A Meerkat's Bolthole

 http://www.kameronhurley.com/dealno-deal-writers-arent-totally-stupid/ …  

So, the great Breakdown of the Kitchen has begun. At one point I had to stop and remind myself that it only looked like I was moving. I wasn't actually moving. Those boxes were only going into the closet for a week or two, they weren't leaving the apartment... My Post-Traumatic Move Disorder, let me show you it.

I also hadn't realized how damn much space that bookcase was taking up, visually. Wow.

Everything has to be out and away by Sunday night. A little each day should do it.

Meanwhile, the rest of life marches on, and I begin to hear the distant sound of deadline drums....

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A news article that [bitterly] amused the fkcu out of me:

Some bankers say the conditions [imposed by the government] have become so onerous that they want to return the bailout money. The list includes small banks like the TCF Financial Corporation of Wayzata, Minn., and Iberia Bank of Lafayette, La., as well as giants like Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo.

Dude. This is someone who supported the initial buyout here speaking, so listen up. The Government ain't Grandpa. You take their (our) money, it comes with strings. Lots of strings. And the big one is "no more doing what you were doing that fkcued you up in the first place." Mind you, I'm not a banker, so when one of them says "doing this will destroy us" maybe he's right. But it's not like they were doing swimmingly before they came begging for a handout, is it?


Meanwhile, Bernard Madoff [and how's that for a character name of irony, huh?) is reportedly going to plead guilty to an entire host of crimes, without a plea bargain, probably facing life in jail. Doesn't that make you wonder what else is waiting out there, that he thinks this is the way to go? The fact that he was wearing a bulletproof vest on his way into court is probably a clue..... Let that be a lesson to you all: never steal from the wealthy. The middle-class are much much safer to piss off.

Woke up this morning still feeling 3/4 capacity, so the worst may *knock wood* be over. Thanks, everyone, for your well-wishes. Best thing about being a freelancer: I'm not bent out of shape about my entire weekend being given over to the Ugh. I'm annoyed at the lost time, but not that it ate my 'time off.'

Also, my cats are huge fakers. Normally they're up at the crack of Oh My Gawd, insisting they haven't been fed in yeaaaaaars. When I'm sick? They're willing to sleep in until whenever without a peep. Also: drat for the lack of camera, because they actually *gasp* groomed each other last night. Best we got until now was an occasional sniff-and-bump-noses. All it took was five years. And people say I have no patience! Hah.

Meanwhile, I continue to follow the ever-unentertainng unfolding of fiscal malfeasance on and off Wall Street. Considering the years we all spent being told that the Money People were somehow better/smarter/more worthy of high pay than Everyone Else... well, it would be bitterly funny if it weren't hurting people who kept their noses clean and their finances safe, too (my opinions about people who think they're Special Wealthy Snowflakes and deserve special hedge funds and insider chances...and then don't bother to do their research -- aside).

Last Reminder: there are a few more days left of the December Giveaway! Some of you requested but didn't leave a mailing address! I'm good, but I'm not that good....

Got a letter today from a credit card I've had for over a decade: "We are changing your Card Agreement....All your APRs (including promotional APRs) on all balances may automatically increase to the default APR if you default under any Card Agreement you have with us because you:

* do not make the minimum payment when due
* go over the credit line, or
* make a payment to us that is not honored."

All this is perfectly within their rights -- legal, if not moral -- and although I-as-Consumer want to spit at the sheer ursury of their rates (up to 29.9%), it's their card, their rules, and I'm not of a mind to give this account up, for reasons of credit rating and I doubt anyone's NOT tightening the screws anyway.*

However. What made this worth posting about (other than a reminder to READ MAIL SENT TO YOU BY YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY!) is the last line of the letter, which is just...beautiful.

"We hope you choose to take full advantage of your [card name] revolving line of credit and all the benefits and services we offer you."

I want to test for the invisible ink afterward that says "because just one screw-up, and we own your soul and your body as well."


Credit cards: Marvelous tools. Evil masters.



*EtA: I don't run afoul of any of those three changes, so I can afford to stay. If you do, and you get one of these... bail as soon as possible.

*sigh*

I just wrote a long rant about the difference between a quick intercession to support the financial infrastructure of an entire economy and handing money out to industries that failed to adapt to the new markets of the 21st century, despite being given a decade-long lead time filled with clear warnings. [edit: note I said the infrastructure, not the players who screwed with it]

And then I realized that would segue into a rant about the banking institutions who were given that support and still insist on screwing the pooch [and us] with it, which would in turn lead to a rant of OMG you PEOPLE, WTF, get your HEADS out of your HOLES!

And then I decided I was just too tired, and had too many other things to do. Like, y'know, adapting to the new markets of the 21st century.

If you're within reach of the Santa Barbara fires, stay safe and sound. I'm turning off the news and getting back to work.

And, for those of you who missed the bit of exciting-in-a-good way news: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/science/space/14planet.html Baby exoplanets! We are not unique. This gives me great pleasure (for those who want/need to believe in a Greater Plan, just call them God's backup plan for when we blow it entirely, and a new starting point is needed)

EtA: and, in the way things often happen, truepenny just externalized something I've been mulling for a while, about perfection, and how it's actually a bad path, rather than a good one. The money shot, for me: "But my point is, if you don't fail, or don't allow yourself to fail, you don't become a better person. You become a more rigid person. More brittle. More uptight. And because you don't allow yourself to fail, you have no empathy for other people when they fail. You don't have room for it, because you can't give yourself the leeway to imagine failing."

Yes. That.

Yesterday I placed another phone call to the Publisher of Non-Payment, as referenced here, here, and here. The phrase "breach of contract" was used, and mention was made of the power of negative press when one is willing to name names and give details in a public blog. Yes, I bitch-slapped a publisher.

Today I was informed that the check was being cut and placed in the mail.

We Shall See. Six years from contract to publication. Three months from payment due to payment (allegedly) made.


I am told that Mercury went direct again yesterday. *looks at in-box* I believe it.

Some of you may remember this post, back in August, about a mythology & legends project I'd written for that was, um, not timely with either publication or payment.

Publication occured, I know this because they sent me the books (after several rounds on the phone).

Payment, due on publication, has not yet arrived.

Tomorrow morning I will be on the phone with the publisher once again, countersigned contract on the desk in front of me, inquiring as to the status of said payment. Until that payment arrives, they will hear from me on a regular basis, both via the phone and registered mail.

If anyone else out there who contributed has a) not gotten a copy of the book and/or b) not gotten their paycheck, please contact me off-journal. Likewise, if you HAVE gotten paid, please let me know.

Production and publication delays are an unfortunate but understandable part of the business. Stiffing contractors is NOT.



Meanwhile, my entire workspace is covered with post-its. Seriously. Desk, monitor, media case.... the cats have fled otherwise they would be likewise... (actually, no. Post-its, unlike bacon, do not stick to cat-fur)

Reading responses here and elsewhere to the debate, and it seems like yes, McCain was broadcasting all the wrong body language to go with his trying to patronize Obama's understanding of events, and instead came across as Senator Get Off My Lawn!

I wasn't thrilled with Obama's performance [he needs to spend more time with a speech coach, to move from professorial to presidential] but he made valid counterpoints to McCain's claims [I particularly liked the "on-paper vs. actual corporate taxes paid" bit, and did anyone else wonder, when McCain was prophesying Doom if corporate taxes were raised, why he hadn't done anything about the jobs that had already gone offshore?] McCain? McSame. I didn't hear a single thing out of his mouth that made me think he had a clue about what the general working-jane populace wants or needs, or how he would move the country away from the current state of worldwide disdain we're held in, two things that are important to me. And just once, for the love of god, John, can you let go of the POW thing? We know, and it makes not a goddamn bit more difference to me than the fact that Barack was raised by a single parent. Seriously. That's who you were. What are you now?

Fact-checking the Debate. Highly recommended, as a lot of things that were said were, um, either misleading or just plain wrong.


My conclusion: the winner? Jim Lehrer, who was a fantabulous moderator and did a great job with a good and interesting format.

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Meanwhile, for those of you who don't read below the fold, a fascinating bit o' news that cannot bode well for fans of degregulation:

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a longtime proponent of deregulation, acknowledged on Friday that failures in a voluntary supervision program for Wall Street’s largest investment banks had contributed to the global financial crisis, and he abruptly shut the program down....Also Friday, the S.E.C.’s inspector general released a report strongly criticizing the agency’s performance in monitoring Bear Stearns before it collapsed in March. Christopher Cox, the commission chairman, said he agreed that the oversight program was “fundamentally flawed from the beginning....The last six months have made it abundantly clear that voluntary regulation does not work."

Um, duh?

No. Just... no. Yeah, we need a fiscal disaster plan, and yeah it has to be big. But can we at least THINK about who we're giving this "unfettered authority" to? No, no, dudes.... "Hi, I'm a pedophile. Want to hire me as a nanny?"

EtA: the more I read this proposal, the more I think that YOU PEOPLE IN DC ARE INSANE. Or, quite possibly, the biggest most arrogant crooks and liars since politics and finance were invented.

Sec. 8. Review.

Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency.

http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/09/bailout-proposal.html


Also, when a statement like this jumps out at you, you have to pause and reflect: "Republicans most supportive of the administration were in favor of approving the plan as swiftly as possible and with relatively few changes." Because the administration has shown it has SO much understanding of what's good and bad for the General Populace.... (although I quite like the implication that some Democrats want to seriously rein in how much compensation CEO/CFOs of companies that partake can retain. You run a company into the ground with bad decisions, you should NOT get to walk with multi-millions of bye-bye money. I'm just sayin'. Stand your ground for once, Dems!)

Oh, and because the term's getting tossed around a lot lately:
LIQUIDITY: A corporation is liquid if it has ready access to cash. A market is liquid if participants can easily convert positions into cash. An asset is liquid if it can easily be converted to cash. (www.riskglossary.com)


Meanwhile, a friend of mine is trying to draw a connection between the LHC and the timing of the world's financial meltdown. It's starting to make sense to me....

ETA: and eeknight links to and reposts a pretty good and mostly politics-neutral breakdown of the situation.

The story people are watching today: The crisis at American International Group deepened as the insurer was hit with downgrades by four rating companies late on Monday, giving the New York insurance giant precious little time to sell assets and receive loans to preserve its existence.

And for those of us looking at our own investments: It's too late to panic," said Zachary Karabell, president of independent consulting firm River Twice Research. "And if it's too late to panic, it's probably time to calmly look at what's going on in light of opportunities."
"Selling doesn't recoup your losses," he added. "It just realizes them." Some useful reading here, if not all of it stuff I agree with.

And for those of you wondering about recent deals: Bank of America’s $50bn (€35bn, £28bn) acquisition of Merrill Lynch, announced on Monday at a hastily arranged press conference, will go down as a signature moment in the history of Wall Street.

Fascinating, in a sphincter-clenching, queasy-making sort of way. The best explanation I've seen so far is of Wall Street et al having a sick gut, and not being able to digest all the bad credit it's been gorging on. A simplification but not, I think, an inaccurate one. Problem is, we're all sitting underneath the monster as it has a bad case of the shits....