nc211

Sounds like somebody keeps up with MotorWeek. "Hello, I'm John Davis...like my yellow shirt and beige jacket? I've been wearing it for nearly 10 years now!" I agree with SW on the support aspect of this technology. The "product" is there, but the support infrastructure hasn't caught up...yet.

I must admit, as one of the few "W" fans left willing to admit it. I find it kind of funny that a guy, from Texas, who is the Gov. of Texas, who looks like the guy who played "W" in the movie, is running for President. How funny would the irony be if he were elected? I admit, I kind of like his button-downed approach certain things. I see him as someone who might clean up the airwaves a bit. With a 3 year old in my life, I really notice how rude and crude public TV and radio has become. I miss the days of Tool Time, Cosby Show, etc.. Not that Two and a Half Men isn't funny, but I don't think I want my son knowing what Charlie's mom shaved.. I know, I know....parent's responsibility... yeah yeah yeah.

What's up with the game of 20 questions, Steve? You writing something on the side?

Like anyone who actually bought one in this country is really going to drive that thing. Thing sits so low, you'd probably hit the airbag sensor in the front by just pulling out of the driveway! i'll have to keep my on Top Gear for a test of this bad boy!

We've already figured that one out too... Democrats hate God, and Republicans like to beat children. 3.... 2.... 1....

You couldn't pay me enough to run for office LOL! Yeah yeah yeah.....we all know that if someone pulled up to your front door in a new LS460h, slapped a "diplomat" tag on the back and gave you the keys, you'd be kissin' babies and shaking elbows from Gaithersberg to Fort Washington! Too bad I'd blackmail the heck out of ya' though... NC needy fo' some greenie greedie, my shizle.

http://on.msnbc.com/nT6ADV I actually think the above article sums up the situation pretty well. Hopefully the link works, on my iPod at the moment.

It's Irans fault, we should invade them finally and get it over with. See "Snoops" thread.

You couple of Commies!! ;-) The way this thing is going, I might as well jump start the gas prices thread, start a new one about Iran, and bring back the "W" avatar!

I don't think that's what the democrats are all about, Lenore. I do think they're a more compassionate party, and more socially aware of things than the Republicans though. I'd not have a problem with this one bit, as I'd like to think I'm a compassionate person as well. My issue is paying for that compassion. I'm fine with paying for it, as there are a lot of innocent victims of circumstance in this country that need help, but I'm beginning to question if that's what is truley going on these days? Clinton was a very compassionate President (a little too much, but that's a different story). He was able to do a lot of good for the needy, and leave us with a balanced budget and cash surplus. But, he did it with tax increases disguised as tax credits and the like. Why Obama has taken the road of Jimmy Carter when he's got Clinton standing right there to guide him, is just stupid on all levels. Follow a one-termer who had his !Removed! handed to him from a Republicsn, and not follow a two-termer who handed a beloved republican his !Removed!...shows the inexperience in the DC game of Obama. Too late now, if you ask me. The blame game that went on yesterday on TV from Obama made me want to puke. It's the tea party's fault. It's just some credit bureau... It's this, it's that..... Whatever.... It's YOUR Presidency dude! Act like you own it, or get the heck out of the way!

I agree, my numbers are wrong. I didn't know there was a cap, which would make sense. I know two people who have turned down jobs that didn't pay enough for them to give up the unemployment source of income. But, they didn't lose $100k+ jobs either, so I see your point! Paul, I wasn't attacking your daughter's situation by any means, but could see where you might think so. My apologies amigo! When I wrote that, I was thinking of the two examples I've seen in my life. One of our friend's husband in NC, and stories of my cousin's firm having trouble hiring properly trained investigators for his job. He was telling me about comments his HR team has heard, which fall in the category I was talking about. I know it's tough out there to find a job, especially in a "sand state" like Florida. Wish your daughter all the best luck! I recently went through the hoops of a possible job-hop myself. Lasted 4 months. Only to have the job itself re-written to a different description, which not only did I not fit into anymore (was more along the lines of what I use to do 6 years ago), but couldn't bring myself to go down that road and lose the momentum I've built up with my current position, even though it's in Chitcago. The whole process was difficult, with two trips to DC, several phone calls, and being told "you're our guy, just need to have HR finish their process", which is where it died. It'll happen though, at some point.

At the end of the day, the only "change" we need, is to reshuffle the entire DC deck, again. The next 15 months are going to be brutal on America. I have a theory, proven pretty well by history, that whenever a sitting President has to go (8 years), the economy starts to tank about 12-15 months prior to the election. Whenever a sitting President is likely to go (4 years), the economy slows to a crawl to wait and see what happens. The closer it looks that the sitting President is going to lose, the worse the economy will get. Then, after about 7 or 8 months after the election, it all picks back up again. We're in for a double-dip of whip your butt economics.... When someone who has earned $120K a year, goes onto unemployement, that benefit is calculated against that $120K. When that person can't get a job that pays more than $50K a year, the unemployment benefit becomes a "paid vacation". That is a problem we've had in this country for the past couple of years. With many job cuts in middle management, salaries were higher, so unemployment checks have either equalled or are higher than the pay checks these people can secure in today's environment. Why work for less, when the government pays you more? That's a big problem, and a real problem.

(1989) 1987 VW GTI = Liked (1992) 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R = Loved (1997) 1994 GMC Jimmy SLT = Loved, then liked, then hated. (1999) 1999 Subaru Outback = Liked (2001) 2001 Nissan Maxima SE = Liked very much (2004) 1995 Lexus LS400 = Love/Hate "it's complicated". (2007) 2007 Mazda 3GT = Liked very much. (2007) 2005 Toyota 4Runner V8 = Still love! (2009) 2001 Lexus GS430 = Hated! (2010) 2007 VW GTI = Stalker kind of love!

In my opinion, I don't think anyone would disagree that regulations of the banking and financial sector had slipped below acceptable levels under Greenspan's rule of the Fed. Nobody was watching the store. My problem with the current administration though, and I think a huge key to our recovery ability to get people spending and banks investing more, isn't just the amount of new regulations Geitner's rule wants to put in place, but the utter confusion and extrememly long delay in what those regulations are going to be, and when they're going to take effect. This, is the cause for the banks to be hesitant to "invest" in the American success story, which isn't the top-tier credit profile. Nobody seems to know with certainty what is coming out of DC anymore. Lots of speculation, but very little concrete evidence. This isn't Republicans fault entirely either. Democrats ran the entire show for quite some time, and instead of getting new bank regulations written and in place, they got side-tracked by the healthcare business, then the energy business. If a banker knew that the investment he is considering would require a KNOWN amount of reserve cash to be set aside for potential loss, he could model that transaction in a manner to get it closed, and money in the borrower's hands. But, the banker still doesn't know, after 3 years. So, the banker then defaults to the credit rating of the borrower first. And that's where the problem is. If you "need" the money, you're less-likely to get it. If you "want" the money, you have a better chance. There is a big difference between the two. I said a few years back, when we were all debating Obama, McCain, Clinton, that my biggest fear of a democrat-led show, would be the reintroduction of too much red-tape in the process. Some is fine, and needed for safety purposes. But too much chokes the system. We have too much again, and it's choking the system. What Obama has been wanting to avoid during his watch, by creating rules and regulations, he has just caused. I hate to keep referring to 9/11, because that was an act of war. But, some lessons beyond war can be learned from it. If you make it so hard for the general public to access a flight, the general public will quit flying, which does decrease the odds of a repeat situation like 9/11, but at the cost of the airline business in general. There must be balance, which the democrats have not been good at creating over the past few years. Too much confusion. The restuarant guy who want to grow his booming business to three more locations with "franchise" dreams in his eyes, doesn't understand the Risk Based Capital model his banker is citing for reasons to deny him the loan. He just hears an excuse. Government must do a better job at speaking "American", and doing it much quicker than they have been. BUT, as those old-timers around here have heard me say for years....there is only one number that makes/breaks the consumer confidence to go spend some discretionary income on luxury items. A number that does not discriminate against education levels, savy speak, or political view points.... GAS PRICES! Why nobody has done a full-court press on this part of the economy, is beyond me. It's the "golden ticket" for any politician to be re-elected by the American public. You give me a person(s) who can make that number start with a $2.XX, and I'll show you a re-elected politician with a lot of political capital from the American people to spend when the time comes for other pressing issues. I think the $30/barrel prices from the 2008 crash proves that the argument of supply/demand is weak, at best. It's an investment activity argument. It's speculators, it's profitering at it's ugliest....and it CAN be stopped! But, nobody seems willing to confront it.

I like Principal today. They needed an ego/check though after they went public and brought in a Wall Streeter to run the show. I know Proncipal very well, as they have been a part of my family for nearly 20 years. I can say, they were doing some goofy things in their commercial real estate department from 06-08. They got away from the traditional portfolio lending plays that are slow and steady money makers. They got lured into the Wall Street game, and clearly didn't know what they were doing. Many of us were left scratching our heads in 07/08 with Pricipal entering the CDO game, as everyone else was running away. They lost some credibility with that move, and were seen as Iowa suckers on Wall Street. They took a huge bath because of it too. Had it not been for their golden goose 401k business, they would've probably gone down. I'm still surprised a certain Canadian life company didn't make a hostile takeover bid when they were the most vulnerable. Today though, they can been seen in the market making moves that a portfolio lender should be making. Long term safe bets on the best assets in the country. Their primarily adopting the TIAA approach, buying real estate instead of lending on it. However, as many in my business will confirm, that play in general is getting risky and bubble/ish now too. Returns are so low, that many will have to own the real estate for at least 15 years to see the profit potential. Dangerous and wreckless times in that sector. A move of desperation to get some yield on investments, because there are none left for the long term player, which life companies are needed to be to survive. I like them now, quite a bit, both personally and professionally. I have a feeling your friend and I probably know many of the same people in Des Moines...

Banks are on my radar too, one specifically I had a run-in with... ;-) I've seen their play-book. Not great, but very good, and fundamentally sound. You know which one I'm talkin about! I thInk the next wave to ride is in the financial sector in general. The manufacturing side had thier wave (cars, tech, etc). This next wave is going to be trickier than consumer demand issues. S&P not only too a shot at the country, but every financial institution that makes up the vertebrae of our backbone. Not all of them are bad, but all are sure to get pulled down due to guilt by association! Perfect opportunity!

I agree with ya' amigo! Little doubt in my mind this has been a huge failure of all involved to contain this issue to the proper setting. I do think Obama screwed up though by going on live TV last week about it, for a pitch for everyone to call their congressman/woman to vote for the plan. Right or wrong, it looked desperate. Oh, I'd definitely buy some stock soon! I'm eyeing the financial sector big time! Principal Financial Group out of Ees Moines, could've been bought for $6 two years ago. Now, they're in the $25 range, which is a huge off-mark from their pre-08 days. They are MUCH stronger now in their asset pool too. Have been dumping their Class B assets and replacing with much safer Class A stuff, especially in DC. They recently entered NoMa on a slam-dunk safe bet (I had a connection to it). They get pressured down to the $14 point, I'm buying a lot of it!

Israeli markets had their "stops" triggered today to prevent a market meltdown. DOW Futures down 260 already tonight. Any bets on the lead story for tomorrow's news reports? I can already hear Matt Lauer's voice in my head.... Additionally, any bets S&P has a few "spooks" lurking around their building tonight? I wouldn't take that bet, if I were you....

Now that time has passed, and venom has eased, I think some of Bush's strengths are being sought after by the public. Not all, I understand that, but some.

For those of you with iPods/pads/phones, download the Bloomberg App and watch the equities futures. International markets have been open for about two hours. I just got back from OHare, had Bloomberg on in the car, Sydney market opened first....tomorrow is looking to be a historic day for the NYSE, and not in a good way. It might fall so fast, that the "stops" are put in to freeze trading, which did happen a couple of times in 08', when we HAD a AAA rating from all agencies. I agree with SWO on Obama. I also think many weren't voting for Obama as much as they were NOT voting for Palin. 08' was a year you had to vote. I think we're seeing the lack of true political experience in Obama now. These are times that even the most entrenched DC power player would have a tough time managing, so Obama is basically a sitting duck, with a circle of support that plays the blame game better than building a result for the American public. Republicans arent much better, but like SWO said, they're in it to win it at all costs. We need some winning right now, and not Charlie Sheen style. In my admitted limited exposure to the offerings, my favorite so far is Romney. Perry and his religious angle spooks me a bit. Pray Day for rain, isn't what I'm looking for from my leader, if I'm a farmer in Texas. I can pray on my own. I want my Governor on the phone to the truckers, to bring in water from Illinois "we had a foot in July alone." I will say this as well - no more publically apologizing to any world player, no matter if they deserve it from us or not. What the world needs to understand, is that a world without a cocky America, is even more dangerous than a world without one. Kind of like the toughest kid in class, who isn't necessarily the bully. All may hate him, but none want to face Johnny Bully without Mr. Whip Your !Removed! if you push too hard in the room, both militarily, and now as we're all about to learn in a very basic way, economically. Humility? Yes. Please forgive ms? Tough, no more.

You know what they say: What happens in Vegas...... ;-)

Lenore, I also meant trim spending as well, but that is a delicate process. Can't trim with an ax, need a scaple instead, in the social services programs. All of this spending, and little to be seen in the country for it, just doesn't add up. I'm looking for a hybrid candidate that understands the strengths of both parties, and knows how to execute on both in the best possible manner. I wonder if Santa is done hosing the easter bunny yet??

Who ever cares the least about me! I can take care of myself, my future, my family, my family's future, and my way of life A LOT better than any politician can. Believe in your own abilities, and vote for the people who want to stay as far out of your way as possible! Instead of injecting themselves at every single chance. That's a broad statement though. Specifics: balanced healthcare for those who need it, calm the business regulation environment so businesses can get a foothold again, which will also allow the banks to free-up the trillions of reserves they're holding. And, unfortunately, raise taxes on the top 4% earners, which does include me, and I suspect a few of you as well, until this debt thing gets under control and within reach of a normal revenue stream from all of us. We have only two choices left: increase taxes or default

Paul, Obama came into office with a landslide victory of the American people. I'd say we were a country looking to be led out of a collapsing economy. The problem isn't the healthcare business, and the entitlements issue. The problem is the TIMING of which those elements ignite nation were focused upon. If the country were economically stable, then you talk about this stuff. You focus on the future. But when you've got 7.1% unemployment, $3.45 gas prices, and the crumbling of Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, Detroit, etc... You need to focus on next week, before next month. This is where I believe the democrats have failed over the past few years. I understand wanting to "get ahead" of the issue. But, at what point does a leader say "this isn't working, we need to change course"? Is it 11% unemployment? Is it $6T more debt load on the GDP back? Is it a consumer confidence index of 28%? For me? It's AAA to AA+. FDR never had our nation's credit worthiness called into question. This downgrading has put a foot inside a door that I swear to you, we don't want to open. Not as the worlds biggest economy, not as the worlds consumer of goods, and not as the worlds mightiest military. To put it in questionable descriptive terms, for which I'll apologize now for: this has the potential of being the 9/11 of the economic future over the next decade for this country. And S&P just put a plane in the air. People want to be lead, TODAY, not tomorrow. I, for one, have had enough of this "hope to dream of change" rhetoric. All I see is an unemployment rate higher today than yesterday, debt load higher today than yesterday (even after TARP and the like), and one hell of a very very nasty storm brewing in the near horizon. You want to go from a recession to a depression? Screw with the only golden ticket DC has left...our credit rating. Obama hasn't failed to lead. Obama has failed to read. He has failed to read the landscape, and he has failed to control his own party to play within the fragile boundaries of our fragile economy over the past 3 years. He failed to prioritize the obligations. Jobs Jobs Jobs, should have been #1 #1 #1 from day #1. Get Americans working, before you ask them to pay even more bills. Get the foreclosure situation under control, before you ask Americans to allow more obligations be placed on their dining room table. Do what you PROMISED about gas prices, before you shut down the Gulf of Mexico over one (albeit massively tragic) accident. I'm sick and tired of "hope and change". I want "results and accountability".

S&P has down graded the US from AAA to AA+, first time in history. Doesn't mean we'll default on our bonds, but does mean our borrowing costs are in severe jeopardy of increasing. S&P isn't the know-all be-all. In fact, they recently fluffed a commercial mortgage transaction so badly that they've lost all credibility in the sector on Wall Street. Seriously cost Citi and GoldmanSachs a ton of money. They admitted a fundamental flawing their model, and yanked their credit profile on the traction about 30 minutes before the bonds were to be issued. So, S&P isn't perfect. But most people don't know about that transaction. Obama....I think you've given the competition so much ammo, that there is no way you'll be re-elected. Even those who want to vote for you, probably can't ignore these kinds of facts. If borrowing cost go up, without the benefit of debt reduction, we're in even bigger trouble folks. We've got the ingredients for a perfect storm. We're facing what we were all told we were going to avoid. But, now we are out if options. Been in Vegas this week with my wife, while watching the stock market tank. Very interesting time to be in Vegas playing craps!!