Brent Nyitray
Fairlington Blade
Let the mutherfuker burn!
jnc4p
Kevin S. Willis
Michigoose
lmsinca
markinaustin
Arcanaut
novahockey
quarterback
ScottC
yellojktMorning, all. Sorry I missed yesterday completely. My work day totally exploded and I worked late and then tumbled straight to bed. Some days are just like that.
I have nothing more important on my mind yet than coffee, and I have not yet had a chance to partake of that or to review all of the posts from yesterday. What a great way to spend my early Saturday morning!
Filed under: Uncategorized |
All Things in Moderation 
qb/lms/Mark (brought forward):re Glass-SteagallThe merits of keeping investment banking and commercial/retail banking separate can be argued, but the repeal of G/S had nothing to do with what happened in '08. Just consider the failed institutions: Bear Stearns, investment bank. Lehman Brothers, investement bank. Merrill Lynch, investment bank. AIG, insurance company. The big commerical banks that also engaged in investment banking activities were largely OK, and indeed some of them took over a couple of the failing IB's (JPM/Bear, BoA/Merrill). In fact, remember that both Goldman and Morgan Stanley were converted into commercial banks in order to give them access to short-term liquidity that they otherwise would not have had, thus ensuring their survival. Again, the merits of G-S can certainly be debated, but the specter of 2008 can't really be sensibly used as part of it.
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ScottHave you ever heard Phil Angelides talk about the 2008 crash. He claims (if I remember) that the repeal of G-S is what allowed the growth of the shadow banking industry which was largely unregulated and grew size in and scope to overwhelm the regulated side of the banking industry. Was WaMu an investment bank or a savings bank?
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edit: grew in size and scopeI don't have time this morning to search for links, as we're leaving soon but I wouldn't mind researching this more and refreshing my memory.
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Here's a conversation starter. No link, it's just a piece in full from CNN.A new CNN poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans still believe in a woman’s right to choose, with 78 percent of respondents saying that they want abortion to remain legal under any circumstances or under certain circumstances. Just 21 percent said they would support outlawing abortion under all circumstances. The numbers are almost unchanged from a year ago — despite the concerted efforts of conservatives to severely restrict access to abortion on the state level. Seventy-seven percent of Americans identified themselves as pro-choice in in 2009 and support has remained consistent over the last five years.
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Charles Krauthammer weighs in on the SS/Ponzi debate, making exactly the same points I have tried (unsuccessfully) to make to banned days ago on PL.So what’s the difference? Ponzi schemes are illegal, suggested one of my colleagues on Inside Washington.But this is perfectly irrelevant. Imagine that Charles Ponzi had lived not in Boston but in the lesser parts of Papua New Guinea where the securities and fraud laws were, shall we say, less developed. He runs his same scheme among the locals — give me (“invest”) one goat today, I’ll give (“return”) you two after six full moons — but escapes any legal sanction. Is his legal enterprise any less a Ponzi scheme? Of course not.But take note how CK ends his column:Of course it’s a Ponzi scheme. So what? It’s also the most vital, humane, and fixable of all social programs. The question for the candidates is: Forget Ponzi — are you going to fix Social Security?
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Hi, lms. I'm still catching up on yesterday's comments here, but it sounds like there is no emergency re your daughter? I'll be watching for news on this and do hope all is well.Morning, scott. Also still reading these discussions. As you well know, this is not in my area of anything even approaching expertise. You seem to be arguing for literally zero government regulation of banking, or any other business for that matter. Intuitively, that strikes me as not just wrong, but 180 wrong. If you can be patient with a novice, I will have some questions later, time permitting (I have to get to work at some point today).
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Oops. Scott, my 6:16AM comment was in response to yours at 5:45AM. Did not see your later comment re Ponzi at the time I posted mine.
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lms, kev, and scott, check your email re john/banned : (
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lms:No, I haven't heard Phil Angelides. WaMu was a savings and loan association which, as far as I am aware, collapsed due to its traditional banking activities (mortgage lending), not any investment banking activities.A new CNN poll finds that an overwhelming majority of Americans still believe in a woman’s right to choose, with 78 percent of respondents saying that they want abortion to remain legal under any circumstances or under certain circumstances. Just 21 percent said they would support outlawing abortion under all circumstances.Or, put another way, an overwhelming number of Americans do not believe in a woman's unrestricted "right to choose", with 74% percent of respondents saying that they want abortion to be illegal at least under certain circumstances, and only 25% want it legal under all circumstances.See page 4.
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okie:I'm definitely not arguing for no regulations of banking. I was just pointing out that the repeal of Glass Steagall can't sensibly be blamed for 2008. Again, there may be good reasons for G-S, but preventing the economic collapse of 2008 isn't one of them.
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qb:Bummer.
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scott, thanks for the clarification.Not to beat the drum about PL, but I am so glad we can even have this discussion without my being berated for acknowledging your existence.
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I meant to post a Joke of the Day again, but forgot. So here goes:An engineer, a chemist, and an economist are stranded on a deserted island. They haven't eaten any decent food in days, when a large can of peaches washes up on shore. The only trouble is how to open the can. The engineer say "Well, if we hit it with a rock at just the right angle with just the right force, the top will pop open." The chemist says "No, we should heat the can first, which will alter the makeup of the tin and make it easier to open."The economist says "Assume we have a can opener…."
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Scott, thanks for the link to the CNN poll itself but don't you find it at least a little bit interesting that some of the most anti-choice rhetoric we're hearing from the right is only supported by 21%? Most people are a little more conflicted and open than that 21%. I'll spend some time this afternoon or tomorrow morning researching the Angelides comments and the report.
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OkieI haven't heard from her yet this morning, but she should be fine. She developed an infection from the burst cyst so they kept her overnight to monitor and get a head start on antibiotics in an abundance of caution. I'm just glad this didn't happen last week when she was out in the middle of nowhere.
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Morning, michi. Get.Out.Of.My.Head. I had been thinking a FAQ sheet like you envision would be helpful to all of us, and especially to new folks as they join. If you get it started, we could all add to it. Thanks.Good joke, scott!
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michiI like your idea of a FAQ link. Go for it and then others like scott and or Kevin could add to it as well. Don't look at me, I'll be one of the ones reading it.
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Shrink2 says, "well have any of you had thoughts of hurting yourselves or anyone else?"
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This is weird. Even if I refresh before commenting, a new comment will show up after I have posted. Anybody else experiencing this? I am refreshing my browser, so maybe I should be refreshing via different method?lms, glad to hear that news about your daughter.
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infection from a burst ovarian cyst?that doesn't sound right, very serious if true
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Jerzy, huh? Are you confusing us with your other elite clientele?
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Mich:On embedding a link into text:This: <"a" href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/09/15/rel15e.pdf">A link to the CNN abortion poll<"/a">…will look like this:A link to the CNN abortion poll…if you get rid of the quotation marks around the "a" and the "/a" right at the beginning and the end, inside the <>. The quotation marks around the URL itself, after "href=" have to stay.
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it was supposed to be appended to Scott's joke, but it missed the boat
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Michi,Yes, he said flattered and appreciative but spending too much time already and will probably stick with Greg. I replied to him, promising not to try to talk him into it and then slyly pitching him anyway. I sent my reply to lms, kev and scott, and they can share more widely if they want.A faq is a good idea that crossed my mind, too. Be sure to include "do not check 'stay signed in' if your comment box is missing. There is an "insert link" button on the edit page that lets you turn text into a link. You just highlight the text, hit the button, and paste or type the url into the box that pops up. Super easy. (What I am ignorant about is tinyurl.)
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I agree with lms's point re the CNN poll and abortion, and would classify both her and Scott's interpretations as "only 21% of respondents want what 100% of the Republican leadership appearing on TV claim the American people want." I do believe that we are a fairly Libertarian nation on about 75% of the issues–it's the remaining 25% that we argue about.And I found the CK piece interesting. It makes me think that "Ponzi scheme" is becoming a dog whistle/meme rather than an actual point of departure for a debate.
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Thanks, jerzy. I am relieved to hear that. And it is funny.
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That should have said: "do not check 'Stay Signed In'" …
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thanks scott that makes sense, and I agree, it is good to be able to acknowledge the existence of anyone I choose without being excoriated by anyone else
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QB, go to tinyurl.comfollow super easy instructionspresto
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lms:don't you find it at least a little bit interesting that some of the most anti-choice rhetoric we're hearing from the right is only supported by 21%?No more or less interesting than that some of the most pro-choice rhetoric we hear from the left is supported by only 25%. Most people are a little more conflicted and open than that 21%. I totally agree, which is why I think Roe needs to be overturned, so that states can go back to establishing policies that are more in line with the moderated thinking of most people rather than the extreme position foisted upon them by the Supreme Court.
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Just a quick hi to all, then out the door for the day. Only got to briefly scan through yesterday, so:Ims, best wishes to your daughter. I had two of those bursting ovarian cysts when I was in my 20's (two separate episodes), and it was quite painful. Michi, I had no idea you sold your house. Congrats! Closure (and closing!!) is a good thing. Kevin, thanks for wiring up the new URL. I'm hopeful it will solve my issue come Monday. :o)A leisurely weekend would be wonderful right now. Sadly, no rest for the wicked, I guess.
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Mark has put up an interesting new post: The Financial Crisis was a Perfect Storm whose Elements are Known.
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Scott, is that html mumbo jumbo a different way of doing the same thing I described above with the "insert link" button? I feel like such a bonehead with this tech stuff.
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qb:There is an "insert link" button on the edit page that lets you turn text into a link.Yes, using HTML in a post is made much easier by the editor. Unfortunately, if you want to use it in a comment, you have to do it long hand.BTW, if you go to the editor, you can often figure out how to do things long-hand by using the buttons, and then clicking on the "Edit HTML" tab at the top right of the text box. that will show you the actual HTML written out the long way. The editor is actually very useful, making things as easy for novices, but open to more complex things for experienced users.
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qb:same thing as the button. The button just does it for you.
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okie, Yes, it might be. I don't know whether it is unique to IE7, but it certainly is a problem with it. My firm laptop is stone age, I guess. Scott was having the same issue at work, and TMW was having it, too. You should only have to leave the box unchecked if your comment box is missing.
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scott, are you saying we can build a comment in the new post editor and then cut/paste it in a comment box?
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shrink, I know but they seem to have it under control as she was in ER very fast. I'll know more later and the ramifications going forward may be less than desirable. My cousin is on his way to the hospital now and I'm not leaving here until I receive a medical update. Nurses station said she had a good night and fever was reduced, they're drawing blood again this morning so we'll know more later. I'm not one to borrow trouble. We're used to having the unusual be more along the lines of mainstream here, luck of the draw I guess.
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Good morning!I've got empty mind syndrome this morning and don't have anything much to say. I have a lot I should deal with this weekend and blogs are something of a tempting distraction.But keep at it everyone and I'll lurk from time to time.
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Scott–loved the joke! It reminds me of one about three chemists, but that is truly esoteric humor (it requires having taken a couple of semesters of physical chemistry, and usually falls flat on the floor and just lays there). Shrink's addendum was good, too.I'll get to work on the FAQ sheet and have something to show you all by the end of the weekend. . . assuming I don't pack up my computer by accident in the flurry.okie, I've experienced the Magic Post Phenomenon that you describe (that's how I accidentally dissed Scott last night and made him feel like chopped liver). I've taken to composing my comment in Notepad or Word, hitting F5 to refresh the web site and see if there are any new comments, and then copying and pasting into the comment box.Good morning, MsJS!
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qb: " I feel like such a bonehead with this tech stuff."Meh, don't. That's why God invented the IT Help Desk. LOL
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He of many names (ie shrink):scott, are you saying we can build a comment in the new post editor and then cut/paste it in a comment box?yes, that should work. Although I am not sure if all HTML commands will work in the comments. bold, italics, and links definitely work. I haven't tried anything else.
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Glad to see you here either way, MsJS. I for one am a fan of your comments.I will undoubtedly be in and out today — must take son to movie, watch football, work, etc. — and tomorrow will be out all day with church and family reunion. And did I ever mention we have new puppies. Oh my.
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shrink:One thing…if you do try that, make sure you copy the text out of the "Edit HTML" tab and not out of the "Compose" tab. You need to copy the long-hand HTML text.
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I understood from a previous comment by kevin that only bold, italics and href work in the comments.Morning, MsJS. Very glad you've joined! I too am now out for most of the day and will be checking in periodically.
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Lulu, that is a bfd, as you know and she is lucky, as septic shock can be lethal, obviously. Talk about dodging one. All the critique of modern medicine seems pretty academic, if not boring, when this happens. My wife would be dead x2 and Id've no kids if not for crash C sections, both times the placenta abrupted near term. Her hct the first time was 9 (normal is 40) and I almost drove through the ER sally port the blood was pouring out so fast. I'd called ahead at 0230 a whole surgical team was ready for her, a very, very close call. When something goes really wrong a lot of things have to go right.
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sue,I like the help desk people, I just can't figure out why the hordes of IS people seem to believe that I work for them and for their benefit. (And of course why they intentionally make everything not work!) Maybe I'll come up with a joke about that.Another techie question: I thought we could edit published comments (so I don't have to correct all my goofs with a new comment) but I don't see that functionality.
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thanks Scott, got it
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qb:No, editing comments is not possible as far as I know. Usually on a blog the comments are written by outsiders, and the administrators are making posts, which are obviously editable. I assume that is why editing comments wasn't considered necessary.
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Morning all! Y'all were up and at 'em early this morning. I'm still struggling to get some coffee in me.Won't be around much today – tee ball game, church picnic, date night with the hubby – but just wanted to pipe in that a FAQ is a great idea. There's lots of good stuff in the threads – it'd be nice to gather it in one place for easy reference.
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BTW, while we are bashing IT people, did you ever notice that every time you describe a problem to an IT person, they have to replicate it themselves, as if they don't believe you?"Every time I try to open that file, I get a message that the server is not available.""Hmm…let me see. Yes, you are right, it does do that!"Grr.
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Thanks shrink. When I said we were lucky it happened this week rather than last, I wasn't kidding. Infection is localized. You see why I was packing a bag. We actually knew pretty fast that it wasn't appendicitis which might actually have been better in the long run.Thank God your wife had you to get her there in time. And those kids, so lucky.
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OK, shrink, I had to google that. So now you're a Rennaisance man? Priest, philosopher, paleontologist, geologist, writer??And how was your run this morning?
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A couple of other things I forgot:lmsinca – hope everything's okay with your daughter. Good thoughts your way.And last, but not least…….Go Jackets!Hope everyone has a great day!
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Oh, and thank goodness about your wife! Those must have been scary, scary moments!!!
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qb,I LOVE the help desk people! I bring the ones at work treats all the time… I think I saw a place in the dashboard where you can edit comments. No time to check right now, but that's the place to go poke around, I suspect.
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Michi, Teilhard was quite a guy, growing up ultra catholic, you have heroes no one else heard of.I still can't even type about that without getting wet eyes. She was saying, "I'm so cold, I'm so cold," and then passed out, just like in the movies, but, she lived.Well I'm coffeed up and it's off to run, it's only 0630 here. S'later.
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Something is drastically wrong at PL. Greg has posted an additional (not open) thread on a Sunday on a topic that does not to me seem to warrant special treatment. Maybe due to few comments on the open thread? What is going on?
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I was there when he added the new thread. it came within minutes of adding the Open Thread, so seems unlikely that it was because there were too few posts.
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Thanks for the input re PL, scott. But still, something is going on, and I don't know that it's specific to PL as much as to wapo blogs generally. Call it "woman's intuition," lol. Maybe I am not remembering correctly, but I don't remember specific posts on weekend days unless it was something time-urgent, which this post was not.
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PL is a in disrepair, it seems to me. Greg has done substantive Saturday posts before, though. Maybe he did something extra today after taking some extra time off.It's just so slow and cumbersome that I have a hard time being patient enough even to bother any more. Such an incredible bandwidth hog. Such [screwed] up commenting.
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