In Cramer I (Still) Trust

Say what you want about the actual interview, but Jim Cramer had a lot of balls to step on the set of the today show.  Jon Stewart was a complete bully for the entire interview.  It is evident that he and other who criticize Jim have never watched the show.

Does Cramer make stock picks?  Absolutely.  Does he jump up and down and talk to CEOs?  Sure.  

But he also warns you to do your homework and not blindly follow his advice.  The main point of the show is to teach people how to research individual stocks and sectors.  He gives a good overview of market sentiment, but at no time does he even say that he knows all.  He gets things wrong all the time, and admits it when he does.

Cramer has also done a lot of help level the playing field for the individual investor, and he is by no means a conservative shill:

• He is a strong proponent of re-instating the uptick rule
• He has blasted the SEC countless times for not enforcing existing laws that are there to prevent abuses of the system
• He's criticized the past two Treasury Secretaries, under both Obama and Bush

If you enjoy having a financial planner that you pay manage your portfolio, go ahead and use them.  But if you want to get into money management yourself, I strongly recommend that you read some of Cramer's books, where he delves into personal finance issues in an accessible way, without talking down to you.

Boo-yah.

Steele Under Fire

Michael Steele will probably not last very long as the leader of the GOP, especially after incidents like this:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/12/gop-boss-steele-clarifies-stance-abortion/

Republicans always called themselves the "big tent" party, but overtime I have come to completely lose respect for anyone that bears that label.  Here is a list of random groups that seem to have no voice in the republican party:

• Gay marriage supporters
• Pro-choice
• Pro science
• Non-white people (Steele being the exception, but as noted above that won't last long)
• Non-religious people
  

Madoff pleads guilty

Bernard Madoff has pled guilty and been sent to jail for operating one of the largest ponzi schemes in history.

What should be done with the people he swindled money out of?  I personally do not think that they should get a penny back.  I've lost money in the market too, but I'm not running to the government asking for a handout.  He took advantage of them, so what?  That doesn't mean the taxpayers should support them.  Eugene Robinson goes so far as to call them his accomplices.  

His investors were Idiots with a capital I.  Someone who gives you a 10% return for many, many years is lying to you.  We should not reward ignorance.

Forbes richest #701

Made me laugh, but it is true and not a spoof.

Bush's GITMO did not keep us safe

Here is proof that Bush's GITMO did not keep us safe:

One of the captured terrorists that Bush's administration let go free is now leading the war against us in Afghanistan.  Good job George.  Maybe if we'd have let these guys work through the justice system, he'd be in Supermax now, not in an opium field.

Chas Freeman

Chas Freeman, who withdrew as nominee for the National Intelligence Council.  He claims that he was opposed mostly by the Israel lobby.  Andrew Sullivan is up in arms:

It is a minor appointment, but even minor appointments in the president's own staff cannot proceed if the appointees question the p.c. line on Israel. The enforcement of this orthodoxy even in minor appointments - to the extent of character assassination - is what makes this a news story. And the repercussions of that orthodoxy for future foreign policy, especially with Iran, are enormous.

Thankfully this was just a minor appointment.  But this brings up larger points:

1. Unless you are being appointed ambassador to Israel, your support that country does not matter.
2. Nominees are not rejected for criticizing Iran, China, Russia, India, Mexico, and many other countries.  Israel does not deserve special treatment, especially after the mess they made in January.
3. We've been supporting Israel since the beginning, and look how much the situation has improved.  Right...

I'll close with some more remarks from Andrew Sullivan, who I think has quite nicely summarized it:

This is Freeman's cardinal sin among his critics: to blame Israel, even in part, for the plight it finds itself in, and to ask that US foreign policy be more neutral with respect to the parties in the Middle East. This is the third rail no one is allowed to touch and have access to real power in Washington. Even when the horrifying Gaza assault was going on, it became evidence of anti-Semitism to find the civilian casualties morally repellent and the siege itself counter-productive. This kind of intimidation must end.

The Next Big Thing?

A leap forward in battery technology could do a lot to reduce pollution and reliance on old coal type electricity.  At MIT something interesting just happened.

American Beer: Something to be proud of

American beer is knocked around the world, due to Budweiser, Miller, et. al.  But we now have more craft breweries than any other country.  It is truly something to be proud of.

Religion in the US shrinks

Less Americans follow organized religion than several years ago.  This is a good thing, as organized religion causes people to group themselves in ways that tend to harm others.  Muslim vs Jew, Catholic vs. Protestant, etc.  I have no problem with people being spiritual, but whenever they tend to congregate I get creeped out.  And then they tend to only marry and socialize within those groups to keeping us from assimilating as Americans.

Obama overturns Bush stem cell policy

President Obama will be ending the Bush administrations policy that banned the use of federal funds to conduct research on embryonic stem cells.  He left some additional details to Congress, on whether to fund research on testing human embryos. 

Finally, science is back. 

Circuit City sells its last TV

The once huge retailer of electronics, founder of Carmax, and setting of the 40 year old Virgin, Circuit City closed its doors today.  I did not buy anything at the liquidation sale, since Amazon still offered better deals (and no tax).