» Posted by Martin Weil on November 25, 2008

If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.

former Nixon Treasury Secretary George Shultz, about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Reported by The Big Picture

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 21, 2008

Chart from Calculated Risk

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 13, 2008

But this post by economist Alex Tabarrok suggesting it may be time for the Federal Government to sell some of the 50% or more of the western states it possesses bears consideration.

The only question I might ask Alex is "who do you suppose has the money to buy the land now when the Federal government desperately needs the funds?"

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 10, 2008

Investors have been frightened of an economy that seems out of control...the stock market has scarcely been so shaky since 1929...a Gallup poll published last month found that 46% of adults feared a depression similar to the classic one of the 1930s.

from Time magazine, September 9, 1974

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 10, 2008

Every holiday season it seems that US retailers make their year on the backs on gift cards. These often have ongoing fees that quickly eat up the card's value. And a large portion are never redeemed. Now comes the realization that a gift card to a retailer that goes bankrupt will likely be worthless. Analysts expect consumers to lose millions of dollars this holiday season alone from unusable gift cards at failed retailers. The LA Times today has the whole story.

Moral: "If you don't know what gift to buy, just give cash. It's something that never expires."

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 09, 2008

The LA Times weighs in with a recent article on options for overseas medical procedures for US citizens seeking to reduce their health care outlays and increasingly those seeking superior options to those available domestically.

One source for information cited by the Times is Planet Hospital.

My earlier entry on the subject dates to 2006 is "Heart surgery in Malaysia..."

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 06, 2008

Birds flock, wolves pack, and people buy generic.

From a good overview of what happens to spending, and why, in an economic slowdown in Free Exchange, The Economist's economics blog

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 05, 2008

The value of the US dollar under the Bush Administration.

From The Big Picture

» Posted by Martin Weil on November 01, 2008

The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent

John Maynard Keynes