Crunch

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

If you haven't seen the new RIGHT:CHANGE commercial, there's a comparison of Obama's 10 yr budget plan of $3.5 Trillion being more than 3x the bailout.

Thanks to a certain King, I learned dimensional analysis in physics. Learn this today and work out the real difference comparing a 10 year period(Obama's) to the, say, the 2 week period of the bailout plan. BIG DIFFERENCE.

[Deckard]

Dow Jones average when Bush started his speech, 10:24 am: -89.

Dow Jones average when Bush finished his speech, 10:33 am: -185




Go George.

[Deckard]

The news outlets are really going to town with all these cliched shots of worried-looking traders, holding their mouth, slapping their head, pressing their eyes.

Somebody should start a gallery.

Here ya go Rog - just for you.






I know I shouldn't laugh, but they're everywhere, these pics.

The bottom one's just great.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

I keep having visions of men crying to their wives when they get home, "I don't wanna have to blow* jOHN in hell!"

I gots nothing in size compared to the big red guy. Besides, I wouldn't give 'em the pleasure.

I'm gonna totally get my ass kicked someday.



*ya know, like, with a hair-dryer.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Deckard

The news outlets are really going to town with all these cliched shots of worried-looking traders, holding their mouth, slapping their head, pressing their eyes.

Somebody should start a gallery.

And lo, some smartass who wanted to create the latest internet meme, did so.

Sad Guys on Trading Floors

tumblr rules.

[Sean]

I've been saying for a while that I think global society could benefit from getting knocked back to the stone ages a bit. Last night at like 1:30am pacific time, CNN interrupted it's scheduled broadcast of Larry King with global news reporting the massive drops in Asian and European markets as well. After a brief moment of "oh crap" style nervousness, I realized that maybe this is what I've been hoping for. Maybe this will be the "reset" button we need to get the world back on track a bit. Especially if Obama's at the helm of the US so that we can reforge important global relationships and such.

[BeautifulBurnout]

LOL

These guys are so full of shit if they think we are buying their fairy tales any longer.

In the UK they always used to whine that they just had to pay city bosses huge bonuses cos otherwise they would run away and work in Wall Street and we would all be fuxx0rd.

Well, Wall Sheet is up to its ears in as much shit as we are and now they have found a fascinating new angle: run away to India!

"If one bank holds down pay, then staff will leave and go to one that doesn't," said one fund manager. "And if London becomes badly paid then there will be an exodus to Mumbai, Shanghai or Dubai."

Yeah, 'course they will.

Let's get one thing straight, all you Tristans and Julians. Cut down on the caviar and the £40,000 wine bills at Petrus cos guess what?

WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU ANY MORE!

Edit: I would actually consider selling my son into bonded labour for a 1900 Chateau d'Yquem, though.....

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by chuck

And lo, some smartass who wanted to create the latest internet meme, did so.

Sad Guys on Trading Floors

tumblr rules.

Well done sir! It had to be there somewhere!

Originally Posted by Sean

I've been saying for a while that I think global society could benefit from getting knocked back to the stone ages a bit. Last night at like 1:30am pacific time, CNN interrupted it's scheduled broadcast of Larry King with global news reporting the massive drops in Asian and European markets as well. After a brief moment of "oh crap" style nervousness, I realized that maybe this is what I've been hoping for. Maybe this will be the "reset" button we need to get the world back on track a bit.

Yes I know what you mean. The idea of a reset button is optimistic. It's just wondering when the heck it's gonna actually arrive. At the moment, every measure, every announcement, every package seems to be met with.... more falls.

Originally Posted by BeautifulBurnout

WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU ANY MORE!

That's at least something good to have come out of all this even if, sadly, many of us end up paying a very hefty price over the coming months and years for this moment of enlightenment/revelation.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Deckard

Yes I know what you mean. The idea of a reset button is optimistic. It's just wondering when the heck it's gonna actually arrive. At the moment, every measure, every announcement, every package seems to be met with.... more falls.

In my mind, the reset button IS the plummeting markets. We're approaching a time where, in my opinion, we'll need to do more than simply recover and get back to where we once were - we need to rethink economic philosophies to an extent. Personally, I think the main lesson that's being driven home is that the stability of the entire economy was resting far too squarely on a tiny handful of giant companies. So maybe the future will include something along the lines of regulating just how big and powerful an individual company can be in order to avoid these kinds of staggering collapses.

And following the same line of thinking, it may be easier to pare down the size and scope of the government (smaller government is a conservative ideal I still hold) as a result. It seems to me that the bigger and more powerful companies are, the bigger and more powerful government needs to be in order to be capable of keeping companies from abusing their power. Who knows?

Do keep in mind that some of the core ideas in this theory are stoner ideas, but it still makes sense to me......

[chuck]

Let me be the first to say it. Overused meme that it is.

Economics 2.0!!

FTW

Totally with you on the reset of the system. Not that it's overdue or that it's inately Baaad. Just that I like the rise of things like Make, the return of DIY and individuals hacking and remaking things - not because they have to - but because it's worthwhile work.

I use freecycle - it's cool just hooking up with people, of a similar ilk - who have stuff that they no longer need - and are happy to hand it on, or around. Instead of it just going in the bin and taking up space in some landfill.

This isn't green-hippy-SAVETHEPLANET talk. It's simple things, done slowly, done well - and making some small difference. It's not revolution - it's evolution - but with tools that are about connecting.

Actually - it's not 2.0 anything. It's just getting on with it. But realising that we've not really come that far from the excesses of Bonfire of the Vanities - and despite all the best efforts of E! Online and the Living Channel - it's OK to just do. And it's how you "do" with those around you - that determine the quality of your society.

Now. Where's that joint?