February 2009

Right now I am trying to forget that we are back to 1997 levels on the market. So, I am posting this WSJ clip about the Oscars. Overall, I guessed 4 out of 7 of the big categories right. It was the best show in years with "Slumdog…

UPDATE: This is another re-post given the huge bailout just administered to AIG. I am coming out in favor of nationalization in the United States. The efforts to fix the banking system to date have failed. As a result, America is still…

Americans Would Be Lucky to Mimic 1990s Japan: William Pesek - Bloomberg.com Will Germany deliver on the Faustian bargain that created monetary union? - Telegraph U.S. economy seen starting recovery in second half of '09: poll | Reuters…

Everybody is talking about nationalization. The latest trigger is the Citi discussions with the U.S. government to convert taxpayers' preferred shares into common equity. Below are a few Bloomberg video clips from just this morning…

As recession takes hold, European citizens are starting to ask questions about how they were led into this, the deepest downturn in three-quarters of a century. The leading Spanish daily El Pais published a very thoughtful article today…

This news is just in from the Wall Street Journal. Obviously, all of the activity we have seen with Citi's foreign subsidiaries of late has been in preparation for sale or nationalization. I expect this to be the big news when markets…

As a result of falling oil prices and the global financial crisis a considerable fear has developed that Dubai, which has led a very expansive building policy in recent years, would have problems servicing its debt.

More on That Dirty Word "Nationalization" and Possible Approaches - Naked Capitalism In Northern They Trust - Barron's ING’s Hommen May Consider Seeking U.S. Support After Review - Blomberg.com 'Good Banks' Are the Cost Effective Way…

The link for the list of nominees for the 81st Academy Awards Ceremony is here. Here are my picks: Best Actress - Kate Winslet Best Actor - Mickey Rourke Best Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger Best Supporting Actress - Penelope Cruz…

This week's Barron's magazine highlights the abysmal state of the Manhattan real estate market. Manhattan was one of the last bubble markets to burst. Now, things are unraveling quickly, particularly at the high end. Some experts see…