 |
|
| FriendFeed is the easiest way to share online. Learn more » |
Paul Denlinger › Likes
FeedFace?!!?!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! (Edit: Thanks Brian)
Sedat, "Serhat Ozan", Hunt and 219 other people liked this
I wanna laugh but can't!
- vijay
come on... really?
- Andrew Smith
Feedface more likely
- Brian Sullivan
lol Feedface!
- Fee501st
Well.... FriendFeed is going to start to suck very soon >:O
- Gamerx287
it's facefeed
- ben bloch
:D
- zsafwan
Updated. :)
- Bwana ☠
:(
- Josh Haley
:(
- FFTornado
damn that pic really describes what i feel lol
- Edgar Rodríguez
Could be a good thing, just hope they don't change much.
- David Bain
I just clicked 'like' but I can definitively say that I truly 'unlike' this development.
- berchman
"Damn you Salazar!" - not sure why that quote popped into my head with this pic.
- Rob Diana
The first social site where I really feel comfortable... *sniffles*
- Yolanda
I think this is a good thing for both FriendFeed and Facebook, and bad for Twitter.
- Kirkland Reynolds
@berchman I like the "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" ;)
- taline
Seriously, my jaw is still open
- Bwana ☠
s'cuse me, i gotta go vomit again.
- Joe Silence is Dr. Teeth!
still sitting here stun and confused
- Kim Landwehr
I bet the API will be taken down as well.
- David Bain
"Where does all this blood on my shirt come from...? OH NO!! I was SHOT!!!" :(
- Alex 'BuckyBit' Covic
Already named by Bwana. LOL
- Michael Fidler
the worlds cats association stages a strike over this buyout... am sooo joining it!!
- Gtp19
My reaction.exactly!
- Krishnamoorthy
That is me right now.
- Lurking Grue
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH it's a bit hard to laugh :-(
- Dobromir Hadzhiev
That's why I pulled out the cat Dobromir. We need to laugh around this :)
- Bwana ☠
OMG i just read this and am freaking out... . *gasp*
- Susan Beebe
XD I mean >___<
- Nia
ADS! here they come ! waaaaaa
- 'Like' robot (frɐnc)
Facefeed ... yea thats what i think its going to be :)
- Bhowmik Shah
First I was like :o then I was like :/ then I was like :(
- Jemm
Oprah, Aston and Demi! I can't wait! NOT! Bwana: You'd have got a like from me if not for the cat pic.
- Dale
Doubtful it will be good...
- Rick Cogley
Funny cat picture, tho.
- Rick Cogley
Aahahah.. that's it! I think it will be good to lunch FF to another level.
- PiresMachine
Hez took the wordz outta my mouth
- sofarsoShawn
I read this Salon.com article when I first decided to try writing a book. DAMN glad I did http://dir.salon.com/story...
Paul Denlinger liked this
FT.com / Europe - French workers threaten to blow up plant http://www.ft.com/cms... US workers just don't have the joie de protest..
Paul Denlinger liked this
ET Exclusive: 'Ben Bernanke is an idiot' http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/article...
Paul Denlinger liked this
I praise @MalcolmMoore and Telegraph to give us a balanced view on #Urumqi riots compared to other western media http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news...
Paul Denlinger liked this
It's stunning and troubling how many very bright people remain mostly or completely oblivious to the bleak reality of our current economic situation.
Tv Series, Siddharth Deb, Elliott Ng and 40 other people liked this
Perhaps the reality of the situation is too terrible, and so people go into denial in an act of self-preservation?
- Nathaniel Thurston
Yes, Nathaniel - I think it was Carl Jung who said, ‘people cannot stand too much reality’.
- Anthony Citrano
This subject is just too bleak for me to discuss with a rational head at the moment. But I will say this, It's often easy for people to pass by what they are not in the thick of.
- InPerpetualMotion(Gina k)
But Anthony, the market is going up! The economy MUST be improving! ;)
- Alex Scoble
All the bad things in life happen to other people, a friend of a friend, the guy you know that's down on his luck. Humans have the distinct failing of thinking that they are special and somehow the horrors and messy realities of life won't happen to them.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
similar to how humans don't have a natural grasp of the concept of exponential/logarithmic growth/increases
- Chris Heath
either that, or denial
- Chris Heath
Jason are those folks 'realtors'?
- Cristo
Irrational optimism.
- Aviv
It couldn't have anything to do with a certain elected official who inspired a nation with the audacity of hope, could it?
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
MVB, it's either him or SpongeBob.
- Aviv
Oh no. Did Mark just play the anti-Obama card?
- Cristo
You mean the AOC?
- τorƍue
Because, of course, the situation we're in is ENTIRELY Obama's fault.
- Kevin Pedraja
Exactly the opposite, Kevin. The situation we are in is the culmination of decades of bad policy. That people are blind to the situation is what I was referring to.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Ok then. <kicks dirt with toe>
- Kevin Pedraja
Of course, MVB, the entire nation knew that we were in the crapper on November first and then as of the fifth over half the nation suddenly thought things were all peaches and cream. Really, that's the argument you're going with?
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
The POTUS race started November 5th? I swear we were hearing of sweeping changes in 07...
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
Yes, half the nation being brainwashed by a politician is much more likely than the fact that half the population is, by definition of IQ, stupid. Much more...
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Oh no. TIna is now using the elitist "the masses are stupid" argument. :)
- Cristo
No, I didn't say the masses are stupid. I'm saying IQ is a bell curve which means at least half the population is below normal (and normal ain't great, it's 100 in the US). No cards up my sleeve regardless of what you choose to say.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Tina, I'm just trying to make trouble. :)
- Cristo
You? NO! I am shocked, I tell you. Truly. Shocked. =P
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
As much as I want to believe that only half the people in the US are below average IQ (because I believe the percent to be much higher if considered as a median calculation), I'm sticking with the PT Barnum Gambit for my argument.
- MVB (Curmudgeon of FF)
I think for something as absolute as "intelligence" (understanding complex situations, making informed decisions) whether you're above of below "average" isn't really relevant.
- jakebf
@Jake, there is also something to be said for good intuition (not just analytical / logical intelligence) in this stuff too - a lot of smart people I've spoken with who have good instincts (but who are not economists) seem to have a much better grip on the gravity of the situation than those who can speak deeply and rationally about all the economic nuts-and-bolts .. it's almost like...
more...
- Anthony Citrano
Anthony: How would people exhibit their understanding if the possessed it?
- Robin Barooah
@robin: terror and panic.
- Anthony Citrano
Anthony: Most of the people I know who are willing to entertain the seriousness of the situation simply don't have any idea what to do about it. (or are quietly doing what they can)
- Robin Barooah
My personal view is that the problems are not economic ones per-se. They're social ones. The economic situation is a consequence. The social problems are new ones resulting from advances in technology (I don't mean the internet - I mean all of the 19th & 20th century innovation), but our social structures and systems for resolving social problems (government) are based on an 18th century view of the world. Resolve that and the economy will make sense.
- Robin Barooah
It's all intertwined. As connected as we all are, there is so much myopia in our great country it's troubling.
- Mona Nomura
The depression only lasts as long as people are depressed about it for.
- Tim Tyler
So, you are wondering why "very bright people" don't exhibit "terror and panic"? Well...
- Tim Tyler
@tim: dream on; there's this pesky lil' thing called reality, and no amount of optimism is going to change it. you can optimistically believe you can fly, but that's not going to get your feet off the ground. @robin - totally agree that many who are willing to entertain the gravity of it don't know what to do about it. (i was mostly joking about the terror and panic, of course; I know you know this but Tim missed that.)
- Anthony Citrano
it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
- Thomas Hawk
The problem I have with the overly optimistic in this kind of a market is 1) They usually don't have very much in the way of concrete reasons for a recovery, and 2) They advocate a return to recent economic times without acknowledging the reasons we are in this mess to begin with.
- Cristo
Even in the "Great Depression" a goodly portion of people survived and about a third actually did better because they kept their jobs and things got cheaper. Lots of people bought property the same way people are snapping up bargains now. Some people are determined to do better than your are Mr. C. My guess is those who plan to be better off in 3 - 4 years, will be.
- Phil Boiarski
Tina: Half the people are below the median. You can't tell how many people are below average unless you see the numbers. Case in point: if 9 people have an income of 0 and one person has an income of 1,000,000 the average income is 100,000. But 90% of the people are below the average. The average itself is a really poor indication of how bad the situation is. I actually think speaking in terms of averages without looking at distribution is another part of the problem.
- Ken Sheppardson
Phil, so you think prices will get cheaper? (other than real estate) BTW, I don't think people are snapping up real estate bargains now, but we'll know more in a year. The only way they would be bargains is if you think 2003-4 prices were "normal." I think maybe 1998 was normal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
- Cristo
And yeah, I just played the semantics card. ;-)
- Ken Sheppardson
Phil: Didn't we call those folks "carpetbaggers" when the same thing happened after the Civil War? "It takes money to make money" has always been true, I guess.
- Ken Sheppardson
I think it has a lot to do with a society coming to terms with over-extension and instant gratification. You aren't entitled to a new car or the big house. But credit made all that *seemingly* possible. 1 Trillion dollar in consumer revolving debt. Does anyone think that's really sustainable? 30 years of - everyone can live like a king - just buy now and pay later - has come home to...
more...
- AJ Kohn
Humans believing that they can fly did help them to create aeroplanes ;-)
- Tim Tyler
In the case of depressions, they consist mostly of a bunch of depressed people. After a while, often, what they are depressed about is the depression itself - and when they are not depressed any more, the depression is over.
- Tim Tyler
This phenomenon is well known to psychiatrists: depression is self-perpetuating, a vicious cycle of negative thought patterns.
- Tim Tyler
The idea that it is not you that is depressed, but that it is the world that is depressing is often a type of projection known to psychiatrists as "externalization". This typically involves blaming others for your problems rather than owning up to any role you may play in causing them.
- Tim Tyler
I think you're getting confused about what "depression" means, Tim, 'cause it seems like by your logic we would solve the hurricane problem if tropical depressions would just cheer up.
- Ken Sheppardson
Yeah, we're talking about economic depression, and it's not caused or reflective of a mass psychological depression, although sometimes economic depressions can make you depressed. Economic bubbles tend to cause economic depressions when the bubble becomes unsustainable. Not sure if that analogy holds for psychological depression, but it would be an interesting theory.
- Cristo
@Cristo - not only are economic depressions psychologically depressing, also psychologically depressed individuals are less likely to contribute to the economy, and more likely to navel-gaze.
- Tim Tyler
@Ken - do you mean to say that you don't see any non-linguistic links between economic and psychological depression? Perhaps try thinking about the idea more sympathetically.
- Tim Tyler
I find the people who use the term "navel-gaze" are more likely to navel gaze. Also, those that equate economic depression with psychological depression. :)
- Cristo
What economic situation? j/k
- Amit Morson
Correlation does not imply causation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
- Ken Sheppardson
@Ken - ? I take it people have not considered the merits of this analogy before.
- Tim Tyler
Is the world economy manic-depressive? - http://www.econedlink.org/lessons...
- Tim Tyler
In support of Tim's perspective- so it's ok to say the problem is caused by people's desire for instant gratification, and desire to avoid 'reality' - all of which to me seem to be talking about group psychology, but yet Tim's point about depression is somehow invalid because he's missing the 'reality' of the economics?
- Robin Barooah
from IM
I can't find a job, trust me I am aware.
- orionstarr
Tim: The fact that people disagree with you doesn't mean they haven't considered your argument. ;-)
- Ken Sheppardson
Re Correlation v. Causality, the fact that the incidence of psychological depression may correlate with the state of the economy does not necessarily mean the former causes the latter.
- Ken Sheppardson
Ken -- do you have a taxonomy of correlation types at your fingertips?
- Sean McBride
What are you trying to ask me, Sean?
- Ken Sheppardson
Ken -- how many formal correlation types are out there?
- Sean McBride
I understood Tim's depression analogy to be not literally about the statistics of physicians diagnosing people according to the DSM, but rather the point that the problems are about mass psychology as much as they are about anything else. Global/Macro economics is about coordinated mass action, after all, so I find it hard to see this can be dismissed so easily.
- Robin Barooah
from IM
Sean: Ah... it's a quiz. I don't know. Are there some that do imply causation?
- Ken Sheppardson
Tim/Robin: I think I got thrown off track by "The depression only lasts as long as people are depressed about it for", which made me think you were saying if people would just cheer up/get over their individual depression, that would improve the economic situation. I'd agree there's a feedback loop, and "consumer confidence" plays a big part in the ups and downs of the economy, but there are other dynamics that aren't related to how people feel about stuff.
- Ken Sheppardson
Causation is one type of correlation. It wasn't a quiz -- I was just wondering if you had been been exploring this issue -- it's a hot topic in emerging Semantic Web technologies. Back to the topic at hand.
- Sean McBride
Anthony, and what/how should bright people react to bleak reality to prove they're not oblivious to it?
- ianf ⌘
Sean: No, I just throw out that quote/link whenever it seems like it'd even remotely apply. ;-)
- Ken Sheppardson
Ken: Agreed that there are other dynamics, and it's certainly not just about simply restoring a good feeling. Whilst I agree with Tim's point that the psychology matters, I don't see any reason for believing that it'll somehow lift on its own. For me it points to ideas like the broken trust that people have in institutions, and the loss of faith that society offers a fair opportunity....
more...
- Robin Barooah
Over-leveraged consumers and bankers, greedy realtors, speculators, and power hungry and misguided politicians. The fanciful idea that somehow home ownership is the American dream, and everyone should have one. That real estate values never go down, and the stock market rarely does either. Everyone should be invested in the stock market as their main investment and retirement strategy,...
more...
- Cristo
One reason I don't buy the psychological argument is that I have been saying this was going to happen to the real estate market since 2004. I wasn't depressed then, anymore than I am now. It just followed a logical economic progression to the point we're at now. It's probably going to get worse before it gets better, but if it helps you to think so, just imagine everything is good and then you won't be depressed. Buy, buy, buy, and borrow, borrow, borrow just like four years ago.
- Cristo
Chris: You forgot excess production capacity (e.g. auto manufacturers)... or did you roll that up with "over-leveraged consumers"?
- Ken Sheppardson
Ken, yes. I forgot a lot of stuff, but then I was already kind of long winded. You can add fighting unnecessary wars/nation building that we can't afford into the rant too.
- Cristo
Will do.
- Ken Sheppardson
re: real estate - I have been predicting this too for as long - but that was based on looking at the people around me who were entering the market based on the fear that they would be left behind rather than examining the data that were apparent. Since as you admit, the outcome was predictable, it seems to me that most people were behaving irrationally, out of things like fear or greed rather than an assessment of 'facts'. That seems pretty psychological to me.
- Robin Barooah
from IM
I think Cristo summed up the reason the economy is where it is today very well.
- Jeff P. Henderson
It would be hard to argue that things aren't psychological, because most of the conditions we are discussing are caused or influenced by humans. However, the implication that the reason we are in this economic mess is because everyone is depressed, and all we need to do is become happy is ludicrous. More likely, we are depressed for good reason, because we are realizing that we are in deep trouble, and it's not going to be easy to dig our way out of it.
- Cristo
Consumer confidence is a factor in the recovery from the present economic mess, but it is not the cause. This is because the US has allowed it's economy to be driven by consumer spending. We are no longer a nation of producers like we were in the first half of the last century, we are now a nation of consumers.
- Jeff P. Henderson
Thanks Jeff. :)
- Cristo
Yes, and real estate sales account for something like 30% of GDP. What the hell? What kind of "product" is that?
- Cristo
I believe all consumer spending accounts for something like 70% of the GDP! That is frightening!
- Jeff P. Henderson
Judy, no offense, but this is not about just losing jobs. You have to look at what drives the economy and the strength of the US in the world. Our debt is skyrocketing, real estate values are plummeting, and the DJIA is down from 14,000 to 8,500. If you had told anyone this 3 years ago, you would have been laughed out of the room. And here's the good part: It's going to get worse.
- Cristo
Judy, the economic issues are global, you and your family have just been lucky.
- Jeff P. Henderson
Judy, by time it affects you, it may be too late to react. I don't currently have any economic problems, but that doesn't stop me from looking ahead and trying to insulate myself from what may be coming.
- Cristo
Judy, this mess does affect you and your children especially. Who is going to pay the principal and interest on the gigantic debt our government is racking up. Putting your head in the sand now is not going to fix these monstrous problems in the future.
- Jeff P. Henderson
Judy, you could take out a home equity loan and use the money to buy stuff, like plasma TVs and an American car to help spur the economy. Or maybe you could buy a bigger house and get an option-ARM loan to finance it.
- Cristo
But Judy, you'll look so smart because everything is at a discount now, and later prices will be much higher. Better get on the bandwagon now, or you will be kicking yourself later.
- Cristo
LOL, a little hair of the dog is always a good cure for a problem.. ;-)
- Jeff P. Henderson
What could go wrong?
- Ken Sheppardson
Christo: I didn't see anyone say that 'all we need to do is to be happy', or that happiness is even aporopriate. I just think that ignoring group psychology as we try to recover is just as dangerous as it has been while we were creating the problems.
- Robin Barooah
"The depression only lasts as long as people are depressed about it for. - Tim Tyler"
- Cristo
Robin, I'm not into arguing just for the sake of arguing. Is there some solution you are proposing? Do you just want to water down the argument against the above statement? I'm not sure what your point is.
- Cristo
Re: "Is there some solution you are proposing?" The idea that economic depression might be a negative-feedback cycle of non-investment and non-spending in an analogous manner to the way depression makes people get into a negative feedback loop where they stay at home, don't interact socially and feel bad does suggest some solutions, yes.
- Tim Tyler
Okay, I'm done. I've said it all in previous comments.
- Cristo
One obvious therapy is positive thinking. So, for example, when one sees people moping about how awful the economic situation is (like on this thread for instance) one might attempt making some upbeat comments.
- Tim Tyler
Re: "there are other dynamics that aren't related to how people feel about stuff." Psychological depressions are the same. People can get depressed if they lose their mate, or their business fails. Psychological depressions are not necessarily *just* self-perpetuating cycles of negative thoughts with no external cause.
- Tim Tyler
Economic depression doesn't manifest in individuals in exactly the same way that psycological depression does. They don't buy and they don't borrow, and sometimes they don't work. In a psycological depression people don't go out, socialise, or engage with the rest of society. The relationship between these two situations is an analogy.
- Tim Tyler
The point of the analogy was that it was intended to suggest therapies - based around the "negative feedback cycle" aspect of depressions. So, for example, if you are depressed, your friends might stage an intervention and take to to a party - in an attempt to break that cycle.
- Tim Tyler
Funny how people carry on FF like this, I'm right, no I'm right etc.. blah blah lol...
- orionstarr
Tim: I'd say the party's over. orionstarr: Yeah, I think I'm outta here...
- Ken Sheppardson
@ianh - I judge people by what they say. If they're repeating the same tripe I hear from other clueless people, then I assume they, too, are clueless. An example of that tripe is that things'll all be OK in a year or two, that we're just in a temporary slump, etc. Believe me now or believe me later - that is not aligned with reality. See my coverage of the Milken Conference for some in-depth illustrations... @cristo is exactly right about property values. they're not bargains... yet.
- Anthony Citrano
Cristo - I'm not arguing for the sake of it. I'm saying that if proposed solutions don't address social and psychological realities as well as economic ones, they won't succeed for very long, therefore I am strongly against any dismissal of either element in a discussion. Straw men aren't constructive unless parties set them up and knock them down from the same side of the table.
- Robin Barooah
Tim: I think your analogies - e.g. taking people to a party, are failing to take into account the truly delusional nature of what has been going on here, which is why they are not illustrating your point well. I'd suggest taking 'people' to a secure ward or rehab for a few months so they can calm down might be a better than a party.
- Robin Barooah
One thing that has been tried is "quantitative-easing" - i.e. printing money. Like all the citizens buying the government a pint. I imagine that makes the government quite a bit less depressed.
- Tim Tyler
150 billion of "quantitative-easing" - http://www.guardian.co.uk/busines...
- Tim Tyler
@Tim - might I respectfully suggest that - at least until FF decides to do something smart about comment threading - that you post singular comments rather than 4-5 in a row? It really would help make conversations more manageable for people, I think.
- Anthony Citrano
Tim: What Anthony said plus you may not be aware that you can now post long comments. There's no need to break up a long statement into a series anymore.
- Robin Barooah
Nobody has mentioned the elephant in the room of commercial real estate, there is is more bad news on the way,, one who follows the commercial real estate market knows there are buildings in trouble throughout Washington, but as one drives along the Dulles Toll Road or Route 28, it’s hard to miss the signs of distress. “See-through buildings” dot the corridor, bereft of the interior...
more...
- daviza
Are you guys aware that FriendFeed breaks long comments with a "more..." link (unless it happens to be the first comment)? It is fairly strong motivation to make one comment per thought rather than trying to squeeze multiple ideas into one long comment, which most likely very few people will read. If - at this stage - you are thinking that I am rattling on about this for longer than is...
more...
- Tim Tyler
Once in our lifetime situation (we will tell our grandkids about): The 1929-33 depression had a stock recovery by 1936-37 (7-8 years from beginning), but the economy didn't recover until WWII. This 2000-2009 is the 1st time in American History that the stock market has not recovered in 8-9 years. Any "expert" who says they knows what's going on is clueless or lying. The Japanese Nikkei index hit a 26-yr low. e.g. Buy & Hold is dead as a "safe strategy".
- Mitchell Tsai
On the bright side, real estate in Cambridge, MA has been going up this year (so rents in Boston still suck & aren't going down). China is growing this year at 8%, and the Economist suggests that emerging markets may recover before the US market.
- Mitchell Tsai
On the down side, US unemployment continues to rise. There are a shit-load of houses in the US still underwater because people bought into a housing bubble - someone has to take the hit for the loss - owner, banker, or US govt (the public). GM and our car industry suck big-time. (Anyone notice that Subaru, Kia, and Hyundai actually have INCREASED sales, because people like the cars they make?)
- Mitchell Tsai
I think people like the low prices of those cars, not so much the cars themselves.
- Jeff P. Henderson
"Buy & Hold" for mutual funds was a strategy designed during the 1974-2000 bull market to sell stocks to the middle class (marketing hype). Reality is the US stock market declined by 30-90% Twenty-two times in the last century. The declines are puncutated by periods of 200-800+% growth, but there's a lot of debate in the financial community as to whether average investors have any business being in the stock market... No one really knows what will happen in the next 20-100 years.
- Mitchell Tsai
Median wealth of a person in the world: $2,100 (estimated, as of a few years ago). Having visited places like Egypt, Morocco, Brazil, China, etc... where the average income may be $25-100/month, I think the vast majority of people on FriendFeed are quite....ummm...wealthy. However there is a lot of market hype trying to convince people that they need $5-8 million to retire...
more...
- Mitchell Tsai
CNBC runing live speech of mummified Alan Greenspan at NYC Econ Club. y any1 still listen 2 him? he is Asshat of the Century, 20th & 21st.$$
Paul Denlinger liked this
@StockJockey mummified hoodoo smart cnbc ad salepeople would have the geritol, depends and clapper ads in the queue
Paul Denlinger liked this
Evolutionists Flock To Darwin-Shaped Wall Stain | The Onion - America’s Finest News Source - http://leo.tumblr.com/post...
 |
midnightgolfer, Daniel Johnston, Joe K and 5 other people liked this
If I had to look for a positive in this financial mess, it's that we're all realizing how interconnected we are. One's suffering affects all
Paul Denlinger and Tyson Key liked this
Google PowerMeter, now in prototype, will receive information from utility smart meters and energy management devices and provide anyone who signs up access to her home electricity consumption right on her iGoogle homepage. - http://www.google.org/powerme...
Kol Tregaskes, marek, Nilesh and 5 other people liked this
If You Think Marijuana Should be Legal and Kellogg is Idiotic For Dropping Phelps, Digg this here - http://digg.com/food_dr...
amygeek, Paul Denlinger, vijay and 21 other people liked this
IN MA you can carry around an oz
- John Flynn
@John - it's decriminalized variously in a dozen states or so, but there's still federal law to contend with.
- Anthony Citrano
I am glad they dropped him. Pot may be no worse on a person than alcohol and cigarettes but it's still illegal.
- Becca
was only ever made illegal cos of cotton.... and that is irrelevant now.
- Rob Sellen :o)
@Becca - sorry, but I despise that uncritical way of thinking. It is why this good country has the serious problems that it does. Voting as a black person or a woman was illegal once, too - does that mean it was wrong? Is illegality the end of the conversation when it comes to what's right and what's wrong? How intellectually stultifying.
- Anthony Citrano
well, no more fruitloops for me I suppose. Not so bad because sugar cereal probably isn't the best thing for you. At least this leaves more room in the mornings for bacon though.
- Thomas Hawk
@ThomasHawk: amen brother.
- Randy Hall
@Anthony I think your example just backs up my own point. I don't know that voting was illegal but certain people were definitely not allowed to do so. The laws changed and now more people have that right. Just because you don't agree with a law doesn't mean you have the right to break it. Work on changing the law instead of breaking it if that's what you think is right.
- Becca
sure I should be decriminalized, but the golden boy got kissed by the fate, many careers got flushed down the toilet for the same, money talks
- Dobromir Hadzhiev
@Chris I have no idea. I am so far removed from politics I wouldn't have a clue as to where to start. But, I do agree with legalization.
- Becca
my point exactly, he's very lucky to be able to keep his career barely untouched... unlike many others
- Dobromir Hadzhiev
@Becca - I sure am glad that people like Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Harriet Tubman, Gandhi, and our Founding Fathers weren't taking your advice about not breaking "the law", in all its glorious and divine perfection.
- Anthony Citrano
To compare the civil rights movement to the legalization of marijuana is idiotic! People are missing the point about him losing this sponsorship, he by signing these contracts, which I am sure have clauses that dictate the kind of persona he is to portray, is in effect a brand name. Regardless if he wanted to be a role model or not, he is a brand name and should act accordingly in order to keep said sponorship. So I don't feel bad for him. He made his bed so sleep in it.
- jamar78
Really, Joel?? The drug war in this country is an assault on civil liberties that has destroyed millions of lives - most of them poor and black. Many of these laws are modern day "black codes." So, I don't think it's an idiotic comparison at all, nor do many of the civil rights leaders with whom I have talked about this very issue. (Do agree with your angle on the contract though - a deal is a deal, however stupid it may be.) Please see my article from today on this, which goes much further.
- Anthony Citrano
drug use however is a choice....I don't know anyone that chose their ethnicity or skin color
- jamar78
just seems sort of hypocritical that they'd stand by him when he was convicted of drunk driving which is in fact very dangerous and could kill somebody, but need to seem to make a point of dropping him for marijuana use at a party which is arguably far, far, less dangerous.
- Thomas Hawk
Maybe this is all economic -- Kellog's (and Subway it seems as well?) just need a way out of paying -- and have their excuse to terminate the contract?
- Brian Sullivan
I agree, Brian - so many threads on this that I'm losing track of what I said where, but I think it's about money and courage (or the lack thereof).
- Anthony Citrano
dugg
- Pete Delucchi
Didn't Kellogg drop the whole Olympic sponsorship and not just Phelps? Seems like a swim-goat to me.
- Nancy Babyak
well, wait, do they make capt. crunch? cuz I can't NOT have capt. crunch when i'm getting high. JK
- BEX
Make marijuana legal first. As long as that law is in place, I don't blame Kellogg's for being cautious.
- Morton Fox
Nancy, whatever the reason Kelloggs dropped him *how* they did it by mentioning the incident as the reason was a statement. They stood by him when he was arrested for a DUI but not when he took a bong hit something arguably far less harmful to himself and society. They could have dropped him quietly or said they were dropping all Olympic sponsorship but they used their soapbox to make a statement about marijuana usage instead.
- Thomas Hawk
good for subway. Their $5 subs are a good deal in a bad economy. I don't buy my lunch much these days but if I need to I know where I'll go next.
- Thomas Hawk
Heh, did he only appear in their US commercials? I can't say I've ever seen him in the UK ones.
- Tyson Key
The federal laws are those that need to be rescinded. Many states' marijuana laws are already pretty liberal. The states should have a right to choose, the feds need to keep out of it.
- coldbrew
Breaking news, Phelps gets endorsement contract from Screaming Yellow Zonkers. "they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good, they'll stone you just like they said they would..."
- Greg Guitarbuster
War on Drugs is a Huge Colossal complete Waste of $$$ + Resources + People's Lives!! complete + utter Bullshit! + all da PIGS aka Judges + Cops + Lawyers + Bureacrats + Politicians + Lawmakers Waddle up to the Trough to Snort that Tax $$$ Money!! PIGS!!!!!!!!
- Billy Warhol
@Morton, in re: "laws in place," isn't DUI illegal? They didn't seem too "cautious" in that regard. @Chris: Kellogg's been getting hammered on this for a couple days now. I also heard last night that the company was now saying that the marijuana incident was merely coincident and had nothing to do with his non-renewal.. Could they be that silly? I haven't bothered to look.
- Anthony Citrano
interestingly, subway apparently yanked every reference to phelps from their website, even though they said they support him.
- Richard Lawler
my mom just asked my sister "how can I get on twitter?" and "how much does it cost?", it's official, twitter has arrived :)
Brian Appleby, Jérôme Flipo, David and 17 other people liked this
I thought it had arrived when my mother, hinting quite correctly that I don't call enough, said she'd resorted to Googling for me and was relieved to at least see some updates on my Twitter page.
- MiniMage TKDteacher of FF
Why is she asking your sister instead of you?
- Guy
Hehe. Guy has a point.
- Roberto Bonini
Is Kevin Rose's mom the Punxsutawney Phil of the Internets?
- Daniel J. Pritchett
Gmail usage appears to be closing in on Hotmail - http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google...
Kol Tregaskes, Svartling, Jeffrey Canton and 14 other people liked this
there are hm accounts but do people use them? don't remember the last time i received an e-mail from anyone using the service
- Rick Bucich
If people only new how great Gmail is.
- Kyle
New Post: You, the Taxpayer, Can't Handle the Truth http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2009... $$
Paul Denlinger liked this
YOU, the U.S. Taxpayer, Can't Handle the Truth: Wrong. - http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2009...
Paul Denlinger liked this
RT @infoarbitrage: New Post: You, the Taxpayer, Can't Handle the Truth http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2009... $$
Jesse Andrews and Paul Denlinger liked this
YOU, the U.S. Taxpayer, Can't Handle the Truth - http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2009...
Paul Denlinger liked this
[NYT]: Krugman - http://x.techwheat.com/3F9
Paul Denlinger and David HC Soul liked this
"Washington has lost any sense of the reality that we may well be falling into an economic abyss, and that if we do, it will be very hard to get out again. "
- newsjunk.com
On plane I am sitting next to John Bohn. Was an economist for Reagan. What he has to say is more depressing than CNBC.
Iggy Mwangi, Caio, Roney Smith and 77 other people liked this
So tell us more. What did he have to say?
- Alexander Falk
Please interview him and post it. Video would be great!
- Alain Saffel
Wow, you can't escape.
- Shawn Farner
We're all screwed /conversation
- Dean Clark
He is California's Public Utilities Commissioner too. Thinks focusing on executive pay is misguided. Says the stimulus bill is just pork and won't create short term jobs. Thinks the financial system is broken and needs an overhaul. Says that capitalism might have been harmed permanently by bankers and wall street.
- Robert Scoble
Let me guess, massive government spending ISN'T what we need right now? How about further tax cuts WITH fiscal responsibility? As we learned with the Reagan administration (and as with JFK too) tax cuts are good for the economy.
- Kevin
Wait till our troops finally come home too! Hundreds of thousands of our youth will be affected by PTSD. We gotta face the music at some point - unfortunately.
- Jerry Gonzalez
I will interview him during flight. Leaving now see you in six hours or so.
- Robert Scoble
Ask him what he sees coming inflation wise.
- Dean Clark
Interesting that he'd say capitalism might have been harmed permanently by bankers and Wall Street. Now the pendulum is about to swing from one extreme to the other?
- Alain Saffel
Where's the "now I'm depressed" button on FF?
- Patrick Driscoll
from twhirl
Looks like a little regulation is a good thing, like having referees in sports to make sure the game is played fairly.
- Alain Saffel
Dean: more inflation coming.
- Robert Scoble
Yep. Facing the music alright. 8, make that twelve years of voodoo economics finally coming home to roost.
- Jim in Real Time
The system indeed needs an overhaul. Our economy thrives on the creation of needs for products and services consumers did not know they wanted or needed - it was unsustainable as it was.
- Bill
Although I am interested in what he has to say, and I applaud Robert for getting this interview, and I'm looking forward to reading it, I think we need to take this with a grain of salt here. What's the headline? "Longtime Republican Thinks Obama's Economic Plan Is A Bad Idea."
- Mitch Wagner
Mitch: he doesn't come off as very partisian. He has lots of friends in high places.
- Robert Scoble
I don't think it's a matter of partisanship, it's more a matter of world view. If you view tax cuts as the only viable stimulus, then everything else looks wrong. Yet these are the same guys who have never seen it coming.
- Alex Scoble
Robert you should setup a blog that is simply, "interesting people that sit next to me on planes," it would be a great RSS feed
- anna sauce
+1000 anna!
- Susan Beebe
Robert, I find that quite believable. And expect he'll have some good points to make. And Obama's stimulus plan is not above reproach. But, still, he's coming at this with a certain ideological bias, and that bias is the opposite of Obama's. Asking him to comment on Obama's fiscal plan is like asking a Windows guy his opinion of the Mac.
- Mitch Wagner
Ask him what the impact of the berlin wall was to US finance/economics at that time
- anna sauce
I'd love to hear his take on how we get out of this mess, especially since GWB made the tough decisions to right our fiscal house after years of deficit spending, before his successors allowed the creation of huge imbalances by pumping up the money supply. More than the question of how good or bad is the Obama plan, I'd like to know what he'd actually prescribe and what evidence (historical or theoretical) he'd use to support his suggestions.
- Cecyl Hobbs
Ask - what CAN be done to salvage the US...strike that...Global... economy?
- Susan Beebe
I'd also be curious to see if he believes that increased banking regulations combined with the stimulus package (whether the GOP or Obama version) will result in the flight of "smart" capital out of the U.S.
- Cecyl Hobbs
Cecyl, I'm confused by your first sentence. GWB didn't right the fiscal house after deficit spending, he inherited a balanced budget and ran up a record deficit. And he's only had one successor, who's been in office less than a month. IOW, huh?
- Mitch Wagner
Love to hear the interview, Robert. And I agree with Anna's idea :) Thanks for sharing.
- Arif Widianto
Mitch, sorry - I forgot an initial. GHWB. Originally, I was going to type "Bush I."
- Cecyl Hobbs
Ask him to be a regular - love to hear more of what he says.
- Chris Rogers
At this time, unfortunately, everyone is trying to outdo everyone else in being negative.
- Lyndon
You have to fight back. Negativity breeds negativity. Manias and panics are both an equal part of humanity's globally bipolar nature.
- Jed White
We haven't seen anything yet... look at the numbers and study the complete history of how we got here; not just the last eight years and reality will set in... The truth is the last thing you'll hear in the media, even now, although the reality of our situation is becoming more evident everyday. People that can see clearly will see the opportunities presented and will contribute and participate in the new world economy and leadership structure. No pain - No gain...
- Mark Harai
If your still with John Bohn, I'm curious if he's the son of a John Bohn who lived in Guam years ago and was a prominent real estate mogul here.
- William Ymesei
from IM
Jed - I'm with you 100%. Foursquare against negativity! Mark - My motto is, "No pain, no pain."
- Mitch Wagner
Seriously, I do think this crisis gives us an opportunity to build a stronger, saner economy. Too much of the economy was built on consumer goods that are, basically luxuries. If your car is five years old and still runs well and comfortably, you just don't need a new one, and won't for many years -- and yet our economy was built on convincing you that you need a new car every 2 yrs. But I fear that getting to that saner point will be horrible.
- Mitch Wagner
you meet so many killer people throughout the day
- andy brudtkuhl
Looking forward to that interview.
- Tom Landini
I think it's short-sighted to say bankers and wall street permanently harmed capitalism. They had a part to play but the greater problem is that the ponzi-scheme of credit (we're only 30 years in to mass credit card usage) and climate of over-consumption. Remember, we recently had a *negative* savings rate. [cont]
- AJ Kohn
[cont] Couple this 'live beyond our means' philosophy with the manipulation of economic benchmarks and you're able to put rose tinted glasses on the situation for decades. Nearly every President changed the way we track GDP, Unemployment and Inflation to make it look better than it is. (Try ShadowStats to get the real picture, it will not make you happy.) [cont]
- AJ Kohn
[cont] Finally, and I'll take flak for this, the post-Reagan income tax system encourages greed. That is different from encouraging success. So, a system of free credit and splurge culture, meets statistical gerrymandering, meets carpetbagger Gordon Gecko greed and you wind up where we are now. Any stimulus is running into a gale force headwind IMO.
- AJ Kohn
I sort of agree w/ Huffington when she suggested we keep a panel of those who DID forsee this meltdown long before it happened as a sort of Minority Report.
- Phillip
Huh? You think CNBC is depressing? The talking heads are always happy and cheerful whatever the news is. For real depressing reporting check out http://financialsense.com/
- Aviv
They main concern for me right now is, not being in debt, keeping it that way, plus also protecting what savings I have against any hyperinflation that may be on the horizon.
- Dean Clark
@Scobleizer apparently Latitude can't handle Altitude. Still shows you at SFO. ;-) Not too surprising, we're using cell towers, not GPS, right? Oh, and ++AlexScoble, as is so often the case. ;-)
- michael silverton
Because Reaganomics were so...successful? Of COURSE he's depressing...his theory didn't work.
- Karoli
That reminds me of a time in the recession of 1981 when 364 economists jointly took out a full page ad criticising Mrs Thatcher's economic policies. A reporter asked her "can you name TWO economists who support you?" She said "Yes, xxx and yyy" [her two main economics advisors at the time]. She later said privately: "I'm glad they didn't ask for three!"
- Andrew Denny
The vast complexity of the issues we face make the future completely unpredictable. No one really knows what's going to happen - and even worse, what will fix it. Consumer confidence / spending is very difficult to predict, if not impossible when looking a timeframes of more than a few months. There's no such thing as the "perfect" solution, so Obama is doing the right thing by pushing SOMETHING. Action, no matter what the plan, is actually more important than the substance.
- Vince DeGeorge
Reagan! That's where the problem started. "Trickle down," until the whole thing collapses from being top-heavy!
- Phil Boiarski
The system may be broken right now, as soon as we allow citizens to start spending more of what they earn the system will start to repair itself, that's if government will stop regulating what we can sell and how we sell it. One of the biggest problems is their is no unity in government right now. I think George Washington said it best in his final speech before leaving office the Unity...
more...
- Russ Jackson
He also said, "Avoid foreign entanglements!"
- Phil Boiarski
People - see http://www.storyofstuff.com
- Victor Panlilio
Also see history of American education http://tinyurl.com/kc4n9
- Victor Panlilio
i'm telling you. we're all doomed! doomed i say!
- Jason Shultz
from twhirl
YouTube lesson on inflation http://tinyurl.com/3zvcgp
- Victor Panlilio
JFK said "Together we will save the planet, or together we will perish in its flames." Some students recently spoke by homemade radio with a mission specialist on the ISS, who said she saw one earth, no divisions. Tell that to all of us down here who act so selfishly. The kids at http://www.gen-we.org know what's at stake (watch the video). They want to end the perception that the US is a greedy and arrogant nation. In this hyper-connected world, the only way to do that is to STOP being arrogant and greedy.
- Victor Panlilio
@victor one thing I have maintained for years is that anyone that fights over land or false perceptions of race/religion/etc need to be taken up into space and forced to look down upon our home. Then they'll realise just how small we really are and how these petty excuses to be shitty towards each other are entirely pointless. Whenever prompted to enter race I always answer "human".
- alphaxion
heavy.
- Oldengrey (Jay)
@alphaxion Watch/listen to Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot" http://tinyurl.com/23ch37
- Victor Panlilio
@alphaxion Paraphrasing Alan Watts: "One of the most persistent delusions in the West is that we are all isolated egos walking around in bags of skin."
- Victor Panlilio
@alphaxion Watch "Stroke of Insight" http://tinyurl.com/3l9h9y
- Victor Panlilio
So did u post the interview, Robert???
- Roberto Bonini
Here's a little antidote. Solvesall! http://tinyurl.com/btgfol
- Phil Boiarski
Roberto: turned out we didn't do one last night. The plane was too loud and it just wasn't good for an interview. We'll get together back in his office and do one. He is very interested in friendfeed now, too, and read all your questions. Said the one about the Berlin Wall was very astute.
- Robert Scoble
Talking to this guy sounds like a waste of time. Might as well talk to Lindsay Graham.
- Kathleen Mazzocco
Thanks Robert. Look forward to that. I'll think of a question or two to post in the mean time
- Roberto Bonini
So .... what did he say ???
- Tom Parish
Yes - at least a blog post or something to summarize - dying to hear.
- James Hull
Anxious to hear more
- Chance Garrity
Come on Robert!
- Charlie Ramirez
Tom Daschle Withdraws As Health Nominee - NYTimes.com - http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...
Paul Denlinger, Colide81 (James) and Atul Arora liked this
"The startling decision by Mr. Daschle marked the second top appointee by Mr. Obama to step down on Tuesday because of concerns over taxes."
- Ana
Chinese Are Spending More Money Abroad - NYTimes.com - http://www.nytimes.com/2009...
Felicia Yue, Elliott Ng, April Buchheit and 2 other people liked this
"In Hong Kong, wealthy mainlanders are turning up at jewelry stores in growing numbers seeking diamonds, big ones. “They’re looking for five-carat diamond rings and six-carat diamond earrings — three carats for each ear,” said Yollanda Lam, the marketing manager for the King Fook jewelry store chain here. Together, these trends represent a potentially tectonic shift. At the same time that Chinese citizens are starting to send more money out of the country, foreign investors are pulling money out too, and slowing the pace of new investment. “There is a recognition for sure that China is slowing down, so why keep your money there?” said Henry Lee, a Hong Kong fund manager. Most troubling for China would be if these disparate streams represented capital flight — people taking their money out because they worry about the stability of the country."
- Ana
from Bookmarklet
Ana: Disagree that this may turn into capital flight. Instead, more likely first steps out of country where investment opps were mainly equity and RE. Very likely this will turn into RE purchases in US and other countries once those markets bottom out. This is result of China's banks not facilitating loans for private sector in China.
- Paul Denlinger
Come on. There is a difference between capital flight and Chinese buying diamonds (whether it is in HK, Amsterdam or Antwerp. It is a nice story, but very little substance. Money is flowing into and out China in pretty large amounts and controling it is tough. I do not buy this story.
- Fons Tuinstra
'Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings.' by Victor Stenger - RichardDawkins.net - http://richarddawkins.net/article...
Leslie Poston, Ryan Versaw, Tudor Bosman and 18 other people liked this
Haha
- Tyson Key
Is that related to the Atheist Bus campaign?
- Tyson Key
Tyosn, yes, people can suggest future slogans, then they debate them on Richard Dawkins' site
- Duncan Riley
Or I suppose you can practice here. http://ruletheweb.co.uk/b3ta...
- M F
Conservatives' Profoundest Fear: What if Obama succeeds? | Crooks and Liars - http://crooksandliars.com/david-n...
Paul Denlinger, Bill Romanos, David HC Soul and Bora Zivkovic liked this
"Memo to Conservatives: You failed and are now irrelevant. OK, I expect you'll ignore this memo like our previous ones. Nate Silver is right: Republicans are caught in a death spiral, and it's going to be awhile yet before they hit bottom."
- ~C4Chaos
from Bookmarklet
Does Disequilibrium Precedes Disruption?: The market is exploding with new networks, innovation, disruptions, di.. http://linktosocialutions.com/...
Paul Denlinger liked this
YES! Say goodbye to the old ways!
- Paul Denlinger
I love how we thought we were passing on our huge debt problem to our kids. In fact, we have to deal with it ourselves, no passing it on.
Kevin Gamble, Paul Denlinger, Cristian Vidmar and Dan Byer liked this
Old joke: a young man walks in a restaurant where a notice says "Come on in, it's all free, your grandsons will pay". After eating as much as he can he walks away but he's stopped and presented a huge bill. He complains and the answer is "Sir, this is what your grandfather left here". This doesn't sound so funny today, does it?
- Cristian Vidmar
Steven Johnson on How to write a book - http://friendfeedlinks.com/show...
Philip Lei and Paul Denlinger liked this
Other ways to read this feed:
