Comments on: Getting Better ? http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:29:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Tuesday links: cost cut cascade Abnormal Returns http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225171 Tuesday links: cost cut cascade Abnormal Returns Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:59:11 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225171 [...] Cost cuts are fine for earnings, but the economy needs some corporate investment spending to recover.   (Big Picture) [...] [...] Cost cuts are fine for earnings, but the economy needs some corporate investment spending to recover.   (Big Picture) [...]

]]> By: Our internal indicator is strong; plus yesterday's earnings (revenue) scoreboard - Steve Cook on Disciplined Investing - InvestorsInsight.com | Financial Intelligence, Advice & Research / Investment Strategies & Planning for Individual Investors. http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225114 Our internal indicator is strong; plus yesterday's earnings (revenue) scoreboard - Steve Cook on Disciplined Investing - InvestorsInsight.com | Financial Intelligence, Advice & Research / Investment Strategies & Planning for Individual Investors. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:32:16 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225114 [...] Capital investment remains weak (short):    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/    And this (medium):    [...] [...] Capital investment remains weak (short):    http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/    And this (medium):    [...]

]]> By: Winston Munn http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225103 Winston Munn Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:29 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225103 franklin411 Says: October 12th, 2009 at 11:16 pm "The idea that only private capital can generate a “real” recovery, while public capital cannot, is right-wing hogwash." There is no more public capital. There is only public debt. Can unsustainable increases in public debt fuel a "real" recovery? franklin411 Says:
October 12th, 2009 at 11:16 pm

“The idea that only private capital can generate a “real” recovery, while public capital cannot, is right-wing hogwash.”

There is no more public capital. There is only public debt. Can unsustainable increases in public debt fuel a “real” recovery?

]]> By: Greg0658 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225083 Greg0658 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:02:11 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225083 steve from virginia at 1:43 am gotta high5 ya .. the petro issue is #1 problem .. GWBs admin thought controlling the Middle East was the answer .. but without a MOre politically incorrect war to get at it .. it isn't working out like WWII ANSWER is the Pickens Plan .. that is our pyramid .. all aspects need to be lawed into "buying local" as much as possible .. that includes vehicle engine remodels .. and all the raw materials involved in the action .. remember he is pushing for 18 wheel big rig refits mostly mathman you bring up another aspect .. safety - gas is much more hazardous in an accident ... my last years in the building trade .. OSHA rules to keep me safe like harnessed & tied off after 6 feet* off the ground on a LADDER .. I WANT TO SCREAM .. "WHO MAKES this country run .. a bunch of PAPER PUSHERS ?" enough said .. huh investorinpa * get out the manual - its been a while - but thats close (don't call me into court to defend you) .. INSURANCE BANKS LAWYERS ... now I can use the line I was thinking of from the start (looking into a suggested link) .. from A Chistmas Story brought to mind the scene with all the appliance cords pluged into the multiple gang adapters .. "theres just One to many" Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] The snap of a few sparks, a quick whiff of ozone, and the lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory. Mr. Parker: Oh, look at that! Will you look at that? Isn't that glorious? It's... it's... it's indescribably beautiful! It reminds me of the Fourth of July! steve from virginia at 1:43 am
gotta high5 ya .. the petro issue is #1 problem .. GWBs admin thought controlling the Middle East was the answer .. but without a MOre politically incorrect war to get at it .. it isn’t working out like WWII

ANSWER is the Pickens Plan .. that is our pyramid .. all aspects need to be lawed into “buying local” as much as possible .. that includes vehicle engine remodels .. and all the raw materials involved in the action .. remember he is pushing for 18 wheel big rig refits mostly

mathman you bring up another aspect .. safety – gas is much more hazardous in an accident … my last years in the building trade .. OSHA rules to keep me safe like harnessed & tied off after 6 feet* off the ground on a LADDER .. I WANT TO SCREAM .. “WHO MAKES this country run .. a bunch of PAPER PUSHERS ?”

enough said .. huh investorinpa

* get out the manual – its been a while – but thats close (don’t call me into court to defend you) .. INSURANCE BANKS LAWYERS … now I can use the line I was thinking of from the start (looking into a suggested link) .. from A Chistmas Story brought to mind the scene with all the appliance cords pluged into the multiple gang adapters .. “theres just One to many”
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] The snap of a few sparks, a quick whiff of ozone, and the lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory.
Mr. Parker: Oh, look at that! Will you look at that? Isn’t that glorious? It’s… it’s… it’s indescribably beautiful! It reminds me of the Fourth of July!

]]> By: investorinpa http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225072 investorinpa Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:25:45 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225072 Things are getting better if you are a gold bug or silver bug...both pushed thru overnight...gold near 1070 and silver over 18 bucks/oz...wow Things are getting better if you are a gold bug or silver bug…both pushed thru overnight…gold near 1070 and silver over 18 bucks/oz…wow

]]> By: thales http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225071 thales Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:05:46 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225071 For decades now our economy has been suffering from a lack of capital formation, a transformation of our labor force into a bunch of unschooled welfare slaves, and an export of trillions of dollars to oil producers who invest their profits into competition against us while we watch our industries rust away. And we have a government that thinks we can get out of this fix through more welfare, more taxes, more deficits, more regulation, and more government control of industry. And a president that bows to sheiks, subsidizes knaves, and wants to build more windmills. I think I need a cocktail. For decades now our economy has been suffering from a lack of capital formation, a transformation of our labor force into a bunch of unschooled welfare slaves, and an export of trillions of dollars to oil producers who invest their profits into competition against us while we watch our industries rust away.

And we have a government that thinks we can get out of this fix through more welfare, more taxes, more deficits, more regulation, and more government control of industry.

And a president that bows to sheiks, subsidizes knaves, and wants to build more windmills.

I think I need a cocktail.

]]> By: mathman http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225070 mathman Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:04:45 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225070 The propane guy stopped by to fill me up yesterday. We chatted for a while. He said his company made $155 million last year but won't hire any new people, won't buy a much needed new truck (the one he was driving had visible rot in the FRAME that showed fresh rustoleum primer covering up the more noticeable spots to pass inspection), the company is moving to swing shift operations (which will require him to start at 4 in the morning and work til noon, when his replacement shows up and works the next 8 hr shift), and is cracking down on SAFETY violations and enforcement (for ex. he said there are minor safety problems with a lot of people he's been delivering to for YEARS, but now he's not allowed to). He says from the drivers' point of view it's confusing and he doesn't know what to do in some situations. i suggested he put his boss's number on his speed-dial for those times and not to make a decision which could terminate his job. He agreed that was probably what he'd be forced to do and gave me examples of times when he shows up to deliver and there's a propane leak at the tank - he has to stay until the EPA guy arrives and the company fixes it (so there goes the swing shift strategy - as if everything will always go smoothly). The bottom line (his statement) was that management (ie. the company) doesn't care about anything but their profits. The propane guy stopped by to fill me up yesterday. We chatted for a while. He said his company made $155 million last year but won’t hire any new people, won’t buy a much needed new truck (the one he was driving had visible rot in the FRAME that showed fresh rustoleum primer covering up the more noticeable spots to pass inspection), the company is moving to swing shift operations (which will require him to start at 4 in the morning and work til noon, when his replacement shows up and works the next 8 hr shift), and is cracking down on SAFETY violations and enforcement (for ex. he said there are minor safety problems with a lot of people he’s been delivering to for YEARS, but now he’s not allowed to). He says from the drivers’ point of view it’s confusing and he doesn’t know what to do in some situations. i suggested he put his boss’s number on his speed-dial for those times and not to make a decision which could terminate his job. He agreed that was probably what he’d be forced to do and gave me examples of times when he shows up to deliver and there’s a propane leak at the tank – he has to stay until the EPA guy arrives and the company fixes it (so there goes the swing shift strategy – as if everything will always go smoothly). The bottom line (his statement) was that management (ie. the company) doesn’t care about anything but their profits.

]]> By: alfred e http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225055 alfred e Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:44:06 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225055 @MEH: Thanks. I'm getting tired. You're hanging in there. Good for you. @MEH: Thanks.

I’m getting tired. You’re hanging in there.

Good for you.

]]> By: steve from virginia http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225054 steve from virginia Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:43:00 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225054 That's zero percent of a shrinking GDP. No end in sight; the same businesses are spending $70 a barrel's worth of petroleum to ship their stuff here and there; less stuff but 'sticky' consumption. Not to mention the same companies shipping their remaining employees, employees wives, customers, managers, supplies, their corporate share of the oil infrastructure 'pie' hither and thither. Business after business is rotting, nothing to stop them from being eaten out from the inside by high and increasing crude prices. This is taking place in the high cost developing economies. Next on the chopping block are the low wage economies that have no 'consumption spread' to narrow. High oil prices are the black hole at the center of the world's economies. USA, Eurozone and Japan are teetering on the event horizon. China's trip to the abyss will be mercilessly short, followed by India, Brazil and then the oil producers themselves. The good news is that I doubt if Somalia will much notice the rise in oil prices; it is already an uneconomic state. That’s zero percent of a shrinking GDP. No end in sight; the same businesses are spending $70 a barrel’s worth of petroleum to ship their stuff here and there; less stuff but ‘sticky’ consumption. Not to mention the same companies shipping their remaining employees, employees wives, customers, managers, supplies, their corporate share of the oil infrastructure ‘pie’ hither and thither.

Business after business is rotting, nothing to stop them from being eaten out from the inside by high and increasing crude prices. This is taking place in the high cost developing economies. Next on the chopping block are the low wage economies that have no ‘consumption spread’ to narrow.

High oil prices are the black hole at the center of the world’s economies. USA, Eurozone and Japan are teetering on the event horizon. China’s trip to the abyss will be mercilessly short, followed by India, Brazil and then the oil producers themselves.

The good news is that I doubt if Somalia will much notice the rise in oil prices; it is already an uneconomic state.

]]> By: JusTryinTaMakeIt http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/10/getting-better/comment-page-1/#comment-225053 JusTryinTaMakeIt Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:32:15 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=41024#comment-225053 The Tom Linebarger quote reminds me of a joke I heard as a child: Two old Jewish men are sitting on a park bench and the first one says,"So Mr.Goldberg, how's your wife?" And Mr. Goldberg answers, "Compared to who???" The Tom Linebarger quote reminds me of a joke I heard as a child: Two old Jewish men are sitting on a park bench and the first one says,”So Mr.Goldberg, how’s your wife?” And Mr. Goldberg answers, “Compared to who???”

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