Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Barney Frank…give us more explanation

by Rdan Calculated Risk and many others note that a tentative agreement might be done, details to follow to day perhaps, ‘before the opening of the Asian markets’. Barney Frank, a hometown citizen wants a clearer explanation than it is a compromise on a compromise agreement needing to be passed by tomorrow. Please convince me […]

Five firms pay $3 billion to top execs over last 5 years

Bloomberg carries this bit of news for us to chew on: Wall Street’s five biggest firms paid more than $3 billion in the last five years to their top executives, while they presided over the packaging and sale of loans that helped bring down the investment-banking system. Merrill Lynch & Co. paid its chief executives […]

Auto loans to the Big Three

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. Congress gave final approval to legislation providing the auto industry with $25 billion in loans, lifting an offshore oil-drilling ban and funding the government until the next president takes office.The legislation, approved by the Senate 78-12, spends $602 billion for the departments of defense, homeland security and veterans affairs. […]

Time For Unity

By:Spencer Subject: time for unity There are about 2 months until the election, an election that will decide the next President of the United States. The person elected will be the president of all Americans, not just the Democrats or the Republicans. To show our solidarity as Americans, let’s all get together and show each […]

Inflation rate for the future might be….

Current Inflation RateYear Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Ave2008 4.28% 4.03% 3.98% 3.94% 4.18% 5.02% 5.60% 5.37% NA NA NA NA NA2007 2.08% 2.42% 2.78% 2.57% 2.69% 2.69% 2.36% 1.97% 2.76% 3.54% 4.31% 4.08% 2.85%2006 3.99% 3.60% 3.36% 3.55% 4.17% 4.32% 4.15% 3.82% 2.06% 1.31% 1.97% 2.54% 3.24%2005 […]

Customer preference is not transparency?

by rdan WSJ reports: Who needs markups? Customers who shop at Eli’s Manhattan, a posh grocery store in Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side, aren’t paying more for individual items — they’re just paying 1.8% more on their bill at the checkout. Grocery stores find ways to pass higher energy prices onto customers. Eli Zabar, who owns […]

How did Lehman manage that ?

Robert Waldmann A commenter over at naked capitalism notes that $110b of senior LEH debt went from trading .95 to .12 in a matter of days …. If you include the less senior debt that is trading at essentially zero, LEH had $110b hole in its balance sheet. And just days before this, the market […]

Canceled debate

A link to the past With new polls showing his campaign dead in the water among California Republicans, Arizona Sen. John McCain has pulled out of a long-scheduled debate with Texas Gov. George Bush, set for Thursday in Los Angeles. McCain campaign officials tried desperately yesterday to put the best face on their withdrawal, even […]