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Vincent's Journal

vincent
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01/09/2008 00:59 #42801

Wow is all I can say
Category: current events
Yea, I guess that's what you get when you put your faith in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schools like Marist and Quinnipiac for your polling statistics. The only thing I can say is that what happened tonight is the closest you will ever get to knowing what it is like to lose a ton of money betting sports. Unless years later you find out that the Referee was on the take you just it in a comatose state. This is how people are going to feel like when they New England finally loses to some team like the Bills that were 17 point underdogs.



On another note, the beginning of the end is starting to unfold in the markets. The final "halfing" is now under way. I checked the markets on a quick break today and the Dow was up 15 points or so. Then much to my surprise Gold was at an all time high and the market tanked. Is their upcoming bankruptcy the match that sets off the final chain reaction?

I'm tempted to short countrywide CFC before it falls below $5 and is unable to be sold short. S&P Ultrashort ETF sym SDS that makes money as the market goes down is starting to look like a real good long term play.

This is not financial advice, an offer or solicitation. All it is at the moment is what is going through my head.

james - 01/09/08 08:27
There is a prediction market called intrade where you can bet on candidates, legislation, even the weather. But 95% of the market was in a Barack Obama win last night. So 5% of the market made a lot of money on that one last night.

01/08/2008 00:36 #42784

Originally a comment
Category: politics
Yea, with Hillary I was laughing at local talk radio douchbag Tom Bauerle on the drive in. Basically he was stating that Hillary is going to pull out some kind of evil back handed plan to put a stop to all of this Obama stuff. Because the Clinton's are evil like that and have a track record of doing that kind of stuff. Dude, it's just over for her and there is no way Bill is gong to make her "younger, taller and male." He just should put the Vince Foster stuff in the ancient history storage bin.

To be honest I'm for Edwards. Mainly for the fact that I know that he is his own man and does not owe any "favors" eerrr doners. To be honest I think that most Obama supporters are just in love with the concept of "change" and just buy the self-help Oprah rhetoric. Yea, he sounds cool, but I just doubt he can follow through with the hype.

Basically my point is that you can't change the system when you owe your office to the people that put up the Ca$h for you. How is he going to take the money of HMO's and then turn around after 1/20/09 and tell then to expect much smaller profits for the greater good? Not going to happen. That's why I support Edwards since he's spending his own money and not owing anything to anyone at a cocktail party.

But all I can say with all the Obama hype and Huckabee fanaticism is that your next president has yet to announce his candidacy.
As an independent his him I'm just watching to see how things are gong to shake out. If it stands now, I would almost fly out to Vegas and put a bet on him. With a billion dollars to spend on a campaign he would toast both parties. Plus, he would be a true independent now owing anything to a special interests or PACs.The way it stands now there is a ton of space in the center to get him elected.
james - 01/08/08 12:10
I was an Edwards supporter. I like him, think he would be a fine president. But his ship sailed four years ago and now he can go back to pretending to be working class.

Every candidate takes money. It isn't the best system. But if we were to oust every candidate that did not take money we would be left with... half of Edwards, as he took money from state level lobbyists.

And Bloomy. He would make a fine candidate, but I am not sure where he sees himself? He said he would run if no candidate takes the center. Obama is getting tons of independent and Republican votes. McCain might get the GOP nod. Those two seem very much of the center (if you discount McCain's conservative voting record and not his faux-maverick persona). But what a sporting event if he did enter.
mrmike - 01/08/08 06:32
IF Bloomy runs, that would be interesting for sure. Candidates would drop out right and left
jenks - 01/08/08 05:39
but... but... edwards is an ambulance chaser... he's freakin cellino and barnes. I just can't get past that.

12/30/2007 12:00 #42682

Sarasota Drum Circle
Category: vacation
This was probably the most spiritual aspect of my trip. For me to get there on a Sunday night @ sunset is a special time. Yea, by the end of the night I was dancing in the sand. To be honest it was a pretty perfect night as the moon was just about full and it was right around the winter solstice.


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Ok, the quality of these "videos" suck. The point I'm trying to bring across here is the sound of what I was listening to at the time when I was snapping the pics above.


(SORRY GOOGLE VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. LINK WAS 6806016399703547405)

(SORRY GOOGLE VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. LINK WAS -4669551139015731232)

(SORRY GOOGLE VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. LINK WAS -3874212783833193791)

(SORRY GOOGLE VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. LINK WAS -8149434366510553414)

12/29/2007 09:30 #42671

Sarasota Part 2
Category: vacation

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paul - 12/29/07 14:17
I am beyond jealous.
metalpeter - 12/29/07 14:00
Nice Pictures, I like the beach ones. Some of that sand looks very white (thats a good thing). Thanks for sharing the pictures.

12/27/2007 22:01 #42665

Sarasota Florida Part 1
Category: vacation
It was hard to believe that I haven't been to this place that I have pretty much called my Holiday retreat since March of 2004. Although I have to say in being away for so long it did give me an interesting unbiased perspective in how things are going economically. When I was there last I remember running into a guy that moved there after graduating from Vanderbilt and made 80,000 in one year selling Real Estate. Mind you we were both watching NU play Oklahoma in their NCAA Tournament game after the game started to become settled. In looking around they were just bonkers about kicking people out of mobile parks to raise condo towers.

Fast forward 3 years where now it just seems that the place was missing about 1/4 to 1/3 of it's snowbird population. It was like I was back living in the early 90's when I first started going down there after my last grandparent passed away and we retired the traditional Christmas in our immediate family. All I can say is there should have been more people down there than I experienced. The beach was really empty. Yea, I know X-mas to New Years is usually slow but this was just too quiet. Every server we spoke to said things were pretty much dullsville.

Next door to my Mom's friend Louise's Condo lives a young Gay couple, one 30 and the other one 35. The 35 yr old works in the cardiopulmonary department in the local hospital and the 30 yr old works as a server and now a hotel worker. They bought their place 3 years ago for $200,000 and just 6 months ago their mortage reset from $1500 to $2200 and basically they are just abandoning it and moving away. The Medical guy has though about moving up to New England but is they are going to stay in the area due to his love of his current job. They haven't recieved any offers on their place and a comparable unit just sold recently for $150,000. SO basically they are in the tank for $50,000 :-(
All I can say is that it seems that this kind of thing is only going to get worse.


Anyway enough of my B.S. and on to some happy pics

I have a bunch more


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libertad - 12/31/07 13:59
My sister and my aunt and uncle are selling there houses in FL and it doesn't look to good so far. They have both been on the market for a long time now. What is that blob thing in the last picture. Did someone lose an implant or something?
imk2 - 12/28/07 01:17
thanks for all the great pics! it's nice to see some sun and sand when it's so gloomy here.

can i just make one suggestion though? would it be possible to maybe next time you post pictures, to sepparate the pictures a little bit. it would prevent them from running onto each other and would allow the eye to focus on one pic at a time. it's just a suggestion, though, so please don't yell at me. ;P