The SnowBall Warren Buffett Business of Life

A new biography The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life has been published , a million copies by Bantam Dell of which Buffet received $7 Million.  The timing of its publication coincides with the greatest financial crisis since the Depression.

The title refers to a Buffett saying “Life is like a snowball. The important thing is finding wet snow and a really long hill.”

Recent financial crisis has been prime hunting season for Buffett, famous for snapping up high-quality investments at bargain prices.

On Sept. 24 Buffett agreed to invest up to $10 billion in Goldman Sachs (GS: 128.52, +7.82 ) .

On Sept. 18, Buffett’s Mid American Energy Co. bought Constellation Energy Group for $4.7 billion in cash — a discount of 60% from which the shares were trading two days prior.

Last week he acquired a 10% stake in the firm BYD Co , a Chinese producer of rechargeable batteries, electric cars and car parts.

Life is Good for the Oracle of Omaha.
 

Black Monday Dow Jones Down Record 780 Points

The government’s financial bailout plan did not pass in Congress and stocks plunged an ALL-TIME Record One-Day Loss on Wall Street.  SELL Orders poured in – The selling was so intense that just 162 stocks rose and 3073 dropped on the NYSE . The prior record one-day loss of 685 points on the first trading day after 9/11 was crushed by the closing bell Monday Sept 29 , Down 780 Points.

WaMu Handed To JP Morgan On a Silver Platter

The FDIC [ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation] seized WaMu ,  the nation’s largest Savings & Loan who had been hit hard by bad mortgages , and sold it to JP Morgan for $1.9 Billion USD Cash and assumption of $31Billion in Bad Loan Debts [making option adjustable rate mortgage arm loans to the least creditworthy borrowers, who were permitted to pay only a portion of the principle and interest.]  – But with WaMu , JP Morgan will have $905 billion in deposits and 5,400 branches nationwide , rivaling Bank of America in size and reach.

I’ll Trade $33 Billion for $905 Billion any day of the week too. Talk about SweetHeart Deals ! How’s That for a Silver Platter. 

The Rich Do Get Richer – Money Goes To Money – The Poor Do Get Poorer 

WaMu’s shareholders stand to lose billions of dollars. WaMu which reached a record $46 in 2003 , plummeted to 16 cents a share on Friday.

JP Morgan Chase , owned by the Rothschilds and Rockefellers , and one of the owners of the Federal Reserve , is about to take over most of the banks in the US and become the controlling MegaBank.
 

Who better to own that bank than the Rothschilds , who invented fractional reserve banking (loaning money you don’t have.) Only chumps work for their money.  Smart people like the Rothschilds create the money they need out of thin air. This is another New World Order con game to further screw over the people of the world. This is the global mafia at work and there`s nothing good about it.

Analysts say JP Morgan Chase (the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds) will emerge from the bank collapse as the big winner, becoming a megabank. How sweet – you found/own the federal reserve, get the fed to cause a collapse by printing dollars and doling out the credit , then buy up those failing banks for pennies on the dollar using money the Federal Reserve (which you own) gives you – SWEET.

Hopeful Obama Dominates Sad McCain First Debate

LEHRER: Gentlemen where do you stand on the financial recovery plan?

First response to you Senator Obama. You have two minutes.

OBAMA: Well , thank you very much Jim and thanks to the commission and the University of Mississippi, Ole Miss for hosting us tonight. I can’t think of a more important time for us to talk about the future of the country.

You know, we are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is involved in two wars, and we are going through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

And although we’ve heard a lot about Wall Street , those of you on Main Street I think have been struggling for a while and you recognize that this could have an impact on all sectors of the economy.

And you’re wondering , how’s it going to affect me?  How’s it going to affect my job?  How’s it going to affect my house?  How’s it going to affect my retirement savings or my ability to send my children to college? 

So we have to move swiftly and we have to move wisely.  And I’ve put forward a series of proposals that make sure that we protect taxpayers as we engage in this important rescue effort.

# 1 we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got oversight over this whole process $700 billion potentially is a lot of money.

# 2  we’ve got to make sure that taxpayers when they are putting their money at risk have the possibility of getting that money back and gains , if the market and when the market returns.

# 3  we’ve got to make sure that none of that money is going to pad CEO bank accounts or to promote golden parachutes.

And # 4  we’ve got to make sure that we’re helping homeowners because the root problem here has to do with the foreclosures that are taking place all across the country.

Now , we also have to recognize that this is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush , supported by Senator McCain , a theory that basically says that we can shred regulations and consumer protections and give more and more to the most , and somehow prosperity will trickle down.

It Hasn’t Worked.  And I think that the fundamentals of the economy have to be measured by whether or not the middle class is getting a fair shake.  That’s why I’m running for president , and that’s what I hope we’re going to be talking about tonight.

LEHRER: Senator McCain, two minutes.

MCCAIN: Well thank you Jim.  And thanks to everybody.

And I do have a SAD note tonight. And Jim, I’ve been not feeling too great about a lot of things lately. So have a lot of Americans who are facing challenges … trying to work out a solution to this fiscal crisis that we’re in.

And have no doubt about the magnitude of this crisis. And we’re not talking about failure of institutions on Wall Street. We’re talking about failures on Main Street, and people who will lose their jobs, and their credits, and their homes , if we don’t fix the greatest fiscal crisis ,  certainly in our time , and I’ve been around a little while.

And we’ve got a lot of work to do. And we’ve got to create jobs. And one of the areas of course is to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.

LEHRER: All right let’s go back to my question. How do you all stand on the recovery plan? And talk to each other about it. We’ve got five minutes. We can negotiate a deal right here. Are you in favor of this plan?

OBAMA: We haven’t seen the language yet , I am optimistic about the capacity of us to come together with a plan.

LEHRER: Are you going to vote for the plan , Senator McCain?

MCCAIN: I — I hope so. And I —

LEHRER: As a United States senator…

MCCAIN: Sure. I also warned about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and warned about corporate greed and excess, and CEO pay, and all that. A lot of us saw this train wreck coming.

We’ve got to start also holding people accountable, and we’ve got to reward people who succeed.

But somehow in Washington today and I’m afraid on Wall Street greed is rewarded , excess is rewarded , and corruption or certainly failure to carry out our responsibility is rewarded.

OBAMA: Well I think Senator McCain’s absolutely right that we need more responsibility , but we need it not just when there’s a crisis. It’s so important as we solve this short term problem that we look at some of the underlying issues that have led to wages and incomes for ordinary Americans to go down , a health care system that is broken , energy policies that are not working , because you know , 10 days ago , John said that the fundamentals of the economy are sound.

LEHRER: Say it directly to him.

OBAMA: Well John , 10 days ago you said that the fundamentals of the economy are sound , and I just fundamentally disagree.

MCCAIN: Are you afraid I couldn’t hear him?

LEHRER: I’m just determined to get you all to talk to each other. I’m going to try.

LEHRER: So, Senator McCain, do you agree with what Senator Obama just said? And if you don’t , tell him what you disagree with.

MCCAIN: No , I — look , we’ve got to fix the system. We’ve got fundamental problems in the system. And Main Street is paying a penalty for the excesses and greed in Washington DC and on Wall Street. So there’s no doubt that we have a long way to go.

But I have a fundamental belief in the goodness and strength of the American worker , we’ve got to get through these times but I have a fundamental belief in the United States of America. And I still believe , under the right leadership , our best days are ahead of us.

…. MCCAIN: Well , the first thing we have to do is get spending under control in Washington , It’s completely out of control. We have now presided over the largest increase in the size of government since the Great Society.

The worst symptom on this disease is earmarking – It’s a gateway to out of control spending and corruption. And we have former members of Congress now residing in federal prison because of the evils of this earmarking and pork barrel spending.

LEHRER: Senator Obama , two minutes.

OBAMA: Well , Senator McCain is absolutely right that the earmarks process has been abused.

But let’s be clear: Earmarks account for $18 billion in last year’s budget. Senator McCain is proposing  and this is a fundamental difference between us – $300 billion in tax cuts to some of the wealthiest corporations and individuals in the country, $300 billion.

Now, $18 billion is important; $300 billion is really important. And in his tax plan you would have CEOs of Fortune 500 companies getting an average of $700,000 in reduced taxes , while leaving 100 million Americans out.

So my attitude is, we’ve got to grow the economy from the bottom up. What I’ve called for is a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, 95 percent.

And that means that the ordinary American out there who’s collecting a paycheck every day, they’ve got a little extra money , and over time , that I think is going to be a better recipe for economic growth than the policies of President Bush that John McCain wants to follow… tax policies that are directed primarily at those who are doing well, and you are neglecting people who are really struggling right now – I think that is a continuation of the last eight years , and we can’t afford another four.

My definition , here’s what I can tell the American people – 95 percent of you will get a tax cut. And if you make less than $250,000 – less than a quarter million dollars a year , then you will not see one dime’s worth of tax increase.

LEHRER: All right. All right

OBAMA:

We have to have energy independence , so I’ve put forward a plan to make sure that, in 10 years’ time, we have freed ourselves from dependence on Middle Eastern oil by increasing production at home, but most importantly by starting to invest in alternative energy, solar, wind, biodiesel, making sure that we’re developing the fuel-efficient cars of the future right here in the United States, in Ohio and Michigan, instead of Japan and South Korea.

We have to fix our health care system, which is putting an enormous burden on families. The third thing we have to do is we’ve got to make sure that we’re competing in education – make sure that college is affordable for every young person in America. 

 And I also think that we’re going to have to rebuild our infrastructure – making sure that we have a new electricity grid to get the alternative energy to population centers that are using them.

MCCAIN: Look , we no matter what we’ve got to cut spending. We have ,  we’ve let government get completely out of control . We need very badly to understand that defense spending is very important and vital, particularly in the new challenges we face in the world.

LEHRER: What I’m trying to get at is this – one of you is going to be the president of the United States come January – in the middle of a huge financial crisis that is yet to be resolved – And what I’m trying to get at is , how this is going to affect you not in very specific small ways but in major ways and the approach to take as to the presidency.

MCCAIN: How about a spending freeze on everything but defense, veteran affairs and entitlement programs.

LEHRER: Spending freeze?  Let me figure out a way to ask the same question in a slightly different way here. Are you willing to acknowledge both of you that this financial crisis is going to affect the way you rule the country as president of the United States beyond the kinds of things that you have already – I mean , is it a major move?  Is it going to have a major affect?

OBAMA: I just want to make this point, Jim. John, it’s been your president who you said you agreed with 90 percent of the time who presided over this increase in spending. This orgy of spending and enormous deficits you voted for almost all of his budgets. So to stand here and after eight years and say that you’re going to lead on controlling spending and you know balancing our tax cuts so that they help middle class families when over the last eight years that hasn’t happened I think just is , you know , kind of hard to swallow.

LEHRER: Two minutes, how you see the lessons of Iraq, Senator Obama?

OBAMA: Well, this is an area where Senator McCain and I have a fundamental difference because I think the first question is whether we should have gone into the war in the first place.

Now six years ago , I stood up and opposed this war at a time when it was politically risky to do so because I said that not only did we not know how much it was going to cost , what our exit strategy might be , how it would affect our relationships around the world , and whether our intelligence was sound , but also because we hadn’t finished the job in Afghanistan.

We hadn’t caught bin Laden. We hadn’t put al Qaeda to rest , and as a consequence , I thought that it was going to be a distraction. Now Senator McCain and President Bush had a very different judgment.

And I wish I had been wrong for the sake of the country and they had been right, but that’s not the case. We’ve spent over $600 billion so far, soon to be $1 trillion. We have lost over 4,000 lives. We have seen 30,000 wounded, and most importantly , from a strategic national security perspective , al Qaeda is resurgent , stronger now than at any time since 2001.

We took our eye off the ball. And not to mention that we are still spending $10 billion a month , when they have a $79 billion surplus , at a time when we are in great distress here at home , and we just talked about the fact that our budget is way overstretched and we are borrowing money from overseas to try to finance just some of the basic functions of our government.

So I think the lesson to be drawn is that we should never hesitate to use military force , and I will not ,  as President , in order to keep the American people safe. But we have to use our military wisely. And we did not use our military wisely in Iraq. Look , I’m very proud of my vice presidential selection , Joe Biden , who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

General Petraeus has done a brilliant job. But understand , that was a tactic designed to contain the damage of the previous four years of mismanagement of this war. And so John likes – John , you like to pretend like the war started in 2007. You talk about the surge. The war started in 2003, and at the time when the war started, you said it was going to be quick and easy. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong.

You said that we were going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong. You said that there was no history of violence between Shiite and Sunni. And you were wrong.

Now , what I’ve said is we should end this war responsibly. We should do it in phases. But in 16 months we should be able to reduce our combat troops , put – provide some relief to military families and our troops and bolster our efforts in Afghanistan so that we can capture and kill bin Laden and crush al Qaeda.

Every intelligence agency will acknowledge that al Qaeda is the greatest threat against the United States and that Secretary of Defense Gates acknowledged the central front — that the place where we have to deal with these folks is going to be in Afghanistan and in Pakistan.

We’ve got to deal with Pakistan , because al Qaeda and the Taliban have safe havens in Pakistan , across the border in the northwest regions , and although you know under George Bush , with the support of Senator McCain , we’ve been giving them $10 billion over the last seven years , they have not done what needs to be done to get rid of those safe havens.

And until we do , Americans here at home are not going to be safe.

That’s going to change when I’m president of the United States….

Look , over the last eight years this administration , along with Senator McCain , have been solely focused on Iraq. That has been their priority. That has been where all our resources have gone. In the meantime , bin Laden is still out there. He is not captured. He is not killed. Al Qaeda is resurgent.

In the meantime , we’ve got challenges for example with China , where we are borrowing billions of dollars. They now hold a trillion dollars worth of our debt. And they are active in countries like – in regions like Latin America  and Asia and Africa. They are – the conspicuousness of their presence is only matched by our absence , because we’ve been focused on Iraq.

We have weakened our capacity to project power around the world because we have viewed everything through this single lens , not to mention , look at our economy. We are now spending $10 billion or more every month.

And that means we can’t provide health care to people who need it. We can’t invest in science and technology , which will determine whether or not we are going to be competitive in the long term.

There has never been a country on Earth that saw its economy decline and yet maintained its military superiority. So this is a national security issue.

LEHRER: Two minutes, Senator Obama

OBAMA: Well , let me just make a closing point. You know , my father came from Kenya. That’s where I get my name.

And in the ’60s , he wrote letter after letter to come to college here in the United States because the notion was that there was no other country on Earth where you could make it if you tried. The ideals and the values of the United States inspired the entire world.

I don’t think any of us can say that our standing in the world now , the way children around the world look at the United States , is the same.

And part of what we need to do , what the next president has to do and this is part of our judgment , this is part of how we’re going to keep America safe is to send a message to the world that we are going to invest in issues like education , we are going to invest in issues that relate to how ordinary people are able to live out their dreams.

And that is something that I’m going to be committed to as president of the United States.

LEHRER: Few seconds. We’re almost finished.

MCCAIN: Jim , when I came home from prison, I saw our veterans being very badly treated , and it made me sad. And I embarked on an effort to resolve the POW-MIA issue , which we did in a bipartisan fashion , and then I worked on normalization of relations between our two countries so that our veterans could come all the way home.

I guarantee you , as president of the United States , I know how to heal the wounds of war , I know how to deal with our adversaries , and I know how to deal with our friends.

LEHRER: And that ends this debate tonight.

 

 

McCain Quits Campaign Concedes Presidency to Obama

McCain’s Concession Speech “The Failure is Mine” 11-4-2008 McCain HQ Biltmore Hotel – Phoenix , Arizona with wife Cindy and Gov Palin.

CBS’s David Letterman going Apeshit on the Late Show about No-Show McCain after he Bailed Out.

On the air Letterman questioned whether McCain trailing in the polls was in Trouble.” This doesn’t smell right , this is not the way a tested hero behaves , somebody’s putting something in his Metamucil.”

Letterman suggested that McCain should not be suspending his campaign at all and that he could have sent in the second string quarterback his VP running mate to fill in for him. “ You don’t quit ”  After suggesting that Palin should be prepared to step up and be ready , ” because the poor guy is getting a little older ”  Letterman reconsidered and said of Palin’s readiness , “ Don’t get me started. ”

At the very moment McCain was supposed to be on the couch next to Letterman being interviewed , he instead  was at the CBS News center three blocks away in Manhattan , getting ready to be interviewed by CBS News anchor Katie Couric. A live feed from that location showed McCain getting made up to go on with Couric. “ He doesn’t seem to be Racing to the Airport ” Letterman observed. “Hey John I’ve got a question You Need a Ride to the Airport ? … this Stinks .. it really is starting to Smell”

Letterman kept up his rant on McCain with Paris Hilton telling her  “Now I’m feeling like an ugly date  , I feel used – I feel cheap ” 

On the Top 10 list the #10 surprising fact about Sarah Palin – ” she sometimes calls John McCain GRANDPA “

He talked about David Blaine hanging upside down in New Yorks Central Park for 60 hours ” They just left the guy hanging there It’s the same thing McCain did to me last night. ”

” Here’s how it works – You don’t come to see me?  You don’t come to see me?  Well , we might not see you on Inauguration Day ” Letterman said.

One Thing is Clear – Don’t Mess With David Letterman!

Keith Olbermann rips Sarah Palins cluelessness on Iraq and Foreign Policy.

Independent Investment Banks Dead $2333 Owed by Every US Man Woman Child

The world has changed. Not very long ago there were five major investment banks. Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns failed. Merrill Lynch is selling itself to Bank of America. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are becoming commercial banks. The independent investment bank died this week.

Dewey Cheatem and Howe

                                               Hear No Evil ,  See No Evil , Speak No Evil

 

$700,000,000,000 divided by 300,000,000 American people equals $2,333.33 that YOU OWE for bailing out these criminals. You’re Getting Screwed.

 

 

Google TMobile G1 G-Phone Android Mobile Platform

T-Mobile has introduced the G-Phone, the first wireless phone powered by Google’s much anticipated Android software system. Google acquired Android, Inc. back in July 2005 bringing along co-founders Rich Miner ,  Andy Rubin , Chris White and Nick Sears (former VP at T-Mobile) .

Google, the world’s largest internet search engine plans to shake up the smart phone market  dominated by Blackberry and iPhone. The 3G phone is 4.6 x 2.2 inches, weighs 5.6 oz, features a 480 x 320 HVGA display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard , GPS , 3.1megapixel camera with photo sharing capability , up to 8GB of memory, 5 hours of talk time and 130 hours of standby.

The new phone is integrated with Google applications such as Google Maps and G-Mail and can play videos from YouTube. The T-Mobile G1,  which comes in three colors: black, white and brown will be available in stores in the United States on October 22 and will cost $179 USD.

Another New York Institution Finished after 85 Years

Yankee Stadium Farewell

Yankee Stadium Bronx New York

Yankee Stadium The House that Ruth Built has hosted its Last Game and will be destroyed

What began with a Babe Ruth Home Run on an April afternoon in 1923, ended with a Mariano Rivera save on a September late night in 2008.

85 years Ruth to Jeter

During the NY Yankees 7-3 win over Baltimore , Major League Baseball had a team of three authenticators on hand to verify anything connected to the final game at 85 year old Yankee Stadium , from infield dirt and bases to the lineup card.

It’s all part of an effort to eliminate counterfeit  memorabilia from the marketplace. MLB set up its program in 2000 after a probe by the FBI found that more than 75 percent of sports collectibles were fakes.

Hundreds of items were officially recognized as game used, receiving a sequentially numbered, tamper-proof hologram on the spot. It ensures that fans who pay hundreds and thousands of dollars for the collectibles are getting the real thing.

All of the authenticated items go to the Yankees and many will likely be auctioned off through the team’s Web site. Some will go to players, who have requested a piece of history. Every item in Yankee Stadium will be authenticated before the stadium is torn down and the team moves into its new $1.3 billion home across the street.

Ruthian prices for Yankee Stadium’s final year. Not $20 [ the inflation adjusted value of the Dollar from the 1974 $4 price ] but a Face Value of $250 per seat.

  
Top ticket price for a box seat at Yankee Stadium during Steinbrenners reign:

2008 $250

2007 $150

2006 $110

2005 $ 90

2004 $ 80

2003 $ 72

2002 $ 62

2001 $ 62

2000 $ 55

1999 $ 50

1998 $ 45

1997 $ 35

1996 $ 25

1995 $ 25

1994 $ 17

1993 $ 16

1992 $ 14.50

1991 $ 12.50

1990 $ 12

1989 $ 12

1988 $ 11

1987 $ 10

1986 $ 9.75

1985 $ 9.75

1984 $ 9

1983 $ 9

1982 $ 8.50

1981 $ 7.50

1980 $ 7.50

1979 $ 7

1978 $ 6.50

1977 $ 6

1976 $ 5.50

1975 $ 5

1974 $ 4

1973 $ 4

Team USA Wins Golfs Ryder Cup 2008

Captain America, Paul Azinger said “ I’m just going to stay up all night and party with my boys , we’re going to have a good time tonight. ”

Team USA Celebrates their 16.5 to 11.5 Victory in the 2008 Ryder Cup

Team USA wore Red on Sunday in honor of injured Tiger Woods, and the result was very Tiger-like, a dominating win over Team Europe 16.5 to 11.5  Congratulations, the standard of play was incredible.

Anthony Kim and Boo “Happy Gilmore” Weekely, Ryder Cup rookies, brought Enthusiasm and not only fired up the crowd but the team as a whole. They had game , attitude , energy and look what happened – the US won the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999.

On the other side , captain Nick Faldo said ” We gave our heart and souls out there , we can all leave here very proud, chins up, straight back, and we will be back to fight another day. ” [ Wales 2010 ]

Why Am I So Wealthy

Why am I so Wealthy , Why am I a Financial Genius , Why is My Wealth Increasing Massively Every Day , Why does every Dollar I Spend Return to Me Massively Multiplied , Why do I Always Have All the Money that  I Want and Need ?

Why do I Effortlessly Attract All the Wealth that I Desire , Why am I Becoming More Wealthy in All aspects of My Life , Why am I Surrounded by an Ocean of Wealth , Why am I a Money Magnet , Why is there Always a Surplus of Money Circulating in my Life ?

Why am I in Perfect Harmony with all of the Universal Laws of Health Wealth and Happiness, Why do I Have All the Wealth I need , Why is Wealth and All Good Things Overflowing in My Life , Why am I Getting Rich with Mathematical Certainty ?

Why is Every Action I Take in Perfect Harmony with the Laws of Wealth and Increase ?