Althouse: "Buy American. I Am."

October 17, 2008

"Buy American. I Am."

A NYT op-ed by Warren Buffett.

That headline. Reminds me of the Stephen Colbert (intentionally humorous) title "I Am America (And So Can You!)."

153 comments:

Buford Gooch said...: Buffet is playing the public more subtly than Soros, but with the same end in mind: make me as rich as possible.; 10/17/08, 6:04 PM
mccullough said...: Does short selling American stocks count?

Why should I buy when I'm just going to have to turn it over to President Government so he can throw more money at the problem when throwing one-tenth as much would achieve the same bad result?

As soon as I make 20 billion from low capital gains tax rates and feel so guilty about my phenomenonal wealth in my death-bed years that my secretary's tax rate was higher than mine then I'll share your enthusiasm.

Until then, tell Senator Government not to raise taxes in a recession. It's basic fiscal policy.; 10/17/08, 6:04 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Beware of billionaires.

What the wiley Warren omits is that if you had indeed put your money in stocks in 1932, the market crashed again in 1937, and things didn't get jolly until after 1945.

Chart here

If you have a 15 year horizon and have oodles of extra cash and think you can pick tomorrow's Xerox, Apple, or Polaroid, take the plunge.; 10/17/08, 6:07 PM
Cedarford said...: How nice of Warren!

Now, I admire the guy tremendously for being one of the few rich people honest enough to admit the tax system favors the rich ("I pay 50% less in total taxes on each dollar I make than my executive secretary does..") And for being a Patriot and a stand up guy.

But Warren does occasionally bet against America. He made over a billion in 2005-2006 betting on the Euro to rise against the dollar on Bush's reckless spending, tax cuts for the wealthy, and exploding deficits.

Smart. Very smart.
People could do far worse in a choice of a personal God...; 10/17/08, 6:11 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I agree that now could be a time to pick up some bargains, but I don't know that I, of little wealth, need to be on the same investment plan as a billionaire.; 10/17/08, 6:12 PM
chickelit said...: Senator Government is going to do whatever it takes to reinflate those 401(k) portfolios. He needs the tax-deferred portion to fund numerous redistribution schemes.; 10/17/08, 6:14 PM
rhhardin said...: So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over.

Robins show up in February; a few don't migrate at all.

One year I kept a dozen going with raisins, placed in a shovelled square of driveway.

These followed me around the yard all summer, hoping for more raisins, like stocks following a billionaire.; 10/17/08, 6:14 PM
rhhardin said...: Money is neither in nor out of the stock market, whatever people think.

The guy leaving the market takes all the money that the guy entering the market puts in.; 10/17/08, 6:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Let me see if I got this right, when you think the market may go down, you sell a lot, early driving the price down as the smaller fish bail out driving it further down. Once you think its close to the bottom you buy back cheap and tell everyone to do so and following you drive the price back up.

Something like that? For a billionaire that's like my kids playing Xbox against Dad. Easy money.; 10/17/08, 6:22 PM
Revenant said...: Warren Buffet is rich, but he isn't even *remotely* rich enough to push the entire stock market around. If it is heading lower, it will do so no matter how many articles he writes.; 10/17/08, 6:36 PM
mccullough said...: Rev.

He wants to push up the stock price of the stocks he buys, regardless of what the market as a whole does.

He announces he's putting $5 billion into Goldman Sachs, he wants you to do the same. It goes up, he sells, makes money, and that's how it works.

I announce that I'm buying Goldman Sachs, my wife doesn't even pay attention.; 10/17/08, 6:41 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: It's not rocket science.

Buffet has invested in the things that people like and have allways liked. with insurance trown in for good measure.; 10/17/08, 6:41 PM
Simon said...: The difference is that Buffett wants you to buy GE, while he's buying GE.; 10/17/08, 6:45 PM
Revenant said...: Obviously he'd like to push up his stocks, but the notion that he's just saying this TO push up his stocks is false. If GE's outlook is bead the stock is going to drop. People aren't going to take Buffet's word for it in this market.

If Buffet actually thought that GE was overvalued, he'd short the stock -- not buy it. He'd short the stock and write and article about how overvalued GE is, maybe. He certainly wouldn't try to fight the natural direction the stock was headed in. Unless you're a multitrillionaire, you can't pull that one off.; 10/17/08, 7:00 PM
mccullough said...: Rev.

It's not that GE isn't a good buy (especially since they'll toss the CEO out), it's that Buffet buys it then tells you what a good buy it is.

Buffet pays himself $100,000 a year in salary and makes the rest of his money on capital gains. No FICA on capital gains.

Buffet's a very shrewd investor.; 10/17/08, 7:13 PM
Henry said...: Can anyone imagine a Dow of 41? Wow.; 10/17/08, 7:33 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: All this class envy is a little bit unseemly.

I don't think the profe would approve.

Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable

All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQtzOOz6Y6c; 10/17/08, 7:35 PM
MadisonMan said...: If I had extra money, I might follow his advice. As it is, not happening. I suppose my 403-B is buying American, and the kids' college funds are though.; 10/17/08, 7:53 PM
Revenant said...: it's that Buffet buys it then tells you what a good buy it is.

It doesn't exactly take a financial genius to take advantage of a perceived deal *before* you tell everyone else about it. Do it in the opposite order and odds are you'll miss out on the deal yourself.; 10/17/08, 8:11 PM
mccullough said...: Do not buy stock in Ford or GM.; 10/17/08, 8:19 PM
Anonymous said...: All you need to know about investing has been summed up by Al Czervik, Rodney Dangerfield's character in Caddyshack:

He hears that everyone is selling, so he says "Buy, buy, buy!" Then, he corrects: "They’re all buying? Then sell, sell, sell!"; 10/17/08, 8:20 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors.

Also called the Odd Lot Theory. When small investors are selling, especially in odd lots (a round lot is 100 shares) it's time to buy. When the odd lots are buying, time to sell. Because the small unadvised investor is historically wrong.; 10/17/08, 8:22 PM
rhhardin said...: Odd lot short sales is the traditional indicator of a bottom. If there still are odd lots.; 10/17/08, 8:32 PM
rhhardin said...: Buffet sounds a little like he doesn't understand trade, or is trading on the public's ignorance of it at best.; 10/17/08, 8:35 PM
ricpic said...: Buy Smuckers.

Folks will always have a sweet tooth.; 10/17/08, 8:37 PM
former law student said...: I already own plenty of America. I should have bought unAmerica, like the Palins:

The [Palins'] disclosure form listed the portfolio’s value as from $300,000 to $850,000. The assets in these retirement accounts included a sophisticated range of investments, including mutual funds invested in Latin America, small-cap stocks, shares in Spanish, Belgian and Australian indexes and a midcap growth fund.; 10/17/08, 8:37 PM
David Foster said...: I do think stock valuations are getting reasonably attractive, but this is under the assumption that nothing happens to cripple the economy over a very long time period.

Bad tax policies can be changed, although the lost growth can never be recovered. What scares me most is the Democratic hostility toward all practical forms of energy production. With a Dem administration combined with a Dem Congress, we are likely to have major electricity shortages and skyrocketing electricity prices, with very malign effects and long-term effects on busiess and consumes.

If I thought Obama, Pelosi, and company had a more realistic view of energy (or if I was sure they were not going to be in office) I'd be buying equities more aggressively than I currently am.; 10/17/08, 8:39 PM
Anonymous said...: FLS -- Do you really believe that an investment portfolio that includes foreign entities is somehow bad? That's moronic.

Among your long, sordid history of smears and weak and generally poor comments, that one ranks very high.; 10/17/08, 8:40 PM
knox said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/17/08, 8:42 PM
knox said...: I wonder if Colbert realizes his title is more reminiscent of Obama's insipid "Yes We Can!" than anything else.; 10/17/08, 8:44 PM
Revenant said...: I already own plenty of America. I should have bought unAmerica, like the Palins:

The moral of this story is that Sarah Palin is smarter than you are.

Then again, we already knew that.; 10/17/08, 8:51 PM
Unknown said...: I own plenty of unAmerica too. So the heck what? They own plenty of us. It's only fair.; 10/17/08, 9:13 PM
ricpic said...: A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.
--W.C. Fields; 10/17/08, 9:22 PM
ricpic said...: Finance is the art of passing money from hand to hand until it finally disappears.
--Robert W. Sarnoff; 10/17/08, 9:28 PM
Wince said...: "Patriotic" would be Buffet, Obama or Biden volunteering to pay whatever tax increase they propose into the US treasury retroactively for the last eight years.

I wouldn't even insist they pay interest on the amount!; 10/17/08, 9:36 PM
Cedarford said...: FLS - "I should have bought unAmerica, like the Palins;"

The [Palins'] disclosure form listed the portfolio’s value as from $300,000 to $850,000. The assets in these retirement accounts included a sophisticated range of investments, including mutual funds invested in Latin America, small-cap stocks, shares in Spanish, Belgian and Australian indexes and a midcap growth fund.

I can't figure out who is the bigger moron. The original moron that called mutual funds a "sophisticated investment" - or FLS being a moron and cutting and pasting it thinking international mutual funds are sophisticated and scandalous things to have investment in..; 10/17/08, 9:46 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I buy this Buffet

I don't know the reason, I stayed here all season Nothin' to show but this brand new tatoo

But it's a real beautie, a Mexican cutie
But how it got here I haven't a clue

CHORUS

I blew out my flip-flop, stepped on a pop-top
Cut my heel had to cruise on back home

But there's booze in the blender, and soon it will render
That frozen concotion that helps me hang on

http://tinyurl.com/6hhyok; 10/17/08, 9:47 PM
Unknown said...: Well hell, in Massachusetts, a voluntary higher tax rate is in the code. Back in 2004, when people were making fun of Kerry for not paying it, it was 5.85% versus the compulsory 5.3%.; 10/17/08, 9:48 PM
former law student said...: Among your long, sordid history of smears and weak and generally poor comments, that one ranks very high.

I am a sap, a buffoon, in other words a patriotic American. It never would have occurred to me to invest in foreign countries. Had I exchanged my dollars for Euros when W. was inaugurated, I would be up 50% by now. The S%P index is down 40-50% since that fateful day.

If a Republican ever gets elected again, I'm investing everywhere else.; 10/17/08, 9:51 PM
Anonymous said...: It never would have occurred to me to invest in foreign countries

Wow. Truly, you are an idiot. The investments are in multinational firms.; 10/17/08, 9:54 PM
former law student said...: or FLS being a moron and cutting and pasting it thinking international mutual funds are sophisticated and scandalous things to have investment in

I understand cedar's attention span no longer extends to the bottom of the page, but consider the title of Ann's post: "Buy American. I Am."

Buffett says: So ... I’ve been buying American stocks. This is my personal account I’m talking about, in which I previously owned nothing but United States government bonds. ... If prices keep looking attractive, my non-Berkshire net worth will soon be 100 percent in United States equities.; 10/17/08, 9:55 PM
former law student said...: The investments are in multinational firms.

If you deduced that from my citation, please pass the bowl over to me.; 10/17/08, 9:56 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Too funny.

The commenters agree FLS has overachieved with his most recent lousy, moronic comment!; 10/17/08, 9:57 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/17/08, 9:59 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: It never would have occurred to me to invest in foreign countries.

Ok let's take a break for a simple lesson in market economics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6vjrzUplWU; 10/17/08, 10:00 PM
Unknown said...: I am a sap, a buffoon, in other words a patriotic American.

I'm going to bet you buy goods made outside of this country on a regular basis.

So you would never consider investing in a foreign company, thereby creating a flow of wealth from a foreign country into the US---but you gladly support the flow of wealth out of this country.

That's some patriotism.; 10/17/08, 10:00 PM
former law student said...: The commenters agree FLS has overachieved

I am a chump, I agree. Unlike the supersmart Sarah, I own no mutual funds invested in Latin America. My fund indexes the S&P, not Spain, Belgium, or Australia.; 10/17/08, 10:00 PM
Anonymous said...: P.S. I will bet you $10,000 that Joe Biden has money invested in foreign firms. Let me know where you would like to escrow the money.; 10/17/08, 10:02 PM
former law student said...: I'm going to bet you buy goods made outside of this country on a regular basis.

I have little choice. All but a few American corporations shut down their North American manufacturing plants and now source all their products in China.

China represents the ultimate free market, by the way, because they are actually willing to kill their customers for short-term gain.; 10/17/08, 10:04 PM
Unknown said...: All the more reason, then, to start pulling some of that wealth back!; 10/17/08, 10:06 PM
Anonymous said...: Kooky leftist definition of a free market: an economic situation in which sellers are kill their customers for short-term gain.

What are you talking about?

Still waiting about Biden...; 10/17/08, 10:07 PM
Unknown said...: Well, I think he was making a joke about the recent melamine scandals in China. Talk about the perils of deregulation! Ouch. Then again, people lose their heads over there for stuff like that, once they get caught.; 10/17/08, 10:08 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Oldy but goody

http://tinyurl.com/59xcrx; 10/17/08, 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Let's see. I've got several Chases and Citibanks. Bank of America. Washington Mutual. Fifth-Third, though I am against that one on the principle of its absurd name. There's a Banco Popular, which would be fitting in this case.; 10/17/08, 10:13 PM
Revenant said...: I am a sap, a buffoon, in other words a patriotic American. It never would have occurred to me to invest in foreign countries.

I guess we can add "economics" to the list of things you don't understand, then. An intelligent and educated person would realize that helping the global economy helps America, too.; 10/17/08, 10:19 PM
Anonymous said...: If it's okay for Biden, and for me, and probably Obama, why isn't it okay for Palin? Why should Sarah Palin be forced to invest only in American firms just because you are an idiot?; 10/17/08, 10:23 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Lem:

That was a frigging excellent video of Milton Friedman smiling all the while he is eviscerating Phil Donahue.

You know FLS could be Phil Donahue. The two of them think alike.; 10/17/08, 10:28 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: FLS is now Phil Donahue to me. Where is the German Valise tonight? He got banned huh? Good for Althouse.

He and Lucy are probably licking their wounds and plotting their comeback.; 10/17/08, 10:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Thank you, Lem.

But, really, isn't Obama different? Isn't Obama going to bring us all together and, by spreading the wealth around, make the United States -- nay, the world -- into a utopia?

Also, I guess I'll have to make my $10,000 some other way. Oh well. I was going to give $1000 to Althouse if she'd eat something especially distasteful to her.; 10/17/08, 10:34 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Something have to be repeated over and over. If not it's intrinsic value and support might not be fully appreciated and replaced with the leftovers of the failures from our past.

Some people seem to want to speed up the desired results of a market economy. Not knowing that left alone it would surpass our wildest expectations.; 10/17/08, 10:41 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Obama is different. He has had a lifetime hall pass and get out of jail card.

His followers rationalize any screwups by the next President Government.

If we survive, it may be good for all us Joe The Plumbers to regroup and reload with a new and improved cast of candidates and a lean, mean fighting machine for a platform.; 10/17/08, 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...: AJ -- Listen, man, you are 100 percent right. I really can't stand McCain. Further, if Republican officials make it through this shit storm unchastened, who knows what they'll conclude.

That said, Obama is going to terrible for the country should he win. Terrible. I'm not talking taking us socialist terrible. I'm no kook. But I am talking Jimmy Carter terrible, domestically and internationally. Maybe worse, because the leadership in Congress was far better then.; 10/17/08, 10:45 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The internet is the most eloquent example of people doing something not because it's good for others. But because it's good for themselves.

W/O market economics the internet would be IMPOSIBLE.; 10/17/08, 10:46 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: La serenissima Althouse (at least she doesn't have to preside over the marriage of her blog to the sea every year) would be web taxed and guest post web tax per letter under an Obama world wide web.; 10/17/08, 10:52 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Warren Buffett's advice isn't the slightest bit controversial.

Everybody knows, you know, you've heard it your entire life, buy low and sell dear.

Stocks are low now. Now is the time to buy. Quit complaining and being smart asses about it and just buy some stock now.

Where to invest? Which companies? Put your money where your mouth is. Invest in what you know. Invest in what you like. Invest in whatever strikes your fancy. Help capitalize the things you want to see happen. As to which companies to choose within industries, research has never been as readily available as it is right now. Buffett researched by reading the paper every morning. The paper! The tools at your fingertips are 100 X more efficient than that.

This concludes my pep talk. It's the same pep talk I gave regularly to my own father. Bless 'im. Ever cautious to a fault, he never listened to me either.; 10/17/08, 10:54 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Obama will very likely acquiesce to the wishes of the UN.

Under Obama I see the internet run by the UN.

Under Obama a lot of things will be turned over to people who don't see the world the way we do.

Its sad but it will happen.; 10/17/08, 11:04 PM
Stephen said...: Fuck Colbert.
I AM JOE.; 10/17/08, 11:05 PM
Anonymous said...: Lem -- I did some work at the UN. Trust me on this: that organization cannot possibly get its shit together enough to run the Internet. Furthermore, the United States is not the only bulwark against UN world hegemony. Other nations realize its sillinenss.; 10/17/08, 11:07 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Commitments we have all over the world, Obama has not said anything thing that would lead me to believe that he would hold fast to them.

If Iraq seemed insurmountable to him what would China be like?

We cant just say well we wont do business with China the way we did with South Africa.

It's a very different ball game.; 10/17/08, 11:12 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I hope you are right seven.; 10/17/08, 11:13 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Some people told me Cofee Anann wanted ICANN.

It was like a trophie to him. Thank God Clinton didn't give it to him.; 10/17/08, 11:20 PM
Revenant said...: Commitments we have all over the world, Obama has not said anything thing that would lead me to believe that he would hold fast to them

He's actively campaigning to tear up the agreement we have with Columbia. Lots of luck getting another third-world nation to trust us again if he fucks THAT deal up.; 10/17/08, 11:29 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The eloquence of market economics has not been fully appreciated in academia.

Its a subtle remnant of old wars, yet to be declared really over. Undeclared truces. Students caught in the cross fire in the form of "books".

The Miami book fair is a bute.; 10/17/08, 11:32 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: At most companies you can tell who keeps the books by glancing the company's picture album.

Call me names if you want. but the impersonal requirements of the job can surely have an effect on people.

dontcall me surely. I wonder if i could get a grant to study something like that.

anyway - all of this can lead to a kind of benign ignorance about something so important in our everyday lives it can go from benign to... the opposite of benign.; 10/17/08, 11:41 PM
KCFleming said...: Can anyone point me to any legal blogs that might be discussing the implications of sheriffs, state prosecutors, and campaign lawyers working for Obama using legal means to quash debate and queries regarding the candidate?

You'd think it might have implications regarding the ethics of that administration, but what do I know?

Legal types ain't innersted in that kinda stuff prolly; coals to newcastle and all.; 10/17/08, 11:46 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: It's possible we know more about medicine and law than we do about economics.

to me it speaks as to how remarkable it is that something so alien can still work its majic.

I want to be able to use baseball to make an example, but then i remember baseball is a sanctioned monopoly.

there - somethings are so unique - magnifique - they must be alowed to function outside certain boundaries.

I feel like those guys on special orders - reserving the right to extend their remarks ;); 10/17/08, 11:53 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Obama using legal means to quash debate and queries regarding the candidate?

You'd think it might have implications regarding the ethics of that administration, but what do I know?

My understanding is that prosecutors are given wide latitude on this. and because of that they tend to get their que from reading the mood of the public.

If people write and complain they will more likely than not look into it.; 10/17/08, 11:57 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: He's actively campaigning to tear up the agreement we have with Columbia. Lots of luck getting another third-world nation to trust us again if he fucks THAT deal up.

Colombia is a crutial aly of the US. All they ask is to be allowed to buy and sell form us and to us in the same way we buy and sell to them.

In exchange they fight our drug war from the source.

If we cannot see the benifits of that deal then everything that liberals say is really, truly hollow.; 10/18/08, 12:09 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Take robadore Jessy Jackson for example complaining about Imus and what not. while black joung women are being used up by the porn industry in numbers that are probably not even beign recorded.

Frank Rich wrote a mostly positive colum for the Sunday Magazine a few years back and he was silent on this.

the pernicious, in your face presence of pornography is damagin to our youth. period. i really believe that.; 10/18/08, 12:19 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: How we go about supressing it of course sober minds differ but this is an example where i believe media can help. If they got off their high free speech bs.; 10/18/08, 12:26 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: When government is asked to do something it should be because probably nobody else can.

Take the bailout.

The same with all the social problems Obama has serepticiouly used (this is our time) to coast to the white house.

what a disappointment when he will have to say "no I cant". but you said we could!

Reading McWotter (see Anns earlier posts) I see his trepidation in saying I want Obama to win so that a bitter pill may go down easier than the continuation of race fever we still running. And at the same time his worry knowing that Obama is not "the way".; 10/18/08, 12:47 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: BTW - McWotter stood up against the undercurrent aprobation of "black english" some years ago.

this guy went on BET and stood his ground that teaching "black english" was a bad idea.

we need more people like him.; 10/18/08, 12:54 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm disapointed to see glimpses of our serenissima (btw - reading some people here, our host is most serene) choose style over substance, seemingly saying that style can find its way, nudge its way, run into one as we say in baseball.

gambling in other words.

it would be inappropriate for me to ask but I don't believe Ann Althouse is the gambling type.

Constitutional law do not strike me as a febrish heads-tail endeavor.

I will be expecting a Powell like anouncement.

Please give us notice to prepare ;); 10/18/08, 1:16 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: In a pesimistic way (to use McWotters words) the lionisation, the santification of Martin L King paved the way for Obama.

MLK i believe is the only private citizen to have his own federal holiday. I think thats right.

We have collectively told people that one of your own usually leads you to a promised land.

Entr Obama.; 10/18/08, 1:35 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: In the context of MLK alot of the kids singing to Obama and Obama is Jesus stars to make sence.; 10/18/08, 1:38 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: When you do something for somebody where the benefit to both parties is completely artificial it's usually a con job.

and yet.

How do we keep getting away with it, i mean to a whole race of people... remains a mistery, as line goes in 2001.; 10/18/08, 1:48 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: BTW in bad times I expect good old reliable jeans to surge.

Levis, Calvin... i know ther is another one but i cant remember.

not Old Navy - they suck.; 10/18/08, 1:53 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If you still have something, anything that has to do with home improvement - waht are you waiting for? get out bfore they trow you out.

I would start thinking, no i start buying mnicipals, federally insured treasury notes..

yes - not much yield but expect the gov to trot the rosevelt public works to "jump start" the economy.

the treasury has a stake in a bunch of banks hellow? treasury is a player - ride it.

remember everything is bacwards for the time being..

things that you satayed way from b4 may start to make sense.

any more and i

fall sleep.

farmaceuticos ... what do you think?

depresed people are going to want to medicate. Hell, Rush medicated while rich.

BUY farmaceuticos, licor up wahile you at it. Licour surges in extremes conditions - up and down.

like was saying b4 its not rocket science.

Do you think people will eat more when they are worried?

Fast food?; 10/18/08, 2:10 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Why do you think Goggle was still a winner?

worried people want information.; 10/18/08, 2:13 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Anyting in anyway shape or form coneected to luxury leave - get out.

if you are invested in cosmetics this in not a good time to buy.

Jonson and Johnson not good.

that bird shit Ann just posted about - foget about it.

Entertainment - it depends.

I look for companies that make television to continue to do ok.

people may want to scape in their own homes with a good entertainment sys. going to the movies? foget about it.

Nexflix - buy; 10/18/08, 2:20 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Ipod - thats a status symbol, i would not load up on it.

its like sneakers - its triki. it's a nich - you feel like gambling? from 1 to 10 i think is a 6 on the up side.

waht else do people do must do?

smoke?

mother says when people worry they smoke. i dont like it but it's the family bissness. wahtdoyouwant?; 10/18/08, 2:26 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If I was Joe the plumber I would try to offer potential clients a little more diversity of specialisation.

You know i can also do your electricity. in fact i can do evrething thats hidden. you dont want to see it, i can do it for you.

the days of subing for a sub - forget about it.; 10/18/08, 2:31 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I expect tecks manufacture HP (DELL needs to get their shit together) anf the one with the cow logo to surge..

you are going to have lots of unemployed people sitting in front of a computer like michele "for the first time". fist time long time.

they might go to the library?

well good - God knows they need people to come in the door.; 10/18/08, 2:37 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Im thinking do people remember the inexpensive fun of the bowling alley?

I dont know. You defenetely can onlt sit thru so many CSI's and House and then waht.

Keep a sharp eye (as Rush woudl say) something that people do togetehr will pop up and take over.; 10/18/08, 2:44 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I wander waht the record is for continiuos posting.

I believe i heard some guy in China has the record for something akin to continious web surfing or other.

Of course Drudge posted about a guy in china litlerally chain smoking himself to death.

I can only imgen the things that happen everyday in china that go unrecorded.

an antropologist piratas de el caribe.; 10/18/08, 2:52 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: speaking of antropology

my nexflix had (excusi i have to look up the exact title in case you might be interested); 10/18/08, 2:55 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Little Children is the title of the film. I was captive from the bigining to the end.

I think I'm going to put it back in the queue.

I found myself getting interested enouf to get know the characters.
so that at the end you see it coming.

and i think the filmaker wanted presicely that.; 10/18/08, 3:03 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: My own Private Idaho has arrived - i included it because i dont remember much about it yet i do remember the buzz.

some movies are all buzz.

and then there are some that had no buzz but you somehow I liked even though I had to go back to it to be sort of articulate some made up reason why I liked it.

Dead Ringers

identical twin ginocologist played by the same actor Jeremy Irons.

and the woman that created the rift, the conflict. Geneviève Bujold.

goin g back to the film - ive noticed when the time btwg cuts took longer that the advisable minimum. but still the film (w/o)

its so tipical - they probably sreshot (fup) the ending.

but if you can see pas that it a great flick - so is little children w/o the Dead Ringers ending.; 10/18/08, 3:24 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I think I will give Little Children the 5 stars i have tended to reserve for films I allready know have critical aclaim.

It's embarrasing but Rotten Tomatoes has on ocasion disapointed.

I see a 90% 80% so i fast track it near the top and mary mother of our baby jesus.

Ok. this big time director Sidney Pollack dies right? So i look up RT to see if by any chance i mist somethin ghe did.

lo and behold - the shoot horses dont they - it takes place during the depression yadiyadiyadiada.

the tomata critics have it at 80 some percent but then i also look at the "top" critics. I dont think, yes it wasnt rated by "top critics" well that should have told me something right there.

waht are they hidding?

it not like the top critics havent had time to review it - 1969?

OMG. I could not get pass half one hour, i felt bad for Sidney Pollack (he was a f-ing good film maker) but he sucked his first time.; 10/18/08, 3:48 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The worst isat tru its a competition btwg Hudson Hawk and a frankenstein by of all peope Kenneth Branagh and Rober De Niro.

There was a time when Branagh was mana - but then the chisme was that Branagh cheated on his wife during this film withan actress that shall reamin nameless but was in "Room with a View" and Fightclub"

As we all know Emma Thompson was the jilted? wife. lines were drawn. Poor Branagh was last seen fighting for his entitled roles as one of the kings of england.

Sad really. to go from a promising holiwodd star to king of england ;)

anyway that Frankesntein movie was really bad i had to apologise to my date who had insted we see someting else - of course.; 10/18/08, 4:03 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I have an idea for a film.

you are a joung supreme (scotus) Roberts and by the luck of the draw you get a joung Ann Coulter (A Fwan Hall and waht was his name? repreisse) to intern for the newly appointed supreme.

Roberts is married of course and so is Ann. In fact they go to the same church in Mariland - by coincidence of course.

then it turns out they have an affair... it the middle of this Anns brother ships to Iraq and gets killed..

thats all i got so far.; 10/18/08, 4:14 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The reason why this would make a good movies is that as we all know a SCOTUS can have more influence with a mere opinion than any one member of the two other branches combined. (unless i dont know how to read)

in other words - a supreme (notice how no title other than mere president, senator, or congressman) cannot possibly compare.

To give SCOTUS more power it was so long ago that congress passed an admendment tO the constitution they probably could not even DO IT if they all agreed.

Meaning when SCOTUS says something people listen because it tends to stay that way - unless they reverse themselves. witch kinda sorta Roberts promised to congress to avoid. (a low point for the separation of powers principia)

what people will say when they have a gun pointed at their head, bogless the mind.; 10/18/08, 4:28 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/18/08, 4:38 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The reason of course for the suferage of the Supremes is that the powers of the presidency have slowly but surely eroded.

El presidente was given the power ro appoin tand the senate to advice and consent.

when you have a weak president as in the case of a president whos party does not control ither house of crongress?

You have a timid SCOTUS.

A court that is unsure, taking less and less cases.; 10/18/08, 4:42 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I think it's incorrect to refer to Althouse as La Serenissima. Whether Althouse herself is serene or not at any given moment is irrelevant, although a quality of serenity certainly adheres to her. No, it's the higher principle she uses to animate her blog that is serene. “Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm."

Not only does Althouse not have to be rowed about in a golden barge to perform her blogly duties, she also doesn't have to wear a funny hat. Her blog is also unlikely to become a victim of either Napoleon or rising sea levels, for which I know we all can be grateful.

La Serenissima was my own application as in generalisimo (very well known amoung the people were i come from)

But as you have also pointed out Ann is "blog is also unlikely to become a victim of either Napoleon or rising sea levels, for which I know we all can be grateful.

Sail on my friend sail on!

BTW I lived in Lynn Mass, i think you said you are a Bostonian?; 10/18/08, 4:50 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I lived in Lynn Lynn the city of sin from 79 to 83?

If i remember correctly. I was in my early teens.; 10/18/08, 4:53 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: My father took me to Fenway park and I thought it wast the biggest park in the world.

anyway I saw Joe Rudy hit a home run over the mosnter, and i saw my father happy and it stuck.

here i'm in nj traveling whenever i can to go and see them the way i saw them all those years ago.; 10/18/08, 5:00 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: There is something about that field.

They had plans for a new park some years back and they didnt follow tru.

If they keep coming back the way theve done sinse Francona took over i dont see them renovating anything for a while.; 10/18/08, 5:07 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: For some strange reason i like the away uniform they used to have.

gray with dark blue block letters - the one they had when mookie hit that little ground ball.

they dont have that uniform anymore.; 10/18/08, 5:11 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Theo are you still there?; 10/18/08, 5:12 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I dont thin k i spelled out the idea of a "record" i had i mind.

If sombody jumps in and joins the conversasione and the record seeker continues i do not believe that to be a breaking of the spirit of the blog.

this whole thing i cooked up myself to be able to do something somewhere were i felt i might be able ot do it.

Again Im sorry about the anatomical errors ;); 10/18/08, 5:23 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I believe the blog trumps watever somebody is atempting or wahtever.

Anns rules seem to me to be very lax, and people seem to obey them.

brings me to a Colombian film I liked called Maria full of grace.

the main prota goes back to Colombia where her friends ask her waht is it like? nueva york.

Her responce is - "son bien estrictos" they are very strict. behon the literal translation it means "they have litle mercy"

and of course its the opposite of my expirience and a lot of people I know.; 10/18/08, 5:36 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Think of this as an Althosian pilgrimage.

a chalenge.

it could evolve into a charity.

somehow.

if we can walk for charity why not blog for charity?; 10/18/08, 5:42 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I that "buy american" post what could be more amrican than a marathon web posting for charity.

its probably been done allready.; 10/18/08, 5:44 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: every post as a donation to an Alhouse charatity of her choosing.

did you know we are the most charitable people in the world?

Sometimes i get upset with people beating up on this country.

And then I have to stop myself, because its very likely just not waht waht it seems to me or they dont mean it to come across the mean way it sounds.; 10/18/08, 5:51 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Take Colbert for example. he has to try so hard to keep making the same joke i think it's behond him now.

Same thing with Orily. He starts pointing, no, jabing his finger and preaching I dont know how anybody can stand it. one thing is to be "right" about someting and share it another thing is to have a hight rated show and act on it. i see that SNL comedian go on his show - Dennis Miller and O'rielly dosent let him talk. I love Miller but I'm sorry i have to change the chanel.

and its not like Olberman is not abnocious iether. it's just that Olberman got better writers ;); 10/18/08, 6:03 AM
Anonymous said...: Warren Buffet? Warren Buffet??

The way my 401(k) looks this week, I may cash it out in order to have lunch with Buffet.; 10/18/08, 6:11 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The only Fox people I watch now is Brit Hume, and the son of the 60 minutes - Wallace on Sunday morning.

otherwise that Fox and Friends and their i dont know waht to call it. We know what you are going to say - media bias catch a democrat in a lie wahtever - but they want to sell it so bad they come across as phony - car salesmans.

evry little story of media bias or wahtever its like the discovery of america.

if people are watching you FOX - you allready have them - please dont treat people like you are on a saving soul evangelical mission.; 10/18/08, 6:14 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The way my 401(k) looks this week, I may cash it out in order to have lunch with Buffet.

The sad part is they would take it.

People pay a bundle to hear trum here at the Javit Center.

My brther went once and told me he would have done better to hand that money to the salvation army.; 10/18/08, 6:20 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I watched some oriely last night - he was off - he had waht's her name on. she had a decent contrarain on Hitchens. Oriely would never have Hitch on.

Of couse Hitch had a decent conversation with her Laura. she let him speak he let her speak.

Its not hard!; 10/18/08, 6:26 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I guess i got used to the firing line.

I'm spoiled rotten; 10/18/08, 6:28 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I remember Bucley had Ann Coulter on and for you to be on Firing Line I think you had to be an author.

So Ann is on pushing that book about the case for impeaching Clinton.; 10/18/08, 6:32 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Mind you this was in the first term i believe.

anyway I think my impression was that she believed that because she was a conservative had clerked for a conservative judge all she had to do was show up.; 10/18/08, 6:34 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Buckley slowly but surely started to question her stand on the powers of the presidency.

and the prestige of the presidency.; 10/18/08, 6:36 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Buckley nade it seem as though Ann Coulter had not been able to bestow in her own mind the pwer and prestige of the presidency upon its legitimate ocupant.; 10/18/08, 6:39 AM
AllenS said...: What caused this onslaught? Alcohol? Cocaine?; 10/18/08, 6:41 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I remember a history profe teaching me us this. once the people have spoken tru the vote that person whoever he or she (hopefully one day is) is our president wheater you voted for him/her or not.

we have one president, one congress and one supreme court and the people that put them ther are the United States of America.; 10/18/08, 6:44 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I was very lucky as a naturalised citizen to arrive in a state like Massachusets.

We (non english speaking) were given waht now i would call jaming english sesions because while we could not be in the regular classes they wanted us not fall behind.

the fist thing was a period of a week or so where we could be gaged were we were.; 10/18/08, 6:49 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: no test, just sit in a regular class or two while startin on the let's get you to speak english as fast as you possily can jamming sessions.; 10/18/08, 6:52 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Of course i was the sit in the back of the class because as soon as i can play it will be over student.

little did i know.

first for some reason as soon as i got here my vision slowly at first started to go.; 10/18/08, 6:55 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I had allway expected that some day I was going to be in the majors.

Like Ted Williams said If you can hit you dont have to wear a tie.; 10/18/08, 6:57 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: when my father took me to fenway we knew and i knew i was miopic.

but he had shown disapontment at the doctors, he had shown disapointmet at the school baseball games

so when he was happy at fenway and he picked me up.; 10/18/08, 7:01 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I bowd that i be a red sox for life.; 10/18/08, 7:02 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm still close to my father but i know that he knows i'm the son that could not see the ball. and because of that was sidelined.

I could not admit to myself that i could not see the ball utill about a year later.; 10/18/08, 7:06 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: My father had to leave us in the DR. and come here to make a bank account and waht not.

my mother asked him to leave me with her.

she's more that ok. there but my father refused. I was going to be a ball player.; 10/18/08, 7:10 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I dont know. things happen. and I believe my father did waht he thought was best for us me and my brothers and sisters.

Believe it or not I still feel lucky that we are here together as a family.; 10/18/08, 7:15 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: My own fear of admitting a flaw meade things harder for me.

I did not understand.; 10/18/08, 7:18 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Once i got over baseball i took avantafge of opprtunities available to me here en los estados unidos de america.

My mother was bitter so i was sent back to be with her for a while.

and then I decided I wanted to live here. i started to make my own decisions.; 10/18/08, 7:24 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I started to buy American; 10/18/08, 7:25 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: One of the ESL tapes in Lynn was the story of johnny cash and his battle with alchool in his own words.

I remember understanding some of it and later after i had graduated junior high i went back on some kind of visit about a game or something or other and i spotted the teacher and i asked her about those tapes she told me they no longer doing those courses but that the tapes had been transfered to the library.; 10/18/08, 7:35 AM
hdhouse said...: Well Warren....I'm not thrilled you are advising Obama. I'm not thrilled with you at all.

Watching your value system is a lot like watching CNBC...screw the country at large, if Wall Street is happy and stocks are up, that is my horizon.

Your socks smell the same as mine Warren...the real issue is do you still shop at K-mart for them on sale or what? Really?; 10/18/08, 7:36 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I went and listened as thought for the first time. i understood more.

My gut is that movie wtih Joackin did not do him justice.; 10/18/08, 7:39 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: What caused this onslaught? Alcohol? Cocaine?

Can you?

Personal Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcNiD0Z3MU; 10/18/08, 7:43 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I was in my own private Lem sorry some people posted and i wa too bussy in my own rapture?

Again i apoligise por mi falta de ortografia.

I dont undertand how is it that with less school back in the DR you would think i would spell better english.

no.

Mi espanol es ..dificil para mi darme un grado.

Si solo la profe hablara spanish.

Profesora?; 10/18/08, 7:53 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: waht about people that come here all the time.

it's waht ive done an embarassment?

Spill my gusts like taht.

I wanted to marathon post and my own life.,,

Yea get your own blog. Get m own blog.; 10/18/08, 8:03 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: pagina 137

Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery Hose was founded in the Year of the Wopper by a nail -touggh old chronic drug additc and achoholic who has spent the bulk of his adult life under the supervision of the massachusets department of coreections before dicovering his felowship of achoholics anonimus at MDC Walpole and undergoing a sudden ecperience of total self surrender and spiritual akeaning in the shower during his fourth month of continuosus AA sobriety.

For people who are not from around those parts Walpole is maximum security prison.

i quoted from
David Foster Wallace
INFINITE JEST - page 137

I reading this book and is as if I had needed to read it.; 10/18/08, 8:22 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Its dregin up things that i believe will help me.; 10/18/08, 8:24 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I like this blog because I don't think this lady, this American Lady, is available anywhere else.

even when i disagree with her, her short busrts are so good it can make anybody re-evaluate.

Ann is like the shuttle in orbit, firing only when necessary.; 10/18/08, 8:37 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Did I mention how beautiful the shuttle looks free in orbit.

I will stop here.; 10/18/08, 8:41 AM
Methadras said...: Little does Mr. Buffet tell you that the stock he buys is preferred stock with all kinds of lovely goodies attached to them.; 10/18/08, 9:32 AM
Unknown said...: Preferred stock is good choice if you're interested in income-generating instruments. I've owned a fair bit of preferred stock in my time. I'm sure Buffett has more access to it than most of us, but with a good broker it's worth a look.; 10/18/08, 10:42 AM
bleeper said...: Lem - what?; 10/18/08, 1:47 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Althouse:

Lem said this about you:

"I like this blog because I don't think this lady, this American Lady, is available anywhere else.
even when i disagree with her, her short busrts are so good it can make anybody re-evaluate.
Ann is like the shuttle in orbit, firing only when necessary."

Pretty damn good IMO. You should put at the top of your blog for a day.; 10/18/08, 9:22 PM