1. Despite being over 40 years removed from the scandal that rocked the Nixon administration, we still cannot come up with a new suffix to identify scandals, even though the original one was actually named after a specific place-which makes adding "gate" to the end of words associated with new scandals both ridiculous, and frankly, lazy.
2.When you like/dislike the person apologizing you hear the apology and/or explanation exactly how you want to. So if you are not a fan you will find fault with each part of the apology, and if you are a fan you will find most of the apology/explanation praiseworthy.
3. Politicians and those who work for them will do things that are good for themselves and their egos, their constituents not really taken into consideration. In fact they are often collateral damage in a quest for power, that sometime will benefit some people, but often very few. This is true for both revenge type incidents, and backroom deals with quid pro quos.
4. Despite the above, our system of government is probably still the best, as long as people are not apathetic or too partisan. People need to think for themselves, and not worry if they cannot be labeled politically because they do not wholeheartedly embrace all platforms and ideologies of one party.
5. The Palisades Parkway remains the best way to get to the George Washington Bridge.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Our six year-old has a habit of singing a song she learned (I think from a cousin of hers, the song made popular by a movie, and more widespread by the game "cups" that goes with it):
"when I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone..."
Mr. Bloomberg, despite my protestations that you were a nanny, and constantly seem to tell people both what to do, and to stop complaining when things didn't go the way they should have, and midtown Manhattan was somewhat remade for the tourists as opposed to those who live and work in the city...
We miss you already. I cannot imagine what the people in New York City were thinking. I did not like Mike Bloomberg's subversion of democracy, but he didn't pit one part of the city against the other, give voice to the most radical and hateful elements of different communities, and set up a situation wherein a tenuous peace that exists between different racial/economic areas of the city will be turned into a powder keg with the fuse extending up the steps of City Hall awaiting the touch of the match DeBlasio is holding. (If you close your eyes you can see the political cartoon I just drew)
There used to be "white flight." I hereby coin the term : "Rich Ditch," because the wealthy may just go running in droves out of the city. Which may not mean much, but when they take their companies with them, and NYC goes back to the cesspool it once was, even I will be calling for the return of the whiny, but incredibly charitable, giving, and dare I say caring (albeit a little forcefully)former Mayor.
I think it is easy at the end of an era to look back at the good parts, but in the case of the new mayor of New York and his ideology, I feel nothing but worry. The inmates will be running the asylum.
"when I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone..."
Mr. Bloomberg, despite my protestations that you were a nanny, and constantly seem to tell people both what to do, and to stop complaining when things didn't go the way they should have, and midtown Manhattan was somewhat remade for the tourists as opposed to those who live and work in the city...
We miss you already. I cannot imagine what the people in New York City were thinking. I did not like Mike Bloomberg's subversion of democracy, but he didn't pit one part of the city against the other, give voice to the most radical and hateful elements of different communities, and set up a situation wherein a tenuous peace that exists between different racial/economic areas of the city will be turned into a powder keg with the fuse extending up the steps of City Hall awaiting the touch of the match DeBlasio is holding. (If you close your eyes you can see the political cartoon I just drew)
There used to be "white flight." I hereby coin the term : "Rich Ditch," because the wealthy may just go running in droves out of the city. Which may not mean much, but when they take their companies with them, and NYC goes back to the cesspool it once was, even I will be calling for the return of the whiny, but incredibly charitable, giving, and dare I say caring (albeit a little forcefully)former Mayor.
I think it is easy at the end of an era to look back at the good parts, but in the case of the new mayor of New York and his ideology, I feel nothing but worry. The inmates will be running the asylum.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Beats Chief Bottle Washer!!!
My dear husband, and blog partner has conferred upon me a title. I am thrilled beyond words, as most of my titles are not usable in polite company.
However, as Chief Prize Officer of IcebergCarwash, I now feel great pressure to perform my duties in an extraordinary manner.
I guess that will work out well for the Wolfman!
However, as Chief Prize Officer of IcebergCarwash, I now feel great pressure to perform my duties in an extraordinary manner.
I guess that will work out well for the Wolfman!
Welcome to the Soothsayer's Ball
Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for...
The Sixth Annual IcebergCarwash Stock Market Contest.
The rules are simple.
Using the comments section of this blog post, give us your prediction for the closing price of the S&P 500 Index on December 31, 2014. The contestant who comes closest will win the contest, and possibly win a prize.
In the past, we've set the deadline for receipt of entries at 9:30AM on the first trading day of the year. This year, however, we're going to accept your predictions until 9:30AM on Friday, January 3, 2014.
This will allow our contestants to wait until the first trading day of the year has passed, and, using historical data, attempt to predict the direction of the market for the entire year.
As indicated in the previous post, the stock market generated strong gains in 2013, with the S&P 500 up 29.6% for the year, on top of a double-digit gain in 2012.
What should we expect for 2014? Should we just assume that the market is due to take a step back? Or, will the gains continue in the next year, as the U.S. economy continues its recovery?
I will kick off the process by offering up my prediction. I predict that the S&P 500 will close 2014 at 1950.00, up approximately 5% from this year's closing level of 1848.36. Despite the recent rise in equity prices, the U.S. stock market appears reasonably valued, so I wouldn't expect a large pullback. For example, while the trailing (or forward) P/E ratio of the S&P 500 is above its historical mean, it is still favorably valued when looking at the earnings yield of the S&P 500 (the inverse of the P/E ratio) and comparing it to the current yield on the 10-year Treasury note. However, a further increase in bond yields -- which has already been happening, and would be expected to continue if U.S. GDP grows at a nominal rate of 3.0% or more in 2014 - could result in something of a rotation back into fixed income, and out of stocks, which could depress equity prices a bit.
Then again, what do I know? I haven't won this contest in the five years we've been running it.
Good luck to all of our contestants.
The Sixth Annual IcebergCarwash Stock Market Contest.
The rules are simple.
Using the comments section of this blog post, give us your prediction for the closing price of the S&P 500 Index on December 31, 2014. The contestant who comes closest will win the contest, and possibly win a prize.
In the past, we've set the deadline for receipt of entries at 9:30AM on the first trading day of the year. This year, however, we're going to accept your predictions until 9:30AM on Friday, January 3, 2014.
This will allow our contestants to wait until the first trading day of the year has passed, and, using historical data, attempt to predict the direction of the market for the entire year.
As indicated in the previous post, the stock market generated strong gains in 2013, with the S&P 500 up 29.6% for the year, on top of a double-digit gain in 2012.
What should we expect for 2014? Should we just assume that the market is due to take a step back? Or, will the gains continue in the next year, as the U.S. economy continues its recovery?
I will kick off the process by offering up my prediction. I predict that the S&P 500 will close 2014 at 1950.00, up approximately 5% from this year's closing level of 1848.36. Despite the recent rise in equity prices, the U.S. stock market appears reasonably valued, so I wouldn't expect a large pullback. For example, while the trailing (or forward) P/E ratio of the S&P 500 is above its historical mean, it is still favorably valued when looking at the earnings yield of the S&P 500 (the inverse of the P/E ratio) and comparing it to the current yield on the 10-year Treasury note. However, a further increase in bond yields -- which has already been happening, and would be expected to continue if U.S. GDP grows at a nominal rate of 3.0% or more in 2014 - could result in something of a rotation back into fixed income, and out of stocks, which could depress equity prices a bit.
Then again, what do I know? I haven't won this contest in the five years we've been running it.
Good luck to all of our contestants.
We Have A Winner!
Actually, we are all winners, provided that no one shorted the stock market, or bought gold, this year.
The S&P 500 closed 2013 at a record high of 1848.36, up 29.6% for the year. It was the largest annual gain for the Index since 1997, and came after a 13.4% gain in 2012.
Let's review the official entries in the Fifth Annual IcebergCarwash Stock Market Contest:
MBB: 1525.00
Wolfman: 1640.96
fil: 1283.40
KWBSLKM: 1436.55
Doobie: 1226.00
rabbim: 1611.59
The winner is...
Wolfman.
Congratulations!
There might be some sort of prize involved.
Any questions about said prize should be addressed to FBB, the Chief Prize Officer of IcebergCarwash.
The S&P 500 closed 2013 at a record high of 1848.36, up 29.6% for the year. It was the largest annual gain for the Index since 1997, and came after a 13.4% gain in 2012.
Let's review the official entries in the Fifth Annual IcebergCarwash Stock Market Contest:
MBB: 1525.00
Wolfman: 1640.96
fil: 1283.40
KWBSLKM: 1436.55
Doobie: 1226.00
rabbim: 1611.59
The winner is...
Wolfman.
Congratulations!
There might be some sort of prize involved.
Any questions about said prize should be addressed to FBB, the Chief Prize Officer of IcebergCarwash.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Auto Incorrect!
***These are all rhetorical questions asked in the name of incredulousness****
Who decides on the words for auto-correct? Like why in heaven's name, is the word THALIDOMIDE even IN the auto correct dictionary! I mean, really? Does it come up that often? AND AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THANK YOU????????? Thank you???? Is that not one of the most typed phrases in texting/email, whats's app, twitter, etc.?? It's THANK YOU, how could that be replaced by a word that was big forty years ago, and really not talked about that often anymore???
Cholera for Cholent I understand, on many different levels, but Thalidomide? Thalidomide? For Thank you???
Sheesh
Who decides on the words for auto-correct? Like why in heaven's name, is the word THALIDOMIDE even IN the auto correct dictionary! I mean, really? Does it come up that often? AND AS A REPLACEMENT FOR THANK YOU????????? Thank you???? Is that not one of the most typed phrases in texting/email, whats's app, twitter, etc.?? It's THANK YOU, how could that be replaced by a word that was big forty years ago, and really not talked about that often anymore???
Cholera for Cholent I understand, on many different levels, but Thalidomide? Thalidomide? For Thank you???
Sheesh
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