STOCK MARKET WATCH, Monday, November 28, 2011

[Pale Blue Dot]

Source: du

STOCK MARKET WATCH, Monday November 28, 2011

AT THE CLOSING BELL ON November 25, 2011

Dow 11,231.78 -25.77 (-0.23%)
Nasdaq 2,441.51 -18.57 (-0.76%)
S&P 500 1,158.67 -3.12 (-0.27%)
10-Yr Bond... 2.07 +0.10 (+5.24%)
30-Year Bond 3.03 +0.11 (+3.80%)

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Market Conditions During Trading Hours

Euro, Yen, Loonie, Silver and Gold

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Bush Administration Officials Convicted = 2
Names: David Safavian, James Fondren
Dishonorable Mention: former House majority leader, Tom DeLay

Bush Administration Officials Charged = 1
Name(s): Richard Lopez Razo

Financial Sector Officials Convicted since 1/20/09 = 12

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This thread contains opinions and observations. Individuals may post their experiences, inferences and opinions on this thread. However, it should not be construed as advice. It is unethical (and probably illegal) for financial recommendations to be given here.

Read more: du

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. Today's Report

Nov 28 10:00 New Home Sales Oct 310K 312K 313K

Read more: http://www.briefing.com/investor/calendars/economic/2011/11/28-02/#ixzz1f087fA6y

[Roland99]

42. New U.S. home sales at 307,000 rate in October

[Roland99]

43. September sales revised down to 303,000 rate

[Pale Blue Dot]

2. Oil rises above $99 in Asia as stock markets gain

BANGKOK – Oil prices rose above $99 a barrel Monday in Asia, taking a cue from gains in stock markets after a strong start to the U.S. holiday shopping season.

Benchmark crude for January delivery was up $2.49 to $99.30 a barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 60 cents to settle at $96.77 on Friday.

In London, Brent crude was up $2.13 at $107.99 on the ICE futures exchange.

Oil took its cue from Asian and European stocks, which were mostly higher Monday after record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites during the four-day U.S. holiday weekend starting on Thanksgiving Day. That was up from 212 million last year, according to early estimates by The National Retail Federation.

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/ap/oil_prices

[Demeter]

20. I paid $3.04 yesterday

I'm going back today with the gas can, just in case they forgot to raise it.

[Juneboarder]

51. And I thought my $3.51/gal this morning was a good deal!!

:)

[Demeter]

66. You must be in California, Hawaii or Guam

I'm in the 10th year of rust belt depression...and retail is dying here.

[Juneboarder]

72. What do you call a waffle all covered in sand???

Sandy Eggo! :)

The mood here is still of the "move along folks, nothing to look at here" mentality.

[AnneD]

74. $2.97 here in Houston....

but it should be cheaper because we drill, pump, and refine the stuff here in the state.

[Pale Blue Dot]

3. All better now! U.S. Stock-Index Futures Gain on Europe Optimism, Surge in Holiday Sales

U.S. stock futures rose, signaling the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index will snap a seven-day decline, after Thanksgiving retail sales climbed to a record and euro- area leaders were said to boost efforts to end the debt crisis.

AT&T Inc. (T) jumped 2.2 percent in Germany after the company was said to prepare an antitrust remedy proposal over its acquisition of Deutsche Telekom AG’s U.S. unit. Alcoa Inc. (AA) rallied with metal prices. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) advanced, tracking European banking shares.

S&P 500 futures expiring in December advanced 2.8 percent to 1,185.6 at 10:42 a.m. in London. The benchmark equity index has fallen 7.9 percent since Nov. 15, including the worst Thanksgiving-week decline since 1932. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 245 points, or 2.2 percent, to 11,432.

“It would be a relief for money managers if we can just move Europe from a negative to a neutral impact on the market,” Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Fort Lee, New Jersey-based Palisade Capital Management LLC, which manages $3.4 billion, said in a telephone interview. “There’s an underpinning of growth in the U.S. and it’s picking up steam.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-27/u-s-stock-index-futures-gain-after-report-on-imf-planning-loan-to-italy.html

[Roland99]

5. Europe stocks rise on hopes for debt-crisis action

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/europe-stocks-up-on-hopes-for-debt-crisis-action-2011-11-28?link=MW_home_latest_news


Hopium strikes again!

[xchrom]

8. Global economic recovery petering out: OECD

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/Global-economic-recovery-petering-out-OECD/articleshow/10905917.cms

PARIS: The global economic recovery is running out of steam, leaving the euro zone stuck in a mild recession and the United States at risk of following suit, the OECD said on Monday, sharply cutting its forecasts.

The threat of even more devastating downturns looms if the euro zone does not get to grips with its debt crisis and US lawmakers fail to agree a spending-reduction plan, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned.

In the absence of decisive action from euro zone leaders, the European Central Bank (ECB) alone has the power to contain the bloc's crisis, the Paris-based OECD said. In the United States, however, the Federal Reserve had little ammunition left.

While solid growth in big emerging economies would provide a boost, slumping global trade would drag on Chinese output, the OECD said.

[DemReadingDU]

16. DOW futures +244

wow!

[bread_and_roses]

19. That's hilarioius ...

ah yes, the world has changed since Friday! Prosperity is "just around the corner!" Party like it's 1999!

[CoffeeCat]

79. I'm glad you said it...

...because I thought it too!

I saw morning CNBC talking heads saying that the DOW was up 200+ points due to
Black Friday sales.

Seriously? Who would buy more stocks based on improved BF sales? And weren't
those "improved" sales compared to the last few years of horrendous lows?

I don't get it. I don't get how investors--a class of people whom you would guess
would be fairly educated--would buy based on preliminary BF numbers.

Sometimes I think the CNBC gabbers just make this up as they go along...who knows?

[Demeter]

21. If they think they can stop worrying about Europe

they need their meds. adjusted.

[Po_d Mainiac]

36. IIRC, last years record "Black Friday" sales

turned into a "black swan" event.

[DemReadingDU]

38. Barry Ritholtz: No, Black Friday Sales Were Not Up 16% (not even 6%)

11/28/11 No, Black Friday Sales Were Not Up 16% (not even 6%)

If its the Monday after Black Friday, then its national hype the fabricated data day! Every year around this time, we get a series of loose reports coincident with Black Friday and the holiday weekend. Each year, they are wildly optimistic. And like clockwork, the media idiotically repeats these trade organizations spin like its gospel. When the data finally comes in, we learn that the early reports were pure hokum, put out by trade groups to create shopping hype. (Yes, the Media ALWAYS screws the pooch big time on this one, with the occasional exception). Let’s start with this whopper from an utterly breathless press release from the National Retail Federation:


No, retail sales did not climb 16%. Surveys where people forecast their own future spending are, as we have seen repeatedly in the past, pretty much worthless.

We actually have no idea just yet as to whether, and exactly how much, sales climbed. The data simply is not in yet. The most you can accurately say is according to some foot traffic measurements, more people appeared to be in stores on Black Friday 2011 than in 2010.

Another absurd example: Does any one actually believe “nearly one-quarter (24.4%) of Black Friday shoppers were at the stores by midnight on Black Friday”? Perhaps the NRF competing with the NAR for title of most ridiculous trade group.


Next up is ShopperTrak, who claimed a 6.6% gain in sales:


What is the basis of that 6.6% gain? ShopperTrak “uses equipment installed in stores to measure traffic.” But that does not measure changes in window shoppers vs buyers from year to year, how much money and or credit people have, how large their holiday budgets are, or how much they are willing to spend. It is a very poor system for forecasting actual sales.

The fact that NRF and ShopperTrak are so widely disparate confirms for us at least one of their methodologies are suspect. In my opinion, both are mostly meaningless.

Here is my challenge to the CEOs of the National Retail Federation and ShopperTrak: $1,000 to the charity of the winners choice that your forecasts for Black Friday, the Thanksgiving weekend and the entire holiday shopping season are wildly off. I bet you your forecasts miss the mark by at least 10%-20% (though I believe its closer to 40-50%).

more...
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/11/no-black-friday-sales-were-not-up-16-not-even-6/

[kickysnana]

40. Local Snewz had been hyping every day ie

Polls say people are going shopping
Polls say people are spending more
Polls say people are optimistic about Christmas
Spending helps the economy
Jobs are plentiful again (not)
Black Friday was a huge success
Cyber Monday will be huge.
Small Business Saturday a great idea.

for at least a month now.

[Po_d Mainiac]

41. Ayuh

Foot traffic doesn't mean that the registers were getting blistered.

Again IIRC, last year's big movers, on that fatefull day, were primarily 'loss leaders' which did as advertised. Lead to losses.

[AnneD]

46. Foot traffic is good....

because folks are trying to stay warm and looking for cheap entertainment? :shrug:

I got Hubby his under ware and some camping gear. I got some camping gear too. Rotated the food in my pantry and added some more can goods with the Thanksgiving sales. Can't wait for the January canned goods sales. That is where our money is going.

We are cleaning out the RV and are going to sell it soon. We are living in an even cheaper (but bigger) place now and will be saving at least $500 per month by consolidating our living and storage somewhat. We will live in box canyon for a while but believe me, that is not as cramped as the RV has become. This will really help us lessen our debt load and increase our savings.

The neighborhood is a little rough but I have decent neighbors in our building. Hubby and I talked about it and we will be buying a 9mm for personal protection. Ammo is fairly cheap so we will be on the firing range to practice together. We have found a hobby we both can share. Who would have ever thought, a Hindu Indian American and a Methodist Indian American can find common ground on a firing range. :spray:

[Demeter]

50. My God! You'd Better Report in Frequently

so we don't have to worry about you. I for one don't need another thing to worry about....

[AnneD]

55. Weekend access to the internet is a bit spotty....

and we worked like dogs this long weekend. We am trying to to get as much done so we can have the Christmas break off. We want to visit my brother for an extended time. It will be a red neck kinda Christmas. We will deck the doors with mistletoe that we have shot down from the trees and make luminaries out of the target tin cans. :rofl:

I visited a friend's mom that ended up in the hospital over the holidays. This was my friend that lost her husband in October. We did a tag team visitation so she was not by herself for too long and everyone could have a Thanksgiving dinner. It worked out well.

Another of my friend is going to India for a spell, so I went to have a visit with her before she left. She is a singer that tours with hubby. Her hubby is the tabla player and she has known my hubby since the 70's. Hubby is staying here.

Don't mean to worry you and heaven knows you already have a full plate. I will try to drop in as much as I can and make suggestions when I think of something worthy.

[happyslug]

There are problems using a Pistol for self defense

Most of the problem involved the "Two Second Rule". The "Two Second Rule" comes from the fact it takes at least two seconds for you to see something and to react to it. For example if you have someone in your sights and tell him to drop his pistol, he will have pulled his pistol and killed you, before you can react to his pulling his gun and shooting. Furthermore a pistol requires some distance from any attacker, at least a couple of feet away from you, but also that the attacker be within range, generally 25 feet. The reason for this is if the attacker charges, he or she will have to on the ground before you can pull the trigger.

Do to the "Two Second Rule", the better weapon is a Shotgun or Rifle. Mostly do to both can be fired AND hit a target at longer range (And within three feet can be used as a club). In a home I recommend a short barrel (at least minimum legal barrel length of 18 inches). One of the best is an old fashioned double barrel shotgun. Do to its design it can be 3-4 inches shorter then any pump and yet be within legal limits of 18 inch barrel, 26 inches overall. Given that the average shoot out is two bullets, a double barrel is good enough.

Yes, it is a bit of a problem going from you car to your home with a Shotgun or a Rifle (as opposed to a Pistol) but in such situations if you are attacked the chances of you ever being able to pull the pistol in minimal (The best way to handle such situation is to adopt what the Army called "Bounding Over-watch" i.e. one person looks out for the person moving, then the second person moves out while the first person looks. Rifles are the best for this situation since you do NOT want to hit the person you are over-watching.

Just my comments, I have carried pistols in the past, but whenever I look at the situations where I would have pulled it, I would have preferred a rifle, shotgun OR a knife (A knife is best in close in fighting, i.e. within three feet of the attacker). As to knife I do not like the large knives you see at the gun stores, but a short five inch knife like my father used to butcher hogs with (He would shot the hog with a 22 long rifle, then I would pull up a leg so he could then use the knife to cut the hog's jugular). Longer knives are just to big to move around when needed and four to five inches is all you really need.

Pistol have there place, but those places are limited. The first use of Pistols was by Calvarymen who used one hand to carry their saber, the other for the pistol. The second use was as a symbol of rank to replace the Officer's Sword (This had more importance in the days of the US Civil War and before, the enlisted ranks, if they could not follow their officer, followed his sword, and later pistol, which he held over his head).

Police started to carry pistols in the mid 1800s, again mostly as a symbol of importance (rank) then any real effectiveness. These pistols later improved, but then to be pulled when the Officer did not have time to go back and get a Rifle or Shotgun (Thus police liked the 38 special for decades, easy to learn to shoot with minimum training unlike the 45 which required a good bit of constant practice). The 9mm is very similar to the 28 Special and suffers the same problems (Low stopping power) and advantages (easy to learn to shoot).

Today, a pistol is best used where you would normally have carried a Rifle, but for various reasons did not (and you do NOT have time to go back and get a Rifle). To close, the pistol can be manhandled away, to far, hard to hit a target. If someone gets his or her hands on you, it is to close to use a pistol, if the attacker is further away, the better option is a rifle or Shotgun.

Just comments on your choice of weapons.

[AnneD]

70. Two second rule...

what two second rule. We don't need no 2 second rule, we live in Texas! When you say you are packing for a trip, it has a whole other meaning here. :evilgrin:

That will be our starter gun. We intend to get some shotguns too; but to qualify for a concealed weapons permit, you have to have a certain caliber.

[happyslug]

71. The "Two Second Rule" is a rule of body physics NOT the law

It takes the nerves about two second to see a person pulling a gun (or otherwise attacking you) process it your brain and react to the gun being pulled. It is the same "Two Second Rule" for following a car, and for the same reason, it takes a person at least two seconds to react to the Automobile in front of them slamming on their brakes, to slam on one's own brakes. If you do NOT give yourself that two seconds, you will hit the car in front when he or she slams down on his or her brakes. The reason is you did NOT give yourself enough TIME to re-act.

[AnneD]

77. Yes...

there is a reaction time. The trick is to be aware. Both times I was mugged, I knew in advance there was a chance that it might happen and was able to take measures to limit the damage (put the house keys in my pocket, valuables left in the car, etc). I know now that I have a very good instincts, a keen awareness of my surroundings and I will totally avoid the situation if I even suspect a danger.

Believe you me, if I have to draw my pistol, I will not be surprised, but the said criminal might be.

[Demeter]

73. Thank you for the lesson

I am a militant pacifist, myself. Currently, unarmed and untrained, but if the need changes, I will heed your advice.

[Tansy_Gold]

82. MP here also, Demeter

We have a shotgun which came in handy when we had the rattler on the back porch, but that's the extent of it.

I don't do guns.

I.
Don't.
Do.
Guns.

I just plain don't.

[DemReadingDU]

96. Doggies

I have my 2 dogs that bank loudly at anything suspicious. Maybe another dog or 2, for extra noise.
:evilgrin:

[Tansy_Gold]

98. I have four already!

It was a very scary and very expensive I.T.Y.S. moment.

The dogs were outside, one of them tied up because she would go over the fence and disappear otherwise, and the BF absolutely refused to leave them all in the house while we were gone, even for the 2 hours or so in the morning when we go to our preferred coffeeshops. I returned home before he did, and all four dogs were barking hysterically, which they rarely do. When I discovered they were barking at the snake, I got them into the house and called the BF, who came home and dispatched the snake. But one of the dogs, streetwise "mom" Mattie, had been bitten on the nose. The emergency vet bill was steep, but she's still with us, still playing "mom" to the other three fools, and still vociferously warning us whenever the safety of the yard is threatened by vicious hordes of marauding bunnies.




The dogs now stay safely inside when we leave.

[AnneD]

99. I have used dogs for years....

In lieu of a weapon. I once had a shepard that was my traveling companion when I was in college. I never worried, she was very protective. I know she saved my live once. I walked on some guys that I suspect were doing a drug deal. She was on the leash but I had never seen her carry on so. In hind sight, I think they might have killed me or done worse because they broke up awfully fast when she carried on so.

In fact I offered to pay the pet deposit for my daughter's dog while she is in college-she has a sweet pit bull mix. I transported it to Ca. several years ago. the dog is a dear and harmless as a fly, unless someone approaches her wrong. And I trust her judgemant!

[happyslug]

58. Duplicate post

No Text (N/T)

[xchrom]

4. good morning -- i hope every one had a good holiday weekend?

:donut:

[Demeter]

24. Good morning, x. I'm barely alive

The party was a great success, everyone says...based on the pain I'm in, it had better have been.

Because we had cold drizzle all day, not everyone showed up (I think) so many went home with care packages, as there was too much turkey left at the end.

At least, it's over. I did some housework, too. And enormous Sunday papers, of course.

It was supposed to freeze last night, but based on the puddles in the street, it didn't get that cold, thank goodness, or it would be a skating rink out there, which is where I'm heading in an hour...

[xchrom]

26. i was wondering how things went.

well -- sorry about the soreness -- that's always a drag.

i'm glad it didn't freeze for you.

take care out there:hi:

[Demeter]

34. Thanks, Same to You!

It should prove an interesting week. I doubt we will get any reliable numbers on Black Friday before January Clearance sales....

[Tansy_Gold]

44. Final pre-Christmas art show Sunday

Mediocre sales all around, though a few artists had big individual item sales. Pretty much as expected: Most reported lower sales, and more sales of low-ticket, low-profit items.

I did okay. Not great but okay, and my low-ticket items are high-profit.

Glorious weather -- like 80 or so yesterday -- probably had many shoppers out on the golf course.

Today I start stocking the etsy site.

As soon as I go out and get some coffee.




(stupid typo)

[xchrom]

48. thanks for letting us know.

sometimes i think really nice weather is as big a deterrent to shopping as bad weather is.

[AnneD]

56. Your things are so pretty.....

I wish you had done better. My older brother makes the bulk of his living in three months (the summer). Thank God he is a good hunter in the event of bad times. He is about as self sufficient as the younger brother. I am self sufficient in other ways but I guess it must be that stubborn Indian gene. :evilgrin:

[Tansy_Gold]

83. Thank you!

I just added two more pieces to my etsy shop.

If I didn't have the day job, I would spend that time on my various crafts and could conceivably be self-sufficient. It's a real catch-22, because I still need the income from the day job and can't quite replace it with income from the crafts. But I'm working on it.

In fact, the day job calls and I'd better get back to it. Ick.

[xchrom]

6. south asia: Sensex rallies 472 points on global cues; regains 16K level

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Sensex-rallies-472-points-on-global-cues-regains-16K-level/articleshow/10905494.cms

MUMBAI: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Monday rallied 472 points to regain the crucial 16,000 mark after a week amid firm global markets and investor hopes of more economic reforms following the government move to allow FDI in multi-brand retail.

The Sensex, which touched two-year low last week under tremendous selling pressure, spurted 471.70 points, or 3.01 per cent to 16,167.13. The gauge had fallen below 16,000 level on November 21.

On similar lines, the broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shot up 141.25 or 3 per cent to 4,851.30 led by blue-chips like Reliance Industries, Infosys, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Consultancy Services.

Brokers said that despite political opposition to the move, government's decision to open up the retail sector to greater FDI inflows, particularly 51 per cent holding in multi-brand retail has raised hopes that more such reforms could follow.

[xchrom]

7. FDI in retail: Global retailers in wait and watch mode

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/FDI-in-retail-Global-retailers-in-wait-and-watch-mode/articleshow/10905924.cms

NEW DELHI: Global retail giants, including IKEA, Walmart and Carrefour, are studying the finer details of India's relaxed FDI norms for the sector as they look to tap opportunities in the country.

In the meantime, while closely watching developments post the changes, these firms are staying focussed on their current operations in India that includes sourcing in case of Ikea, and cash and carry businesses for Walmart and Carrefour.

Welcoming the government's move to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in single brand retail, IKEA said: "We will now over the next few days look into the details of the decision and we expect to present more information shortly about our intention to establish retail operations."

India is since long a strong and growing purchase market for IKEA, the Scandinavian furniture retailer said in an e- mailed statement to PTI.




*** i would have said 'Stalk & Pounce' mode.

[xchrom]

13. Gold, silver surge on seasonal demand, firm global trend

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Gold-silver-surge-on-seasonal-demand-firm-global-trend/articleshow/10904641.cms

NEW DELHI, Both the precious metals, gold and silver kick started the week on a positive note today, on brisk buying by stockists and jewellers for the ongoing marriage season amid a firming global trend.

While gold surged by Rs 240 to Rs 29,180 per 10 grams, silver rose by Rs 700 to Rs 55,900 per kg on pick-up in demand from jewellers and industrial units.

The trading sentiment turned bullish on heavy buying by retail customers for the ongoing marriage season and stockists creating fresh positions to meet the demand from jewellers.

The firming trend was further supported, as gold gained in Asia on report that the International Monetary Fund preparing a loan for Italy strengthened the euro against the dollar.

[xchrom]

9. europe: International Monetary Fund denies Italy loan talks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15915629

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has denied it is in talks with Italy about a new bailout loan.

It follows reports in Italy's La Stampa newspaper over the weekend that the IMF was preparing a 600bn euro ($794bn; £515bn) loan.

Despite the news, European markets opened up strongly on hopes that Italy may be thrown a lifeline.

However, ratings agency Moody's has warned that the crisis threatens the credit rating of all eurozone members.

[xchrom]

10. China eyes UK infrastructure investment to boost growth

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15914102

China Investment Corporation (CIC), is keen to invest in infrastructure development in the UK and other developed countries.

Lou Jiwei, the head of CIC, wrote in the Financial Times that the fund was looking to participate in public-private-partnerships in the UK.

The British government has been seeking to upgrade infrastructure in a bid to boost growth.

CIC is China's main sovereign wealth fund.

[xchrom]

11. UK economy forecast cut by BCC for fourth time

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15915104

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has cut its forecast for UK economic growth for the fourth time this year.

It is now forecasting growth of 0.9% this year and 0.8% in 2012, and said growth will be "very weak" for the next two to three quarters.

Only two months ago, the business lobby group had expected growth as high as 1.1% for 2011 and 2.1% next year.

The BCC blamed the slowdown in part on the government's austerity measures, as well as the crisis in the eurozone.

[xchrom]

12. Germany heading for isolation over European Central Bank euro rescue role

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/-Germany-heading-for-isolation-over-European-Central-Bank-euro-rescue-role/articleshow/10899009.cms

BRUSSELS: Germany faces mounting pressure to let the European Central Bank (ECB) save the euro, as France fretted on reports of IMF contingency bailout planning for a re-modelled Italy.

With bond market vultures circling even gold-plated economies and Italy's La Stampa daily citing IMF officials on a rescue plan worth up to 600 billion euros, another of Germany's closest allies broke ranks, leaving Berlin isolated.

Amid predictions that the common currency faces its death throes within weeks failing radical intervention, Austria joined Finland in backing ECB action to stem the financial market contagion threatening Italy, Spain and even France.

The pressure has intensified since Germany itself struggled to raise public finance on commercial money markets last week.

[xchrom]

14. The crash that has rocked Lithuania

http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/1216071-crash-has-rocked-lithuania

“Gamblers or victims?” wonders the front-page of Vieidas, commenting on the two principle shareholders of Snoras, Lithuanian Raimondas Baranauskas and Russian Vladimir Antonov, the millionaire owner of Portsmouth FC in the UK. Both men were arrested in London on 24 November, following the issuing of an arrest warrant by Lithuanian authorities investigating the collapse of Snoras, which was the country’s fifth largest bank.

The pair, who are suspected of siphoning off 3.4 billion litai (close to a billion euros) from the bank and 100 million lats (close to 144 million euros) from its subsidiary Latvijas Krajbanka, Latvia’s sixth largest bank, could face ten years in prison. Snoras, which was nationalised – a first in the history of post-Soviet Lithuania, points out Vieidas – on 16 November following the discovery of huge discrepancies in its books, has now filed for bankruptcy.

The magazine reports that the procedure is contested by representatives of customers of the bank, who claim that it is “neither transparent, or fair, or rational.” Latvia has also opened an inquiry into Krajbanka and suspended its license to operate in the run-up to a probable liquidation. Both announcements prompted panic among Snoras and Krajbanka customers who have rushed to branches to withdraw their savings.

[Demeter]

25. If other nations can arrest banksters

why can't Eric Holder?

[xchrom]

27. it's a wonder, isn't it? nt

[Turbineguy]

29. Because in the US

the Bankers went to the extra step of first making theft legal.

[Demeter]

35. It's STILL not legal--they just bought up the courts and the regulators

[Hotler]

47. Because the financial crisis of 2008 was....

the crime of the century and if the American people new the truth all hell would break loose. Even the Teabaggers would get pissed off. The corruption and fraud runs far and deep. From the top offices on Wall St. to the highest offices in our government. Either everybody is getting a piece of the action (cash) or the PTB have a way to dirty-up or find dirty on anyone (scandal) or, the PTB are past payola and scandal and have moved right to telling people that they will have them and/or their families killed.

[xchrom]

15. Retailers facing gloomy Christmas

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/retailers-facing-gloomy-christmas-6269062.html

The outlook for retailers in the run up to Christmas is looking increasingly gloomy as a key survey today revealed the sector cut jobs at the fastest rate in two years amid falling sales.

Employment in the retail sector, which makes up 11% of the UK economy, fell at the fastest rate since November 2009 as more businesses surveyed by the CBI said they had reduced staff levels than those who had bumped up numbers.

The job cuts came as high street sales volumes fell for the sixth month in a row at the fastest rate in 20 months, the CBI said, with the decline driven by grocers, department stores and clothing retailers.

[AnneD]

61. So...

"You Won't Be Served"!

[xchrom]

30. Pensioner expats continue to leave the UK and more claim the Winter Fuel Payment

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_32833.shtml

More ex pats are claiming the Winter Fuel Payment benefit from the U.K.
The number of claimants is up 52% over the past five years and now stands at about 73,000. The estimated cost to the UK Government is 15.6 million pounds.

About half of those to claim, nearly 34,000 are living in Spain, followed by 17,815 in France, 6,819 in Ireland and 5,300 on Cyprus. The rest to claim live in Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Malta, leading some member of the UK public to consider such claims as fraudulent as they believe at least the winter temperatures in the Mediterranean don’t justify it. The tax free one off payment can amount to 300 pounds each winter.

Those claiming have to be born before 1951 but the first claim must have been made back in the UK. The website www.direct.gov.uk warned that you can’t get a payment once you have moved to another EU country or Switzerland and didn’t qualify before you moved.

A UK Taxpayers Alliance spokesperson, Emma Boon, said the increased number of claims from Europe was ‘shocking’ and ‘yet more evidence we need to reform the welfare system, so that money goes to those who really need it, not to well off expats living on the Costa del Sol’.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_32833.shtml#ixzz1f0bWdbK5

[AnneD]

45. Look for this as a new way ....

for people here in the US being kicked off the SS system. Just like they kick teachers out of the SS system with the OWL and WEN acts. If you have a certain type of pension, you can't even get survivor's benefits under SS.

[xchrom]

31. Regions to shore up finances with drastic 2012 budget cuts

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Regions/to/shore/up/finances/with/drastic/2012/budget/cuts/elpepueng/20111128elpeng_1/Ten

Faced with growing pressure from Madrid to reduce their deficits, regional governments are planning significant cutbacks in public works investment for 2012. Twelve out of the 17 semi-autonomous regions that make up Spain have drafted or finalized their budgets, and these show an average 14-percent cut in public money for infrastructure, or 1.7 billion euros less than this year.

The decision represents a new setback for one of the main engines of job creation in a country with nearly 21 percent of its workforce sitting idle. But the central government wants to ensure that the country meets the overall deficit target set by the EU of three percent of GDP by 2013.

Few regional governments have dared to make cuts in social spending, and even fewer to raise taxes, with the exceptions so far of Andalusia and Aragon. Other parts of the country like Catalonia are experimenting with alternative formulas such as higher rates for water consumption and public transportation, steeper college fees, and a co-payment model for prescriptions obtained through the public health system.

[xchrom]

32. Plan to tap pension cash to help ailing economy

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/uk-britain-economy-idUKTRE7AQ0DM20111128

(Reuters) - The government unveiled plans on Monday to tap pension funds for the lion's share of an investment of up to 30 billion pounds in big building projects to help to revitalise a stagnant economy forecast to slip back into recession next year.

The measures are the latest in a drip feed of government announcements ahead of Chancellor George Osborne's autumn statement on Tuesday when growth forecasts will be cut as the euro zone crisis bites.

The OECD forecast on Monday that Britain would suffer a modest recession next year, urging the Bank of England to expand its asset purchase programme designed at shoring up a faltering economy.

Adding to the gloom, retail sales fell at their fastest pace in 2-1/2 years in November, a survey by business lobby the CBI showed.

[xchrom]

17. asia: Predictions of an economic collapse in China are in vogue

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-bears-20111128,0,7099607.story

Reporting from Beijing—
Not long ago, those who predicted that China's economy was headed for a fall were in a lonely place.

U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini, widely praised for calling the U.S. housing meltdown, was dismissed as a serial contrarian when it came to his pessimistic China views. So was well-known hedge fund manager Jim Chanos. Lawyer and author Gordon Chang was derided as a Chicken Little for his 2006 book "The Coming Collapse of China."

Suddenly they're all Nostradamus.

Backed by data showing a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy, doomsayers have taken center stage. Unbridled optimism has given way to fears over widening cracks in the Chinese economic miracle.

[xchrom]

18. Chinese factories hit by strikes amid manufacturing slowdown

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/11/chinese-factories-hit-by-strikes-amid-manufacturing-slowdown.html

Already facing a sharp slowdown, factories in China’s manufacturing heartland are now experiencing a rash of labor strikes reminiscent of the worker unrest that swept the country last year.

Thousands of workers at a massive shoe factory in the southern city of Dongguan marched to a local government office and clashed with police last week to protest the loss of overtime.

The strike at the plant owned by the Taiwanese Pou Chen Group came shortly after 18 managers were laid-off because of declining orders, according to the Economic Observer, a Chinese newspaper.

Earlier in the week, 1,000 workers walked out of a plant in nearby Shenzhen that manufactured computer keyboards for leading brands such as Apple and IBM. Employees said they were being forced to work excessive hours on weekdays so that owners didn’t have to pay overtime on Saturdays, as required by law. The company acquiesced after three days.

[Hotler]

49. Uppity Chinese workers.

shut up, get back to work and be thankful you have a fucking job. We go out of our way to give them our jobs and they have the gall to turn around and bitch. :evilgrin:

[Demeter]

52. Proving once again that Workers are Fast Learners

and Management is dreaming if they think they can stop it.

It wasn't called Communist China just for insult, you know. The Chinese studied Marx and Lenin and all that. Stupid Capitalists.

[xchrom]

39. Nikkei climbs on US holiday sales, Italy aid hopes

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/28/markets-japan-stocks-idUKL4E7MS18O20111128

TOKYO, Nov 28 - The Nikkei stock average on Monday rebounded from a 2-1/2 year low hit last week as strong U.S. retail sales over the Thanksgiving weekend and a report that the IMF was considering support for Italy sparked short-covering.

Market players bought back battered shares such as Nomura Securities, shippers and steelmakers, though many participants noted it was premature to count on clear progress in measures to resolve Europe's debt crisis.

"Talk of support for Italy and reports of strong U.S. holiday sales were supporting the market. But we're by no means in a situation where we can become very positive about a recovery in share prices," said Kazuhiro Takahashi, general manager at Daiwa Securities.

The Nikkei rose 1.6 percent to 8,287.49, moving away from a 2-1/2 year low hit last week and marking its first gain in six sessions. The broader Topix index gained 1.3 percent to 715.70.

[CoffeeCat]

80. Are people stupid?

So this is global stupidity?

I always thought that the markets moved on reality-based information.

Seriously--the world is booming because Black Friday sales improved over recent years in which
sales were in the toilet?

Never mind that Europe is cratering, unemployment in the US is worsening and consumer confidence
is down--just focus on improved sales from ONE DAY.

Furthermore, the reason for improved sales could be that desperate people are looking for rock-bottom
deals because that is all they can afford.

I'm seriously wondering today--if the entire world has gone mad.

[Ghost Dog]

86. Markets haven't been very reality-based for quite some time now,

as DU SMW regulars will be well aware. As I think you know, Coffeecat.

Hell, they're not even all that psychology-based these days, either. More like the other way round - for now.

[xchrom]

22. Zynga’s Tough Culture Risks a Talent Drain

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/zyngas-tough-culture-risks-a-talent-drain/

Zynga’s chief executive, Mark Pincus, got an earful from employees last month.

In dozens of e-mails to a companywide list, frustrated workers complained about the long hours and stressful deadline periods. The quarterly staff survey solicited 1,600 responses, with plenty of criticism, including one person who said he planned to cash out and leave after the initial public offering.

Mr. Pincus took note, going through the comments and highlighting select excerpts. At a Zynga meeting several days later, he read some of the most acerbic words. Mr. Pincus said he was aware of the problems, but needed the staff’s guidance to fix them.

Few Internet start-ups have grown as swiftly as Zynga, creator of a sprawling network of virtual farms, cities and poker tables that is preparing to go public in one of the most highly anticipated offerings this year.

[xchrom]

23. Two Wall Street Titans, and a Seven-Year Tiff

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/business/william-ackman-carl-icahn-and-the-seven-year-tiff.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=azam%20ahmed&st=cse

In one corner is Carl C. Icahn, the corporate raider who made C.E.O.’s tremble back in the 1980s and, at 75, is still chasing deals.

In the other is William A. Ackman, 45, one of Mr. Icahn’s figurative heirs and a leading practitioner of the bruising, Icahnesque craft politely known as activist investing.

These ultrarich men battled for seven years in multiple courts, over a relatively paltry $4.5 million. That might be real money to mere mortals, but to these two, it’s barely a rounding error.

So why bother? This battle, it turns out, was more about big egos than big money — and it has left both men spitting expletives. The scrape finally ended this month, with Mr. Ackman victorious. But, before it was over, the affair occupied a Who’s Who of powerful lawyers and ran up millions of dollars in legal fees, all because of an otherwise forgettable deal the pair cut back in 2004.

[Turbineguy]

28. Republicans Try to Starve Wall Street Watchdog: William D. Cohan

Just when it didn’t seem possible for the public’s opinion of Congress to get any lower, a bunch of Republican representatives figured out how to push it further down.

No, I am not referring to the unsurprising news that the congressional “supercommittee” utterly failed in its mission to put the country’s fiscal house back in some semblance of order.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-27/republicans-try-to-starve-wall-street-watchdog-william-d-cohan.html

What ever republicans can do to fuck ordinary Americans, they will.

[Demeter]

33. Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks Undisclosed $13B

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/secret-fed-loans-undisclosed-to-congress-gave-banks-13-billion-in-income.html

The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret...The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed’s below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its January issue.

Saved by the bailout, bankers lobbied against government regulations, a job made easier by the Fed, which never disclosed the details of the rescue to lawmakers even as Congress doled out more money and debated new rules aimed at preventing the next collapse.

A fresh narrative of the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009 emerges from 29,000 pages of Fed documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and central bank records of more than 21,000 transactions. While Fed officials say that almost all of the loans were repaid and there have been no losses, details suggest taxpayers paid a price beyond dollars as the secret funding helped preserve a broken status quo and enabled the biggest banks to grow even bigger.

‘Change Their Votes’

“When you see the dollars the banks got, it’s hard to make the case these were successful institutions,” says Sherrod Brown, a Democratic Senator from Ohio who in 2010 introduced an unsuccessful bill to limit bank size. “This is an issue that can unite the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street. There are lawmakers in both parties who would change their votes now.”

NEAT INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC AT LINK SHOWS WHO GOT HOW MUCH

[Demeter]

37. Deutsche Bank Could Transfer Financial Contagion

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-21/johnson-deutsche-bank-could-transfer-contagion.html#

You’ve probably never heard of Taunus Corp., but according to the Federal Reserve, it’s the U.S.’s eighth-largest bank holding company. Taunus, it turns out, is the North American subsidiary of Germany’s Deutsche Bank AG (DBK), with assets of just over $380 billion.

Deutsche Bank holds a large amount of European government and bank debt; it also has considerable exposure to lingering real estate problems in the U.S. The bank, therefore, could become a conduit for risk between the two economies. But which way is Deutsche Bank more likely to transmit danger -- to or from the U.S.?

By any measure, Deutsche Bank is a giant. Its assets at the end of September totaled 2.28 trillion euros (according to the bank’s own website), or $3.08 trillion. In the latest ranking from The Banker, which uses 2010 data, Deutsche was the second- largest bank in the world by assets, behind only BNP Paribas SA. The German bank, however, is thinly capitalized. Its total equity at the end of the third quarter was only 51.9 billion euros, implying a leverage ratio (total assets divided by equity) of almost 44. This is up from the second quarter, when leverage was about 36 (assets were 1.849 trillion euros and capital was 51.678 euros.) Even by modern standards, this is very high leverage. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a balance sheet about 20 percent smaller than Deutsche Bank’s, but more than twice as much Tier 1 capital, an important indicator of a bank’s financial strength. Bank of America Corp., whose weakness is a serious worry in the U.S. today, has twice Deutsche’s capital. (These comparisons use The Banker’s ranking of the top 25 banks.)

MORE LOOPHOLES AT LINK

[Hotler]

54. FUCKERS! n/t

[Demeter]

53. I Guess 11,500 Is the New 12,000

which for a while was the new 12,500...

So, we lose 500 points every other month or so? At that rate, hyperinflation will catch up with deflation...

[Demeter]

57. Fascinating History of How Corporations Became "People" -- Thanks to Corrupt Courts Working for 1%

http://www.alternet.org/economy/153201/the_fascinating_history_of_how_corporations_became_%22people%22_--_thanks_to_corrupt_courts_working_for_the_1/?page=entire

[Demeter]

59. Looking Beyond Election Day by: Robert Reich

http://www.truth-out.org/thanksgiving-lets-look-beyond-election-day/1322320567

[Demeter]

60. The November 30 Strike: Will Britain Shutdown?

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/256042/20111125/november-30-strike-britain-shutdown.htm

On Wednesday, November 30, millions of public sector workers across Britain will walk out of their jobs on what's billed as a "Day of Action".

Triggered by stagnant negotiations over pension reforms, with a backdrop of public sector cuts, unions say they are forced into taking industrial action, to make the government listen to their pleas.

The government says it's irresponsible to strike while negotiations are ongoing.

Some are saying the strikes will damage the British economy at a time when it is most vulnerable, and that Britain will be thrown into chaos.

How much of a disruption will these strikes really be?

[Demeter]

62. The Obama Spending Non-Surge Paul Krugman

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/the-obama-spending-non-surge/?mid=53

...what I’m seeing in comments and reactions, once again, is the claim that Obama has presided over a vast expansion of government — a claim backed not by describing any specific programs, but by pointing to the share of federal spending in GDP. Indeed, federal spending rose from 19.6% of GDP in 2007 to 23.8% in 2010 (it was briefly 25 in 2009, but that was a number distorted by the financial bailouts). So there has been a roughly 4 points of GDP rise in the spending share. What’s that about?

Well, part of the answer is that the ratio is up because the denominator is down. According to CBO estimates, in fiscal 2010 the economy operated about 7 percent below potential. This means that even if what the government was doing hadn’t changed, the federal spending share of GDP would have risen by 1.4 percentage points.

Then, look inside the budget data (pdf), specifically at Table E-10. You’ll see a surge in spending on “income security”; that’s basically unemployment insurance, food stamps, and similar items. In other words, spending on safety-net programs is up because the economy is depressed, and more people are falling into the safety net.

You’ll also see a sharp rise in Medicaid; again, this is because the lousy economy has pushed more people into hardship, making them eligible for the program...

MORE AND GRAPH AT LINK

[Demeter]

63. Jean Pisani-Ferry: Eurozone is on the way to fiscal union (HE WISHES)

Europe’s leaders may still harbour secret hopes that the European Central Bank will come to their rescue, but at least they seem to have understood that the surest way to make that happen is to deliver on what they have responsibility for, starting with budgets. Fiscal union is now officially on the European agenda.

For some, this is all about strengthening sanctions for budgetary slippages through more automatic decision procedures and granting the power to veto national budgets to a European body. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor has spoken along these lines recently and Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, is on a similar page. However, this plan alone is not likely to deliver much more than another layer of half-effective measures.

Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/EB8122/ZGZTFS/3CWTA/7A7OBF/VLCH9F/28/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=28

[Ghost Dog]

87. It's certainly on the (slow-moving) agenda, Demeter. n/t

[Demeter]

92. It Will NEVER Happen

and if they do it on paper, it will be undone in blood. A union at the point of a gun is not a union.

[Demeter]

64. Investment bankers move in on Iraq

Even as the US prepares to pull out its last troops from Iraq, well-heeled investment bankers are starting to descend on Baghdad, hoping to capitalise on the strife-torn country’s tentative efforts to rebuild its physical and financial infrastructure


Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/S4XZQQ/XH231P/WH2F8/0806QT/XH2HK2/7V/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=27

HASN'T IRAQ SUFFERED ENOUGH? I'M SURE THEY'D RATHER HAVE ARAB BANKERS

[Demeter]

65. Greece’s statistics chief faces criminal probe

The head of Elstat, Greece’s new independent statistics agency, faces an official criminal investigation for allegedly inflating the scale of the country’s fiscal crisis and acting against the Greek national interest!

Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/73UJGG/VLCFYV/SUO9T/WTGHD3/II3IGG/SN/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=27

[Demeter]

67. Europe’s banks feel funding freeze

The funding hole for European banks is deepening following a sharp fall in bond issuance this year as market turmoil leads to a region-wide credit crunch

Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/0QSDPP/VLCFED/YGZ3O/C4XAOC/QNGN2X/1G/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=27

[Demeter]

68. China eyes western infrastructure

China Investment Corporation, the country’s main sovereign wealth fund, plans to invest in the dilapidated infrastructure of developed countries, starting with the UK, according to Lou Jiwei, the fund’s chairman

Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/S4XZQQ/B5QV14/DXJ2Y/974MU0/U1017N/T3/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=27

[Demeter]

69. OECD warns of eurozone contagion risk

European leaders need to provide “credible and large enough firepower” to halt the sell-off in the eurozone sovereign debt market or they will risk a severe recession, according to the chief economist of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The warning came as the organisation slashed its half-yearly forecasts for growth within the world’s richest countries, and said activity in Europe would grind to a near-halt.

Read more >>
http://link.ft.com/r/BLH300/VLCP2S/ULCJB/ORNEKC/C49XTT/UP/t?a1=2011&a2=11&a3=28

[Demeter]

75. Members Of Congress Grow Wealthier Despite Recession By Luke Johnson (IMAGINE THAT!)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/congress-net-wealth-income-gap_n_1069377.html

Despite the economic recession and declining household wealth, the net wealth of members of Congress continues to rise, according to a Roll Call analysis of financial disclosure forms.

Members of the House and Senate have a collective net worth of $2.04 billion, up from $1.65 billion in 2008. The vast majority of the increase goes to the wealthiest members of Congress, who also account for most of Congress' net worth.

Members' net wealth may be much higher, however, since Roll Call only used the minimum valuation of assets in the range required by disclosure forms, and disclosure forms do not include non-income-producing assets, such as a personal residence...

[Demeter]

76. Raw Materials Topping Equities With Economic Expansion Intact

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-27/raw-materials-topping-equities-with-economic-expansion-intact-commodities.html

Commodities are beating equities for a fifth consecutive year, a sign that demand from developing economies is sustaining global growth that drove prices up almost fourfold in a decade...

[Demeter]

78. MF Global customers taking case to Washington

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mf-global-customers-taking-case-to-washington-2011-11-25

MF Global Holdings Ltd. customers are preparing to bring their grievances over the firm's failure to Washington. "There wasn't anybody who was advocating for customers," said John Roe, a principal with BTR Trading Group, who has started a group called the Commodity Customer Coalition. The group, which represents customers who hold more than 7,000 MF Global accounts, is revving up a lobbying effort as Congress prepares to grill regulators on the MF Global bankruptcy and a shortfall of customer funds that could total $1.2 billion, twice what was originally thought. It also could turn to the courts as part of its effort to get customer funds back.

Roe, who trades for clients and on his own account, said he has over $10 million of his own money and his clients' money still stuck in MF Global. One complaint Roe has is with how the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is handling the fund recovery process. He said the agency shouldn't have turned to the Securities Investor Protection Corporation trustee because SIPC is designed to protect securities customers...SIPC provides insurance to securities customers in the event of a broker-dealer failure where there is a shortfall in customer funds, but there is no equivalent for the futures industry. Donald Horwitz, an attorney with compliance and regulatory consultancy Oyster Consulting LLC, said maybe the futures industry needs a similar entity...Horwitz said that the futures industry has argued against insurance because futures firms have always properly managed customer money. But in light of MF Global, he says that now seems to be a false premise. An insurance fund is certainly part of the discussion about what should be done in the wake of MF Global, said Dan Driscoll, chief operating officer of the National Futures Association, a self-regulatory body for the industry. "One of the arguments against having an insurance program is that just to administer it costs money and ultimately those costs get passed on to customers," Driscoll said...


CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler and SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro are scheduled to testify before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Dec. 1. A House Financial Services subcommittee will hold another hearing on MF Global, to which they have invited regulators as well as former MF Global chief executive Jon Corzine, on Dec. 15...Roe said he is appealing to lawmakers to add his group to the list of speakers for the Dec. 15 hearing.

[Hotler]

81. Where have the MF Global customers been the last....

three years when the rest of America was feeling the pain caused by the banksters? Oh I get it. It's the old "until it happens to me" excuse I'm not speaking out and stand up for others. So now that it is happening to them there are going to go cry bagging to Washington. Listen up fuckers. The line to Washington forms behind the Occupy Wall St. crowd.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

84. How much different than a slot machine?

Discuss...please.

[hamerfan]

85. Better odds,

with the slot machine.
Now can I have my pony?

[Ghost Dog]

88. I used to say it was easier to bet accurately on financial markets

than on the horses (after studying lots of 'form') or the dogs. No longer.

It does depend to a degree on exactly what 'form' you take into account, though.

[bread_and_roses]

89. are you a TB fan, GD?

I am - always happy to connect with fellows

[Ghost Dog]

90. Um... hang on

(did some quick research). TB. You mean

tuberculosis - no.
tony bliar - never.
Ah: This? - http://truebloodwiki.wetpaint.com/ - dunno, don't watch TV, sorry. Looks cool, though :) Can it be as cynically realist as I?

I'm a fan of this - http://www.rtve.es/radio/radio3/ and this - http://www.rtve.es/radio/radioclasica/ , mostly, recently (Spanish public internet music radio - check them out).

[Hotler]

93. I'm guessing TB as in....

Thoroughbred horses.

[Ghost Dog]

95. Ah. Good observation.

I've never gambled anywhere other than in financial markets (though I've observed those who do) and in daily life of course (driving, crossing the street, just dealing with people...)

And I admire and can love all animals. They tend to approach me. There are some excellent donkeys (who never seem to be put to do any work, these days - not yet at least) around here...

:hi:

[Demeter]

91. I Think that Little Last "Goose" of the DOW at the last minute is cute

but they really ought to find the slackers who rig this market and throw them in jail.

Oh, hi, Dr. Bernanke! Mr. Geithner. Mr. Blankfein. We were just talking about you!

[Ghost Dog]

94. "Cute", she says. Loaded term.

:)

I prefer the stoxx50 wiggles, dip and then 'goose' at the end...

Same riggers rigging it all, for sure.

[lonestarnot]

97. +10