Year: 2007

Countrywide CEO May Be Involved in Insider Trading

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What, the CEO of Countrywidemay have dumped his stock when he got advance notice in violation of insider trading law???

Don’t make me quote Claude Rains in Casasblanca.

Here is the CEO in an industry that has largely depended on a pump and dump mantality, and has increasingly relied on the ignorance of its customers for its business, and we are supposed to be Suprised when it turns out that there are indications that perhaps the senior management did not scrupulously follow the rules????

Well, knock me over with a sledge hammer.

The Autism Echo Chamber: Birthday Party Edition

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We had a belated* birthday party for Charlie today. Since Charlie has Aspergers, a relatively mild condition on the Autism spectrum, he goes to a special school, and so two of his classmates, who are also on the spectrum, showed up, Gabriel and Calvin, as did our neighbor’s kid (almost a member of the family) Jonathan, who is also on the spectrum.

It didn’t help that Calvin also appeared to be ED, so not only was he acting out in ways that tended to set off kids on the spectrum, he was setting off everyone there, including the parents.

Charlie melted down twice, and Jonathan almost melted once once, as did Debbie (Jonathan’s mom) and my wife. I was fortunately largely separated from this, because I was working on the cake and icing.

*When you were born the day before Rosh Hashanah, scheduling a birthday party becomes a rather difficult thing.

Pay Per View Review

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Well, it was movie night again, and this time, it was my choice (it rotates), obviously, I have to choose appropriate to an 8 year old and a 10 year old. I chose The Last Mimzy.

Chris O’Neil: Noah Wilder
Rhiannon Leigh Wryn: Emma Wilder
Joely Richardson: Jo Wilder
Timothy Hutton: David Wilder
Rainn Wilson: Larry White
Kathryn Hahn: Naomi Schwartz
Michael Clarke Duncan: Nathanial Broadman

First a spoiler warning, not about my plot synopsis, but about the first scene of the movie. It portends everything that is going to happen, and could have been left out, adding more dramatic tension to the film.

The film is based on the 1940s classic SF short story, written by husband and wife Henry Kutter and C.L. Moore, Mimsy Were the Borogoves.

The roles of the children, Noah and Emma, are clearly front and center, are well acted, and the adult roles are minor, even as potential nemisis.

Joely Richardson is a bit wooden, and Timothy Hutton is a bit underused (This may be influenced by my seeing his magnificent Archie Goodwin in the A&E Nero Wolfe series) as parents.

Rainn Wilson and Kathryn Hahn (who is probably best known for her role on Crossing Jordan) do rather well as the new-age science teacher and his live-in girlfriend as slightly kooky, if very earnest, comic relief.

It is a science fiction time travel story, which weaves in current events (Department of Homeland Security, Intel, etc.)

It was a decent movie, my son was dead set against it, but agreed afterwards that it was good. It’s a pity that the first 30 seconds of the film make it far less interesting than it would have been.

Additionally, there are some unrealistic bits (Homeland Security is remarkably nice and accommodating) that are clearly there because it was sold as a kids picture.






For My Readers Who Use Comcast

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Highly recommended. This guy is the one on NPR. Comcast must DIE! dot com

Actually, I have no deathwish for Comcast or any other gigantic, blundering, greedy, arrogant corporate monstrosity, What I do have is the earnest desire for such companies to change their ways. This site offers an opportunity — for you to vent your grievances (civilly, please) and for Comcast to pay close attention.

I advise you to include your customer number in your post; this will give Comcast the chance to contact you and work on your problem. If it does so, I encourage you to post an update, giving credit where credit is due. Meantime, be aware you may be the target of online fishers trying to get personal information from you. DO NOT REPLY TO EMAILS CLAIMING TO BE FROM COMCAST. Deal with them only by phone.

Congratulations. You are no longer just an angry, mistreated customer. Nor, I hope, are you just part of an e-mob. But you are a revolutionary, wresting control from the oligarchs, and claiming it for the consumer. Your power is enormous. Use it wisely.

— Bob Garfield

FCC Chair Proposes Being Big Media’s Bitch

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The FCC is proposing changes to media ownership rules. Among other things, it proposes waiving the cross-ownership restrictions.

All you need to know is that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing to implement this in 30 days, in order to facilitate the sale of Tribune Company to real estate magnate Sam Zell.

You know the drill, http://www.fcc.gov/, and tell them that their idea sucks wet farts from dead pigeons (be more polite than I am).

What Happens When Authorities Use Criminal Methods

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It appears that researchers at Canegie Mellon are working on schemes to disrupt WaReZ, virus, and hacking markets.

One tactic involves bad mouthing buyers or sellers in order to eliminate their verified status, discouraging others from engaging in trades with them. The other attacks the effectiveness of the markets themselves by undermining the cybercrooks’ verification or reputation system, creating a deceptive sales environment.

One technique developed by the team involves establishing fake verified-status identities that are difficult to distinguish from other-verified status sellers, making it hard for buyers to identify “honest” verified-status sellers from “dishonest” verified-status sellers.

“Just like you need to verify that individuals are honest on eBay, online criminals need to verify that they are dealing with ‘honest’ criminals,” explained Jason Franklin, a PhD student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon.

Ummmm….You want to develop this stuff, and you don’t expect it to fall into the hands of the black hats?

You know, the guys who have compromised a few million network computers that could be used for password cracks to infiltrate a place like eBay?

This is a one-D-ten-T problem (spell it out with the numbers).

A Good Analysis of the Collapse of the “Anglo-Saxon Model of Capitalism”

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Martin Wolf has a fascinating essay on how the “mixture of crony capitalism and gross incompetence” in the Anglo-Saxon Model of capitalism (Basically the sort of high finance practiced in the US and the UK, is headed for a fall.

His points:

  • The whole cronyism, corruption, and incompetence thing.
  • That the current model of securitized lending is may not be valid. The models and instruments are incomprehensible, even to the experts.
  • The failure of the central banks to provide meaningful regulation.
  • The spectacle of Hank Paulson, US Treasury secretary, trying to organise a cartel of holders of toxic securitised assets in the “superSIV”, when 15 years ago, all it handed out to Japan was lectures on letting asset prices find their level.
  • That the US consumer is increasingly no longer considered a investing safe haven.
  • That the US consumer is finally tapped out.

I agree with him that these presage long term changes in the financial markets:

Experience teaches that big financial shocks affect patterns of lending and spending across the world. Originating, as it does, at the core of the world economy, this one will do so, too. The question is how stable and dynamic the world economy that emerges will be.

Go to his article to see the graphs.

Wynn Campaign Accuses Donna Edwars of Taking “Jew Money”

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Washington posts notes Al Wynn has raised more money than Donna Edwards, though the difference is almost entirely PAC money.

Ever a class act, the Wynn campaign has decided to play that lovely bigotry card, and strongly implied that Edwards is taking “Jew Money”

The vast majority of our money comes from individuals in our district, in Maryland,’ said Wynn campaign manager Lori Sherwood. She said Edwards’ money seemed to come from ‘individuals and organizations she’s been affiliated with’ as executive director of the Arca Foundation. ‘Our opponent has special interest. She’s receiving money from Barbara Streisand, Hollywood money and New York money. I’m not sure if Barbara Streisand knows what the policies are in the 4th district.'”

(emphasis mine)
Go the link for my Act Blue page, and show Ms. Edwards that you do not approve of this.

Dodd to Filibuster

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Well, it looks like Reid will ignore Dodd’s hold, so the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut is promising an honest to God filibuster if Reid ignores the hold.

Go to the Act Blue box on the right hand side of the blog, and show him some love.

Note that the Act Blue Box is not an endorsement, just a note that I’m inclined towards them, hence multiple candidates for the same office are listes.

BTW, here is the Doddster on video talking about the filibuster:

20 Years Ago Today, Black Monday, and We Have Learned Nothing

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Some background for those too young to remember: On October 19, 1987, the Dow collapsed, losing 22.6 %, and the S&P 500 fell by 20.4 percent. This was the largest single day loss in the history of Wall Street.

I recall turning on the news 10 minutes late, and seeing that the 2nd story of the day was that we had “shelled an Iranian oil platform”. I was surprised, and I wondered what on earth happened to bump a story like that off the lead*. As I found out later, that story about the naval engagement was even bigger than I had thought. It was not just shelling an oil platform, it was the largest surface engagement since the end of World War II, with half the Iranian navy being sunk.

Nouriel Roubini has an article in Foreign Policy, Have We Learned the Lessons of Black Monday?, which asks that question.

His answer, and mine, are both an emphatic “No”, though for different reasons.

Dr. Roubini looks at the market fundamentals, and draws some disturbing similarities with 1987, while I look at the increasing pace of deregulation of securities markets since the Carter administration, and draw parallels with 1929.

Non only have we not learned lessons, but we have unlearned lessons, because too many people make too much money as a result of this stupidity.

*Yes, the good old days, when They Who Must Not Be Named would never be given the lead story on the evening news.

Sometimes, Occasionally, VERY Occassionally, Andrew Sullivan is Right

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This time writing about Larry Craig’s self delusion.

Craig was seeking in that toilet stall a connection, a shard of intimacy, that the world would not give him, or that he could not give himself. No one should have to live without that intimacy and dignity – no one. Living a life like that – a deeply lonely, compromised, painful interior existence – is a very sophisticated form of hell. No human can keep it up for ever. No human should have to keep it up for ever.

Larry Craig is not in the closet, he is the closet.

What Ezra Said McCain Healthcare Edition

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Ezra Klein, once more showing that he writes better than I ever will. comments on McCain’s healthcare proposal

It’s another of these plans to sprinkle magical tax credits all across the land that will incentivize folks to buy less health insurance, but do absolutely nothing for the cost of care. Families get a $5,000 tax credit to help them buy insurance, and they can keep what they don’t use, and so the hope is, they’ll buy plans with higher deductibles, be unable to afford the deductibles, and will thus buy less care. It’s like if I tried to make food cheaper by encouraging you to diet.

I love that line on dieting, and it cuts every Republican healthcare plan to the quick.

Sweden to renew Gripens as Thailand selects Swedish fighter-17/10/2007-Washington DC-Flightglobal.com

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SAAB just scored a major export coup, Thailand has selected Sweden the Gripen fighter and the Erieye airborne early warning aircraft in a $1.1 billion dollar contract.

Considering that Thailand already operates the F-16, it’s rather a surprise, though there may have been US export issues related to the recent Thai coup.

Particularly in light of the upgrades planned, the Gripen, the smallest, lightest, and cheapest of the 4.5 generation fighters (also Typhoon and Rafale) may be the Mirage III of the next decade.