QuantumTom the (nearly) daily mutterings of a so-cal [consumer of food & media] + [gearhead] + techie

5Mar/100

Lloyd! 8==>

Apparently, Goldman Sachs would be in trouble if it were a Vegas casino.

The issue deals with things called front-running and derivatives trading against its own investors. For the rest of us, "derivatives" is a general term used on Wall Street to describe any kind of securities trading that is done off the market and is consequently unregulated.

Oh, and these are always the types of deals that cause market crashes.

The Securities Act of 1934 specifically defines a class of “qualified” investors who are supposed to have enough assets and enough savvy to make their own mistakes, God bless ‘em. Yet in Vegas, where there is a sucker born every minute and capitalism is at least as popular as it is in New York, section 465.070 of the Nevada Gaming Law makes it a felony “to place, increase or decrease a bet or to determine the course of play after acquiring knowledge, not available to all players, of the outcome of the game or any event that affects the outcome of the game or which is the subject of the bet or to aid anyone in acquiring such knowledge for the purpose of placing, increasing or decreasing a bet or determining the course of play contingent upon that event or outcome. ”

via Adam Smith Money World.

24Feb/100

“F*ck You, Whale, and F*ck You, Dolphin!”

"...at least one witness said the animal leaped from the water and dragged the woman in."

I believe the correct conjugation is "leapt." That is f-ing gnarly. Can you imagine? At first you're like, "Wow, Shamoo is smart enough to knock me into the water."

And then you're like,  "And now I'm going to die. I guess we shouldn't keep these animals in captivity and make them do tricks for money."

via Killer Whale Kills Trainer During SeaWorld Show.

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22Feb/100

US super-rich get five times more income than in 1995

The incomes of the very rich in the US grew phenomenally between 1992 and 2007, while their tax rates plummeted, according to recently uncovered IRS statistics.

via US super-rich get five times more income than in 1995.

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21Feb/100

Man Bulldozes House Before Bank Can Foreclose

21Feb/100

Sovereign-debt theories: Domino theory | The Economist

Dubai’s sovereign credit-default-swap spreads soared to their highest level in a year this week, amid concern about the terms of a debt restructuring by a state-owned conglomerate. There is increasingly shrill commentary arguing that Greece is the start of a far bigger problem. “A Greek crisis is coming to America”, blared the headline on a recent Financial Times article by Niall Ferguson, a financial historian.

via Sovereign-debt theories: Domino theory | The Economist.

19Feb/100

Wall Street’s Bailout Hustle : Rolling Stone

God bless MATT TAIBBI. He got it right again!

This is the most important issue in America right now and the only magazine to deal with it right is Rolling Stone?

Goldman Sachs and other big banks aren't just pocketing the trillions we gave them to rescue the economy - they're re-creating the conditions for another crash.

I have to admit, I do have a soft spot for Jann Wenner.

Cathy Geiss from 30 Rock with her Teddy Ruxpin bear

Incidentally, America's ruling class should be hopping mad they're getting fleeced by this corrupt executive compensation system. The bankers run their businesses into the ground because their bonuses are based on year-on-year performance.

That is to say, the easiest way for me to double profits from one year to the next is to crash the company first. Then I can do a mediocre job and look like a rockstar.

via Wall Street's Bailout Hustle : Rolling Stone.

12Feb/100

Los Angeles is one of the most difficult places for job seekers in the U.S. | Money & Company | Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles is one of the most difficult places for job seekers in the U.S. | Money & Company | Los Angeles Times.

9Feb/100

Seven things about the economy that everyone should be more worried about than they are

Seven things about the economy that everyone should be more worried about than they are

via Nieman Watchdog > Commentary > Seven things about the economy that everyone should be more worried about than they are.

9Feb/100

Jumbo Mortgage ‘Serious Delinquencies’ Rise to 9.6% (Update1) – Bloomberg.com

U.S. prime jumbo mortgages at least 60 days late backing securities reached 9.6 percent in January from 9.2 percent in December, the 32nd straight increase for “serious delinquencies,” according to Fitch Ratings.

via Jumbo Mortgage ‘Serious Delinquencies’ Rise to 9.6% (Update1) - Bloomberg.com.

9Feb/100

The budget, partisans and Bin Laden » Times Record News

The teabagging cheat-sheet:

Dear Buster: It is difficult to defend the Republicans during the Bush administration, as they virtually did nothing to rein in Congress’s addiction to spending over his two terms. Unfortunately, President Bush did in fact leave President Obama a deficit of about $450 billion, but not the $1.3 trillion figure Obama bandies about. Not to make excuses, but Bush’s deficit included two wars and the economic fallout from the 9-11 attacks.

via The budget, partisans and Bin Laden » Times Record News.