Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

[rmptr]

Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

I browsed through financial/business news this evening and noted how Warren Buffet's Berkshire A had lost about half it's value and is now trading at the same price if you had bought about six years ago.

There's just so much I don't know about stock market trading, yet even if someone earned dividends over that period of time, I'm wondering if the amount kept pace with actual inflation on the ground, minus the adjustment of taxes.

I can't recall exactly, yet six years ago I was paying a buck and a half for a gallon of milk, 60 cents for a dozen eggs, and a home was probably 1/3 the cost of more recent prices... which you CAN'T get...

I'm wondering just how smart those fellows really are, and how much was contrived, that DC people are asking us to bail out these days.

I had heard Bill Gates and W. Buffet were buddies. At least enough that Warren gave a bunch of his money to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation so they could take what they earned from us to send it to african kids who didn't have computers in their school.

Then the article today claimed Bill owns a third of Warren's Berkshire A and maybe an eigth of the B.
It kinda looks like Bill mighta taken quite a bath, here. Half of what was is now vaporized.
I just don't know...
What if Bill just pumped his extra money over to Warren to keep him looking good so other people would stand in awe of Warren's manipulative acumen in the marketplace. That would have done little more that further inflate the bubble and make things even worse!

Elsewhere, (but not very far!), investigators and accountants claim Bernie Madoff hasn't used a dime of investor's money to actually buy a share of stock in thirteen years! Amazing.

Somehow, that Texas billionaire, Allen Stanford the Cricket King who wangled a peerage from Antigua and Barbudos, has just GOT to be connected with Madoff and them other swizzlers!

I just can't figgure how..

Maybe one day someone will explain all this stuff to me.

Best
rmptr

 

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[Lowbatts]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Add them all up and they don't account to 1% of what Uncle Sam has flushed past our upturned faces in broad view over the last 20 years. Well, for that matter what Uncle Sam has flushed in the last week with a single stroke of the pen.

Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mac have several trillion in mortgages under wraps? Not sure there's that much real estate in the whole country. But oh boy we gotta ponie up for it. So it can continue.

 

[rmptr]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Also, yesterday, I saw a very short news clip describing how Mexico sold some of our notes on the open market because they needed to prop up the peso.

...which somewhat devalued the dollar, depending upon how much it was they actually sold off.

This is how it will happen. (I think.)
Other countries holding our debt will dump it, because they can no longer hold our 'promise to pay' and must actually 'be paid' to remain afloat, themselves.

H Klinton is in China... THIS morning, the news blast is that she says 'We must work closer with China'.

Now does that mean more bailout, and the moey going to China?
...So they can keep their people at work in the factories making all kinds of plastic thingies which we could continue buying on credit?
If those billions of people don't have work, their riots are gonna get worse.
China government just won't be able to control THAT many upset people...
We are much more easily controlled because we are complacent and comfortable in our system.

Ha! I'm trying to figure the angles WHY govt is passing out $40 so ALL of us can have digital TV at home.
Even Oprah is pitching it! That's BIG!
It's GOT to be programming of the children with bogus tripe on an incessant daily basis....

Anyhow, 'work closer with China' definitely would mean any sort of manufacturing is NOT going to come back to OUR country. We can't compete with their lower paid workers. NOT possible.

My state just passed their new budget to cover their debt... I guess we're in for a whole new raft of taxes.

I don't know if they would actually let people leave, anymore.
We might all be hostages!

I just don't know...

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

I'd love to disagree with you, but can't find any argument. I'm pretty sure we are going to be demonized as the bad guys when all those economies our markets have created start to fold. I am very torqued on the notion we have to prop up other economies to save our own, when we can't stop Uncle Sam from giving the store away.

Trade war scenarios? India vs. China, then Pakistan takes advantage to go into India, then we're all in. Europe tries to sit out but gets pulled in from their own interest in keeping fuel lines from the mid-east open as Iran decides the world stage is too busy to notice their move on taking the King of the Hill stance westward?

Then our great friend in Venezuela siezes the opportunity to take Colombia, setting up the domino effect as Mexico dives into full-on revolution and finally, we have to elect a real war-time set of representatives or melt.


eh, how bad can it get?
(famous last words) that's FLW for future reference.

 

[GPURS]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Jesus Christ!! You guys just ruined a really nice buzz that I had going !!! Gpurs..

 

[rmptr]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Jesus Christ!! You guys just ruined a really nice buzz that I had going !!! Gpurs..

Ha! Ha!

I was wonderin' where you been...
and I checked on your updates...
Just go back to CRH.

We've nearly got the worlds problems solved!

I'll post you for approval on the final draft.


rmptr

 

[rmptr]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Y'know, (to the group), it's the little things that tend to bother me.

What news is selected for presentation, and even the impact it is delivered with.

Makes a big difference.

Today, for the first time, I just heard that Levitt Homes had filed for bankruptcy... November of last year!

Gosh, Levitt is THE icon of the suburbs. It was their baby. They made a whole new lifestyle possible.

I really do feel if news was reported responsibly, we would all have a better clue of what is really going on around us. We could deal with things better, and make better preparations for what might be next.

Well, Carl Denninger is looking for a significant spike in the stock market before another low swoon.
Might be a chance to make a few bucks for those playing that game... I couldn't do it!

...I've read that in parts of China a construction boom is still continuing at a furious pace.
For every occupied apartment, they are building three more, even when 2 out of 3 are vacant.
Shopping malls are fully stocked with high priced goods and full of sales staff, with NO buyers!
The observer/reporter saw this, place after place, and felt it was almost some sort of theatric presentation.

Interesting...
It's been a while now, since our secretary of state sat on the wallymart board...

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Just don't see it myself. We have building after building going up around here. Wife works in one of the higher-priced grocers on the weekend, and man are they selling the canolis. Don't have neighbors losing their homes. Neighbors next door just bought a huge old Gray Lady to rehab and live in.

Of course the neighbors, at fence time or shoveling time, pass about the word about how bad things are, they watch the big network news also. But they're still working, getting raises, promotions, etc...

Sure, they know there's a crisis, TV says so.

Big market correction in '87, some thought it demonstrated the need for major changes. As the 90's wore on, all of a sudden mom and pop had this newfound ability to participate daily in their own future, through the internet and their market funds. Drove the market to new heights amid specualtion over the influx of all things capital. Clinton left office as we were experiencing another market correction, the tech stock crash.

At the same time, throughout the 90's we saw jobs pouring out of this country, helped fuel the "Bush recession" as much as 911. But didn't last, just took most of those two terms to note a slow increase back to higher levels than should have been supported by reality.

Last year, as news of problems in housing and banking started rolling up on us, the market started toward the correction cycle again. Apparently we are no longer comfortable with waiting for it to return on it's own so both Bush and Obama went nuts with the expectation that everyone benefits when government spends.

What they don't do however is put the oneus of the debt on goernmetn psending, instead, theyare going after private spenders and investors like rabid dogs, with a media looking a lot like that pig with a ring in it's nose. Problem here is the private investor risks only his own money or that which he is in charge of in bad decisions. Pension fund managers should be held to account for their apparent lack of concern over their willingness to take risks on monies they guaranteed.

Bankers on the other hand are only doing what they have been taught in the highest levels of modern business thought. CYA and TCOB, I come first. Local banks don't invest in managers like big banks do. That's why so many small banks, community banks and local centers are not in the mess the big banks are in, they are directly responsbile to the clients right there in hometown USA.

The government risks the very fabric of our society and our future by recklessly wasting money we cannot ever get back or see any return on investment from. The bigger government gets, the more wasteful it gets.

 

[GPURS]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Jesus Christ!! You guys just ruined a really nice buzz that I had going !!! Gpurs..

Ha! Ha!

I was wonderin' where you been...
and I checked on your updates...
Just go back to CRH.

We've nearly got the worlds problems solved!

I'll post you for approval on the final draft.


rmptr

Funny stuff Rich !!
Yea, I found that it is better for me to stay out of the more cerebral discussions(like this one). Seems as though all I did was find myself in the middle of heated arguements, and it seems like there are enough of those going on right now .
With that said, I have tried to keep up on your latest postings. As you know, I find you to be one of the more informed and interesting contributors here,,,,,, in spite of the fact that occasionally you can drift a little to far out. But even then, I need some of that stuff for a well balanced diet .
I was glad to see that the boys up in Sacramento got all the budget stuff straightened out for ya! I was getting worried....
I guess I'll go back to sliding disks across the kitchen table now ..
Oh, I've been working on figuring out this digital camera I got. Learning the tricks to posting pictures and such. It ain't easy for a techno phobe like myself .
Good luck to ya, Gpurs....

 

[rmptr]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

Well that's great Lowbatts,
Some areas are less affected than others, yet I feel all shall become caught up in the mess, this time.
(That would mean you have time to prepare for what is upon many of us.)

I just read, minutes ago that while the Big Apple is bleeding, DC is all roses and enjoying growth!
(Actually, that's kind of scary!)

All I know is what I see, hear, and read.
My state here is known to be the eighth largest economy on the planet.
I can relay observation from my area.

Five foreclosures in the immediate area, 1/3 vacancy in commercial centers, two car dealerships closed, three boat dealers, a dozen mortgage companies, and many more real estate offices empty.
Work has halted on a dozen housing projects I know of, mid swing!
A coffee shop I go to no longer keeps aps to hand out, staffing cut back.
There's obvious newer upscale autos at the discount market I shop at.
HD parking lot was almost empty last week. More employees than customers on the floor inside!
And yes, I've been out of work for a while again, with no prospects.

Actually, I'm figgerin' on a couple different ventures that I hope will generate a little to keep the ship afloat.
Can't just go fishin while the ship founders!

Fishing's been off for a while, govt regs high, and costs too expensive.

Lowbatts, if you see light at the end of the tunnel, I've sure got my eyes open for good reports!

Best
rmptr

 

[Mental Granny]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

I just want to know why they are still yelling when they are still getting good saleries and bonus have private plans vacations redecorating and cutting employees, and THEY are getting the goberment bailout money! Even if they only cut their money a little! Maybe they had to get rid of one side line

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Buffet & Gates, Madoff & Stanford

My point is what should be a normal market correction, with some real government response to the failures it has created, should be played out, not forced upon all of us because someone has declared it a crisis and that's the only mentality being allowed to play out.

The "crisis" such as it is looks little different from the era when American steel went under to foreign steel, then the American auto got beaten down by the foreign auto, home electronics, appliances, so on and so on.

Right now the "Green Revolution" is the coming technology and has ready markets. It simply hasn't hit it's full stride yet.

Of course we all remember how those Japanese beat our pants off in the 80's with the cell phone being the only American market that beat them. Our government through it's regulatory powers and restrictive legislation, our courts through their litigous zealotry and our schools through their lack of fundamental sciences programs all continue to work against the notion of made in America as a standard of excellence.

All this precludes the additional weight of poor managerial skills and corporate preoccupation with top-heavy-everything to rob us of our manufacturing might.

I could be way off however, maybe we all just need more "networking" classes, but I think Carnegie, Ford, Edison and even Walton would ask what the hell does that mean?