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Week 12 - Broncos please!
Thanks Gedi. Here is link:
http://www.pinksheets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=6250782
MIAMI Please!
Yes Gedi, good voume indeed.The next 4 weeks should tell a lot.
World Bank, France lend China $900M for rebuilding
3 days ago
<BEIJING (AP) — The World Bank and France have agreed to lend China more than $900 million to rebuild areas devastated by a massive earthquake earlier this year, state media reported Sunday.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the World Bank will provide a loan of $710 million to China — $510 million of which will be allocated to southwestern Sichuan province, hardest hit by the May 12 quake that left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing.
The rest will go to neighboring Gansu province, Xinhua said, citing Ede Ijjasz, a World Bank manager for China and Mongolia. Xinhua said the loans still need board approval by the international lending institution in December.
The money will be used for the construction of roads, bridges, water pipelines, hospitals and child care facilities, the report said.
The French Development Agency, meanwhile, will lend China $200 million for reconstruction of urban infrastructure and rural houses in the quake zone, Xinhua said.
Last month, Chinese media reported that the government has raised about a quarter of the nearly $250 billion it needs to rebuild after the earthquake, which destroyed roads, knocked down buildings, left thousands of schools in piles of rubble and destroyed the homes of millions of people>
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gdspdDB0WaMv_An4A-NvHB_DwmCwD9427E900
Here are my picks for the next two week:
This week, November 1st- DA BEARS!
Next week,November 9th - Jacksonville
THANKS!!!
Polls tightening...again?
What is it with these polls? One week Obama has an 8 point lead, then polls tighten. A week later, Obama opens up another lead...and now polls tighten again.
Putting candidates aside, what's going on with these polls??
<National polls tighten a bit; Obama hangs on to lead in battlegrounds
1 hr 36 mins ago
With less than a week till Election Day, any movement in the polls is big news. In the Real Clear Politics national poll average, Barack Obama's 8-point lead from Saturday has decreased to 5.9, due mostly to a gain in John McCain's average.
Three major polls have seen a significant squeeze in the past five days, causing this trend. Today, a Rasmussen poll put Obama at a 3-point lead. McCain has gained 3 points in their survey since Saturday and Obama has lost two, putting the race at the narrowest margin this poll has seen since late September.
This followed the drastic squeeze seen in the Reuters/Zogby/C-SPAN this weekend. After enjoying a 12-point lead in their poll last week, Obama's lead shrunk to around 5 points and held steady there for a few days.
The latest poll to close was Gallup. Their traditional likely voter turnout model has Obama up by three, after having a 7-point lead at one point last week. (Take note: Gallup has multiple voter models. Which one is right depends on who shows up to vote. The other models have Obama up by 7-points today.)
As we've cautioned in this blog space before, it's best to keep up with the state polls too. Remember, the Electoral College doesn't make decisions based on national mood.
With that in mind, here is graphical snapshot of where the polling lies as shown on the Yahoo! News Political Dashboard. Below, we break out specifics about the 11 battleground states' most recent polling averages and trends. The data for both is supplied by our friends at Real>
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl114
Polls tightening...again?
What is it with these polls? One week Obama has an 8 point lead, then polls tighten. A week later, Obama opens up another lead...and now polls tighten again.
Putting candidates aside, what's going on with these polls??
<National polls tighten a bit; Obama hangs on to lead in battlegrounds
1 hr 36 mins ago
With less than a week till Election Day, any movement in the polls is big news. In the Real Clear Politics national poll average, Barack Obama's 8-point lead from Saturday has decreased to 5.9, due mostly to a gain in John McCain's average.
Three major polls have seen a significant squeeze in the past five days, causing this trend. Today, a Rasmussen poll put Obama at a 3-point lead. McCain has gained 3 points in their survey since Saturday and Obama has lost two, putting the race at the narrowest margin this poll has seen since late September.
This followed the drastic squeeze seen in the Reuters/Zogby/C-SPAN this weekend. After enjoying a 12-point lead in their poll last week, Obama's lead shrunk to around 5 points and held steady there for a few days.
The latest poll to close was Gallup. Their traditional likely voter turnout model has Obama up by three, after having a 7-point lead at one point last week. (Take note: Gallup has multiple voter models. Which one is right depends on who shows up to vote. The other models have Obama up by 7-points today.)
As we've cautioned in this blog space before, it's best to keep up with the state polls too. Remember, the Electoral College doesn't make decisions based on national mood.
With that in mind, here is graphical snapshot of where the polling lies as shown on the Yahoo! News Political Dashboard. Below, we break out specifics about the 11 battleground states' most recent polling averages and trends. The data for both is supplied by our friends at Real>
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl114
Abby, B/A Not budging yet.
U.S. Firm Helps China Rebuild After Deadly Quake
<October 22, 2008
By David Sokol
Dujiangyan, a city of 630,000 people in central China, ranks among the most visited tourist destinations in the country. Historians cite its Qingcheng Mountains as the birthplace of Taoism, and at the base of these densely forested peaks is the famous Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a 2,250-year-old network of distributaries that still provides water to farmers. Furthermore, the local panda reserve is home to 43 of the nation’s beloved giants.
WWCOT Architects, a 59-year-old California firm, was selected to help rebuild Dujiangyan, the city nearest the epicenter of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Sichuan province on May 12, killing more than 80,000 people and leaving at least 4.8 million homeless.
More recently, however, Dujiangyan has drawn worldwide attention for the tragic scene that unfolded there on May 12: It was the city nearest the epicenter of the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Sichuan province, killing more than 80,000 people and leaving at least 4.8 million homeless.
While the ancient dam largely escaped harm, the cityscape did not fare so well. The downtown was mostly wiped out, and in addition to 3,000 deaths, more than 50 percent of residences were destroyed. The devastation was so massive that the rubble will not be cleared entirely from the downtown core until the close of 2009, says architect Chengzhi “Harry” Lu.
That’s not to say the rebuilding effort has not begun. Lu is managing principal of the Shanghai office of WWCOT Architects, a 59-year-old California firm. On June 10, the firm was selected by the planning department of Chengdu, Sichuan’s capital city, to participate in rebuilding of Dujiangyan. The department chose 10 different entities, from a Beijing-based social science institute to WWCOT, to create plans for different aspects of urban life, such as public transportation and sanitation infrastructure; WWCOT is envisioning basic urban-design principles. The firm had only one month to submit its ideas. According to Lu, authorities want to complete all residential construction within seven months, and all rebuilding by mid-2010.
WWCOT’s contribution involves several changes to the city plan. Most momentous, the city center will be shifted 20 miles to the east, closer to Chengdu. Beyond accommodating a forecasted 30 percent population growth, this allows the government to start reconstruction while it continues to clean up the quake wreckage. “If someone’s home was damaged, usually he would have to live in a tent, and then move among three or four different temporary apartments,” Lu explains. “The government would rather have victims move from tents to permanent residential areas.” The strategy also places Dujiangyan residents closer to the Chengdu airport.
In the new core, significant green space between buildings will provide a public amenity. And once cleared, the former downtown will be maintained as a public park, amplifying efforts—such as construction of 10 art museums—to further entice visitors to the city. Lu says that due to the size and visibility of the rebuilding effort, not to mention the government’s strapped resources, many of these design principles will be adopted by cities throughout the province>
http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/081022china.asp
EAGLES PLEASE!
I know, I was looking at that. I also have been reading and hearing about the widening lead for Obama, so I am befuddled about the AP POLL coming out of nowhere. Makes you wonder what is going to happen now.
AP poll: Candidates running nearly even
<Neck-and-neck results are a departure from many recent national polls
The Associated Press
updated 2:08 p.m. ET, Wed., Oct. 22, 2008
WASHINGTON - The presidential race tightened after the final debate, with John McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that shows McCain and Barack Obama essentially running even among likely voters in the election homestretch.
The poll, which found Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 43 percent, supports what some Republicans and Democrats privately have said in recent days: that the race narrowed after the third debate as Republican-leaning voters drifted home to their party.
Three weeks ago, an AP-GfK survey found that Obama had surged to a seven-point lead over McCain, lifted by voters who thought the Democrat was better suited to lead the United States through its sudden economic crisis.
The contest is still volatile, and the split among voters is apparent less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 election.
The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from some, but not all, recent national polls.
Differing survey results
Obama and McCain were essentially tied among likely voters in the latest George Washington University Battleground Poll, conducted by Republican strategist Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. In other surveys focusing on likely voters, a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Obama up by 9 percentage points, while a poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center had Obama leading by 14. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, among the broader category of people registered to vote, found Obama ahead by 10 points.
Polls are snapshots of highly fluid campaigns. In this case, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; that means Obama could be ahead by as many as 8 points or down by as many as 6. There are many reasons why polls differ, including methods of estimating likely voters and the wording of questions.
Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin political science professor and polling authority, said variation between polls occurs, in part, because pollsters interview random samples of people.
"If they all agree, somebody would be doing something terribly wrong," he said of polls. But he also said that surveys generally fall within a few points of each other, adding, "When you get much beyond that, there's something to explain."
The AP-GfK survey included interviews with a large sample of adults including 800 deemed likely to vote. Among all 1,101 adults interviewed, the survey showed Obama ahead 47 percent to 37 percent. He was up by five points among registered voters.
A significant number of the interviews were conducted by dialing a randomly selected sample of cell phone numbers, and thus this poll had a chance to reach voters who were excluded from some other polls.
It was taken over five days from Thursday through Monday, starting the night after the candidates' final debate and ending the day after former Secretary of State Colin Powell broke with the Republican Party to endorse Obama.
A post-debates bump for McCain?
McCain's strong showing is partly attributable to his strong debate performance; Thursday was his best night of the survey. Obama's best night was Sunday, hours after the Powell announcement, and the full impact of that endorsement may not have been captured in any surveys yet. Future polling could show whether either of those was merely a support "bounce" or something more lasting.
During their final debate, a feisty McCain repeatedly forced Obama to defend his record, comments and associations. He also used the story of a voter whom the Democrat had met in Ohio, "Joe the plumber," to argue that Obama's tax plan would be bad for working class voters.
"I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," Obama told the man with the last name of Wurzelbacher, who had asked Obama whether his plan to increase taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year would impede his ability to buy the plumbing company where he works.
On Wednesday, McCain's campaign unveiled a new TV ad that features that Obama quote, and shows different people saying: "I'm Joe the plumber." A man asks: "Obama wants my sweat to pay for his trillion dollars in new spending?"
Since McCain has seized on that line of argument, he has picked up support among white married people and non-college educated whites, the poll shows, while widening his advantage among white men. Black voters still overwhelmingly support Obama.
The Republican also has improved his rating for handling the economy and the financial crisis. Nearly half of likely voters think their taxes will rise under an Obama administration compared with a third who say McCain would raise their taxes.
Since the last AP-GfK survey in late September, McCain also has:
Posted big gains among likely voters earning under $50,000 a year; he now trails Obama by just 4 percentage points compared with 26 earlier.
Surged among rural voters; he has an 18-point advantage, up from 4.
Doubled his advantage among whites who haven't finished college and now leads by 20 points. McCain and Obama are running about even among white college graduates, no change from earlier.
Made modest gains among whites of both genders, now leading by 22 points among white men and by 7 among white women.
Improved slightly among whites who are married, now with a 24-point lead.
Narrowed a gap among unmarried whites, though he still trails by 8 points.
McCain has cut into Obama's advantage on the questions of whom voters trust to handle the economy and the financial crisis. On both, the Democrat now leads by just 6 points, compared with 15 in the previous survey.
Obama still has a larger advantage on other economic measures, with 44 percent saying they think the economy will have improved a year from now if he is elected compared with 34 percent for McCain.
Intensity has increased among McCain's supporters.
A month ago, Obama had more strong supporters than McCain did. Now, the number of excited supporters is about even.
Eight of 10 Democrats are supporting Obama, while nine in 10 Republicans are backing McCain. Independents are about evenly split.
Some 24 percent of likely voters were deemed still persuadable, meaning they were either undecided or said they might switch candidates. Those up-for-grabs voters came about equally from the three categories: undecideds, McCain supporters and Obama backers.
Said John Ormesher, 67, of Dandridge, Tennessee: "I've got respect for them but that's the extent of it. I don't have a whole lot of affinity toward either one of them. They're both part of the same political mess."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27324419/?GT1=43001>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27324419/?GT1=43001
AP poll: Candidates running nearly even
<Neck-and-neck results are a departure from many recent national polls
The Associated Press
updated 2:08 p.m. ET, Wed., Oct. 22, 2008
WASHINGTON - The presidential race tightened after the final debate, with John McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that shows McCain and Barack Obama essentially running even among likely voters in the election homestretch.
The poll, which found Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 43 percent, supports what some Republicans and Democrats privately have said in recent days: that the race narrowed after the third debate as Republican-leaning voters drifted home to their party.
Three weeks ago, an AP-GfK survey found that Obama had surged to a seven-point lead over McCain, lifted by voters who thought the Democrat was better suited to lead the United States through its sudden economic crisis.
The contest is still volatile, and the split among voters is apparent less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 election.
The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from some, but not all, recent national polls.
Differing survey results
Obama and McCain were essentially tied among likely voters in the latest George Washington University Battleground Poll, conducted by Republican strategist Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. In other surveys focusing on likely voters, a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Obama up by 9 percentage points, while a poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center had Obama leading by 14. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, among the broader category of people registered to vote, found Obama ahead by 10 points.
Polls are snapshots of highly fluid campaigns. In this case, there is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; that means Obama could be ahead by as many as 8 points or down by as many as 6. There are many reasons why polls differ, including methods of estimating likely voters and the wording of questions.
Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin political science professor and polling authority, said variation between polls occurs, in part, because pollsters interview random samples of people.
"If they all agree, somebody would be doing something terribly wrong," he said of polls. But he also said that surveys generally fall within a few points of each other, adding, "When you get much beyond that, there's something to explain."
The AP-GfK survey included interviews with a large sample of adults including 800 deemed likely to vote. Among all 1,101 adults interviewed, the survey showed Obama ahead 47 percent to 37 percent. He was up by five points among registered voters.
A significant number of the interviews were conducted by dialing a randomly selected sample of cell phone numbers, and thus this poll had a chance to reach voters who were excluded from some other polls.
It was taken over five days from Thursday through Monday, starting the night after the candidates' final debate and ending the day after former Secretary of State Colin Powell broke with the Republican Party to endorse Obama.
A post-debates bump for McCain?
McCain's strong showing is partly attributable to his strong debate performance; Thursday was his best night of the survey. Obama's best night was Sunday, hours after the Powell announcement, and the full impact of that endorsement may not have been captured in any surveys yet. Future polling could show whether either of those was merely a support "bounce" or something more lasting.
During their final debate, a feisty McCain repeatedly forced Obama to defend his record, comments and associations. He also used the story of a voter whom the Democrat had met in Ohio, "Joe the plumber," to argue that Obama's tax plan would be bad for working class voters.
"I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," Obama told the man with the last name of Wurzelbacher, who had asked Obama whether his plan to increase taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year would impede his ability to buy the plumbing company where he works.
On Wednesday, McCain's campaign unveiled a new TV ad that features that Obama quote, and shows different people saying: "I'm Joe the plumber." A man asks: "Obama wants my sweat to pay for his trillion dollars in new spending?"
Since McCain has seized on that line of argument, he has picked up support among white married people and non-college educated whites, the poll shows, while widening his advantage among white men. Black voters still overwhelmingly support Obama.
The Republican also has improved his rating for handling the economy and the financial crisis. Nearly half of likely voters think their taxes will rise under an Obama administration compared with a third who say McCain would raise their taxes.
Since the last AP-GfK survey in late September, McCain also has:
Posted big gains among likely voters earning under $50,000 a year; he now trails Obama by just 4 percentage points compared with 26 earlier.
Surged among rural voters; he has an 18-point advantage, up from 4.
Doubled his advantage among whites who haven't finished college and now leads by 20 points. McCain and Obama are running about even among white college graduates, no change from earlier.
Made modest gains among whites of both genders, now leading by 22 points among white men and by 7 among white women.
Improved slightly among whites who are married, now with a 24-point lead.
Narrowed a gap among unmarried whites, though he still trails by 8 points.
McCain has cut into Obama's advantage on the questions of whom voters trust to handle the economy and the financial crisis. On both, the Democrat now leads by just 6 points, compared with 15 in the previous survey.
Obama still has a larger advantage on other economic measures, with 44 percent saying they think the economy will have improved a year from now if he is elected compared with 34 percent for McCain.
Intensity has increased among McCain's supporters.
A month ago, Obama had more strong supporters than McCain did. Now, the number of excited supporters is about even.
Eight of 10 Democrats are supporting Obama, while nine in 10 Republicans are backing McCain. Independents are about evenly split.
Some 24 percent of likely voters were deemed still persuadable, meaning they were either undecided or said they might switch candidates. Those up-for-grabs voters came about equally from the three categories: undecideds, McCain supporters and Obama backers.
Said John Ormesher, 67, of Dandridge, Tennessee: "I've got respect for them but that's the extent of it. I don't have a whole lot of affinity toward either one of them. They're both part of the same political mess."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27324419/?GT1=43001>
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27324419/?GT1=43001
EZ2,
My all time favorite is the chargers throwback helmet that they use now..
HOUSTON PLEASE!
I LOVE that old Houston helmet!
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while
Nice news today.We should easily get to the 0.0015-0.0020 range with any good volume.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while
NEWS:
<International Building Technologies Group, Inc. Announces Preliminary Audited Figures for the Acquisition of Wuhan Wufeng Machinery Manufacturing Company and an Additional RMB 12.08 Million Increase in Value
ALAMEDA, Calif., Oct 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- International Building Technologies Group, Inc. (OTCBB:INBG) announced today that based on the current ongoing audit of Wuhan Wufeng Machinery Manufacturing Company ("Machinery Company"), preliminary audited figures show that the Machinery Company's assets are worth significantly more than anticipated and previously announced.
Based on preliminary audited figures provided by our Auditors, the Machinery Company's assets are worth approximately RMB 38,500,000 (approximately USD $5,636,000) compared to the original figure of RMB 26,420,000 (approximately USD $3,868,000) that is stated in the definitive agreement and previously announced. The increase of RMB 12,080,000 approximately represents a 46% increase in the value of the assets (approximately USD $1,768,000)
Additionally, current unaudited sales figures for the Machinery Company indicate that as of September 30, 2008, the Machinery Company has generated RMB 17,200,000 in sales (approximately USD $2,518,000).
The audit is progressing and is expected to be completed on or about November 30, 2008. All financial figures mentioned in this press release are subject to finalization by our PCAOB approved SEC auditor, Albert Wong & Company.
About International Building Technologies Group, Inc.
International Building Technologies Group, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, International Building Technologies, Inc., are currently transforming the combined business into a worldwide manufacturer and developer of light panel technology to be used for residential and commercial businesses, primarily in regions that are at risk of earthquakes and hurricane-like winds. For more information, visit www.ibtgi.com.
This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to achieving corporate objectives, developing additional project interests, the company's analysis of opportunities in the acquisition and development of various project interests and certain other matters. These statements are made under the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements contained herein.
SOURCE: International Building Technologies Group, Inc.
CONTACT:
International Building Technologies Group, Inc. Patrick Donahoo, 702-688-9683 ir@ibtgi.com >
http://www.pinksheets.com/pink/quote/quote.jsp?symbol=inbg
Lets start small. I would LOVE to see Obama OR McCain do something about this immediately....
<AIG’s St. Regis blowout bill: $443,344
But now we’ve got the bill, thanks to Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is grilling former AIG execs today on events that led to the federal intervention.
AIG American General spent:
$147,302 for banquets
$139,375 on rooms
$23,380 for spa services
$6,939 for golf
$5,016 at the Stonehill Tavern
$3,065 for in-room dining and the lobby lounge
$2,949 for gratuities
$1,901 at the Monarch Bayclub
and $1,488 at the resort’s Vogue Salon
COMPLETE ARTICLE:
<treasurer sells investment, dodging bullet »AIG subsidiary parties in style in OC, two weeks after bailout
October 2nd, 2008, 7:00 am · 66 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
(UPDATE! See details of the bill - for $443,344 - here )
(UPDATE! See Obama’s comments on the party - “Fire the scoundrels! - from the debate)
Financial crisis? What financial crisis?
Less than two weeks after Uncle Sam gave American International Group (AIG) an $85 billion loan - staving off financial collapse - execs from one of its insurance subsidiaries, AIG American General, gathered for a conference at the uber-swank St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, billed as “California’s only Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star Resort,” where ocean-view rooms start at $565 a night and “world class luxury” is the rule.
On Friday, before the presidential debate got under way, caterers for the St. Regis were setting up dozens of tables on the grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano for AIG American General’s sumptuous off-site dinner. Tables were draped with soft Tuscan-gold tablecloths that cascaded to the grass; elegant fresh flower centerpiece graced each table; and what appeared to be fine crystal stemware, at least from a distance, glistened in the fading light.
Workers set up a lengthy bar stocked with bottles of liquor. A half-dozen tall space heaters stood sentinel in case the evening turned cool. There was a large center stage with lighting and a sound system, and once the sun went down, the whole scene took on a magical patina as tiny white lights twinkled in the trees.
The Watchdog - and the Outraged Taxpayer who alerted us to the situation - understand that corporate events such as these are planned many months in advance. I mean, really. Who could have known in the spring that there’d be Financial Armageddon in the fall?
But still. “The inappropriateness and the excessiveness just blew us away,” said the Outraged Taxpayer, who went to the Mission Friday to pray in the chapel. “It’s outrageous. In very poor taste. Over the top.”
AIG says it’s not what it seems.
The St. Regis conference included recognition for vital independent agents who distribute AIG American General’s products - insurance for individuals and businesses. AIG American General - a subsidiary of parent AIG - is in much, much better financial shape than AIG itself. ”It’s one of our viable businesses,” said AIG spokesman Joseph Norton. “They’re fully capitalized. They’re fine. It wasn’t a corporate kind of thing.”
Appearance, though, is powerful. “When people hear things like this, it makes it difficult to sell people on a bailout plan,” said Tara Setmayer, communications director for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who opposes a bailout. “Of course the events are planned in advance, but from a PR perspective, it doesn’t go over well.”
Like every congressional office, Rohrabacher’s was inundated with outraged calls and emails opposing a bailout. ”No one is bailing us out!” Average Joes were saying. “Why should we bail out those Wall Street fat cats?”
(Suggestion to those crafting the next bailout - er, ”rescue’ - bill: Consider a cap on expenses as well as executive compensation?)
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/02/after-federal-bailout-aig-fetes-in-style-in-oc/
Lets start small. I would LOVE to see Obama OR McCain do something about this immediately....
<AIG’s St. Regis blowout bill: $443,344
But now we’ve got the bill, thanks to Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is grilling former AIG execs today on events that led to the federal intervention.
AIG American General spent:
$147,302 for banquets
$139,375 on rooms
$23,380 for spa services
$6,939 for golf
$5,016 at the Stonehill Tavern
$3,065 for in-room dining and the lobby lounge
$2,949 for gratuities
$1,901 at the Monarch Bayclub
and $1,488 at the resort’s Vogue Salon
COMPLETE ARTICLE:
<treasurer sells investment, dodging bullet »AIG subsidiary parties in style in OC, two weeks after bailout
October 2nd, 2008, 7:00 am · 66 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer
(UPDATE! See details of the bill - for $443,344 - here )
(UPDATE! See Obama’s comments on the party - “Fire the scoundrels! - from the debate)
Financial crisis? What financial crisis?
Less than two weeks after Uncle Sam gave American International Group (AIG) an $85 billion loan - staving off financial collapse - execs from one of its insurance subsidiaries, AIG American General, gathered for a conference at the uber-swank St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, billed as “California’s only Mobil Travel Guide Five-Star Resort,” where ocean-view rooms start at $565 a night and “world class luxury” is the rule.
On Friday, before the presidential debate got under way, caterers for the St. Regis were setting up dozens of tables on the grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano for AIG American General’s sumptuous off-site dinner. Tables were draped with soft Tuscan-gold tablecloths that cascaded to the grass; elegant fresh flower centerpiece graced each table; and what appeared to be fine crystal stemware, at least from a distance, glistened in the fading light.
Workers set up a lengthy bar stocked with bottles of liquor. A half-dozen tall space heaters stood sentinel in case the evening turned cool. There was a large center stage with lighting and a sound system, and once the sun went down, the whole scene took on a magical patina as tiny white lights twinkled in the trees.
The Watchdog - and the Outraged Taxpayer who alerted us to the situation - understand that corporate events such as these are planned many months in advance. I mean, really. Who could have known in the spring that there’d be Financial Armageddon in the fall?
But still. “The inappropriateness and the excessiveness just blew us away,” said the Outraged Taxpayer, who went to the Mission Friday to pray in the chapel. “It’s outrageous. In very poor taste. Over the top.”
AIG says it’s not what it seems.
The St. Regis conference included recognition for vital independent agents who distribute AIG American General’s products - insurance for individuals and businesses. AIG American General - a subsidiary of parent AIG - is in much, much better financial shape than AIG itself. ”It’s one of our viable businesses,” said AIG spokesman Joseph Norton. “They’re fully capitalized. They’re fine. It wasn’t a corporate kind of thing.”
Appearance, though, is powerful. “When people hear things like this, it makes it difficult to sell people on a bailout plan,” said Tara Setmayer, communications director for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who opposes a bailout. “Of course the events are planned in advance, but from a PR perspective, it doesn’t go over well.”
Like every congressional office, Rohrabacher’s was inundated with outraged calls and emails opposing a bailout. ”No one is bailing us out!” Average Joes were saying. “Why should we bail out those Wall Street fat cats?”
(Suggestion to those crafting the next bailout - er, ”rescue’ - bill: Consider a cap on expenses as well as executive compensation?)
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2008/10/02/after-federal-bailout-aig-fetes-in-style-in-oc/
Almost too quiet!
I'd shave it off before I would live with a "combover"! LOL
Way too much finger pointing from both these clowns. Where's RWR when you need him.
Hmm,Neither did I.
I'm convinced. It's the "New Orleans Saints" this week!
No. Just taking control. Both of these senators signed off on the rules and it just amazes me that neither one can abide by them. It makes one Wonder what will happen afetr one of them is elected.
Tom has Obamas number. No blabbling allowed!
At least she never asked someone in a wheel chair to stand up. How STUPID can Biden be.
Correct....Lies from BOTH candidates. You would never know it from reading this "Biden board"
Nostradamus predicted this..LOL
I watched the whole thing. Interesting enough, that's also what ABC news reported after the debate.
There were several gaffes reported on both sides, but you would never know it from this particular Biden board.
I'm not saying Palin performed to perfection, but most reaction is BOTH candidates did well and held their own...basically,no one screwed up.
Have a good night all.
I guess Biden doesn't know to do that after all these years without being told.The puppets strings must have been tangled by Barack.
Can Biden look the American people in the eye..Palin looked stright into the camera on almost every question.
All night he kept looking at the moderator...unless he was hot for her!
CAROLINA Panthers Please!
Maybe you should sell now, and if it does go to "zero" before a PR,you can BUY more!
Searchsnap, there are several players on I-HUB that I have followed long enough to realize that charts do work at this level.Nothing is 100%, even the charts at the "bluechip" levels. Can you tell mewhy you need to force your will on others that charts do not work at this level?
If that's what you believe, then invest the way that works for you.
Have a good night
Has BUYING stopped or is it just that people are going to have to raise their ASK?
TIA
Searchsnap I for one cannot prove or disprove your statement, but I'm positive you will have many players on this board that will refute your statement.I'm sure there are many examples that can go either way....at any level.
<Charts don't figure in OTCBB & PK stocks>