Separated at Birth?
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… Yes, the Grinch hated Bulls-mas! The whole Bulls-mas season!
Now please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason…
It could be he thought taxes weren’t quite the right height.
It could be he thought capital profit a blight.
But I think the most likely reason of all.
May have been that his brain was two sizes too small.
But, whatever the reason, his brain or the taxes,
He stood there Bulls-mas Eve, grinding his axes.
Staring down from the Senate, with a dour Grinchy smirk,
He thought health care no more than a Congressman’s perk.
For he knew every Bool down in Boolville below,
Was busy now hoping his portfolio would grow.
“They’re accumulating growth stocks!” he snarled with a sneer.
“Tomorrow is Bulls-mas! It’s practically here!”
Then he growled with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop Bulls-mas from coming!”
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For, tomorrow, he knew…
… All the Bools– old and teens,
Would wake bright and early. They’d rush for their screens!
And then! Oh the green! Oh the Green! Green! Green! Greeeen!
That’s the one thing he hated! The GREEN on their SCREEN!
And then they’d do something he liked least of all
Every Bool down in Bool-ville, the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, no matter their grading…
They’d stand side by side, and the Bools would start trading!
They’d buy! And they’d buy!
And they’d BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY!
And the more the Grinch thought of these Bool- Bullmas-buys,
The more the Grinch thought, “I must spit in their eyes!”
“Why, since Reagan was Prez, I’ve put up with it now!
“I MUST stop this Bullmas from coming…. but HOW?”
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Then he thought up a bill!
A most awful bill!
THE GRINCH
THOUGHT UP A WONDERFULLY AWFUL BIG BILL!
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“I know just what to do!” the Grinch thought with a chortle.
“I’ll go after the services that make them all mortal!”
And he cackled with glee, his voice like a knife,
“Forget about taxes, they’ll owe me their LIFE!”
“All I need is some consensus…”
The Grinch looked around,
But since consensus is scarce there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old Grinch? No, the Grinch simply said,
“If I can’t find consensus, I’ll bribe one instead!”
So he called his girl Nan, and he picked up his cell,
And they bought off Ben Nelson…
… and sent Healthcare to Hell!
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(to be continued?)
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+1000
Nelson is an asshole, and Landrieu too.
And you know the abortion language is still in the bill. All we did was cover Nebraska’s share of Medicaid, and it was “all good, baybee.” Nelson was all, “Abortion? Who said anything about abortion?”
I am pretty ashamed for my country at this point.
So goes the People Magazine Electorate.
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Cleverly written.
Nice! People need to spend 10 minutes a month pondering the erosion of liberty, the bastardization of the Constitution, the institutional racketeering and extortion perpetrated by the RepubliCrats on The Hill, the corruption of the “watchdog” media, and other major issues confronting us as Americans — or as members of the human race.
Agreud. One has to stand back in awe at the arrogance of this enterprise. Something close to 65% of America (and most of that the people who actually vote) is against this theft of liberty, and yet still they press on in their certainty that they — our “betters” by dint of electoral fiat– know what is best for us.
Please tell me again how it makes no difference if we vote lefties into office, and especially far Left, clearly out of their competence zone, inexperienced lefty Senators…
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Wrong. I doubt that there is anyone in office who actually thinks that this bill is good for “us”. They merely think that it is better politically for them/their party to vote for the bill rather than to stand in opposition.
Also, you miss the point when you make this a Republican v Dem or “left” v “right” issue (whatever those labels mean in your world.) Pols in both parties show little deference to our founding principals – – a reflection of an ignorant, selfish, and short-sighted electorate. One should also note that you smiled along as Bush lavished $trillions on the drug companies with his Medicare giveaways and re-importation restrictions. It seems that you are both a hypocrite and, by your definition, a commie – just so long as the central committee sports a big “R”.
Wrong, commie. I went nuts when that bullshit went through.
Sorry to bust your treasured meme, but I was only about 60-40 with regard to the crap Bush pulled. “No Child Left Behind,” increased tariffs on Canuckistanian lumber, steel protectionism, and the Medicare Drug Gift were all policies I inveighed against (two out of my three Congresscritters voted against the two big bills, responding I hope to my letter writing).
Unlike you Demwits, I don’t just turn the leaf on my People to find out what Demi and Ashton are doing when my side does stupid shit.
That said, this Obama-Reid-Pelosi abortion makes the Bush economic gaffes look like Rockefeller handing out dimes to orphans.
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“60-40 with GWB”
I can’t stand you big intrusive government types.
BTW Little Rush, I’m no Dem.
Right, Little Josef.
We know what you are.
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I call Reductio ad Bushium . Just treat it similar to Godwin’s Law.
Shhh…. you’ll chase off my favourite (sic) Statist straight man. I like to think of him as “the Olbermann of iBC.”
Who else can boast the like?
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Now that’s a big blind spot you got there Cain …you apparently missed the fact that Jake quickly devolves into labeling anyone who disagrees with his PavRovian platitudes, “commies”.
Anyway Mr. Taylor, I hope you get help with that lisp.
Only the jacktoast dummies that aren’t worthy of proper argument, because they haven’t the capacity, get the bum’s rush here.
You’ve proven yourself a proud member of that list, Purdster.
And that last — Are you saying Lawrence Taylor has a lisp? The mind reels ….
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hahaha so treu [sic]…
…but I know better than to nit pick an ally to death. Also, I’ve observed that Jake tends to emulate the form of discusion thrown at him. For instance, below these lines, he and Cuervo have a perfectly civil discussion on the nature of a public option.
But mostly, besides just yourself, I’m frequently worn thin by the shear audacity of the anti-Bush crowd; particularly those members who are in my immediately family.
Yah! Gotta love the holidays…
You’d think Detroit area residents would know better by now….
Must be some variety of Stockholm Syndrome. Of course, Purdy’s a Masshole, so he’s got a version of it, as well.
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I think it’s called the audacity of hope.
See, here my fellow residence are exhibiting raw nerve and daring by challenging reality to tear assunder their folly of poor planning and bad decision making, and hoping all their problems will just go away.
Of course, that word has other meanings of far less endearing origin. Maybe people should have looked them up before buying that ridiculous catch phrase hook, line, and sinker.
residents*
“he and Cuervo have a perfectly civil discussion”
Civil?
Filled with the usual rectumaniacal hyperbole: “With this legislation, you will see the death of private health insurance for all but the most wealthy”.
Please note that the market does not agree with Jake’s assessment that this is the end time for insurance.
I don’t know what you mean by rectumaniacal because it isn’t a word. However, if it’s meant to define an extreme or excessive form of hyperbole, then I’d point out that doesn’t detract from my point, which was that they were at least arguing without invective.
And as for your point about the market, I’d counter by reminding you that, until recently, the market didn’t care to acknowledge GM was bankrupt either, since it was being traded months afterwards.
Government entitlement programs take time to destroy; often decades of reinforcing poor performance with monetary injections or securing debt (the banking sector), restrictive legislation (Postal Service usage requirements for certain goods or any of these bloody green technologies), or outright nationalization (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GM,…).
So, you know, give it time.
Lookee there, Democrat Underground has spawned another neologism. So glad you raced over here with it.
Yes, the market is such the excellent immediate indicator of long term societal changes.
Someone who’s actually done some study on the tradeoffs promised by these bills might realize that the insurance companies don’t really care who the payor is, as long as they get to continue to take their admin-vig off the top.
In other words, the consumer is doubly screwed. Same old crappy insurance bureaucracy, but this time with lovely added gummint rationing!
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Nope, the neologisms are not from the Democratic underground, but are my personal gifts to the language – – they are inspired by reading Jake’s rants.
rectumaniacal = a crazy argument that one pulls out of one’s ass
pavrovian = the reflexive repetition of a Rove/Rush/Fox platitude
Ah, well, I suppose in that way they make sense.
i thought IBC was apolitical … no matter
I like Obama –
sure don’t agree with everything … but I like him a lot
iBC might be (as an entity) apolitical however, Jake’s blog reflects Jake’s opinions.
First, let me state that I reserve the right to post anything that strikes my fancy, while you can reserve the right to leave it alone, or comment, if you wish
Second, this post– and this Congressional action– does have strong market implications. If you don’t believe so, well…
And third, all due respect to your feeling good about realizing Martin’s dream and all, you’ll have to do a better job of backing up your reasons for backing up this not so crypto-fascist in his quest to turn America into Venezeula North.
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Does Obama believe in talking spaceships too?
It’s not the ships, it’s the aliens inside ’em.
And to answer your question. Better he believe in aliens than the righteousness of Marxism. The former is far less destructive.
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I’m just amazed that it’s called ‘healthcare reform’ when there’s no public option.
The overview I get from the legislation seems to mandate that the insurers sell to folks that couldn’t afford them before with little in the way of oversight for the insurers.
Having had some experiences with HMOs when I lived and worked in the US, I have serious doubts as to any efficacy of the proposed plan for the actual citizens.
The insurance companies seem to be in the catbird seat on this one.
Nothing in the way of regulating the insurance companies?
Besides dictating what, and to whom, and at what price and under what strictures they might be allowed to sell a policy?
With this legislation, you will see the death of private health insurance for all but the most wealthy. It guts the wildly popular health savings accounts (HSA’s)– the only market based approach we’ve seen since the advent of Medicare and the Congressionally-invented HMO’s in the 60’s and 70’s, respectively. It ensures that private premiums will rise, and taxes will increase, even as providers are cut back in payments.
When was the last time you saw private individuals seek to provide more of a time-dependent service at a lower price while their own costs remained constant (or in the case of med-mal insurance, were increasing precipitously?)
This bill is almost worse for providers than single payor, as at least capitated government slave docs would have the comfort of knowing Big Brother cannot be sued.
I look forward to the first of many Constitutional challenges to this end-around on the rights of a free people.
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My takeaway was that it would be a two-tiered policy anyways with the cynical supposition that the “new Federally mandated services” would be less efficacious than the current options.
Almost as if food manufacturers were forced to create new ‘generic’ options to their products.
The assumption being that the ‘healthcare-lite’ would be not profit creative and therefore would receive substandard production.
Without a public option, I’m forced to agree with Senator McConnell who called it a ‘train wreck of historic proportions’ (paraphrase)
A public option would make it a plane crash.
In other words, the government medical systems (Medicare/Medicaid) are already fraying the provider side, and beginning to erode even the privately capitalized innovative sectors.
At prices below cost, you will have exit. Increasing this situation would be disasterous for the American public — even those who have the means to pay for private care, as a shrinking market (due to exit) will harm innovation and provision in turn.
What’s more, Medicare and Medicaid are already operating at gargantuan embedded liability levels approaching “functional bankruptcy.” To add further liability to a government system that’s in the process of breaking down is the height of madness… unless your only goal is to destroy the entire system and “hope and change” it into some much more vastly limited — and controlled — structure directed by the State.
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Differing opinions are what make a market.
I’m glad we had a discussion without resorting to an argument.
If I don’t say it later, Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!
Vous aussi.
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I believe they used the urbandictionary defition of “reform:”
(noun and verb) polite euphemism for corn-hole or corn-holing.
Excuse me, but if everyone knows that this healthcare reform is garbagio then why has the healthcare sector melted the f up?
Either it’s melted up to allow the primary investors to sell into the rising
or
It’s rising because of an expectation that there will be new profits with the new Fed mandated customers.
I think it’s because the main corporate players look like they’ve dodged a bullet for now, as the Senate bill looks “not as bad” as the doomsday scenario more associated with the House bill. But then, no one’s even seen the Senate bill, yet…
We’ll see what the market thinks going forward… I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we are due a cyclical drop here….
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Excuse me, but if everyone knows that the economy is shit, then why has the market melted the f up?
not being rectumaniacal, but the bill was written by the medical insurance lobby for the medical insurance industry.
fuck the people. treu fact. period.
No, they only thought they were writing, just like the big pharmas are pulling a Homer right now as well (“Doh!”).
The only cold comfort I get out of this is that the conspiring fascist corporate giants are going to get cornholed here as well.
Treuth is, there will likely be a lot of entreprenurial response to these new barriers thrown in the road, and that might actually be a good thing, were not so much efficiency going up in smoke, prices to consumers rocketing, and providers exiting the biz, all to the great pain of the American citizenry.
nice post,
8.7/10
Some demorat said the Senate bill is posted on the internet, but I don’t have hours to study this stuff and it can be changed anyway. In fact, the whole disaster if passed will be “fixed” many times in the future. I know the mental types like Obama Reid Pelosi and they will march to the left until they finally realize it is a death march. At that time, their followers will take over and promise to lead the country out of the mess with “reforms”. The Left must always be about changing and fixing and reforming by means of government – it is eternal – because they are fools.
They are fools, but to wrap the country in bureaucratic chains is not foolish on their part, if you consider their aims — which is to make the State supreme.
I really am hoping we challenge each and every one of these fascist bills.
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I can’t wait to watch any mandate to buy health insurance get taken to court for being unconstitutional. It doesn’t make sense to force the rich to buy insurance; coverage is wasteful in that instance, the wealthy can pay to have any procedure they need done out of pocket. This is a complete degradation of the very concept of what health insurance is, and a travesty at that.
What is unconstitutional is making the rest of us cover the Medicare expenses for Nebraska.
Agreud. When the bribes are that blatent, we need to take action.
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http://screencast.com/t/YzNhODg2Mm
It is uncanny how much Dirty Harry resembles Grinch. It has been estimated that 25,000 new fed employees will be needed to administer this welfare plan and if fraud is $48 bill in medicare, then at least another $48 bill is on the way. Singapore is supposed to have a good health care plan and the uninsured in this country could have insurance paid for by the government for far less than the Reid-Pelosi scam.
Dollar going positive on light volume… watch for weakening here…
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I can’t see it staying that way for long; not with this bill getting passed. This whole ordeal is afoul of deficits and spells devaluation, over the next decade.
Agreud. I think we get that without this bill, but this thing is like Toonces The Driving Cat stomping his paw onto the accelerator just as we break the cliff side fencing on the Pacific Coast Highway.
I think I see Nan Pelosi in the “Toonces” role, here, with the Grinch riding shotgun.
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Perhaps we could dub them Thelma & Louise? Quick, throw your hands back…
Jake you buyin AEM here……or are you only shorting
I am NOT shorting any golds… I’ve shorted some calls against my position to hedge, and I lightened up considerably earlier in December, but this bull can turn and rip gender indicators at any time now, and I wouldn’t want to be at the end of those horns.
That said, I’m not ready to start buying again either. I think gold needs to start scaring some weak hands, first.
Long term, I believe you can’t go wrong, however, if you want to start nibbling… threshold of pain may come into play, however….
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Evidently this year will be like Dec 08 where the market ran up approx 10% during the last 2 weeks of the year on less than 1/2 of normal volume.
More important question is what will the New Year bring? Different times but early Jan 09 brought a quick 15% smackdown.
I remember that December well, since I was short from mid November that year. I seem to recall similar discomfort, even though I’m still a bit net long here, with everything accounted for…
With the way the dollar is rising, I’m not sure we make it all the way to January.
Checkout TBT as well, for more “canary in the coal mine” action.
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Kass says gold is going to $900 next year and gold miners are the worst performers of 2010
Muzak to mein ears.
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ears = Ohren (auf Deutsche)
Danke!
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Purdster blurts: Nope, the neologisms are not from the Democratic underground, but are my personal gifts to the language – – they are inspired by reading Jake’s rants.
Well, you’d better run back over to Dem Underground to share these bon mots with the Faithful before someone else beats you to it…
(Don’t forget to sprinkle them with the requisite “Bushitler” modifiers.)
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Jake I plan on entering gold @1050. But I had a few questions on your best performers. I love IAG.
But wanted to here your thoughts on
CGR
ANV-
BVN-
EGO-
GFI-
HL-
IAG-
NSU-
NG-
PLM-
AUY-
You seem to have way more knowledge about gold and thus was curious what your expectation as best performer/any advise. I am trying to play cheap stocks as I figure they probably have best return since greatest risk. Thanks
I don’t have “way” more knowledge, I may have enough to be dangerous, but that’s no solace.
Of the above, I am not very familiar with CGR, PLM and BVN, so I’d reserve judgment on those. If I had to choose one, I’d take the larger cap BVN, which looks like it’s on a date w. destiny at about $25.
The remainder, from a standpoint of “what would I pick first, had I a hunnit (sic) bucks” —
IAG
ANV
EGO
AUY
GFI
Those are all “first tier,” and I think quality names. Very little separating them, imho.
The remainder are somewhat diggity dogs, play at your considerable risk:
HL
NG
NSU
Other diggity dawgs include BAA, GSS, NXG, NDG, RBY, IVN, CDE, SA, PMU (uck!)
Other decent ones include GG, AEM, LIHR, KGC, SLW, SSRI, PAAS.
I like silvers best, of course.
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Thanks appreciate it. Curious why silver over gold? You betting on strong economic recovery?
And by diggity dogs you mean not very good companies or stock seems to ignore price of gold at certain times? Thanks again
Silver is lagging gold, price wise, right now. Gold’s about 64x the price of silver right now, and historically (since 1933) it’s been about 40x or so.
So by “reversion to the mean” laws, you’d expect silver to catch up, and maybe even swing underneath that 40x level. This will come closer to the top of gold, I believe, but when it comes, the silver miners will really take off.
That’s the theory, anyway.
When I say “diggity dawgs” I just mean dogs, relative to the more mainstream, better managed gold companies, which is pretty relative given the space is not marked for it’s great managment.
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Great post Mister Jake.
Merry Chrismast to all of you and a great 2010.
Here’s a little video I prepared for the occasion on a song by Norah Jones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMjn2eEVxTs
Love Norah.
(And Nora)
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Jake you’re not dipping your toes here into gold/silver yet? You waiting for gold $1000?
I don’t think it’ll get that far down, but we’ll see. Not yet ready to re-engage, however.
Soon.
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