tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56998633942453564502012-02-15T23:07:49.886-08:00Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-25460385351631060312010-09-16T21:14:00.000-07:002010-09-16T21:19:25.840-07:00

Perhaps we should rewrite the preamble to the United States Constitution to better fit the condition of our "democracy."We the government of the United States, in Order to deform what was once a perfect Union, circumvent Justice, insure global unrest, provide for the profit of defense contractors, promote mass Welfare, and secure the illusion of liberty for our citizens and their Posterity, do

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-51977440085922281452009-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:002009-11-27T21:45:01.760-08:00

I'm reading a lot about how the free markets have failed and how we need to change this or that. Aside from it being total bull shit (that's how strongly I feel) in order to arrive at that conclusion you'd have to be either intellectually dishonest, ignorant, or possibly both. It's convenient to blame the current economic struggle on the failure of the "free market", however the market we have

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-55436678481807725222009-10-01T19:32:00.000-07:002009-10-01T19:42:54.317-07:00

Brian sent out an email with a link to this video, I wanted to post it here so that everyone could join in on the discussion that started brewing. I've integrated the disqus commenting system so hopefully it will add the the quality of our discussions.-Joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-37802561948359253562009-09-25T20:43:00.000-07:002009-09-25T20:44:31.529-07:00

The cost of consumerism is more than just the money wasted on unnecessary gadgets, trinkets, and toys. Perhaps the most egregious cost to bear is the misplaced capital, research, engineering, and production that would otherwise be dedicated to more meaningful products. By consuming "junk" we are signaling to manufacturers (both domestically and abroad) to allocate their production capacity as

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-31838383269468438682009-09-10T00:41:00.000-07:002009-09-10T09:53:34.950-07:00

It appears to be fashionable these days to complain about the status and cost of health care in America. At the risk of being labeled an apologist for the insurance industry (yes I despise them too, but I'll save that for a future post) a few inconsistencies struck me as odd. Primarily, I'd like to know how it is that people are unable afford health insurance yet are able to afford some or all

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-89392668431526973852009-08-02T11:42:00.000-07:002009-08-02T12:06:41.195-07:00

In an effort to pare down my library of books and make room for new volumes I have been listing duplicates, previously read, and books I no longer want for sale on Amazon. Interestingly enough I came across this passage from a 1st edition 1947 printing of Kenneth Roberts book "Lydia Bailey." Needless to say, it is no longer on the Amazon sell list. "I'm not over-enthusiastic about books that

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-72517214751187926522009-07-18T17:40:00.000-07:002009-07-24T23:55:17.719-07:00

Excellent insight into the housing/financial crisis, remarkably so given that is was first published in 1946, excerpted from the book "Economics in One Lesson," by Henry Hazlitt "The Case against government-guaranteed loans and mortgages to private businesses and persons is almost as strong as, though less obvious than, the case against direct government loans and mortgages. The advocates of

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-2316023412948900972009-07-17T23:59:00.001-07:002009-07-17T23:59:52.565-07:00

We are barely seven generations removed from what I consider to be the "greatest generation." The founding fathers, brothers, and sons who suffered immeasurably; sacrificing their lives, comfort, and wealth to make possible the freedoms that we, their spoiled and ignorant posterity now freely discard. I cringe each time I hear someone state "I don't get involved in politics" or other similar

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-23817637231298912192009-03-13T18:17:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:41:22.128-07:00

my comments are below the video. for anyone who listened to cramer in the past, his candid 2006 comments should come as no surprise. the guy ran a hedge fund managing billions of dollars for institutions, pensions, and the very wealthy. he did not (and should not) serve the average investor. stewart presents himself as a man of the people, yet it concerns me how he's directing his anger; at a

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-2522474856281823822009-03-12T20:13:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:42:12.150-07:00

trust. dictionary.com defines trust as the "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence". should we trust our government? if you examine and study the intentions of our nation's founding fathers i believe you will find they encouraged the opposite. why? perhaps because trust relaxes our natural defense mechanisms. if you trust someone or something

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-69133367357316898302009-03-12T19:21:00.000-07:002009-03-12T19:27:08.315-07:00

what's your take on john stossel's comments? -joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-33742226448469877242009-03-08T17:41:00.000-07:002009-03-20T09:42:26.807-07:00

what could be wrong with a government stimulus designed to employ people, build infrastructure, and get the economy out of a recession? well just as there are two sides to a coin, there is also a flip side to any money a government proposes to spend, that's what. clearly for those in a direct line to receive the stimulus money there's an immediate benefit. with the income they're able to make

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-77846309114045288392009-02-27T09:24:00.000-08:002009-03-20T09:42:56.580-07:00

thanks to dan for passing this along... it is possible to actually make money from the collapse of the dollar. more on this later.-joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-16796066491217660712009-02-26T20:20:00.000-08:002009-03-20T09:43:13.945-07:00

thanks to jay for this link...it's a little sensational but gets the message across: The Biggest Scam in History

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-55537298472939170532009-02-26T10:50:00.000-08:002009-02-26T11:36:26.113-08:00

i found this on bencasnocha.com apparently there are others having difficulty understanding how re-inflating the credit bubble is a solution to our economic woes. this is how Ben introduced the video to his readers:"Congressman Peter Stark (D - California) represents all that is great about American politicians: humility, wide-ranging and mature vocabulary, and a genuine warm-heartedness

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-41685568415487102752009-02-23T08:11:00.000-08:002009-02-23T08:24:42.092-08:00

Yale Economist Robert Schiller that's who. I was especially amused by the reminisce at the end of the video about the actions FDR took during the great depression to support agricultural prices. -joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-33930243898224473792009-02-22T18:16:00.000-08:002009-02-22T18:18:09.004-08:00

While listening to a podcast some time ago I heard the following comment: "the economy is suffering from a global savings glut", what struck me as odd was the use of the terms suffering and savings in the same sentence. I can think of many things I (we) suffer from, but a savings glut is not one of them. As I began to ponder that statement a few thoughts stuck in my mind:America doesn't save so

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-50157555904999236352009-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:002009-01-27T20:15:30.865-08:00

what do you think? -joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-76091946543173182292009-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:002009-01-17T12:31:41.423-08:00

Warren Buffet once remarked that we (Americans) won life's lottery by being born in the United States, and while it is true we are experiencing significant economic turmoil there are very few places in the world where life is as easy as we have it. I'm willing to criticize the .gov as much as the next guy (or gal) but let us not forget how we got in this situation; we took out the mortgages and

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-91331367378709031642008-12-16T14:56:00.000-08:002008-12-16T14:58:50.545-08:00

This pretty much says it all. Thanks to CM and BK for the heads up, sorry if it offends you.-joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-92218030210405113192008-12-15T13:25:00.001-08:002008-12-15T15:16:45.861-08:00

Parables and quotes are often an effective way to make complex situations more easily understood. Take the case of the how the smart guys on Wall Street and Washington whose "risk management tools" and "economic philosophy" resulted in our current situation. Their errors can be clarified with a quote by the great boxer and intellectual Mike Tyson: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-60820903072990546892008-12-12T07:42:00.000-08:002008-12-12T09:05:01.023-08:00

Spring turns to Summer,Summer turns to Fall,Fall turns to Winter.Cycles are a natural part of life, for everything there is a season. For most cycles we accept this as fact and act accordingly (think shorts in the summer, coats in winter)except when they apply to economic cycles. Since the great depression we the people have determined that natural economic cycles cannot be tolerated, that the

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-37370738107130126622008-12-08T20:55:00.000-08:002008-12-08T21:03:21.344-08:00

if you haven't read "The Black Swan" or "Fooled by Randomness" here is an excellent intoduction to the author Nassim Nicholas Taleb: An interview on the Charlie Rose show on 12/3/08. A special thank you to bk for alerting me.-joe

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-1856514403603761792008-12-02T21:37:00.000-08:002008-12-02T23:01:33.445-08:00

it's becoming increasingly apparent that true wealth, lasting wealth is not created through financial gimmickry but in actual productivity and production capacity. i question the relevance of our manufacturing base, we simply aren't as good at it as we once were. our once great production prowess and efficiency contributed to the allied victory in WW2, yet a mere 50 years later the very titans

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-14027775507418932512008-11-12T21:41:00.000-08:002008-11-12T21:54:43.949-08:00

As I was watching the news today I saw a playback of good ol' Hammerin' Hank Paulson's press conference from earlier in the day. When he was asked about the balance of the 350 billion bailout, er rescue package and when it might be tapped he said something about ...when we get the next three-fifty...blah, blah, blah. He really said three-fifty. Not three hundred and fifty BILLION, but just

bkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04999857557504026582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-76854520462822399152008-11-03T20:13:00.000-08:002008-11-03T20:41:07.358-08:00

Does it seem like virtually all discussion that takes place in this country is done through the prism of how we label one another?"you're a big goverment liberal jerk""you're a right wing neo con evangelical pig"...and so forth.It's really interesting to discuss ideas without labels. Since I actually started reading and thinking (since I turned my TV off 8 months ago) I've lost interest in easy

bkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04999857557504026582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-40125392762127120302008-11-02T23:10:00.000-08:002008-11-02T23:17:35.772-08:00

what does it say about our country when NBC's "special coverage" of the presidential election is done as a parody by comedians? (the Saturday Night Live cast) i have to admit that the show will likely be humorous, however it's no laughing matter that this airtime will likely garner a higher rating than the presidential debates. we may not get what we expect from our elected officials, but we

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-8295471786972178812008-11-01T22:04:00.000-07:002008-11-01T22:54:41.055-07:00

i'm going to make the bold assumption that a significant number of credit scores will be damaged in the coming months. like most things in life institutions are forever attempting to rationalize human nature and reduce it to a perfectly logical math equation. an algorithm can not consistently nor accurately predict irrational human behavior, especially during times of crisis (just ask the guys

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5699863394245356450.post-20800382338894019022008-11-01T16:45:00.000-07:002008-12-03T19:50:29.932-08:00

To the people of America. For too long now we have allowed politicians and special interest groups to steer our country into oblivion. The time is at hand to wake up, take responsibility, and demand accountability from our elected officials. At it's current rate our federal deficit will broach the TEN TRILLION dollar mark before the end of 2008.What does this mean to you?It means that if

Joseph Graveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00907474452351415750noreply@blogger.com1