Cold day in Massachusetts! It will be cold for the next 10 days as well. My favorite! Game conditions for tomorrow's AFC title game look ok. The wind will be the largest factor, not the cold. If the wind is not too bad the Pats can play their entire offensive plan, which is unstoppable. Bad wind will require a more limited attack. The Green Bay/New York game looks to be about -15 degrees! Now that is just crazy.
General Musings
The Fox business block this morning had a worried tone. After the drubbing the markets have taken to start 2008, even the perma bulls were suggesting more defensive strategies. Most even said to AVOID the financial stocks! What is this world coming to?
Lots of debate about the stimulus plan. Consensus of the talking heads was pretty funny and confusing: A stimulus plan is not going to do anything to help, but we need a shot of stimulus to avert a recession. Got that? It won't help but we need it. Ok.
More talk and some outright pleading for the US government to take over the monoline insurance business after MBI and ABK now look to be toast. Another wonderful idea. Maybe a new entity can be started like Fannie Mae for the insurance field. It could be called "Saving your Fannie" or something.
The wife and I checked out a large chain furniture store today. It was empty and about 5 sales associates were very pushy about trying to help us. Anecdotal information only. It could have been just that store and just today, but 3 years ago when we went there it was packed and you could not find anyone to help you.
People are very angry lately. Usually around Christmas time people's nerves are a little shot, but since September it seems everyone is pissed off to the max all the time. Anyone else seeing that?
Will Tuesday be a "Black Tuesday"? It certainly feels like it could be. The new poll question asks this, so please vote.
Any Chess Players?
I used to play chess all the time. At the Internet site POGO.com they have a pretty good setup for playing online against people all over the world. I used to favor the Barcza opening as white, and the Sicillian Scheveningen defense as black. I stopped playing for a while when I fell in love with Texas Hold'em. Cards are fun. The major sites do not accept real money from US players anymore (a detail snuck into the Port Protection Bill to stop online gambling) and so I have not played cards since last May. I may start playing some chess again. Anyone here play chess? It truly is a magnificent game.
Sorry for the light post, but it has been a relaxing day and I am too chilled out to write too much. Thanks for all the comments on the last post.
Have a good night.
I'm also starting to think we may have a market crash, one reason is due to the proliferation of ETF's and funds that can be used to short the market that were not as available in 2001, that and I think a lot of folks have seen this movie before and are loath to repeat those losses again. Combine that with the MOMO player who are buy into those ETF's and funds because they are going up and the stage is set.
ReplyDeleteI use to play chess about 40 years ago when I was a kid and still remember which way the pieces move but that is about it. As for on-line gaming my neighbor plays poker for money on-line but I'm not sure what site he plays on.
Kevin
I suggest learning Go as well (the Chinese game). I played chess since I was very young (am fairly good at it), but I learned Go recently and it is a somewhat simpler, yet very complex and elegant game at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI am a DAWN OF WAR (See Dark Crusade) fan. Don't get me wrong chess is hard but I seek more adventure and tons of violence when gaming.
ReplyDeleteI had an interesting conversation with my Grandfather today. I asked about what it was like growing up during the depression. He was born right around 1929 and said he grew up poor as dirt. I asked what happened back then and how did people profit from the depression. He said only the people with the money and steady work (like doctors) bought homes, farms, land etc. I tried to talk to him about gold but that didn't work. He owns a ton of GE stock and get a nice dividend check every quarter. He's of the opinion that if GE fails the world will end. Kind of an interesting remark in that he doesn't care about the value of the dollar but the value of his stock. Also he worked for GE all his life and that's how he got over 5000+ shares. He's long GE but realized how much the value fell this last year. Hope everyone enjoyed the pigskin games tonight.
G
PS: I hope for a quiet week in the markets as I have a job interview Wednesday. Wish me luck everyone!
G
ReplyDeleteSome of the people that made out like bandits during the depression were federal goverment employees, thier wage didn't fall and they were buying stuff up as people were going broke.
Good luck on the job.
I bought GE last Thursday at the close at 33.10 and think it can go to 36 but that puppy is heading down after that IMHOP.
Just a Lie (Si Kahn/Joe Hill Music)
Those good old days were not so good to me
Back on the farm in 1933
Depression took most everything we had
Those good old days were mostly pretty bad
Those good old days were pretty low and mean
With corn meal mush and sometimes streak o' lean
Picking up coal along the railroad tracks
Why would you want to have those hard times back?
Tip your hat, wave goodbye
The good old days is just a lie
Kevin
Good luck on your job interview G,
ReplyDeleteI hope it works out for you.
Looks like the markets took a hit overseas last night, I still wouldn`t be shocked if a rally was in the works tomorrow, but who knows (I`m usually wrong on short term guessing the market).
Kevin is right about his thoughts on the depression from what I have found out personally. On my wife's side of the family, her grandfather worked for a railroad company through the depression, and never missed a paycheck (plus they were frugal). Needless to say that side of the family is financially secure to this day.
@ Getyourselfconnected, looks like your going to the Super Bowl.
Congratulations!