serious stuff going on in mumbai.

here you will find live updates from the bbc: link

pulled from a wordpress blog…keboch.wordpres.com (I think)

i’ll update later…

you are probably holding off making purchases in order to get the best possible price…especially if you are in the market for a 50 - 60″ plasma…those prices are all over the place.

well, here’s the good news:

if you have an amex, you already have a hedge against price drops. They’ll refund up to $250 if it drops within 60 days.

So don’t waste hours on slickdeals.net or fatwallet.com in order to save $100 bucks on that plasma — just buy the one that you want at a good price — most have come down quite a bit already. 42″ should be around $700 at the bottom — so anything $950 or less is cool — 46″ should be around $900 .. and the 50″ ones… I think $1300 (for the 1080p) and $1000 for the 720p…

And definitely don’t waste time pricing out digicams…you’re definitely covered.

note: this is only a 60 day window — the only hedge against more than that is a return policy that will enable you to return and rebuy w/o a restocking fee. Btw, my amex guarantees a 90 day return policy (you ship it to them if the store does not take it back)…but I believe that the limit is $1000.

Last point, if you break it, lose it, whatever…. in the first 90 days, they replace it (but I think that limit is $300) — please don’t rely on my statements — look it up for yourself.. They replaced sunglasses, jeans, things like that for me…

i saw these guys play on friday night…and ran into them on sunday at lax — so i thought that i’d post a few of their songs.

first, their “Clumsy” remix:

next, the “I’m in Miami, Bitch” track… the original video (part of it is NSFW):

and finally the new one…”I Am Not a Whore.”

i can’t get this song out of my head — it’s been days…
it’s crazy.

today’s song of the day is the Crookers Remix of Day ‘N Night by Kid Cudi.
you’ve been warned.

i’m working a ton…so it was either my updates or my workouts.

-and i can’t get fat.

so give me until next week.

word.

need some music, check out my playlist on last.fm — right now i am rockin’ kraak & smaak; and they are dope.

those of you who remember my projections 3+ years ago will not be surprised by the news that Chinese carmakers SAIC and Dongfeng have plans to acquire GM and Chrysler.

and this is definitely not going to be the only one…

hey, did you hear about the dutch bank looking to get TARP money? wtf?! I wish that I was a bank too

Understanding Credit Default Swaps

Untangling credit default swaps from Marketplace on Vimeo.

I found a slide show at businesssheet that walks you through the post-bailout parties:

check it out

today’s song of the day is Binary Star’s “Honest Expression.” i’m all about hip hop today. word.

today is going to be a good day.

has anyone heard of gymkhana? it’s unreal. check out this guy in a 2004 Subaru STI…

Ken Block Gymkhana Practice

tarp didn’t even make a dent in the problem - yeah, we knew that.
opportunistic companies such as goldman took advantage of it — yeah, we knew that too.
securitized debt is in big trouble — which means just about every type of loan that we’d want as consumers is in trouble — no kidding.
credit cards, student loans, home loans, auto loans….
so what happens next?

things get cheap (oversupply) — just look at lcd hdtv prices…
gas stays cheap (thank you world economy!)
auto makers get subsidized by the govt (but will fail anyway…just like airlines w/ legacy issues) — short every one after they get the cash
politicians buy into the latest sound-bytes (and push through legislation that a rational intelligent person would reject)
some really smart people take even more money than they did before, hide cash, and wait to maximize their returns.
the economic landscape shifts…new opportunities arise…and the cycle continues…

what am i doing? trying to find ways to take advantage of tarp2.0 — or at least game the mortgage policies. yesterday i heard on marketplace that some with 400k mortgages can get away with $500 per month payments for 3-5 years…now that sounds like a plan — anyone want to assume some mortgages nearing foreclosure, and turn them into rental properties? even if we just do it until they foreclose — that’s cash flow w/liability that we don’t really worry about anyway…hmmmmmm…we set it up as a reit — oh, wait, it’s only for single family owner occupied residences…that won’t work….at least with more than 4 units…back to the drawing board…

The text of Clarke’s e-mail obtained by Wired.com:
Dear Employee,
Next week, Congress and the current Administration will determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation’s history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis.
As you know, we have taken the tough, necessary actions over the last few years to strengthen our competitive position. With our UAW partners we have reshaped our business and will have reduced our structural costs by more than $13 billion by 2010 and have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors. We also are building products that have received great customer acceptance and acclaim, as we have seen with the Chevy Malibu, Cadillac CTS and our family of crossovers. And, there’s more to come with the Chevy Volt which will position GM as a global technology leader as well as more hybrids and fuel efficient passenger cars like the Chevy Cruze.
The consequences, however, of a portion of the domestic auto industry collapsing extend far beyond GM’s ability to continue its transformation. One in 10 American jobs depend on our industry, as well as the health of communities, dealers and suppliers in all 50 states. As you know, nearly 3 million employees, retirees, and their families also depend on us for their pensions and health care. Because of our economic contribution, the cost of allowing this industry to fail would be catastrophic: 3 million jobs lost within the first year; U.S. personal income reduced by $150.7 billion; a government tax loss over three years of more than $156 billion.
This level of economic devastation far exceeds the $25 billion of government support that our industry needs to bridge this current period. Today, I want you to take the time to contact your members of Congress to ask them to support America’s domestic auto industry. Please call the following number to be connected with your legislators 1-866-927-2233. Directions and key messages are in the attached document to assist you with the calls. Also attached is a fact sheet that includes the economic figures cited above.
Additionally, you can visit www.gmfactsandfiction.com to obtain further information on the auto industry and GM. Support for the domestic auto industry will contribute to a stronger economy, save millions of jobs, and establish U.S. manufacturing and technology leadership in the global marketplace. As an employee, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.
Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke
President
GM North America

so they get access to the bailout money…

wow.

i wonder if the auto industry is next.

sending a shout-out to all of my fellow vets!

Today’s song of the day is Max Romeo’s “Chase The Devil.” Get your ska groove on…

today’s theme song is “Cappuccino,” by The Knux. I thought that I had picked this one before (since I have been playing it for so long); but it appears that I haven’t shared it with you. The Knux are dope — so check it out:

and here’s another Knux joint :

under tha gun at work…can’t write much

and so many wonder why i am still cynical about politics…check this out.
Of the 11 elected official currently under investigation — 9 won on tuesday…wtf?!

As for a song of the day…i’m rockin’ a random assortment of Spank Rock, Cool Kids, and M.I.A. — I’ll post it when I pick the right one for today.

If you wonder what I have been playing…check out my last.fm playlist. word

had to go waaaaaay back for the theme song of the day. Masta Ace’s “Born To Roll.” Check out the video …done circa ‘94 at a car show…back when hip hop was low budget. Gotta point out that his sidekick is repping Michigan. Go Blue!

quick post: have you heard about slydial?

it’s pretty cool. call your friends cell phone (but go straight to vmail).

it’s perfect for returning calls to your EM or coworkers — no conversations, just the message that you wanted to send.

pulled from fastupfront:

A free service offered by Boston-based MobileSphere which helps the more passive aggressive of us to avoid those unwanted responses and sticky conversations. Users can just call 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425) followed by any US mobile number - their call will go directly to the recipient’s voicemail.
Though the incoming call is supposed to go undetected, some users have reported that the receiving phone will ring once. (But don’t worry, when the phone is picked up, the line goes dead.) The receiver’s phone will then register that a voice mail message has been received.

Your Urgent Help Needed
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a
transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had
crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion
dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most
profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my
replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may
know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the
1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds
as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account
numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for
this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with
detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the
funds.
Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson

get your vote on.

Today’s theme song of the day is “Whatever You Like,” by T.I. I can’t get it out of my head after watching those kids on CNN…

just to remind you how bad things are:
Fed Hires Bear Stearns Risk Chief…To Supervise Bank Soundness … are you kidding me?

It was amazing. i won’t tell you who won the formula one world championship — just that it was decided in the last few laps. check it out: