haha
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0603150024mar15,1,2755769.story?coll=chi-news-hed
Thoughtful piece, not humor.
Ha
Thoughtful piece, not humor.
Ha
Garrison K's Take on "The Current Occupant"
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brewer12345
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I didn't see anything about tarring and feathering...
C
Cut-Throat
Guest
Anyone who doesn't believe that this is the worst president in our Lifetime is blind to history and the facts.
This guy Bush II reminds me of the CEO's that I worked for in Corporate World that would make idiotic moves based on hubris and ego and no clue of what they were doing. When things went 'south' as they usually did, they found some corporate scapegoat to take the blame for what they did. The only thing good I can say about them, is at least no one died directly, based on their decisions.
This guy Bush II reminds me of the CEO's that I worked for in Corporate World that would make idiotic moves based on hubris and ego and no clue of what they were doing. When things went 'south' as they usually did, they found some corporate scapegoat to take the blame for what they did. The only thing good I can say about them, is at least no one died directly, based on their decisions.
I'll refrain from political diatribes except to make a comment about the present situation that could influence FI and ER. As I see it these are the current political/economic issues that the US faces:
1 - an expensive, prolonged, unpopular war
2 - expensive new and existing social responsibilities (medicare, SS)
3 - tax cuts further increasing the federal budget deficit
4 - increasing energy costs
5 - the dot com implosion
Looking at the list I see some similarities to the economic factors from the mid-60s and 70s (Vietnam, The Great Society, the Arab Oil Embargo, drop in Nifty 50, etc.) that contributed to stagflation.
Of course that doesn't mean that history will repeat itself, we really haven't seen sign of inflation, and Bernstein and others have already argued that future market returns will be less than those of the past 25 years but I think that policies of the last four years could negatively impact the economy for the next 5-10 years. Hope that they will in no way resemble the 66-82 era economically but it doesn't give me warm-fuzzies about market returns for the next decade. (Funny though I grew up in 66-82 (age 9 to 25) and I thought that it was a pretty great time to grow up.)
That's my bearish statement for the day! Agree? Disagree?
MJI
1 - an expensive, prolonged, unpopular war
2 - expensive new and existing social responsibilities (medicare, SS)
3 - tax cuts further increasing the federal budget deficit
4 - increasing energy costs
5 - the dot com implosion
Looking at the list I see some similarities to the economic factors from the mid-60s and 70s (Vietnam, The Great Society, the Arab Oil Embargo, drop in Nifty 50, etc.) that contributed to stagflation.
Of course that doesn't mean that history will repeat itself, we really haven't seen sign of inflation, and Bernstein and others have already argued that future market returns will be less than those of the past 25 years but I think that policies of the last four years could negatively impact the economy for the next 5-10 years. Hope that they will in no way resemble the 66-82 era economically but it doesn't give me warm-fuzzies about market returns for the next decade. (Funny though I grew up in 66-82 (age 9 to 25) and I thought that it was a pretty great time to grow up.)
That's my bearish statement for the day! Agree? Disagree?
MJI
brewer12345
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MB, that just argues heavily for an allocation to commodities, real assets and non USD denominated assets.
Dawg52
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I have voted for republicans pretty much my entire life but I have to agree this one ranks up there with the worst. Even if some of the blunders are a result of poor advice, GW put those guys in those positions and he is ultimately responsible.
Now the next question is................who will be our next President?
Now the next question is................who will be our next President?
OK, I was trying to make a "joke" about stealing elections, but clearly the alleged "punch line" of that "sophisticated humor" just "fell flat".bpp said:Rutherford B. Hayes was president in your lifetime? And you're an early retiree? Wow, just how long have you been retired??
So I'll stick to MY lifetime. Alongside LBJ (one of the worst human beings ever), Nixon, & Carter, the incumbent comes across as an amateur.
Kennedy wouldn't have lasted very long with CNN & Fox News either. Can you imagine Anderson Cooper & Geraldo broadcasting live from the Bay of Pigs beach?
cute fuzzy bunny
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
"I have previously stated and I repeat now that the United States intends no military intervention in Cuba."
Said a day after an american bomber was shot down on a raid over Cuba.
Our media has made a scenario where our elected officials are either squeaky clean or able to hide an abundant supply of skeletons. Or that third option where everytime they step on their dicks they just say they didnt and eventually the lie becomes the truth...
Said a day after an american bomber was shot down on a raid over Cuba.
Our media has made a scenario where our elected officials are either squeaky clean or able to hide an abundant supply of skeletons. Or that third option where everytime they step on their dicks they just say they didnt and eventually the lie becomes the truth...
C
Cut-Throat
Guest
Not if you were Draft Age - I was 15-31. - The only Lottery that I ever won!
REWahoo
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mb said:
Cut-Throat said:Not if you were Draft Age - I was 15-31. - The only Lottery that I ever won!
Even worse if, like me, you were age 18-39 and didn't even have a chance to "play" the Lottery. The first drawing was December 1, 1969, five months after I received my notice to report for induction...
C
Cut-Throat
Guest
That's probably because you age faster than the rest of us. If you were 18 in 1966 and 39 in 1982
REWahoo
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Cut-Throat said:That's probably because you age faster than the rest of us. If you were 18 in 1966 and 39 in 1982
Those years in the military do tend to age you quickly. Just ask Jarhead.
(I didn't mention Nords since he got free irradiation treatments which has tended to preserve him...similar to a pickle but without the juice. ).
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Cool Dood said:
Not unless he absolutely has to...
Ed_The_Gypsy
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I was a draft-dodger--I enlisted. I was out before the lottery ever started.
I don't think much of political discussions on this board because they could turn into rants and shouting matches so easily. However, this is in "Other Topics", so...
I second Cut-Throat's comment:
However, when confronted by a foreigner on the subject (which happens unbidden and too often for me), I tell them that W is widely regarded back home as a terrible president. He is a weak and ineffectual--a chocolate soldier--and we all hope that the next one will have more balls and won't be so handicapped as W, who listens too much to human rights advocates and wimpy advisors.
Give 'em something to really worry about. (I have no problem discussing my misgivings with fellow countrymen, but I'll be damned if I will give a belligerant non-stakeholder the satisfaction. There are a few folks up here who won't give me a bad time. Not all Canadians are rude. )
I was out before the lottery ever started.I don't think much of political discussions on this board because they could turn into rants and shouting matches so easily. However, this is in "Other Topics", so...
I second Cut-Throat's comment:
and I share several of the points made above. The good news--maybe the only good news--is that the administration will change in a few years, no matter what.
However, when confronted by a foreigner on the subject (which happens unbidden and too often for me), I tell them that W is widely regarded back home as a terrible president. He is a weak and ineffectual--a chocolate soldier--and we all hope that the next one will have more balls and won't be so handicapped as W, who listens too much to human rights advocates and wimpy advisors.
Give 'em something to really worry about. (I have no problem discussing my misgivings with fellow countrymen, but I'll be damned if I will give a belligerant non-stakeholder the satisfaction. There are a few folks up here who won't give me a bad time. Not all Canadians are rude. )C-T and REWahoo, you're right. I missed Vietnam. I was to young. I just looked up the numbers. We had 47,000 combat deaths in Vietnam. So far we have 2,520 in Iraq including the Brits and other allies not that it makes the situation in Iraq any better. For some reason though I do have a vivid memory of seeing the "body bag" count on the news one day in the 60s and suddenly realizing that a lot of people were dying.
Brewer, yes it does argue for RE, commodities and foreign stocks.
In the last four years I have increased my allocation to foreign stocks and gradually added REITS and some energy (I also accept the peak oil theories. I think that there is uncertainty is to when the peak will occur but there is only so much in the ground and once you use it it's gone.) and nat'l resources. Previously I didn't have any of the later three except in broad index funds. I'm at about 8% for them and now consider them a permanent part of my portfolio but have scaled back on further increases because of the recent run ups. I could see myself getting up to maybe 15-20% but probably not more than that. I still have a lot of US stock and probably always will. I don't change the mix by very much or very quickly. Not good enough at predicting the future for that.
MB
Brewer, yes it does argue for RE, commodities and foreign stocks.
In the last four years I have increased my allocation to foreign stocks and gradually added REITS and some energy (I also accept the peak oil theories. I think that there is uncertainty is to when the peak will occur but there is only so much in the ground and once you use it it's gone.) and nat'l resources. Previously I didn't have any of the later three except in broad index funds. I'm at about 8% for them and now consider them a permanent part of my portfolio but have scaled back on further increases because of the recent run ups. I could see myself getting up to maybe 15-20% but probably not more than that. I still have a lot of US stock and probably always will. I don't change the mix by very much or very quickly. Not good enough at predicting the future for that.
MB
brewer12345
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Anyone see the blurb that spending in Iraq and Afghanistan quagmires is expected to ramp up to almost $10 BILLION a month?
Oh, and he's a brown colored soldier, but I don't think its chocolate...
Oh, and he's a brown colored soldier, but I don't think its chocolate...
(I have no problem discussing my misgivings with fellow countrymen, but I'll be damned if I will give a belligerant non-stakeholder the satisfaction. There are a few folks up here who won't give me a bad time. Not all Canadians are rude.
The only person who tries to engage me on American politics professes to be a right-winger, and praises Bush. I tell him that I consider Bush an idiot and an embarassment, and that the main thing that I don't like about Prime Minister Koizumi is how hard he tries to kiss Bush's butt.
Bpp
REWahoo! said:Even worse if, like me, you were age 18-39 and didn't even have a chance to "play" the Lottery. The first drawing was December 1, 1969, five months after I received my notice to report for induction...
Since I have always tried to control my life (at least when I was young), when I was called for the draft, I was able to convince the medical examiners that I was a 4F, it helped that I was naturally "wacky". I guess my defective work gene began to act up when I was forced to apply for my 1st long term job in the army.
