All Speculative Bubble Blogs

Hillary is Mom Jeans

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Not sure if you've caught these websites but they are very clever:

First one is Barack Obama is your new bicycle
[hit refresh once you're there]

What is cooler than your new bicycle? Nothing. Every phrase on the site is an example of what a cool person is:

Barack Obama took off when he heard you weren't coming
Barack Obama picked you up at the airport
Barack Obama helped you move a sofa
Barack Obama remembered your birthday

The exact opposite of cool is mom jeans.
[hit refresh once you're there]

What is less cool than your mom's jeans? Nothing. Every phrase on the site is an example of what an uncool person is:

HILLARY BLOCKED YOUR CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY
HILLARY KEEPS INTERRUPTING THE MOVIE SAYING "WHAT DID HE SAY?"
HILLARY FOLDED THE MAP WRONG
HILLARY LEFT ONE SPOONFUL IN THE ICE CREAM CARTON

These sites are user generated content so they keep getting better and better and better the more people submit. hillaryismomjeans has something like 10,000 random phrases submitted so far so you have to at least see it once (and reload it a few times...).

Construction Spending for November 2007

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Report comes out today at 10am

Full article at census.gov

Federal Open Market Committee December 2007 Statement

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Fed Funds Rate released today

Full article at federalreserve.gov

Construction Spending for October 2007

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Report is released today at 10am

Full article at census.gov

Nice Job Fenway Park

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The Politics of Planting - CNN

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Construction Spending for September 2007

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Press release from the Census today at 10am

Full article at census.gov

Federal Open Market Committee October 2007 Statement

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Fed Funds Rate released today

Full article at federalreserve.gov

First baby boomer applied for Social Security benefits Monday

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

This is the start of an avalanche of applications from the 80 million post-World War II generation born from 1946 to 1964. This lady is the first of the baby boomers, born one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946. She will be eligible for benefits after she turns 62 on New Year's Day.

An estimated 10,000 people A DAY will become eligible for Social Security benefits over the next two decades

The Social Security trust fund, if left alone, is projected to go broke in 2041

Full article at chron.com

Republican National Convention Logo Photoshopped

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0000

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3112814

Construction Spending for August 2007

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Today at 10am is the press release

Full article at census.gov

Federal Open Market Committee September 2007 Statement

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Fed Funds Rate released today

Full article at federalreserve.gov

The United States Presidency on Ebay

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320157866712

Construction Spending for July 2007

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The press release from the Census comes out at 10am

Full article at census.gov

Federal Open Market Committee August 2007 Statement

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Fed Funds Rate released today

Full article at federalreserve.gov

Construction Spending for June 2007

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The report comes out today at 10am

Full article at census.gov

Political ad from Argentina

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000

It's about 5 years old and has been translated to English - clever stuff

The Tonkin Gulf Incident

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000

from NPR:

On Sunday Aug. 2, 1964, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the American destroyer the USS Maddox in Southeast Asia's Gulf of Tonkin.

Defense Secretary Robert McNamara told President Lyndon B. Johnson that a covert strike against North Vietnam two days earlier likely provoked the attack upon the Maddox.

Left, an oil painting depicting the attack.

Right, the three attacking North Vietnamese torpedo boats, as seen from the Maddox.

The U.S. destroyer damaged two of the boats and sank the third. Retaliation by the Americans was limited to attacking those boats that day. The Maddox and another destroyer, the Turner Joy, were then deliberately positioned to draw a second attack.

Two days later, on Aug. 4, McNamara, left, reported to Johnson that an American destroyer in the region was under torpedo attack by the North Vietnamese. That brief conversation was the tipping point for the entire Vietnam War.

Johnson ordered American forces to openly attack the North, and he asked Congress to pass a resolution pre-approving any military actions the president would take.

Johnson on Aug. 4, 1964, announcing that the U.S. will retaliate against North Vietnam for two attacks on American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Later, Johnson and others would learn the second attack, which propelled the president and Congress to enter the Vietnam War, never happened.

So if I get this right:

A United States covert strike against North Vietnam by an American Destroyer ship (the Maddox) provokes 3 North Vietnamese torpedo boats to attack back at the Maddox.

During their attack, the Maddox completely sinks one and damages the other two NV torpedo boats and never even gets hit.

Then the Maddox, as well as another American destroyer (the Turner Joy) are deliberately positioned to draw a second attack

The Defense Secretary (assuming that those two ships would be attacked) tells the President that they were under torpedo attack by the North Vietnamese.

Johnson orders American forces to attack North Vietnam
(and gets Congress to pre-approve further military actions)

America assumes that this is a retaliation so the Vietnam war begins - but it turns out that the second attack never even happened and the first attack was provoked...

But that is what justified the beginning of the Vietnam War?

Ten reasons to sell your house NOW.

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Here is a top ten list of why you shouldn't wait to sell your house:

Renting is Cheaper - Renting is almost always cheaper than buying. You know why? Because when you rent, you pay for a roof over your head and that's it. When you buy, you pay for a roof over your head, you pay a bank for the privilege of borrowing money, you pay property taxes to the government, and you pay any and every maintenance fee associated with the upkeep of your house

The Joneses are Crazy - just because the Joneses own a home, it doesn't mean you should too. The Joneses may look cool, calm, and collected on the outside, but chances are they cry when they open their credit card and mortgage bills and are so overextended that the idea of being debt free is laughable.

Real Estate is a Terrible Investment - Unless you are able to pay for a home in cash (no loans), real estate is a terrible investment. Repeat. Your house is not an investment vehicle. Not anymore. Nowadays, it's just a dead asset.

Selling is More Profitable Than Renting - Unless you live in a rural area or an area where prices haven't been affected by the bubble, you will probably not make enough money in rental income to pay the mortgage payment and cover the hassles that come with being a landlord.

The Market is Cooling - Home sales are slowing, foreclosures are rising, and inventory is growing. Bottom line, the market is getting colder, not hotter. If you are waiting for buyer interest to get to the level it was a few years ago, you will be waiting a long time indeed. Your best bet will be to sell now and take what you can get before the competition gets worse than it already is.

Home Values Will Plummet - Home prices couldn't be more disconnected from fundamentals. In many areas, individuals who make the median income can't afford a median priced home. For this reason alone, current home prices cannot be sustained. Experts are predicting price drops of 25 to 60 percent in large areas.

Because Japan Says So - After home prices doubled nationally and tripled in Japan's largest cities, they fell sharply to pre-boom levels. Homes in Tokyo lost as much as 80 percent of their value and to this day the country is still is still struggling with the aftermath of a housing induced recession.

Location is Irrelevant - Many people think that because they live in a desirable area that they will not be affected by falling home prices. This assumption is generally incorrect. If prices have reached an unsustainable height, they are going to fall regardless of how nice it is to live there.

Recession is in the Air - Talk of a recession is at near manic levels. If the market crashes (and it will) the U.S. will be tipped into a recession that rivals the one seen during the Great Depression era. Selling now ensures that you won't have to struggle with a mortgage payment later.

Consequences of Not Selling are Too Ghastly to Consider - If you don't sell now, you might not have the chance to walk away later. Once prices fall, you could lose your ability to refinance, to borrow from equity, and to sell for a profit (or to break even). If you are left owing more on your house than it is worth and find yourself unable to meet your mortgage obligations for any reason, you're stuck. The bank will take your house and you'll be left in the cold

Full article at efinancedirectory.com

Hat tip to HP

Global Gasoline Consumption

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0000

The United States consumes more Gas than 20 other countries combined...

From Economist.com