Comments on: Open Thread http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: RangerTurtle http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-127109 RangerTurtle Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:57:57 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-127109 GM should go find a cheap bank to buy, change their name to General Motors Slaving and Loan, then apply at the Fed and Treasury windows! GM should go find a cheap bank to buy, change their name to General Motors Slaving and Loan, then apply at the Fed and Treasury windows!

]]> By: flipspiceland http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126996 flipspiceland Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:35:19 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126996 The insurance companies are already "bankers". They are 'invisible' but do many of the same things as bankers already. A complete transition would be a non-event, merely reconciling fiction with reality. The way insuracne companies get the funds to invest like bankers is thru the use of the Reserve for Future possible liabilities, a fictitious number based on some pretty lame math. It lowers their net income to avoid higher taxes. The insurance companies are already “bankers”. They are ‘invisible’ but do many of the same things as bankers already. A complete transition would be a non-event, merely reconciling fiction with reality.

The way insuracne companies get the funds to invest like bankers is thru the use of the Reserve for Future possible liabilities, a fictitious number based on some pretty lame math. It lowers their net income to avoid higher taxes.

]]> By: econmacro http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126988 econmacro Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:09:09 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126988 Shorting treasuries hasn't really worked but at some point (soon) they're going to implode. I believe a plunge to new lows is right upon us in the SP500. My reasoning is here: http://www.economicdecryption.com/. Technically, it won't be surprising if oil and natural gas climb during December. Shorting treasuries hasn’t really worked but at some point (soon) they’re going to implode. I believe a plunge to new lows is right upon us in the SP500. My reasoning is here: http://www.economicdecryption.com/. Technically, it won’t be surprising if oil and natural gas climb during December.

]]> By: DP http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126962 DP Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:13:31 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126962 Barry, love the open thread. Perhaps there could be a daily open thread for all the OT stuff people want to talk about? What's on your mind? What are you trading today? Etc. Barry, love the open thread. Perhaps there could be a daily open thread for all the OT stuff people want to talk about? What’s on your mind? What are you trading today? Etc.

]]> By: harold hecuba http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126945 harold hecuba Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:05:31 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126945 shorting long term treasuries and treasuries will be the trade that carries out the geniuses who remain oblivious to the issues that the globe faces. there is ZER Oinflation and i expect near zwero or negative CPI by sometime next year. Dopes have been shorting the JGB 190 year treaury for years on end and have gotten run over by an incoming freight train and i expect the same to happen globally particularly in the good ole USA. good luck with your treasury shorts and i hope you are well capitalized shorting long term treasuries and treasuries will be the trade that carries out the geniuses who remain oblivious to the issues that the globe faces. there is ZER Oinflation and i expect near zwero or negative CPI by sometime next year. Dopes have been shorting the JGB 190 year treaury for years on end and have gotten run over by an incoming freight train and i expect the same to happen globally particularly in the good ole USA. good luck with your treasury shorts and i hope you are well capitalized

]]> By: CNBC Sucks http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126924 CNBC Sucks Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:00:37 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126924 The one time I wanted to be on-topic, and all you have left for me is an open thread. Oh well, did anyone else catch the pimple under Margaret Brennan's nose today? What the hell? Wash your face regularly, Maggie B. The one time I wanted to be on-topic, and all you have left for me is an open thread.

Oh well, did anyone else catch the pimple under Margaret Brennan’s nose today? What the hell? Wash your face regularly, Maggie B.

]]> By: Mark E Hoffer http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126903 Mark E Hoffer Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:38:10 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126903 "Shorting long-term treasuries is what Jim Rodgers is doing. The yield curve is begging for it." -TrickStyle like lb was mentioning, on the ten-year.. has to be the next, actually starting, big trade.. tho, lb, why not (shorting) long dated zero-coupon Treasuries, or the Futures contract on 30-yr UST-Bonds? “Shorting long-term treasuries is what Jim Rodgers is doing. The yield curve is begging for it.”
-TrickStyle

like lb was mentioning, on the ten-year..

has to be the next, actually starting, big trade..

tho, lb, why not (shorting) long dated zero-coupon Treasuries, or the Futures contract on 30-yr UST-Bonds?

]]> By: Bruce N Tennessee http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126902 Bruce N Tennessee Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:37:18 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126902 Down another 200...yawn..... same ole same ole.... Down another 200…yawn…..

same ole same ole….

]]> By: Simon http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126895 Simon Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:18:34 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126895 Conspiracy Theories just make reasonably simple things too complex. "They" do not exist. Existing is the status quo, the powerful, and the vested interests. They may be a wee bit better informed but they are no smarter than the rest of us. They are not out to rip the rest of us off, they merely perpetuate a system they believe in. They believe in the system because it works for them. They will never see it as other than a good system. Why would they. Change will only ocure when the keys are taken away. Having said "They" do not exist I've found no other good term for them. I guess you could call them the modern Zars or Aristocracy. Conspiracy Theories just make reasonably simple things too complex. “They” do not exist. Existing is the status quo, the powerful, and the vested interests. They may be a wee bit better informed but they are no smarter than the rest of us. They are not out to rip the rest of us off, they merely perpetuate a system they believe in. They believe in the system because it works for them. They will never see it as other than a good system. Why would they. Change will only ocure when the keys are taken away.

Having said “They” do not exist I’ve found no other good term for them. I guess you could call them the modern Zars or Aristocracy.

]]> By: DeDude http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/open-thread-8/comment-page-2/#comment-126889 DeDude Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:42:13 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=9723#comment-126889 I predict that we will have a large number of insurance companies turning themselves into banks. With congress talking against spreading the bailouts to other industries, that is the only way they can get money to deal with the fact that all their AAA rated bonds (backed by BBB rated assets) are worth next to nothing. I am with wunsacon when he says “start printing”. I would be even more specific and say start printing stimulus checks and send them out to everybody every 2 months until we have killed the deflation beast with some consumer-driven inflation (and stick Benancke in a sack and tie it up, while we do so). The only way out of all that debt is to inflate it away. If the dollar dies in the process so be it - at least we will get our jobs back from India and China. I predict that we will have a large number of insurance companies turning themselves into banks. With congress talking against spreading the bailouts to other industries, that is the only way they can get money to deal with the fact that all their AAA rated bonds (backed by BBB rated assets) are worth next to nothing.

I am with wunsacon when he says “start printing”. I would be even more specific and say start printing stimulus checks and send them out to everybody every 2 months until we have killed the deflation beast with some consumer-driven inflation (and stick Benancke in a sack and tie it up, while we do so). The only way out of all that debt is to inflate it away. If the dollar dies in the process so be it – at least we will get our jobs back from India and China.

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