Holiday Open Thread
By Barry Ritholtz - December 24th, 2009, 6:15PM
So.
What say we give this stock market/investing thingie a break for a day, and spend the next 24 hours discussing “other.”
How is your holiday season going?
Anyone traveling this week? Seeing friends and family?
Did y’all shop til you dropped, or not-so-much? Spend less or more than usual?
Any one do any big counter-cyclical spending?
Got any plans for New Years?
What is the general gestalt around your nape neck of the woods?
The telephones are open, with operators standing by.
What say ye?
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December 24th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
The mood around my neighborhood in Denver is subdued. I noticed that there were not nearly as man lights up and the atmosphere is not as festive. I did not spend as much on presents as last year.
December 24th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
well . . .actually spent more than I wanted but less than in the past-
in any event Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah- And Merry(or is it happy) Kwanzaa-
and let’s not forget the most memorable of Holiday greetings-
“party on and be most most excellent to each other”
December 24th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Not much fun here. Just sorta hanging out. Wife has only tomorrow off and has to work the weekend. My son has to work the 2-11pm shift on Christmas. Ain’t working for hospitals fun?
About the only thing open for Christmas dinner is the Four Seasons which would cost almost $200 or maybe some Indian restaurants. So, we ordered a turkey dinner from Whole Foods. First time we’ve ordered a turkey from anyone. Turkey looks reasonable. And, more importantly, it looks like it will be suitable for making turkey and andouille gumbo, which is really the best part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
No shopping. We long ago gave up exchanging gifts with adults and just give the kids, nieces and nephews checks. A lot less pressure for about the same price. Oh, I did order my wife a “She Who Must Be Obeyed” tee shirt from Acorn Online. Hope I rememer to give it to her :)
A little late for a Happy Hannukkah, BR, so I guess I can only wish you a Merry Christmas, along with everyone else.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
We’re snowed in, and we live in Fort Worth, TX. It’s the first time I can remember a white Christmas here. Now I remember why I moved from the North.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Happily I was house sitting for a friend in Laguna Beach who got snowed into Long Island. His trip last week was a disaster – even got crashed in to in his rental car on the way back to JFK – side airbag deployment. As for me I just combed the beaches. pics are here –
http://picasaweb.google.com/carlosjii/BeachShotsFromMyCellPhone#
It was tee shirts in 70 degrees shopping at WalMart in Porter Ranch today – not excessively busy – like a normal weekend day. I bought a few clothes for myself on eBay – some new, some used. Who needs a shopping hassle?
ps
1. I’m watching TBT closely here
2. Can’t wait to hear how anyone responds to Sprott – I called the FED a debt kiting scheme 3 years ago.
3. I’m looking for places to put some client money in the next few weeks
December 24th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
We are all of us, from birth to death, guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, bounty, love, friends, even our very breath are parts of the banquet.
We can be said to be most alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of the treasures life has given us!
Happiest of holidays to everyone! Despite any adversities, we are blessed!
December 24th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
It’s mellow here in northern Washington state. Stores aren’t nearly as busy as in past years, even though the weather is unseasonably clear today. The whole area has a distinct de-leveraged feel. Rough times in the Pacific Northwest…
December 24th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Quiet here in the Pacific Northwest.
For the past 35 years, I have not gone into any store except grocery and pharmacy from the day before Thanksgiving until January 2nd or thereafter. Spent about the same as last year which isn’t ever all that much. Some friends, yours truly included, have donated to food banks this year in lieu of “gift giving”.
I’m grateful I’ve got a job and hope I can say the same next Christmastime.
Good health, good food, family and friends; what more can you ask?
December 24th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Drinking a glass of ’98 Michael (Wynn), my girls in the other room laughing their heads off, the Rat Pack singing Christmas.
Can’t get any better than this.
Happy holiday’s all.
December 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
I feel just like I did in 1969 – minus the good parts.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Since it’s adults only we’ve postponed Christmas til Sunday. Piles of snow and we lack flying reindeer. It’s been a profitable year marred by a couple of second place finishes. Obama has fooled me but continues to seem up to the job. It feels like it’s going to be a short winter and I look forward to the New Year. Bring’em on…
December 24th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
. . . and here’s some Christmas cheer-
Oh Holy Night – by Eric Cartman
December 24th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Thank you, Ahab, that was good.
carlos: I wouldn’t discount the power of the Fed or the deflationary forces that have only been moderated a bit by a trillions in bailouts, spending and easing. Yeah, you got polyannas thinking things are fine, so rates will go up, but there are other things at work the past month or so. Remember it’s the end of the year and funds need to tidy their balance sheets. Bill Gross alone has sold $26B in treasuries in the past few weeks to lock in profits after a good year. And, I’m sure there are a lotta me too’s out there who are scared not to follow his lead. That could account for most of the movement.
I’m personally am gonna buy some more 5and 10′s.
December 24th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Just visited my local watering hole. I did not want to, but …
Kind of interesting how we’re (not really all, just most of us, the lowlys with no power) are in this together.
How fascinating that the lowlys and lonelys will meet and visit and hug and wish happy holidays while the elites will do what elites do.
What a horrible dichotomy. The end of America.
December 24th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Merry Christmas to all.
Hate to rank on Christmas eve,so I won’t{to much},just had to get this off my chest.
Went down to Jersey today to visit Mom for Christmas.We live in north Pa.{Milford area},leave Mom’s,jump on 17 north.Cruise about 5 miles,in left lane.Doing about 65,go to move over,passing car in front.Go to hit the brakes,right to the floor!Nothing.An almost calm,relaxed feeling,a rad guardian angel,and a quick downshift{automatic}and in 5/7seconds I’m parked in a lot safe and alive.
It didn’t sink in till I started to think of what if this happened while going into the toll plaza down off 17 in N.Y.I’m still a little shocked,but what’s really crazy is I left my wife home{not feeling 100%and I told her to be by the phone in case something went wrong on the road,might need a ride{I have a 92 Saturn,in excellent shape{so I thought}but had a weird feeling last night,so she stayed home today,and this is how I spent my Christmas eve.
My bigger shock awaited when I checked the market news tonight.Fannie/Freddie,given a bump to 400 billion from 111 billion.Administration doesn’t care about”How big the losses are for three years”,I almost fell over!
“Treasury also said,it would not require,nor expect,the two agencies to reduce the size of their mortgage-related investment portfolios next year,as they had previously been required to.”As per Reuters 5:12 p.m. 12/24/09
I cant believe this,I just wonder what China will have to say about this.Am I totally wrong in being worried about this?Ever day,It just seems like one more blow into an already tightly stretched bubble.How much more can this country take before it blow’s?Health care -ram through today.But this rub’s salt in an open wound!Where are the adult’s?This is insane,when do we let thing’s “clear”,or do we?I am 47 year’s old,I have never been afraid in my own country before.This sort of “rape”of the people,God help us.Where will it end?But in closing,just want to say thanks for letting me vent,boy that felt good.
Merry Christmas to all
and to all,a good night!
Jerry
P.S. God bless our brave men and women serving this great country all over the world.Thank you all.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I had best not comment on our central coast California weather, but maybe it is contributing to my upbeat mood. We’re staying home with friends and family coming to us. Especially excited to see our daughter heading back from college in Montana. No big shopping this year – mostly digital camera upgrades and accessories from Amazon. I normally don’t look forward to the holiday season, but this year feels different. I hope the feeling lasts.
One additional note to Barry and crew – his commentaries have helped me and others make some sense of a some confusing aspects of the world around us, and I would like to relay my best wishes for his continued success in the coming year.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
We have a little snow in Detroit, with rain forecast for xmas day. Time to enjoy family and food and take my mind off of this miserable year. Lots of xmas lights on the houses, people celebrating with what they have. I myself spend a ridiculous amount of time playing the piano these days, with my laptop on the stand. I have too much time on my hands. I have traveled thousands of miles this year looking for work, but I can’t find anything.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Winston nailed it.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Its a quiet Christmas Eve in Arizona, spent opening presents (I know, but that’s what we’ve always done). More spending on small stuff this year. Hope Barry, that you and yours have a fantastic holiday season.
Maybe I have missed it in the past, if you have done it, but have you ever considered putting together an end of the year, “state-of-the-union” from Barry’s point of view? You know, Barry believes the economy looks like this and will probably do this in the coming year; the market is “…………” and is going “………”; the market-makers are “……….” and 2010 will see these these taking over, housing and unemployment are going to “………”, etc. etc. etc. Where do you think we are and where are we going.
December 24th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
…minus the good parts?
not necessary
…even if they are 40 years old, oh shit, i see waht you mean, hmmm
December 25th, 2009 at 12:14 am
Got out of Chicago last night & home for XMas. Watched CNBC this morning – SteveLiesman- on the worst decade since records were kept for job growth. N his last reason – Fewer Americans Want to Work!!! You can’t make this s… up!!
December 25th, 2009 at 1:31 am
My 23 year old son, the last minute sort, was in Tiffany’s SF yesterday. Said it was impossible to get anyone’s attention – wall to wall shoppers. Same story today at East Bay Best Buy.
I shopped on Amazon. Life is not so bad if you are fortunate enough to still have a job.
You get the sense that people are picking up and moving out of CA. Movers told a friend who is moving to Oregon (why?) that all their business was one-way out of state. Has happened at least once before that I recall. Definitely feels like NY in the 1970s here.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Read an interesting blurb in the Chicago Sun-Times about “The Real Housewives of Orange County”. Apparently they’re getting more ‘real’. One couple gets served an eviction notice the day the cameras were rolling.
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/television/1956497,real-housewives-woes-122409.article
“Chicago man’s friends gift-wrap everything he owns”:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1956836,wrigleyville-wrapped-items-122409.article
Too bad there was a picture for this in the paper but not with the online version of the story. Massively blitzed 20 yr old plowed through four yards in a Saab, jumped a BMW, and landed in the bay window of a home, taking out the electrical and gas meter in the process.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1956839,CST-NWS-winnetka24.article
December 25th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Well, Manhattan was busy with traffic, both people and cars, but it seems to me people were spending money on fuel, either for themselves (food or drink) or gasoline for the cars or metrocards to get around. Attendance at our lower Manhattan church midnight mass was mediocre, with many first timers or holiday visitors who appeared to be happy to have something nice to do that cost $0.
I personally spent far less than ever, having been laid off from a Wall Street related job nearly 2 years ago, and now piecing together different so-called consulting jobs. I sent $20 in a card to all my relatives under 18 years of age and have been happy to dine at many simple holiday get togethers here and there, saves on groceries. But I have had plenty of time to focus on things and people I really care about, for the second Christmas in a row! Thank goodness NYC has great radio shows and several great stations, namely WNYC, WQXR and WFUV. While my Cobra health insurance is over, I am staying healthy and saving on paying those high $600 monthly premiums for my individual plan.
Merry Christmas everyone!
December 25th, 2009 at 6:01 am
“Treasury removes cap for Fannie and Freddie aid”
quietly, and on Christmas Eve, before Long Holiday weekend….
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Treasury-removes-cap-for-apf-602219088.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=
“The companies are nowhere close to using the $400 billion they had before, so why do this now?” said Bert Ely, a banking consultant in Alexandria, Va. “It’s possible we may see some horrendous numbers for the fourth quarter and, thus 2009, and Treasury wants to calm the markets.”
–YESSS!! Not only possible, but inevitable!
“the CEOs of Fannie and Freddie could get paid as much as $6 million for 2009, despite the companies’ dismal performances this year.”
–$6million is The Change that the CEOs can believe in!
Freddie and Fannie’s new mission statement: To mortgage the entire nation’s future at least at 125% LTV!
December 25th, 2009 at 6:03 am
b_thunder555
On the Fannie/Freddie issue. They could be gearing up for writing down principal on large swaths of mortgages and so losses will go meteoric but be spread across all the taxpayers. So far they haven’t been writing down principal but that is clearly the next step.
December 25th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Merry Christmas all!
I found this yesterday Barry. For the news junkies amongst us:
http://www.livenewscameras.com/
I hope you are all enjoying the blessings of friends and families on this most blessed time of the year. This blog and its various and sundry contributors are greatly appreciated. We survived 2009. Let’s hope we can improve on it in 2010
What worse could go wrong?…..I’ll shut my mouth now
December 25th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Merry Christmas from Sisters Oregon.!!! (Beautiful small town in Central Oregon at the base of the Three Sisters Mountains) Trace of snow on the ground. 19 degrees of snow. I live in a small cabin on an acre of land. I have two extraordinary horses in a corral behind my house. A blessed life.
Invited friends over for Christmas dinner. We had crab flown in from Alaska. Also have a nice rib-eye roast that the butcher picked out.
What a great life this is.
Curious
December 25th, 2009 at 8:35 am
at the time this thread got planted I was refilling the yellow cartridge to do a last minute 11×14 print after crossing the river to get it (visiting mom2 quickly) .. then drove 20 miles in the rain with warnings of river crest Sunday .. to arrive to a flooded party basement at mom1because the downspout carry away pipe was clogged .. mopped up ate drank be merry open presents .. got 3 gift cards all from Super-youknowwho and some real cash and a wind spinner and cookies and a bag of Amish chain bread mix to brew .. gave real toys to the 2 youngest nephews and real cash in a string with my fav charts and graphs from TBP intwined in a toilet paper roll and a dvd of the 1892 family Bible (photos not scanned) with lots of other stuff of mine/ours & great tapings from others off the tv (like SuperBowl 37 – Celine Dixies Gwen & Sting) .. time to go so then the garage door handle/lock jammed had to cut out – search the drawers for parts – fixup .. no deer jumped in front of the car .. go to bed .. woke up make coffee just finished with presents here .. bone & Pez dispenser for Rascal and lots of misc for us .. bests – Schoolhouse Rocks dvd (back when we …) – new microwave (lcd board burnt out on the old – economical parts – ya right) – cd blanks that look like LP records complete with grooves – EmoIndie hat – usb turntable & negslide scanner (not combined)(so now that stuff is 2x / or take them back / more consise tho) – bird house & seed …. getting sleepy again (coffee not working) … Peace All
December 25th, 2009 at 8:39 am
white christmas in dallas, six hours of snow yesterday, and it stuck except for roads
no family get together, first time in history, we did a little one for my alzheimer and demented grandma sat nite, neither remembered the affair, i will cook bfast and dinner for em
no gift giving per say, bonused the health care worker 2.5k, it’s amazing, she was a 70k a year high level executive assistant for 20 years, company went kaput she could find no job, at 20 hours a week under the table, and no tolls, gas, babysitting, dry cleaning, clothes, etc. she’s about close too monthly cash to her so she is delighted to have time for her family and a stress free job……i’d gone thru 15 in 3 years thru a service, found this one on my own, fired the last one and happened to run into her, she was an aquantance and she asked for a chance, total blessing
i opened up my own gift yesterday, positive attitude and a decade of wisdom
December 25th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Merry Christmas and Hanukkah to Barry and all regular posters from the other side of the world. Here in Bali, we are almost out of Christmas day now, so enjoy yours. Christmas morning here was clear blue skies and 32 degrees (Celsius, as used in all the world excepty the 4% of the world’s population who live in the US). Keep warm all.
December 25th, 2009 at 9:50 am
mid-40′s and rainy here in indiana. as a mortgage banker for the past 19 years specializing in our “high” end market and new construction, well nuff said… spending less all around. in spite of this i’m thankful that my family is healthy, the 2 oldest are employed, 1 a junior in college and doing great and my 5 year old son, well, he’s being 5 and it’s fund to watch (again).
i am also hopeful. hopeful that some adults will soon move back into DC; but more hopeful that we as Americans will be Americans. i believe our generosity will always be rewarded, our ingenuity and tenacity to move forward and succeed will never cease and our core belief that we can do it ourselves will always remain at our core.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to all!
December 25th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Happy Everything to all :)
December 25th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Here in Milwaukee we got a break, with the temperature “soaring” to 35 and finally melting some of our snow.
Fascinating bit of irony on Zero Hedge this am, “How the Banks Stole Christmas”. Gives President Jackson’s quote responding to bankers’ “Too Big to Fail” plea of 180 years ago. Apparently he did not have a banker running his Treasury Department at that time! The link at end to an article by former Chief Economist of IMF is interesting as well…he maintains that “the Financial Industry has captured our government”…lots of agreement on that!
December 25th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Merry X’mas and Happy Holidays to all from sunny Dubai.
Things are subdued here, mostly due to expats out of town or enjoying at home due to school holidays, which is common with school holidays anyways (can blame the crisis too). Traffic was thinner than most holidays around town after noon.
Weather is awesome at 25-27 deg Celsius and retreating to 20 deg during nighttime with many Europeans celebrating X’mas and New Years in town with cheap fares and sunshine and all that stuff…
Everyone have a safe and fun time during holidays! Don’t drink too much!
Ho Ho Ho
Merry X’mas
From:dubaibanker.blogspot.com
December 25th, 2009 at 11:02 am
here in northern NJ its a mixed feel. was out on xmas eve and while the roads near major shopping centers were busy there wasn’t much foot traffic in the stores themselves. i took my 4 year old snow sledding at a local park and we had a great time.
christmas so far is great. got a few gifts for my 2 kids and upgraded my wife to an ERIS Droid phone (since all her mommy friends have the IPhone and she can’t get those coupons while in the store!). what’s been so great is not the material possessions but spending quality time with the family dancing, singing and acting silly.
my income is down 20% y-o-y due to the economic climate but i’m in a fairly stable job, family is healthy and we’re enjoying each other which is the most important thing. happy holidays to all my peeps in cyberspace.
December 25th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I am in Israel again this holiday season. Very subdued here compared to just a few years ago. Three years ago in Tel Aviv, very expensive Hanukkah decorations at an upscale mall that I go to. Artists hired to design three dimensional dradels (spinning tops) with different art themes throughout the mall. They were cardboard or paper and looked like they were thrown out at the season. This year they just brought out legos for kids to make menorahs (or I imagine Christmas trees for the Christian kids) and the same plastic menorah they had last time I was here. Previously I did not see pre-holidays sales in Tel Aviv, but this time it seemed like everything was half off before both Hanukah or Christmas was even over.
Very much the same in Jerusalem. Three years ago you had many more tourists here for Christmas, but I don’t see many this year. The YMCA had its Christmas lights up, and I saw many electric menorahs in public, but these were all probably from previous years. I did not see any expensive decorations the way I had in previous years. The YMCA is usually bustling with tourists for Christmas at this time of year, but it looked rather dead. Three years ago it was packed even through the political situation was not as good. Even the upscale tourist mall did not look like it spent money on decorations this year. They had a contest and displayed handmade Hanukkah decorations made by children (which are of course free) many made out of paper and cardboard. So a very subdued Hanukah and Christmas in Israel even compared to three years ago. Fewer decorations, more sales, fewer shoppers, and fewer holiday tourists. Somewhat of an improvement in Bethlehem compared to three years ago, but that can be attributed to an improved (but fragile) political situation.
From Jerusalem,
Happy Holidays to All!
-Daniel
December 25th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Firstly, thanks to you Mr. Ritholtz for your excellent commentary. I check in daily to find some sanity and intelligence in a USA that is increasingly disappointing and going insane. Unfortunately, I am forced to face my view of the facts that the USA is going down the tubes in a long grind. I hope that I am wrong about this.
Upstate NY is cold, snowy, which is the usual. The rust belt city where I reside has been on a very long decline and the economy and employment prospects continue to decline. Actually, employment prospects are downright horrible as there are so very few job opportunities. Throw in the well known outrageous NY income taxes and suffocating property taxes (particularly in upstate compared to downstate) and the fact that NY has finally admitted it is broke, and one can see that NY is well positioned to give California a good run for the money into the abyss.
Holiday sales clearly down in upstate NY as measured by sales tax receipts and the near panic exhibited by city/county officials over this fact. Perhaps the U.S. Commerce Dep’t will someday show us the accounting to reconcile their version of sales vs actual sales tax receipts! We spent less than $100 on holidays and though we have the money, it’s time for my life long lessons to my children (ages 16 through 25) to be hammered home about saving for the rainy day. They genuinely understand it is here and recognize the benefit to our family from mom and dad having saved all of their lives and perhaps more importantly, living within appropriate ratios, i.e. Debt to Income.
The insanity of Treasury’s announcement of the Fannie, Freddie open checkbook forever is just one more straw on the camel’s back. That poor camel must be sore as hell right now and unfortunately for him, there is no oasis in sight.
The lack of adults and leadership in D.C. and in our banking cabal is maddening and history will be very, very unkind to the stupidity of the day.
December 25th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Here is WA state the biggest news is that a__holes keep killing cops. Not a merry christmas for the families of the fallen. Economy….everybody complains about it….but not much has changed on the surface….Boeing and Microsoft aren’t doing a lot of laying off….commute still stinks in rush hour….Biggest thing going in my family/circle of friends is anger over the obama/pelosi/reid gang…..those of you of liberal stamp probably mis-underestimate the rage out here in the sticks…..famil-wise, kids are out of the house for the second christmas in a row, and the house seems empty….we spent almost nothing on christmas this year….I am no judge of mall traffic, seemed lightish to me though….we are 55′ish and upped our savings from 24 to 30%….. just hunkering down for another 5 years at least….not back to even yet….probably get there next year….I look forward to the big picture every saturday…. you should feel somewhat gratified….there are damn few liberals I can stomach.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
How is your holiday season going?
Last weekend we got socked with better than two feet of snow. As a consequence, most of our attention in this week leading up to Christmas was dominated by snow and its removal etc. Not so bad, in truth, because it reminded me of years past in more northerly climes when this sort of thing was par for the course. Buzzing on a little sweet and sad nostalgia. In truth, one has more cause for to feel gratitude than to gripe.
Anyone traveling this week? Seeing friends and family?
Next week I will absent myself from the workplace (voluntarily, thankfully) and we will head out to the family showdown.
Did y’all shop til you dropped, or not-so-much? Spend less or more than usual?
We paced our shopping over the entire fall. So we simply avoided the stuffed mall mambo.
Any one do any big counter-cyclical spending?
I did make a purchase that I think merits comment. I bought my toddler daughter a rocking horse. We had been looking at various options on line and at the typical stores but I was unconvinced by both price and quality. In effect, the mainstream offering presented products which I knew we wouldn’t want to own long term (nor would that be an option given the low quality of the selections-regardless of price). So come this past Wednesday, I find myself walking through our downtown mall area and pass a small store that was closing. It had a liquidation sale sign up (strictly de riguer these days). In the window was a wooden rocking horse, quite pretty, clean design, good size and 50% off. I kept going, went and had a slice of pizza and before I had finished chomping down the last piece of crust I knew I was going to walk into that store and buy it. So due to a liquidation (that is, a small business owner closing shop), I was able to acquire a good at a price competitive with the products offered by the big operations, of significantly superior value, which was not made in China and which will, God willing, belong to my daughter for as long as she wants. I just wish that that swipe of my Amex card was something other than a nail in the coffin of that merchant’s business.
Got any plans for New Years?
We eat 12 grapes at midnight and with each one we reflect on our hopes and dreams for each month of the coming year. It may seem corny but at least one gets to eat some grapes. (Substitutions such as a twelve sips of a nice Malbec are perfectly acceptable, twelve goblets- only for the ones with adequate training.)
What is the general gestalt around your neck of the woods?
Fear and a diminishing capacity to maintain the requisite level of obliviousness are dominant here. A marked lack of awareness concerning the larger structural changes that are a foot. At least the NGIC is hiring- gotta keep those guys busy between video games.
Things here are tough but less so than in the more rural areas of the state. The debt levels most carry limit options and I suspect that there are many hanging by a thread who are woefully unaware of their precarious position. The poor and disadvantaged have a harder road to hoe.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
@ Deadhead, which lifeless, rusting, emptying upstate city do you call home? Utica (more or less) here…
December 25th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
happy birthday jesus christ. we hardly know you anymore.
December 25th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Happy Holidays to you Barry, and everyone who posts at the Big Picture. Snow on the ground here in
Boston. Overcast and cloudy, cold with no wind about 34 degrees. Very quiet in the city which is nice,
listening to The Kings Noyse album Seaven Tears, my wife is cooking, and I have to do the dishes. It has
been an interesting year to say the least, and I wonder what 2010 will bring to the markets and our lives?
We really do live in interesting times, and I hope that people can find some joy in their lives today.
December 25th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
xmas in Vero Beach, FL. nice weather, subdued tone in town and at dinner table. Much thanks to BR and fellow posters. Hoping for improving 2010.
December 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
MRegan puts it ably, here: “Fear and a diminishing capacity to maintain the requisite level of obliviousness are dominant here. A marked lack of awareness concerning the larger structural changes that are a foot.”
this has been crossing my mind, upon witness, therof, though, He states it, well.
and, even amongst my friends that are ‘below Par’ (so to speak), they’re happy that they are, still, ‘on the Hoof’, and are able to attain most of what they want, but there is an, underlying, uneasiness about their general demeanor/outlook.
even those “6-under, at the Turn”, are more concerned with not being 6-feet Under, than “carding a 66″..again, so to speak..
the most confident thing I’ve heard, from the ‘under-Par’-crowd, is the reflection: “Ya know, It’s a lot like Life, sometimes, you just gotta Flare your Lips back, and let it Ride..”
but, for the first time, that I can remember, people are talking about ‘Regultory Structure’ (here, in the U.S.) in tones, usually, reserved for ‘Political Risk’, in referencing Lat.Am…
though, in all, it seems that some, long-run, + trends are emerging, People seem to be more interested in People v. Things, less Retail-mania, more focused on the ‘things you cannot Lose’..
w/that, 2nd-round of ‘merry-making’ is kicking in, time to travel..
Hope that this Season is finding you, and yours, with that which you want, and, the knowledge of that which we need..
December 26th, 2009 at 11:05 am
scmo….Syracuse environs.