Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle yeah

The weekend was fun and relaxing.  We only had my youngest son as his older brother was away at DIS with his friend and said friend's family.  The funny thing was my youngest asked if ST and PJ would still be joining us for dinner Friday night.  I told him of course, they dine with us every Friday night and just because his older brother was not there did not mean they weren't coming.  I am sensing therapy for him at some point with sibling issues...

Saturday our friend JB came down from the city to spend the day and lunch with us.  It was great and he brought these awesome desserts from some place called Lulu.  The husband took him over to ST and PJ's gallery to show him all the pretty cool art they have.  That night we bought Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part II on on demand and watched it.  It was pretty good even though the husband fell asleep during it.

Sunday was switched out all the coats int he closet for the winter coats that were stored down in the basement.  Then we went and saw Immortals.  The movie sucked in a big way.  The only positives in it were Henry Cavill and Stephen Dorff being shirtless most of the time.

Speaking of shirtless hot guys, last weekend the husband and I watched Crazy Stupid Love and I blurted out during the Dirty Dancing re-enactment scene I would totally cheat on you with him to the husband- referring of course to Ryan Gossling of course.  So much for internal dialogue but the husband agreed he is allowed.

The Peace of Westphalia (which I believe I erroneously referred to as the Treaty of Westphalia in a prior post but because I don't tag I am not bothering looking)  has been the dominant paradigm for close to 650 years.  I find it hard to believe it will fall to the wayside in twelve years (how long the euro has been around) solely because of a common currency.  Yet that is what many commentators seem to believe and continuously spout every chance they get.  Which leads me to believe the euro will disappear- paradigm shifts don't happen in that quickly outside of technology.

Is anyone else getting tired of the term technocrat?  I read a great comment from an economist who said you know we are in trouble when they put the economists in charge.  But as someone else pointed out the alternative would be an extremist and Europe has quite a history of getting in and causing a lot of trouble when an extremist comes to power...

So apparently Germany says it is willing to give up some of its national sovereignty to help the euro- how kind considering they are the ones who will end up in charge.

In case you were unsure if the economy is in a recession I'd venture it is.  I know- the yield curve is not inverted so how can we possibly be in a recession?  Really?  You are trying to say that the yield curve indicator is still a valid indicator?  You do know the Fed is openly and admittedly manipulating the yield curve right?  That is what Operation Twist is, so if the yield curve is not reflecting the actuality because it is subject to open manipulation then it can't really be an indicator of anything.

I need to let go of my anger toward M. Buffet so let me get this out and that will be end of it.  Here is a guy who has actively and legally done all he can to minimize the taxes he pays his entire business career.  Now how ever he has found religion and decided minimizing taxes is bad and it should be ended.  He feels so bad for his secretary who pays more than him.  Hello- then maybe you should be paying your secretary a larger salary?  Or here is a novel idea- stop taking steps to minimize your tax bill and pay what the government intended you to pay.  I find it very disingenuous  for him to spend his life making a boat load of money, minimizing his taxes the entire tie and then say ok, I;'m done, no one else should be able to do this too.  He made it into the castle and now wants to raise the drawbridge so on one else can get in.

I think I need to get the LMFAO album.  They have a great, catchy  tune that I need to get on my iPod for my cardio work outs- you know the song already- "I'm sexy and I know it" is the chorus but my favorite line is "I got passion in my pants and I aint afraid to show it."  I work out is the secondary chorus.

Speaking of working out, I almost beat the crap out of someone at the gym the other day.  I saw this person smirk and laugh when a rather large person stepped on to the treadmill.  I am a huge fan of anyone who realizes they are not in shape and makes a choice to change that- especially if that ens they are in the gym at 6 AM.  That person deserves a pat on the back and support, not some asshole laughing at them.

The whole Penn State scandal/tragedy is appalling.  Seriously all  the people involved should be prosecuted.  The accuse- who openly admits showering with ten year old boys- should be executed.  The students who rioted because the coach got fired?  Get a clue you dumb fucks, seriously- you are supporting someone who knew for thirteen yeas there was a monster amongst them.   I also would love to see the NCAA show some balls and sanction the football program.  I doubt that will happen though; the NCAA only goes after programs that cut them out of the money making by selling game memorabilia and not giving Caesar his due. For those who say the players should not suffer, only the guilty should well those players are representatives of the university and the university probably was most likely aware of what was going on so I'd call them guilty of abetting a child rapist and thus they should be punished.  Full Disclosure:  I am sorta being petty and loving the fact that Penn State is getting dumped on and especially the football program as the entire family of the ex went there and they are huge lovers/supporters of the school.  The ex did not go there, she went to a school in New England.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Fair share

The past weekend was very relaxing.  The weather was amazing and we actually had no guests- per se.  The husband's book club was supposed to be down here for lunch and their discussion.  Of course there was drama so the book club was cancelled and instead we had our friend LJ and AKR came for lunch.  LJ is a member of the book club and hey spend a lot of time down here as AKR's career is down here.  They are some of the best guests as they are sooo laid back and easy as guests go.  We enjoyed an excellent lunch the husband made and then our guests had to get going as they had an appointment. 

The rest of the day was nap time and general relaxing.  We then had a dinner date in the village down the road.

Sunday was manual labor day.  The husband had me back up on the roof installing gutter guards to keep the leaves out.  I really hope they work.   Then it was time for me to do my lumber jack routine and split more wood.  The husband did the Mexican work- fitting no?- and shuttled all the wood to where I was chopping.  He tentatively asked if he could try.  I quickly told him no, you can't even use a hammer properly- there i s no way in hell I am letting you touch the axe.  He asked if I would teach him how to use it and I told him maybe grasshopper, maybe...

So the Italian government- kinda an oxymoron no?- has fallen and apparently that is good for our economy?  Seriously, what is going on in the tape is all the long only PMs who are under performing are now buying because they are so short term they are afraid to explain to their investors why they did not even though they have quite possibly ten thousand great arguments for not doing it.  Then of course today reality sets in- reality hits ya hard bro!- and everyone realized Italy is totally fucked and I do mean totally.  The funny thing is once the spread blew out yesterday you knew the cannoli was done.  What everyone should really be focused on now is the French spread and it aint looking too good.  The thing that amused me today was the RTRSY story saying France and Germany are f"going through an intellectual exercise" of what it would take to make a smaller Euro zone, aka kicking out the southern countries.  The amusing part is once Germany realizes that France is totally fucked too then it will end up being a new Hanseatic League of some sorts with Germany and the Nordic countries, possibly the UK as well.

Speaking of the UK I really think they owe Soros a huge thank you for breaking the BOE in 1992 and forcing them out of the ERM. 

I see Jefferson County down in Alabama is officially going to file for bankruptcy.  I think that is Chapter 9 int he code, not sure.  Regardless it is a huge issue and is also the largest of its kind...to date.

So the whole OWS movement has gotten me thinking just what is my fair share to pay in taxes.  I have no problem paying taxes to support the nation and the social safety net that was built up since the Depression as I and most of my family has taken advantage of the benefits of the social safety net.  But as it is now I am currently paying ~50% of all my income in taxes already.  I am ok with that, I still live a nice life and have no complaints. 

I am fairly certain that if I had to start paying 60, 65 or 70 percent of my income in taxes I would not be so sanguine.  I would definitely want a larger say in what constitutes the social safety net as well.  I read somewhere that the top 5% of the income earners pay 40% of the taxes already.  So, how much more until it is fair?  And the whole line of shit Warren Buffet is spouting- you know what, if he wanted to he could stop using the current code to his benefit to minimize his personal tax bill and just pay what the code intends him to pay but of course he says he'll only do that if everyone else does; so much for leading by example....I also bet that he could influence the companies he has large stakes in to also stop sing the code to minimize their tax bills.  When GE effectively pays no taxes and possibly gets money back there is something wrong with the code.  The irony is their CEO is supposedly the jobs czar...

I am glad to see some of the Republicans are starting to do the math and realize just cutting the size of the government and the services offered will not solve our problems and we need to increase revenues as well.  I am a huge fan of a flat tax and getting rid of all exemptions.  The foolish 9-9-9 plan is no the right number , I am guessing if we go flat tax it is closer to say 15% to actually make a difference.  If we get a flat tax I have no problem with a VAT either.

Orange Nikes has been at he gym making my days start right.

My oldest is off to Disney.  Apparently his best friend who lives next door was going with his family and his older brother could not go do to some school commitment.  So the ex got asked if our oldest could go.  She said sure.  They left yesterday afternoon.  I told him I expect him to call or text me and his mother when he arrived- which he did.  I also told him I expect him to take my nightly calls and so far so good.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

And see those pocket aces

I forgot how much fun local radio can actually be.  I drive the husband's car as the station car and it does not have Sirius in it so I listen to the local stations.  It is mostly top 40.  There is some good stuff out there but the station always plays the same songs every day.  I have to admit though that Dev's "Dancing in the Dark" s a great song.

Libya is not a victory for President Obama in way whatsoever.  It is a European victory plain and simple.  Actually it is really a Franco-British victory with the French leading the way.  I imagine tour President is smart enough to realize this and that is why it gets little air time from him and the White House.

So RTRSY is running a story about Athens changing the laws so that any bond holder who does not tender their bonds voluntarily for the 50% haircut will be forced to take the haircut.  Hmmm, to me that sounds like a non-voluntary haircut which is a default even by ISDA's lax interpretation of things.  IF those CDS are triggered we will have what is technically called a "shit storm" in the markets.

Speaking of Greece I gotta think that at some point a thing called national pride kicks in.   Don't laugh, just because they are in hock does not mean they don't have any pride.  With their Prime Minister getting "summoned" by France and Germany and being told they have no other way out they could very well decide to flip the bird and say yes we do have another way out; it is called the drachma....

Hit the gym this morning and orange Nikes was there again.  Started the day right.

So we live right between an Ivy League school and a state school.  I told the husband we need to get some local college regalia.  I was thinking the state school and of course he went and got the Ivy- clearly opposites do attract.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Periwinkle peppermint

The weekend was actually quite relaxing.  We had the boys again and we celebrated my youngest son's birthday.  His birthday is actually today but we celebrated Friday night as ST and PJ wanted to be part of it.  The husband made fish and I made a birthday cake with sprinkles.  My youngest requested I make my (in)famous butter cream frosting for the cake and I asked what color he wanted.  He said periwinkle.  He also added he wanted it peppermint flavored.  So that is what he got.

Saturday I hit the dojo- Cobra kai, never die!- and then the snow started.  Normally four inches doesn't impress me- I swear I am not a size queen besides it's not the size of the nail but the force of the hammer that counts- but four inches of snow in Jersey in October...now that impressed me.

We had planned on hitting Creepy Hollow's haunted farm but the snow put the kibosh on that.  I did call to make sure they were not keeping hours and the person who answered was incredulous that I was asking.  So we basically had a shutter day after we dragged the boys shopping- Banana Republic was having a 40% off sale and my youngest got to pick his birthday gift at BKS and GME.

I made pizzas for dinner and garlic bread and then we watched "Zombie Apocalypse" on SciFi.  The acting was really bad and within the first five minutes we all agreed the character Ramona deserved to die.

Sunday was nice and quiet.  The husband and I took the kids for a walk  along the canal in the snow and they had a blast.  Then we just relaxed.

So my mom asked me why those kids are protesting Wall street and why don't they go get jobs...sigh.  First, if U6 was still not hovering near a high of ~18% I am sure they would love jobs.  Second they are not protesting Wall Street per se, they are protesting the economic system we currently have in this country which is not capitalism.  It is crony capitalism or a plutocratic corporatist system where by the middle men who caused this whole mess are getting bailed out by their friends and former colleagues in government and the person who really needs the bail out- the fabled American middle class- is getting left high and dry.

Greece is the word, the word.  So the government there is going to actually allow democracy to take place and let the citizens vote on the new austerity/bail out package.  Funny how when they decided to allow that the markets tank.  Remember- you have been told that Greece will default by mid-December at the latest...

Funny thing about financial companies- they are really just confidence games and once the lose that confidence they are goners.  It always makes me laugh when people in this business talk about book value in regards to financial companies.  MF clearly demonstrates the issue.  It also makes quite the case for the Volcker Rule. It also brings up the novel idea of counter party risk as well and that is what could turn this into a larger issue...

New future ex-husband in the gym in the mornings.  He wears these orange Nikes and is def a hot, short, compact black Irish boy.  He is definitely straight so I can only lust after him from afar.  He is a Jersey boy too as he wore a sweatshirt for the lacrosse team at a Jersey college.

Kim who?  Seriously- who gives a shit about some whore who only got married to make ~$17 million then two months later divorced the guy.  Clearly she got divorced because gays are ruining the sanctity of marriage...

Yesterday I did dress up at the office.  I had a sweet plaid leisure suit, polyester shirt, huge gold medallion and kick ass platform shoes that had clear heels with goldfish (plastic not real) in them.  I also had the 'fro wig.  It was quite a hit.  The ladies I get my coffee from did not even recognize me and several women in the office asked where I found the shoes (please- these days you find everything on the internet) and if they could borrow them...