Friday, January 8, 2010

He Speaks ...

La Grande Bouche spoke yesterday on security.

WSJ: "It was his strongest and most detailed response to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up an airliner bound for Detroit. "We are at war," the president said. "We are at war with al Qaeda."

He said he took responsibility ... and proceeded to blame low level persons and made no changes in his top people.

"Mr. Obama said he would avoid policy changes that would curtail civil liberties or freedom of movement: "We will not succumb to a siege mentality." "

Really ? He's buying scanners to effectively perform strip searches of every American when they travel. Meanwhile, he's closing Guantanamo and is still releasing terrorists to commit terror again. He's not at war with Al Quaeda, he's at war with the American people. They are the ones to suffer demeaning searches and travel restrictions. In a "war", you kill your enemies; Obama isn't killing the terrorists, he's "arresting them". Sort of.

His head of Homeland Security is the one more concerned with returning US soldiers as prospective terrorists than with person known to contact extreme mullahs in Yemen. Great people you're sticking with, Bloviator.

The Bloviator continues to be a skilled rapscallion [*Word of the Day 12/29/2009] and mountebank.

Economy

Long term mortgage rates are going up a lot this Spring. Here's the clue.

WSJ: "The Fed now holds $909 billion of mortgage-backed securities. In the past year it has purchased 73% of the mortgages that government-backed Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae have turned into securities. Purchases by the Treasury pushed total government purchases above $1 trillion. The Fed says it plans to top off its purchases at $1.25 trillion by the end of March ... "

The Fed's balance sheet will peak and when it does, interest rates will return to normal levels. That means core inflation (2%) plus a real rate of return in the range of 2.5-3% for 10-30 year bonds. Mortgage rates should be at least 1.25% more per the value of optional par prepayment. That means the 10 year Treasury is going to 4.5% minimum and mortgage rates to at least 5.75%.

Actions

Doing nothing. I will wait for this push to 1200 to weaken, then buy a new put ladder at those higher levels. Earnings season could change my outlook.

Reading Quiz

When was this written? -> "There is, of course, some connection between the scene outside and the mind through which we watch it, just as there are some long haired men and short haired women in radical gatherings."

Post your answers in comments. I'll provide the correct answer around Noon, unless someone gets it earlier.

Word of the Day

"Helot" - noun [$10]; the 'e' can be pronounced either short or long.
Helot means 1. one of a clan of serfs in ancient Sparta; 2. a serf, a bondsman.
Sentence: If Federal power as claimed under ObamaCare to force a person to spend money as directed by the government is upheld, the citizen's descent into the helot class will be complete. Our real property is not ours already, thanks to the liberals on the Supreme Court.

A Fine Song

Here's the link to a melodic and fun song by the greatest female singer of the 20th century ->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVNcLUE87HQ

75 comments:

Bud said...

good morning Bman !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


what a delicous gingerbread latte with whipped cream and caramel i had this morning..............Bman you really need to go to starbucks this weekend.................maybe after the range ask some of your fellow 2nd amendment practitioners to join you there

Bunkerman said...

I don't know where there is a Starbucks anywhere near. This is not a city.

Maybe in the big mall ...

Bud said...

good music Bman



greatest of the 20th century ????? everyone knows bette midler is the greatest female singer of the 1900s..........i am a huge fan of hers


'the rose'

mfl59 said...

what kind of "number" are you looking for Bunkerman?

Bunkerman said...

no opinion on the number. Close to zero.

Bunkerman said...

bette midler is the greatest female singer of the 1900s

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

It's way too early to hit teh bong, Bud.

;)

Bunkerman said...

jobs # stunk.

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman is this number enough to get you to reload your put ladder?

Bunkerman said...

not yet.

There's seems to be money desiring stocks.

I'll wait ... maybe mid month.

Bud said...

what kind of number ?? reload puts ??



are these sincere questions?? or just questions to make bash the Bman if he wrong.......................proceed with caution Bman...............these guys may not be on your side

mfl59 said...

are these sincere questions? come on Bud...dont be such a cynic sir...

mfl59 said...

Bud did you catch last night's episode of Jersey Shore? fine programming indeed

Spin-em said...

Trailer Park Boys..oh that bubbles

maverick said...

vectorvest still bullish

Bud said...

Bman it is never too early to hit the bong.....................NEVER

maverick said...

CGM funds upside 1220 and downside 950 in 2010

Frosty said...

"He's buying scanners to effectively perform strip searches"

Sal, do you people prefer the body cavity search.

Frosty said...

Bunk...what about the helment contest...if your a bit light, the boyz can do the chip in.

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman if you played Mrs. B in Trivial Pursuit who would win?

Bunkerman said...

haha, nope, I have plenty of helmets.

Stock close contests are sort of jaded.

What about a month for first Fed rate rise ?

Bunkerman said...

don't know re trivial pursuit. She's a sharp cookie.

Frosty said...

What about a month for first Fed rate rise ?...everyone will cluster bets around june...couple months of job growth and well ahead of the mid term election me thinks.

Bunkerman said...

true, not much range.

I would not pick June, btw.

The fed can do a lot before actually raising rates.

Bunkerman said...

well, how about S&P close June 30?

Bunkerman said...

or # of House seats the R'a gain in November.

Spin-em said...

How about many games it takes the Yankees to win series?..Ill say 4



...Mets 8 games out

mfl59 said...

win what series? the season series against the a's?

mfl59 said...

SPX close on June 30...

I am going to enter a pick for Toddo...

550

Spin-em said...

hey azzhead..lets be friends..Ill start...whats the odds for Seattle to win it all?

Frosty said...

Sal's low golf score...I'll take 102...with mulligans and pickup putts 81.

Bunkerman said...

for S&P, we'd have to limit picks to not within 20 pts of a prior pick.

I pick 1011. [June 30 close]

Bunkerman said...

another would be S&P high close between now & then.

I pick 1199.

mfl59 said...

Bud did you have Alabama last night? Im thinking you did...

"wayne allyn root jr."

mfl59 said...

I will take 1012...

Spin-em said...

1198

1010

Frosty said...

1201

1009

mfl59 said...

Bud have you ever been yelled at while ordering a coffee at Starbucks?

I went there once...some skinny punk berated me and had me all out of sorts...

Bud said...

sharp cookie ??? really ??


how f'ng sharp cud she be.............she married you

Bud said...

4.................number of frosty's teeth i knock out when i sucker punch him



'knock your f'ng teeth out!'

Bud said...

oh wait............i had called off the dogs


" sorry "

Bud said...

no bama.....no texas...........i am retired from wagering til next august when college pinskin resumes


a successful season wrapped up

Bud said...

no berate...no yell..........i just used to get nervous ordering

i am an expert now.............know the complete coffee menu now........they love me at starbux now


'what's up sal !!!!!!'

Spin-em said...

are the Mariners 30-1 pal??

Bunkerman said...

uhhhhhhh guess you guys don't read .... I said earlier that later guesses must be at least 20 pts away.

Bunkerman said...

well, mighty sharp to marry a guy who's so handsome and later becomes rich so you can retire years ahead..

Bunkerman said...

that's one reason I never go to starbucks even in NYC - I don't know the secret code words to order.

at a "normal" deli I just yell, "gimme a black".

maverick said...

I just yell, "gimme a black". and


Mrs. B ok with that?

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman would you consider yourself a polymath ($10)?

Bunkerman said...

re polymath, not yet. Maybe in a couple of years.

Got lots a catch'in up to do in the humanities, languages.

Bunkerman said...

oh, I don't yell that to her ... just in the NYC delis.

Frosty said...

"uhhhhhhh guess you guys don't read" ....guess your down on strikes...well played Tom.

Frosty said...

"gimme a black"....darn it all...saw that thought merny back from couchtarica.

Bud said...

'gimme a black'


tha's what frosty says when goes to............uhhhh.............shoot...........called off the dogs

Bunkerman said...

well, IFFFF those were jokes, you still need to get your picks in

;)

Bud said...

is this by june 30 , 2010 Bman ??


if so...........1230 hi



closes at 1200

maverick said...

1223


989

Spin-em said...

1229



1201

Bunkerman said...

yes, june 30.

Bunkerman said...

uh spin ...

I'm not swinging, BUT

Frosty said...

1230

1200

mfl59 said...

1141


475

Bunkerman said...

haha frosty.

Uh .. mav ... your 1223 is too close to Bud's 1230.

If you really like that area, I suppose we could lower the cushion req. to 15 and give you 1215.

Maybe 20 pts is too far.

maverick said...

1215 fine Bman

Bunkerman said...

awaiting picks of the illiterate ...

;)

mfl59 said...

Bunkerman do you or Mrs B believe in wind farms?

Frosty said...

1256

Frosty said...

ooppsss...forgot the qualifier...USA USA USA

Bunkerman said...

well, we believe in wind farms ... as gigantic frauds that scam taxpayer money for worthless projects that lose money and become eyesores and kill wildlife and do not produce power when as as needed.

All wind farms should be sold as scrap.

Bunkerman said...

uh frosty .. is that the close or high or both ?

Frosty said...

1256 both....USA USA USA

Bunkerman said...

ok spin ... give your picks.

interesting, for the close, the entire range from 1011 to 1200 is empty.

Spin-em said...

1178

1071

Spin-em said...

you and Mrs B have a fine weekend pal....

Bunkerman said...

danke, gleichfalls

(thanks, likewise)

clever picks .. wait till end, then grab max real estate.

Bunkerman said...

oops ... forgot to post the answer to the quiz.

1922, by Walter Lippmann, the Book of the Week.

The clue was also in Julie Andrews' song

".. this is 1922 ..."