The Barron Blog

Friday, 19 September 2008

Taming Of The U.S. Financial Wild West

2008 will be remembered as the time law and order was imposed on the financial institutions and individuals in the banking and investment sector.
Do you remember CODs and ABCPs. Basically, these were junk securities sold as paper gold. Their status is now reduced to toilet paper.
Until 2008, U.S. banking was whatever you could get away with. If the suckers bought into the not so hot subprime mortgages, it was their fault.
If financial stocks could be bought and sold cheaply, then the hedge fund guys could still make money in a bear market. Who cares about the U.S. financial system? If there's profit to be made off of a company that's a loser, why not make it?
Well the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Government stepped in to stop the abuses.
Both presidential candidates blamed each other for the mess. Comments were made about "putting lipstick on pigs". Are the pigs Wall Street bankers or politicians?

Posted by qualteam at 5:56 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 19 September 2008 6:22 PM EDT

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Tuesday, 16 September 2008

U.S. Banking Balloons Aren't Going Up Anymore
Mood: accident prone

Well the banking witches and wizards are getting their balloons shot down these days. Bear Sterns was sold at a garage sale. Freddie Mack and Fannie Mae were cleansed by the U.S. Government. The Lehman Brothers were hung out to dry. AIG was assimilated by Big Ben and the Federal Reserve.
In the meantime the presidential candidates took potshots at each other over this crisis.
The big story (the subprime mortgage meltdown) of 2007 and 2008 continues to hit everyone in the teeth, either through the stock market or the job losses in the U.S. financial sector.
Hopefully, the politicians who were asleep when this voodoo debacle started will be purged in the next election.
Up Up And Away In My Beautiful Balloon

Posted by qualteam at 11:07 PM EDT

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Sunday, 14 September 2008

Movie Review 124: 1941
Mood: down

This movie has a great cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, John Stack and great director, Steven Speilberg. It should have been lots of fun and hilarious, but it wasn't.
Basically, it's about the defense of California after Pearl Harbour, but it's played out as a comedy of errors for all concerned including the Japs.
Yes, there are some great fight scenes especially between the army and the navy, but the comedic scenes are few and far behind. The scenes and gags are stretched out far longer than they should be.
Speilberg tried to make the most of of comedy sketch that should have lasted 15 minutes. The movie runs for 2 hours and a half.
The film has lots of action in it and lots of goofy bits. It's worth a look because there are a few good laughs here and there. There's dumb, dumber and dumbest. This will be the dumbest war movie you will ever see.
More Movie Reviews Of 1941.

Posted by qualteam at 10:37 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 22 September 2008 11:17 AM EDT

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Thursday, 11 September 2008

Bin Laden Is Still At Large

Bin Laden and mini Al (Al Zawahiri) are still on the loose. With over 25 million dollars on the Al Queda leaders' head, it's strange, no one has been willing to turn them in. The reasons for this could be the following:
Unless you have friendly people who support you, human intelligence will never work.
Collateral damage to the civilian population has strained relations with Pakistan so that coordinated efforts and military intelligence are impaired.
When unemployed Pakistani/Muslims are paid more by the Taliban, than anyone else, fresh recruits become available every day.
The Iraq campaign consumed a large part of the U.S. military resources needed to go after bin Laden and Al Qaeda.
There's not a scintilla of evidence that we have any idea where bin Laden is.
Massive profits from Arabian oil will often find its way into the pockets of new Taliban and Al Qaeda recruits.
Developing alternate energy sources is the best way to fight rogue Muslim countries by making their oil production worth less. It also helps when you lower civilian casualties and get local tribes along the Afghani-Pakistan border on your side. Fighting smart is a key to any victory.
With the trillion dollar bail out of Freddie Mac and Fannie May, you wonder how much is left over for U.S. police actions in other countries.

Posted by qualteam at 10:41 PM EDT

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Wednesday, 10 September 2008

Movie Review 123: "V" And "V The Final Battle"

"V" is probably the most realistic of all science fiction movies. The aliens while more advanced than mankind are not really that high tech. Their spaceships run below lightspeed. Their security systems have been compromised by undetected traitors in their ranks.
The reptilian race of visitors really remind me of Nazis who pretend to be your friend but will use you for their own evil purposes.
The worst lizards have no redeeming qualities and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way including senior officers.
The resistance leaders have to overcome their own conflicts and unite with the good aliens to defeat these scumballs from outerspace.
The storyline and acting is superb, but the special effects leave something to be desired. Three stars.
More reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes' website.
The sequel should be televised in early 2009: V: The Second Generation

Posted by qualteam at 9:45 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, 10 September 2008 10:02 PM EDT

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Saturday, 6 September 2008

The Lighter Side Of The Obama/McCain Presidential Election

There is a lighter side to presidential elections. Here are some quotes and statements that put a smile on my face.
"John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush 90 percent of the time. That's not a maverick. That's a sidekick."
"I'm a war hero. The other guy isn't. Vote for me." A summary of John McCain's acceptance speech.
"I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don't expect to be a great communicator, I don't expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need." John McCain quote.
"The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should. I've got Greenspan's book." Another John McCain's quote.
"You know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran? Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran." John McCain breaking into song after being asked at a media event about whether it was time to send a message to Iran, April 18, 2007.
Lets give a big hand for "The Barrcuda", Sarah Barracuda.
Another Sarah Palin, nickname: "The Killa from Wasilla".
Best Obama Nickname: Joe Biden Accidentally Calling Obama "Barack America".
"Recently, Barack offered John McCain a job in a gift shop at The Obama Presidential Library". A David Letterman top ten point.
"I got tested for AIDS. I know Barack got tested for AIDS. There's no shame in being tested for AIDS. It's an important thing." A Joe Biden quote.
"You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.... I'm not joking". Another Joe Biden quote.

Posted by qualteam at 12:01 PM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 6 September 2008 7:04 PM EDT

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Friday, 5 September 2008

The U.S. Needs A President With A Plan For Economic Recovery

It isn't enough to spout the right rhetoric and platitudes about keeping American free and prosperous. The next president has to have a lot on the ball with regards to the present economic environment.
He has to understand the reasons behind the global slowdown and take actions to restore confidence in America's financial system and multinational companies.
The plan for a U.S. economic recovery might include the following:
Assured mortgages at reasonable rates for homebuyers with good credit.
Reinventing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as "The U.S. Mortgage and Housing Corporation"(A new U.S. sponsored company).
Big tax incentives for citizens who invest in U.S. companies
Big tax incentives for "green businesses" to locate in the U.S.
Encouraging Americans to save by giving them a tax break on high interest saving accounts.
Quickly winding down the war in Iraq and using the savings to restore solvency in the U.S. financial system from top to bottom.
Encouraging homeownership investments by giving tax incentives on building materials for house renovations.
Public discussions with economists, business people and workers on ways the United States can regain its prosperity again.
Presidential TV speeches to Americans on how they can improve America's economic situation.
A G-30 summit on the global slowdown and what can be done about it.
Obama or McCain, who do you think has the smarts to plan the next economic recovery of the U.S.?

Posted by qualteam at 10:21 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, 24 September 2008 12:52 PM EDT

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Monday, 1 September 2008

I Will Not Support The Conservatives In The Coming The October Election

While we don't have mortgage or financial issues in Canada, we do have a downturn in the economy and job losses in Ontario and Quebec.
I can't give my support to the ruling Conservative Party for the following reasons:
There is no credible "green strategy for Canada" from the Conservative Party. All they can do is knock the "Carbon Tax" policy of the Liberals.
Both the munipalities and Ontario have difficulty is supplying housing for the poor and needed infrastucture payments for the province's road and utilities.
Instead of giving 1% of the Goods and Service Tax to the provinces, the Federal Government simply cut the tax 1%.
In 1989, 80% per cent of the unemployed workers were covered by Employment Insurance. Now only 27% of Ontarians are covered by EI. That level is far below other provinces.
Arts funding was cut 44.8 million. The cultural sector provides 7.4% of Canada's gross domestic product and it accounts for 1.1 million jobs.
It should be noted that both the oil companies and the Canadian Government make a great deal of money from Canada's oil exports. Federally, we're not running deficits.
However, I can't at this time support a Government that's as right wing and Alberta orientated as Harper's party.

Posted by qualteam at 11:51 PM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, 2 September 2008 12:04 AM EDT

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Thursday, 28 August 2008

The Biggest Issue Facing Barack Obama And John McCain

It isn't the Iraq war. It isn't health insurance. It isn't off shore oil drilling. Pure and simple, it's the mortgage/financial crisis in the U.S.
The destruction of personal wealth over the last two years has been enormous: Americans stand to lose $8 trillion (U.S.) in housing wealth, or $110,000 per household.
Take the gigantic U.S. housing agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which backstop about half of all U.S. mortgages. The two firms now are essentially illiquid and need a bailout only Washington has the means or will to provide. Their complaisant regulator allowed Fannie and Freddie to underpin a combined $5.4 trillion in mortgages and other liabilities with a laughable $54 million in capital. That 1 per cent reserve ratio compares with government-mandated ratios of 3.5 per cent to 9.5 per cent at commercial banks.
Hank Paulson, the U.S. treasury secretary, boasts of the "bazooka" granted him by Congress to rescue Fannie and Freddie, whose collapse could take down the U.S. financial system.
Some institutions have been fined for their participation in this fraud like Citibank and Merrill Lynch. However, the individuals behind it like the former Citibank CEO, Charles Prince and Merrill Lynch CEO, Stanley O'Neil, got off easy with multi million dollar severance packages.
Shouldn't there be some individual accountability for these actions?
Shouldn't Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be put to sleep as a private companies and resurrected as one public company like "The U.S. Mortgage and Housing Corporation".
Behind the rhetoric, personalities and ideologies where do Barack Obama and John McCain stand on this issue?

Posted by qualteam at 7:59 PM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 30 August 2008 9:56 AM EDT

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Sunday, 24 August 2008

Isn't It Time To Retire Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac?

After 70 years of in the mortgage business, Fannie and Freddie seem to be losing their touch. They have insured over 1 trillion dollars in bad mortgages and their share prices have dropped to new lows.
Selling shares of a "Government Sponsored Company" is a bad idea. Nobody has ever suggested that shares in the U.S. Postal Service be made available.
There is a comparable service in Canada called "The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation". It has been around for over 60 years and is doing quite well. CMHC is a "Crown Corporation" owned by the Canadian Government. It isn't at the mercy of hedge fund managers and greedy speculators.
It obvious to me and many Americans that the number one issue, right now, is the housing/financial crisis and the resulting economic slowdown.
The next president and vice president of the United States will have their hands full with Iraq and these economic issues.

Posted by qualteam at 8:23 PM EDT

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