Well here it is straight from the mouth of a guy on the trading floor. There is market manipulation on the part of the government. Not to say it was a well hidden secret though!
http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/1173-And-Here-It-Is-On-CNBC-Manipulation.html
HR 45 Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sales Act of 2009
Why is it that we pay all of these congressmen to infringe on our rights? I wish they would just come out and admit to the American People that they hate the Constitution and wish to see it abolished. I've got a message for all of the congressmen that are trying to toy with the second amendment, or any amendments for that matter: There are plenty of other countries for you to go to.
Don't walk around my country trying to infringe on my rights. The founding fathers put in the right to bear arms provision for a reason. It doesn't need to be rewritten, it doesn't need to be changed. It has served us fine for hundreds of years and will continue to. If you don't like guns then move to Canada, Australia, or any of the other fine countries that have decided to surrender their arms.
During World War II Japan didn't attack mainland America because they knew we were armed to the teeth, and I'm sure there are plenty of other invasions that have been avoided that have never been made known because of this fact. I'm not paying taxes to have my rights infringed upon. The congressmen are supposed to be working for us, not the perpetuation of a Police State.
Don't walk around my country trying to infringe on my rights. The founding fathers put in the right to bear arms provision for a reason. It doesn't need to be rewritten, it doesn't need to be changed. It has served us fine for hundreds of years and will continue to. If you don't like guns then move to Canada, Australia, or any of the other fine countries that have decided to surrender their arms.
During World War II Japan didn't attack mainland America because they knew we were armed to the teeth, and I'm sure there are plenty of other invasions that have been avoided that have never been made known because of this fact. I'm not paying taxes to have my rights infringed upon. The congressmen are supposed to be working for us, not the perpetuation of a Police State.
Execute Order 66
Why is it that it feels like our Government and the Federal reserve are conspiring against the American people? All of these policies that are passing and Bernanke's quantitaive easing, it just feels like their hand is on the toilet handle. Either way, I just wanted to complain and give you an entertaining cartoon.
Let The Bonds Begin!
Uncle Sam wants your money, and in exchange he'll hand you a nice IOU. The problem is that there are an awful lot of IOU's out there that he is supposed to honor, and some are questioning his viability. If you are in the market for a house, then maybe you've noticed a sharp uptick in the mortgage rates, that's directly tied to the current issues that the Treasury Department is experiencing with issuing record numbers of bonds.I can only hope that things don't continue to crumble, but I fear that if we continue on this current path the Fed will need to print, purchase, and thus monetize our debt in amounts only seen by post World War 1 Germany.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-petruno6-2009jun06,0,3556163.column
The Tax Man Is Knocking
Tax revenues fell sharply this tax season, mainly due to decreased income. What do the brilliant governments of America think of? Charge the serfs more! Let's see, your revenues fell because American's are making less, so now American's need to adjust to their new lower income... but American government can continue living it up by taking more food off of the table? That seems backwards to me. It sounds like State and Federal Government needs to go on a diet to learn how to cope with the pay cut, American's are doing it. I'm providing a link to the article for your reading disgust.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/04/news/economy/states_budget_crises/index.htm?postversion=2009060413
http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/04/news/economy/states_budget_crises/index.htm?postversion=2009060413
And the market goes wild!
Today GM declared bankruptcy. I did you the favor of grabbing the latest news headlines from money.cnn.com. I'm highlighting the good news in green and the bad news in red:
- Stocks start June with a bang
- America's 10 biggest collapses
- JPMorgan to raise $5 billion
- Oil jumps on stock rally
- Time Warner's well-timed tax break
- Is the bank stock rally over?
- Bailed out banks lending less
- Why the market doesn't care about GM
- Manufacturing index hits 9-month high
- Xerox bets on pricey printers
- Shrinking salaries: Why we're saving more
- Trillion dollar health-care fix
So, as you can see there was a mix of news. Let me highlight the most "important" piece. This would be the manufacturing index. Why is that in red? I mean, the index did hit a 9 month high. Yes, the index did hit a 9 month high, but it is still in contraction. So while it is optimistic news, it's not good news. It's like when you think 500 people have died, then you find out it was "only" 450. Better, but still not good. And it is this news that sent the market spiraling up and 221.11 points. Forget that one of the largest companies in American history, GM, is filing bankruptcy (which, ironically enough, will affect Manufacturing.). Now, I by no means am a GM sympatheizer, but this just strikes me as gambling with emotion.
I understand that this is supposed to signify a recovery, but if you're crossing a mine field, and someone waves you on, are you just going to run sprinting across? If you're getting into a shark viewing cage and someone says "You'll be fine" are you just going to start throwing chum in the water and hop in happily (some of you might :-/)?
I just feel like the markets have lost all sensibility and are just running full steam on gut instinct and emotion. That's a very dangerous game to play. If you're going into the stock market, proceed with caution, because emotion creates volatility.
CNBC - The Bottom Is In! L.O.L.
Last night I was feeling slightly down and depressed, I really needed a good laugh. So I switched on the only thing that can do that. Not Comedy Central, not Night at the Apollo, not even Richard Pryor Stand up, I switched on CNBC. I was intrigued as some talking heads jabbered away similar to South Park's depiction of a Canadian (I intend no offense with that reference.). There was a man; his name escapes me, making large claims. He was talking about how the recession will officially end in the next quarter. Quite a broad claim when you see reports of increased foreclosures, etc, etc. Keep in mind these are the same talking heads that denied we would be in a recession. But what really intrigued me was not what this man was saying, but what the Fast Money people were doing. They were playing a game of reverse psychology with the viewers.
There was an Asian Lady on the show who literally acted like she was hanging on this man's every word. She actually asked this: "Are we too late to get in the markets to take advantage of this recovery?" And many of the others chattered to the same effect. They tried to hint that you were, in fact, too late to take advantage of the recovery, but they tried to not push this notion too far as to convince the viewer's they were too late. The man spoke of a stock that had doubled in value recently, but was still down 90% from its high. He spoke of the value, and all I could think of was a sheep herder rounding up the viewers.
At that moment, it was quite hilarious to watch, in hindsight, quite scary. I feel bad for all who are being misled by these people they place their faith in. Perhaps I shouldn't, as some would say, they choose to follow these people.
There was an Asian Lady on the show who literally acted like she was hanging on this man's every word. She actually asked this: "Are we too late to get in the markets to take advantage of this recovery?" And many of the others chattered to the same effect. They tried to hint that you were, in fact, too late to take advantage of the recovery, but they tried to not push this notion too far as to convince the viewer's they were too late. The man spoke of a stock that had doubled in value recently, but was still down 90% from its high. He spoke of the value, and all I could think of was a sheep herder rounding up the viewers.
At that moment, it was quite hilarious to watch, in hindsight, quite scary. I feel bad for all who are being misled by these people they place their faith in. Perhaps I shouldn't, as some would say, they choose to follow these people.
VAT Tax - Washington, pack your bags!
With all of this new proposed spending and lack of tax revenue Washington is doing what it does best - figuring out how to wring the American people out of their bread and butter. The new proposed idea is a VAT tax. If you're unsure of what that is, it is a tax that is paid by everyone, for basically everything. Sounds broad right? That is because it is supposed to be. For a more in depth description of a VAT tax I suggest you read this.
I think it is high time for Washington to learn how to live thriftily in this kind of economic down turn just as many Americans have had to do. I find it grotesquely ill mannered that the six and seven figure incomes sitting in Washington can simply say "Tax the serfs." They talk about paying it back by funding health care. We haven't heard that before! Take your social programs and send them to where they belong. We don't want your taxes, we don't want your waste, we don't want your social programs, and we don't want your awful ideas.
I am vehemently against this terrible idea and infinitely for Washington learning how to trim fat. They can cut their salaries, instead of hike our prices, they can stop driving and going to meetings (AKA European Vacations) on the tax payers tab, they can stop spending multi-millions of dollars on campaigning. Since all of our political leaders are bought and paid for by corporate America anyways, why don't they just raise their fees to the corporations? I'm tired of their garbage ideas, their political spin, and how they pretend to serve their constituents at election time. Even elections have become a farce! How extraordinary, I can either vote for Guy #1 that wants to sell my rights up the river, or Guy #2 that wants to sell my rights up the river. WHOMEVER SHALL I CHOOSE?
With all of these exciting ideas floating around Congress I'm surprised their heads don't explode from the sheer fact that they're required to breath in order to live. I need the VAT tax like a man in the middle of the ocean needs a cinder block. Washington, PACK YOUR BAGS!
I think it is high time for Washington to learn how to live thriftily in this kind of economic down turn just as many Americans have had to do. I find it grotesquely ill mannered that the six and seven figure incomes sitting in Washington can simply say "Tax the serfs." They talk about paying it back by funding health care. We haven't heard that before! Take your social programs and send them to where they belong. We don't want your taxes, we don't want your waste, we don't want your social programs, and we don't want your awful ideas.
I am vehemently against this terrible idea and infinitely for Washington learning how to trim fat. They can cut their salaries, instead of hike our prices, they can stop driving and going to meetings (AKA European Vacations) on the tax payers tab, they can stop spending multi-millions of dollars on campaigning. Since all of our political leaders are bought and paid for by corporate America anyways, why don't they just raise their fees to the corporations? I'm tired of their garbage ideas, their political spin, and how they pretend to serve their constituents at election time. Even elections have become a farce! How extraordinary, I can either vote for Guy #1 that wants to sell my rights up the river, or Guy #2 that wants to sell my rights up the river. WHOMEVER SHALL I CHOOSE?
With all of these exciting ideas floating around Congress I'm surprised their heads don't explode from the sheer fact that they're required to breath in order to live. I need the VAT tax like a man in the middle of the ocean needs a cinder block. Washington, PACK YOUR BAGS!
