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Paying it Forward With a Book

So this is really cool…

I pre-ordered Seth Godin‘s new book Tribes through Amazon. It’s not supposed to come out until October 16th, but I received the book in the mail today. Odd.

Folded inside the book was a letter thanking me for pre-ordering his book on faith. This book, the one I received today, is an advanced copy. I’ll still be receiving the one I ordered when the book is officially released, and Seth would like for me to give that copy to someone in my Tribe, or at least someone I want to be in my Tribe. What a brilliant idea, and what a great way to say thanks.

So it’s up for grabs! You don’t have to put a bone through your nose or get tattoos on your face to be in my Tribe (although you’ll get bonus points), just leave a comment or write a post that links here from your blog letting me know you would like the book. I’ll choose to give it to someone based on nothing more than my own judgment and, of course, spite where applicable.

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$700B Well Spent

I’m not one to take a one day sampling of the stock market and make a “see-I-told-you-so” snap reaction.  It’s pretty unreasonable to think what happened in Congress on Friday would have much of an impact today–the assumption of the passage of the bailout was already priced into the market.  But the reaction to today’s drop is fast and furious, so I thought I’d join in with some snark.

Dow dips below 10,000—Maybe the market realized over the weekend that its new business partner is the US Federal Government?

Should the Fed cut interest rates?–That sounds like a good idea…let’s rig the system so that we can borrow our way out of this.  Why didn’t someone think of that before?

Global markets affected by the credit crisis–Duh.  Easy fix–just set up some sort of central banking system.  Better yet, let’s set up several.

The biggest irony of all–we continue to look to the people who cause problems to solve them and wonder why things don’t get better.  My favorite phrase is being thrown around by fear mongers is “uncertain economic times”.  When have we ever lived in certain economic times?

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Damn It Feels Good To Be a Gangsta

Or a Senator.  Or an investment banker.  Some levity is needed.  I took the liberty of posting the censored version so you can be liberal with the volume at work.

All I gotta say to you wanna-be, gonna-be, bailout-backin’, pork-packin’ prankstas–when the Ѕңїτ jumps off what the ╒ủČК you gonna do?

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

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You Don’t Want This Turd?

How about if I smear it all over something you do want?

Blue Collar Muse has the details on how the Senate is making an attempt to cram the bailout rescue down our throats (again) by attaching the bill to one that everyone is bound to vote for.

So they are trying another well known and highly effective tactic from the Congressional medical bag to revive the patient, attach the dead bill to a live bill that everyone likes and use the life force from the popular bill to revive the chances of the dead one.

I am a little amused that it seems like the most liberal and most conservative are coming down on the same side on this issue.  They may have different reasons, but the end result is the same.

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Mark To Market Clarification From the SEC

Before we start writing checks, can we give this a chance to work?

The SEC is not telling holders of hard-hit mortgage-backed securities that they can willy-nilly slap any value on them they want.

What the SEC is saying is: You can take other factors into account when valuing them.

Balance sheets should be changing.  Lots of smoke and mirrors, but no tax dollars.  I think that’s worth a shot.