Conflucians Say Tonight on Blogtalkradio

Think Virtually Speaking is the only game in town?  Not so fast.  We started Conflucians Say a couple of years ago.  It’s kind of like The View except we’re unpaid, political junkies who no one has ever heard of.  One thing is for sure: we are the other side of the lefty blogosphere.  You know, the ones who got it right?  Not that we’re keeping score or anything.

Join us tonight to find out whether RD can remember how to work the damn switchboard.  We’ll go over current events from the bitter knitters’ POV.

It’s tonight at 9:00pm EST on blogtalkradio.

Conflucian’s Say: Stress and Shin Splints

How are you handling the Great Recession of 2009?  Are you getting enough sleep?  Eating well?  Exercising? Wanna talk about it?  Join us tonight at 10PM EST for Conflucians Say  on PUMA United Radio for the Wellness Edition, among other things.

Update:  Whooops!  There is no show scheduled tonight.  Next week for sure.  But let’s not waste a post.  How are you handling the recession?

Conflucians Say: The first 100 days and the pandemic panic of 2009

How has Obama done in his first 100 days? Did he meet or fail to meet your expectations?  What is his overall grade?  How about individual performance on the economy, health care, foreign policy, constitutional issues, balance beam and uneven parallel bars?

And for your homework, study this image:

There will be a quiz on it later.

Join us at 10PM EST for Conflucians Say on PUMA United Radio (PURrrr)

Conflucians Say: SOS edition

It’s Shakespeare’s B-day:

Include your favorite quote in the comments.

PUR is still working for us but who knows when Conflucians Say will be shut down and we’ll be forced to move to a new venue?  Hey, it could happen during tonight’s show!  That’s how far out on a limb we’re going.  We’ll be catching up on all things Secretary of State related and maybe Dakinikat will tell us what’s up with the banks and why are they forcing GM into bankruptcy.

Join us for Conflucians Say at 10PM EST on PUMA United Radio (PURrrr)

Conflucians Say: The Dark Side of the economic meltdown

Like there’s a good side, right?

From Market-Ticker: What’s Dead (Short Answer: All Of It)

Just so you have a short list of what’s at stake if Washington DC doesn’t change policy here and now (which means before the collapse in equities comes, which could start as soon as today, if the indicators I watch have any validity at all. For what its worth, those indicators are painting a picture of the Apocalypse that I simply can’t believe, and they’re showing it as an imminent event – like perhaps today imminent.)

• All pension funds, private and public, are done. If you are receiving one, you won’t be. If you think you will in the future, you won’t be. PBGC will fail as well. Pension funds will be forced to start eating their “seed corn” within the next 12 months and once that begins there is no way to recover.
• All annuities will be defaulted to the state insurance protection (if any) on them. The state insurance funds will be bankrupted and unable to be replenished. Essentially, all annuities are toast. Expect zero, be ecstatic if you do better. All insurance companies with material exposure to these obligations will go bankrupt, without exception. Some of these firms are dangerously close to this happening right here and now; the rest will die within the next 6-12 months. If you have other insured interests with these firms, be prepared to pay a LOT more with a new company that can’t earn anything off investments, and if you have a claim in process at the time it happens, it won’t get paid. The probability of you getting “boned” on any transaction with an insurance company is extremely high – I rate this risk in excess of 90%.
• The FDIC will be unable to cover bank failure obligations. They will attempt to do more of what they’re doing now (raising insurance rates and doing special assessments) but will fail; the current path has no chance of success. Congress will backstop them (because they must lest shotguns come out) with disastrous results. In short, FDIC backstops will take precedence even over Social Security and Medicare.

And that’s just the first half of the list.

The President is thinking about ways to save money:

Why Would the Obama Administration Want to Make Vets Buy Private Insurance for Their Health Care?

I am not a health care wonk but some of my good friends are, so I’ll refrain from pretending I can construct a health care argument whereby this makes sense (or doesn’t, for that matter). Instead, as a moral matter, veterans deserve free, government-provided health care. As a political matter, why the Obama administration would want to squander its good will in the military community is completely beyond me. Murray calls the plan DOA, as she should. But why should it be considered seriously in the first place?

Has lying become the underlying theme?  More from Market Ticker:

“The Bezzle” Defined

Here are some examples of “The Bezzle”:

• Liar loans: The borrower can’t possibly pay off the loan on the original agreed terms and the institution that makes the loan “passes it” to an investor fully aware that the borrower almost certainly lied about credit capacity.
• Overly-rosy projections about growth in property values: The speaker is either incompetent (doesn’t understand exponents – a fundamental mathematical concept) or is intentionally deceiving people.
• Overly-rosy projections about the stock market: “The market always comes back” and “over long periods of time it outperforms other investments.”  Both true, but both misleading; if you’re 18 you might be able to wait for it to come back, but the market has remained flat to down from a given level for more than 20 years before.  How long did you say it was before you intended to retire?
• “The Internet is doubling every three months!”:  It was – for about six months.  But that got embedded into the business plans of thousands of businesses, long after the growth rate had started to slow down to something more sustainable.  Oh by the way, the fundamental lie of that claim is that in 7 years  the Internet would have gone from its original two people to covering more than the entire population of the planet, including the rice farmer in China and the starving child in Bangladesh.

In short The Bezzle is “the lie” that is always present in business.

The truth is always some degree of lying in business transactions – always has been, always will be.  And so long as The Bezzle doesn’t become the underlying theme in business, it simply bankrupts the people who try to run it when they get discovered.

But when The Bezzle becomes the underlying premise and basis for business transactions that entire segment of the market is doomed.

All this and more will be discussed tonight on Conflucians Say: The Dark Side of the economic meltdown

Conflucians Say tonight at 10PM EDT

Please join me (Katiebird), BostonBoomer, and Dakinikat at Conflucians Say:
Time: 10pm Eastern
Call-in Number: (347) 539-5420

Comments closed until after the show

Conflucians Say: What do we want? Accountability! When do we want it? LAST SUMMER!

I was perusing the NYTimes this morning, because I do happen to believe that news is what they do best, (when they’re not the tools of someone who is trying to manipulate the public), when I ran across this little tidbit: Bloggers and Unions Join Forces to Push Democrats to the Left.  That’s interesting, thought I.  They must be talking about us, People United Mean Action and Party Unity My Ass bloggers who tried to get the country’s attention last year after the RBC meeting.  You know, the unParty that wrote the book on PUMA Power and how it was really important to try to get the Democratic Party’s attention *before the nomination* because afterwards, they don’t have to listen to you?  Wow!  What an opportunity for bloggers to join up with the unions and really shake things up!  I mean, we have credibility for seeing Obama and the Democrats as they really are. Our predictions were deadly accurate where Obama was concerned.  Surely, SURELY, we now have the recognition we deserve.

Alas, it is not to be:

Ms. Hamsher said Accountability Now — which will also have support from the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s largest service sector unions, and the Web site DailyKos.com — would concentrate more fully on candidate recruitment on a statewide level.

“We’ve gone out to the state blogs asking them to put together research on people who they think are good candidates who should be on our radar,” she said. “We’re not just parachuting in.”

{{Snort!}} DailyKos?  I’m sorry but weren’t they swimming in Kool-ade just last week?  The problem with the big orange cheeto is that the people who hang out there now are incredibly vulnerable to suggestion.  They don’t stand a chance against the Axlerod trained psych infiltrators who derail them with remarkable alacrity.

As for Jane Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald, I used to admire them both.  But I was so disappointed to see how thoroughly they bought into the Obama mystique and how nasty they were to Palin.  They wasted a lot of energy on distraction when they should have kept their eyes on the ball and Obama’s feet to the fire.  It didn’t help that they treated the “old coalition” like red-headed stepchildren.  Oh, that’s right.  We were racists because we refused to recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ Obama.

Accountability now or Better Late Than Never?

Stay tuned for Conflucians Say tonight at 10PM EST when we discuss Accountability Now, books with good moments but bad quarters of an hour and acquaintances who don’t know when to stop digging.  It’s on PUMA United Radio!  (PURrrr)

Conflucians Say: “Fire!” over Social Security

Well, the Obots can’t say they weren’t warned about Obama.  We told them he wasn’t a liberal.  It looks like he is onboard with tinkering with Social Security.  If I were him and actually *cared* about the economy, I would back away from Social Security reeeeal slllloow like.  It’s not just a retirement fallback, it’s an insurance policy against risk.  Without it, how many Americans in the past 6 decades wouldn’t have changed jobs or started their own businesses?   There are too many short term thinkers with tunnel vision where social security is concerned.  Social Security makes entrepreneurship and creativity possible.

But leave it to Obama to want to have a “fiscal responsibility” conference to discuss how we might cut benefits for those under 55.  That would include yours truly who just lost a whopping amount in her 401K.  Yep, at this rate, I’ll be working until the day I die.  If I’d known that, I would have demanded more vacation time and higher wages.  Leave it to the well heeled to pull the rug out from under you when it’s too late to get back on your feet.

So, how do we raise the alarm?  And how do we coordinate our messages with the people who scorned us last year but are having a case of buyer’s remorse now? Stayed tuned for Conflucian’s Say tonight at 10PM EST to find out if we have any answers or just more questions.

Conflucians Say: Before and After

Well, the basement is finished.  Yeah.  I’m worn out.   Actually, all of the construction, priming, painting, flooring is done.  I still have some shelving to put in as well as figuring out what the heck I’m supposed to sit on down there.  I should have some decisions made this weekend.  Stimulating the economy is both fun and nervewracking.

Basement Before:

Basement After:

And join me tonight at 10PM EST for Conflucians Say to talk about your House remodeling plans.  That’s on Puma United Radio (PURrrr)

Hillary Goes to Foggy Bottom and Channels… Galadriel?

Hillary got an enthusiastic welcome from more than 1000 State department employees at Foggy Bottom this morning and gave short speech.  You can find the entire text of the speech at her new State Department website.  The speech was noticeably short on the hopey-changey shtick, to the relief of many.  Instead, she talked about the three legs of US Foreign Policy: Defense, Diplomacy and Development.  State is in charge of the last two

And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America’s future. (Applause.)

She also let them know that they were dealing with a completely different management style than they’ve been used to.  She emphasizes collaboration and thinking out of the box.  My French colleagues would call it audacity:

This is going to be a challenging time and it will require 21^st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities. I’m going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can. I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue — (applause) — that will make us better. (Applause.)

We cannot be our best if we don’t demand that from ourselves and each other. I will give you my very best efforts. I will do all that I can, working with our President, to make sure that we deliver on the promises that are at the very core of what this new Administration and this new era represent. So we need to collaborate, and we need to have a sense of openness and candor in this building. And I invite that. Now, not everybody’s ideas — (applause) — will make it into policy, but we will be better because we have heard from you.

…

Among the many conversations that I’ve had with the President and with the Vice President, over years, but certainly much more astutely and in a concentrated way in the last weeks, we want to send a clear and unequivocal message: This is a team, and you are the members of that team. There isn’t anything that I can get done from the seventh floor or the President can get done from the Oval Office, unless we make clear we are all on the American team. We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America.

Take *that*, Condoleeza!

Then she finishes up with a Tolkeinish twist.  As many of you may know, Sean Astin was a very effective surrogate for Hillary during primary season.  Sean played Samwise Gamgee, the little hobbitt who could.  But it was Galadriel who I was thinking of as she greeted the fellowship after a series of unfortunate events.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled”, she said.  And here is the way Hillary ended her pep rally:

So this is going to be a great adventure. We’ll have some ups and some downs. We’ll face some obstacles along the way. But be of good cheer — (laughter) — and be of strong heart, and do not grow weary, as we attempt to do good on behalf of our country and the world.

Yeah, team!

Tune in tonight to Conflucians Say on PUMA United Radio at 10PM EST.  Oh, an if you have a couple Lincolns sitting around, consider donating them to PUMAPac.  They’re having a fundraiser and their goal is $50,000.  Hey, maybe you can’t foot the entire bill, but if 10 of you give $5,000, we could end this sucker tonight.  If 100 gave $500, that’s even better.   If 1000 of us gave $50, we’d be done in no time.  And if 2000 of us gave a measly $25 smackaroos, well, then we could put this baby to bed ad start another fundraiser.

Conflucian Cocktail Party: We need a little Christmas

Oh, man!  I am all lost now.  WordPress has changed its post page.  All the icons have moved to different places.  Bear with me while I figure this sucker out.

It’s that time of year again.  Time to break out the decorations.  You don’t even have to be Christian to play along, as my mother, the Jehovah’s Witness never tired of reminding me.  Much of the Christmas holiday is grounded in Saturnalia that the Christians copped from the Romans.  That whole holly and ivy thing?  Probably copied from the Celts who had a thing for dragging greenery into the house, as did the Germans with their trees.

This year, I’m a little more excited about Christmas than I have been in the past.  The days got short on me almost without warning.  I don’t know where the summer went while I was blogging and coming home from work in the dark is just dreary.  But right around Christmas time, the days will start to lengthen again and before you know it, the birds will be waking you up at 5:00AM.  It’s something to look forward to, not to mention the smell of Christmas tree, the sparkle of tinsel and the taste of cinnamon and cloves.

So, settle back and join in this first of many Conflucian Holiday Parties.  I hope to see a Hannukah party and a little something on Kwanzaa too.  Rico our bartender with flair is taking the night off.  He’s beat.  I know just how he feels.  But never fear.  We still have cocktails.  Our guest bartender tonight is Alberta Straub, or “Flighty”.  Her special drink for the night is a Date With David Bowie.  Check it out:

I’m sipping a Bulleit Bourbon with middle notes that remind me of Juicy Fruit gum.  Delish!  But you can order anything you like.

Our entertainment tonight is from an American classic, a Charlie Brown Christmas.  Vince Guaraldi’s cool, west coast jazz was a perfect accompaniment to the round headed kid who was the very opposite of cool.  Feel the anticipation with Christmas is Coming:

Or Saturnalia.  Feel your inner pagan.

Ladies and Gents, regulars and newcomers, we run a respectable joint around here.  If you can’t say something nice, leave it with Florence, our lovely checkroom attendant.  The waiters will be circulating with some of the marshmallows we made earlier in the day, some cheddar cheese sticks and piggy back dates.  Please drink responsibly, tip your wait staff generously and join me at 10PM EST for Conflucians Say on PUMA United Radio (PURrrr).