2008.12.05
Friday open thread
"Sometimes people are layered like that. There's something totally different underneath than what's on the surface."
"And sometimes there's a third, even deeper level, and that one is the same as the top surface one. ... Like with pie."
How many layers do you have today?
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Reminds me of a bit from Shrek.
Ogre: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Ogre: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Ogre: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave 'em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs.
Ogre: No! Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody likes onions.
Comment by Other John — December 5, 2008 @ 10:40 am
Merry Christmas employees...here's your bonus complete with a nice new pink slip of paper to decorate your tree this year. We love you here at the company!
Ok, so it doesn't have anything to do with the layers thing, but seeing as how it seems that half of the breaking news over the past 2 weeks has been about layoffs, it's sadly fitting.
Comment by Other John — December 5, 2008 @ 10:42 am
I wish people would just admit the reason for the tanking economy is the bad loans of the housing market.
The democratic party pushed and pushed for these and now look.
I guess we all get what we deserve.
The only proble is now the dem's are in control and talking about baleing evryone out, fighting a war on 2 fronts, health care etc.....
Can someone please tell me where all this money is going to come from.
We are in deep.
Comment by HERB KREBS — December 5, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5OUdj_YIpo
Bill Richardson calls Obama "an immigrant".
I'm sure he got a call from the President-Elect office, "No more help, Bill. Thanks"
Comment by Henry — December 5, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
I don't get the layers...but I take your point on the sad tidings, Other John. I would like to know if anyone (journalists, economists, the government, Whistle Blowers) every tells us what those companies did (if anything) BEFORE they decided they had to lay-off people for the holidays? My guess is that with private business especially, you cannot know if they are using the economy as a convenient excuse. How can we recover if jobs are the answer and jobs keep going away. Over and over again we were reminded and cautioned that "Obama is not a Messiah" and yet, can anything else save us? Bad news follows itself every day and the fear is real, are there solutions? If the big three announce major furloughs, can panic be far behind?
Comment by Sandi Saunders — December 5, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
Herb,
you might want to read a couple of articles that have a different perspective on the crisis.
http://www.pri.org/business/subprime-mortgages-not-solely-to-blame.html
and,
http://www.newsweek.com/id/169160
and,
http://www.newsweek.com/id/162789
(And before you pounce on the source, I have a lot more.)
If they are not already, I'm sure people are going to get tired of me saying "thing are just not that simple". I will keep saying it - as much as we like to assign blame and describe issues in neat little packages "things are just not that simple".
Comment by Joe (not the plumber) — December 5, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
Joe,
If you notice your first source it says not solely.
It was the start and the biggest key in this economy mess we are in now.
Was there other factors, sure there was, but we need to call out people like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.
They are the main culprets(criminals) of this mess.
Comment by HERB KREBS — December 5, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Herb, I am sure Senators you labeled as "criminals" bear some, maybe even a great deal of blame, but to accuse them or even "the Democrats" solely is to show more of your bias and disdain than the actual facts bear out. If insulting makes you happy and refusing to look at facts keeps you informed, have at it, but don't expect the rest of us to cave. We know better.
http://housingdoom.com/2008/12/01/the-bush-administration-ignored-warnings-of-mortgage-risk/
Comment by Sandi Saunders — December 5, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
Other John,
You know, I think parfait might be the most delicious thing on the planet!
Comment by Ed S. — December 5, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Ed S., Everybody loves a parfait!
Comment by Other John — December 5, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
Herb,
The larger point of the articles I cited was that the legislation you lay solely at the feet of democrats (not completely correct) was not the cause of the sub-prime problem.
Comment by Joe (not the plumber) — December 5, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
Why should be careful when you put on the internet.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/04/one_more_question.html
Whoops. Groping a cardboard effigy of the future Secretary of State can be a career-limiting move. Posting it on Facebook even more so.
Comment by Henry — December 5, 2008 @ 3:01 pm