put up when someone dies."

Can it be long before La Grande Bouche declares that the US GDP numbers will be adjusted for the "benefits" of his National Health Care plan ?

Why not ? The US already adjusts GDP and the CPI for the "value" of alleged safety and environmental mandates. So why not for that squishy feeling of security that the nanny state will provide ... as long as you obey it.

Actions

Doing nothing.

The official new name for my most aggressive fund is The 1-2-3 Fund. It's named after that boxing staple, the 1-2-3 combination of punches, viz., a snappy left jab, a powerful straight right and the finishing left hook: by punch numbers, it's 1-2-3. The 1-2-3 Fund is doing OK on its options book ... so far.

By the way in French, the fund's name will be the Bonjour Fund, as idiom in French uses "simple comme bonjour" for "simple as 1-2-3"

Word of the Day

"Euphony" - noun [$10]
Euphony means 1.a. a pleasant of sound, especially of a word or phrase; harmony; 1.b. a pleasant sound; 2. a tendency to make a phonetic change for ease of pronunciation.
Sentence: Perhaps the new National Health Plan will mandate that we all start the day with some euphony by saying "ommmmmmmmmmmm" as we thank heaven for the new god that has entered the pantheon, viz., Ted Kennedy.

Le Mot du Jour

"Heureux, -euse" - adjective
Heureux means (after noun) 1. a. happy; b. pleased; (before noun) 2. fortunate, lucky, propitious.
La Phrase: Obama dit, "ne vous inquiétez pas, soyez heureux."
Sentence: Obama says, "don't worry, be happy."

63 comments:

Bud said...

good morning Bman !!!


how do you usually estimate your quarterly taxes ? do you use the IRS formula with last year as the guide...........or do you actually 'guess-timate' what you made this quarter and just pay say like 20% ish ?? i generally do the latter


but it's much easier for me to figure out what i make every quarter since 100% of my income is from one source..........stock speculation...........ping-pong.......whatever you call it


i just mail a check and wire money out from my main ping-pong account

Bud said...

btw............easily my biggest quarter of the year



danke vielmals jim !!!!!



"wow.............look at me Bob..........i'm the greatest...........i know how to make money in stocks.......how great am i......i love me some me ! "

Bunkerman said...

I use a detailed spread sheet to compute them from all available info. Then I pay 100% of the amount (not the 90% miniumum). Usually I base the payment on the actual estimate for the year, not the annualized method.

It's just a system I've created and adjusted over the years.

My income is a bit more stable now, but I still use the spreadsheet as stock gains and other gains (or deductions) can be uneven and unpredicatable.

Bunkerman said...

I don't use last year's data (except for most deductions), but a lot of the numbers change little

mfl59 said...

"Way to go Sal"

Zimas are on me....

"what a douche"

Bunkerman said...

Illinois Tool raises Q3 guidance (44.20 )

Based on the ongoing contributions from restructuring activities and improvements in discrete end markets, co is raising its Q3 EPS guidance to $0.48-0.56 vs consensus of $0.47


ITW is a 1-2-3 Fund stock.

Frosty said...

Gross National Happiness...that is great...what it is all about, don't worry be happy...think they are on to something.

danke vielmals frecnhies

Bunkerman said...

mern would love it - he had such faith in government numbers.

mfl59 said...

1-2-3 Fund...does that maybe have anything to do with getting pinned, or?

Bunkerman said...

hahaha mfl

nope

Bud said...

wrestling fags

Bud said...

CLFD

nailed it!!

FNET

nailed it !!

GMTC

nailer it !!



amazing that i caught some winners today........ya'know.......since i'm 'not too bright'



danke vielmals jim !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bud said...

oh shoot.............how cud i forget


DIET


nailed it !!! 20 cents ? no 30 cents no ? more like a buck in a day........'not too bright' indeed



danke vielmals jim !!!!!!!!!!!

mfl59 said...

another article on Tobin tax in NY Times today...seems like a matter of when not if...Soros and others behind it...

Bud said...

i couldn't find that article on tobin tax

link ??

mfl59 said...

I find it interesting that other beefers besides Soros are on board....that doesnt bode well...Soros hold the keys indeed...

Frosty said...

Mike flash trading gonnzzoo, sure can see the impact on volume...trader tax gaining mass support...no doubt the end of an era is at hand.

maverick said...

trader tax talk too painful

Bud said...

once a season........maybe twice........vegas likes to give money away........it so happens this thursday is one of those times

locked and loaded miami hurricanes -4.5


they will crush the yellow jackets.......what will it look like ???.......sort of like the demolition job the bearcats did on rutgers



the U will roll

mfl59 said...

we should start a petition...Im sure Mr. President will read it...

mfl59 said...

Bud is that your real pick or the opposite of your real pick?

Bud said...

the U also lookin for revenge........tech ran it down their throats last season


plus............i saw all i needed to see from teach last week..........they let a hi-school team run up and down the field in the 2nd half.........if it wasn't for some brilliant special teams play in the first half....clemson wud have won



nice pooch punt dabo

Bud said...

just ordered 2 cases of Bud lite lime for thursday nite...........the celebration will start early ..............you comin over Bob??

i promise i won't sucker punch you.......well..........i don't promise.......but i won't

Bud said...

mayweather v marquez............who you guys like ???


oh wait.........y'all a bunch of wrestling fags.......uhhhh.........i meant fans

Bunkerman said...

Bud lite lime ..... uhhhhhh

OK, I'd give a pass to "Bud lite",

BUT

the lime ???????

A "man" would have his lime with straight rum or on the rocks.

lime in beer ...
sheesh ....

Bunkerman said...

Britsh Navy "Pusser's Rum on the rocks with lime ... that's a fine drink one can be proud of.

I had a "stiff" one last evening as a pre-dinner cocktail.

Bunkerman said...

hmmm I wonder if beefers are now reading this blog, copying my ideas ...

CAT, BA, RIMM

multi-point gains .... and with those levered with calls,

"danke veilmals, das Bunkermann"

oops ... a bit giddy. I am now looking at my shoelaces, Coach.

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman dont you know what the wheel of price and time is saying?

Bunkerman said...

"the wheel of price and time"

uh .... wtf ???

Is that a Gann-ism ?

I'm a simple common man ...

The trend is up, but it could use a breather.

Spin-em said...

Barry Zelinsky....

"I make car parts for the American working man, because that's who I am, and that's who I care about."

Spin-em said...

Barry Zelinsky.....

Truth is, I make car parts for the American working man because I'm a hell of a salesman and he doesn't know any better..

Spin-em said...

Barry Zelinsky

"Marty...buy those republicans and traders a bottle of Dom and a bag of ice so they can soak their marbles"

mfl59 said...

the 1-2-3 Fund will get knocked the fkkk out once the Tobin tax gets passed.....

Bunkerman said...

sheesh, you guys, that's just a fund-raising gimmck to shake down the beefers for campaign donations.

the beefers are going to shower money on both parties to beat it, and that's all it is ...

boob bait for the beefers.

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman will you sign a petition to ensure the tax is averted?

Bud said...

holy smokes.......eminis 3for3



" wow Bob.........look at me..........i am the greatest trader.......i am the best.........i know how to make money.........i love me some me "

mfl59 said...

"Way to go IPO Dave!"

Bunkerman said...

look anyone sincerely wanting to fight that tax (who thus falls for teh boob bait), should send $1000, $10,000, etc. to some PAC that can spread the money around DC.

petitions .. how moronic.

One has to be a fool or a knave to start them.

Bunkerman said...

or maybe just a greedy, posturing knave ...

Bunkerman said...

of course, I have no one in mind ... just being hypothetical.

mfl59 said...

are you calling "jim" a fool, Bunkerman? How dare you!!!! Bud will sucker punch you so quick your head will spin...

Bunkerman said...

take your pick, fool OR knave.

uh ... my bet is on the k...

nah, why say it.

Bunkerman said...

it's probably a book selling posture.

Bunkerman said...

hero of the traders ....

Spin-em said...

that tax article is disturbing to say the least mike...pfttttt

mfl59 said...

glad to see you found it spin...its a disturbing read....

Frosty said...

Sal do you ever trade that emini from the darkside sir.

Bud said...

Bman does the rising protectionism in dc bother you ??


does it torpedo your economic recovery thesis ??

Bud said...

Bman my fund is called the '1-2 combination'


i don't need a 3rd punch.............left jab and right hook is all i need

Bunkerman said...

so far all I see is normal WTO behavior - the tire fight, the chicken fights ... are under it's rules. As long as they stay under it, no problem.

If the D's try to pass trade rulese for their global warming crap, taht's a huge problem.

I think they can't / won't do it.

Bud said...

NGAS


nailed it!!


looks like maybe 40cents......i'll take it..........i wonder what % that is ?? can u please tell me Bob.........ya'know....since i 'ain't too bright'



danke vielmals jim !!!!!!

Bunkerman said...

lolol so in French your fund is the Bonjo fund ???

Bong ... Banjo ... lolol all hilarious


uh .. I'd guess you really need the "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 , whew, I'm tired .. isn't that bag swinging yet Fund" ?

Spin-em said...

to me it looks like they have more than one/tenth of a % in mind...ufb...stick a fork in me...they even quoted Erin.....gimme a fn break

Bunkerman said...

Fido's DVN up 2 pts plus .. thanks Krypto, here's dog biscuit.

no 6K necessary

Bud said...

yes frosty


but remember...........i am by no means an es expert......i just opened my account.........i've done 3 trades in my entire life.........i'm not in the majors..........i'm in the minors...... aa ball


actually i'm not even in the minors.........i'm in high school........just tryin to see if i even have any skills..........i may ..........i may not..........time will tell

Bunkerman said...

IFF Sen Schumer signs onto that tax, there is worry. If not, nfw it will pass.

He's very powerful in D party.

Frosty said...

defazio has the power...don't kid yourself bunky...this wing tax is in the bag.

Bud said...

does barton biggs read this blog ??


"stox are very cheap at these levels "

mfl59 said...

that is perhaps the dumbest thing i have ever heard....

mfl59 said...

Biggs looks half dead for crying out loud...

"No offense Barton"

Bud said...

does barton biggs read this blog ??


he hears Bman's 1200 s and p target ..........and raises it to 1250

Bunkerman said...

jeez ...

now I'm worried.

Spin-em said...

roflmaooooooooooo