Screwball

I don't follow AAPL (or chips) that close but from what I understand chip manufacturing requires a lot of water. So building a plant in Arizona (desert) seems kind of strange. Besides, there are water issues in the west. Someone (INTC, I think) is building a chip plant around the Columbus, Ohio area (New Albany, I think) and I wonder where the water will come from there as well.

I had heard about that place so I looked it up; Ford Rouge Complex That's pretty big, but nothing like what China/Foxcon/AAPL do. That article says you can still take a tour. That would be cool. I like that kind of stuff. I was in the casting plat in Flat Rock during it's heyday. That place was large as well, and like a miniature city. I spent a few weeks in the Ford foundry in Windsor. That was an incredible operation and quite large. It would be interesting to know what happened to these old factories after NAFTA and the globalization push took root? I know the Spicer plant in Toledo I worked at (around 5000 at it's peak) all went south to non-union sites, but mostly Mexico. Now a large warehouse.

Good article. Reading the headline, my first thought was where will production go? I had my hunches, and sure enough, FTA (first paragraph): There are so many things to parse out of this article, even though most of it looks so familiar from living in the world of Dilbert for all those years. The very next paragraph: That number is the like the population of Pittsburgh. Incredible. This gets ink because AAPL is huge, but this stuff goes on all the time. Labor and environmental arbitrage some might say. It's all about the bottom line. I have to give them credit. They have globalized what we defined years ago as slave labor. But I suppose we always have.

Berkshire - that's Warren Buffet the Bailout King. No shit Sherlock. How's that happen? By paying off a bunch of gutless whores? Why, yes, yes it is.

Thanks. This saves me from wading through all the bullshit.

I don't think it's amazing at all. It's just a window into the corruption that goes on each and every day. This is just another example of a coverup to hide it all. Make the crook look like a clueless tyro, then the stenographers in the media to guide the herd to the conclusion they want. Wash, rinse, repeat. Why not, so many gobble it up like a Hoover.

Since we are talking about Unions, I have to tell this story. Disclosure; I grew up in a union home. My 5' 3" mom was a union rep at the local factory she worked in. Her 6' 5" 350 brother was scared of her, and so was dad. So was I. She was Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies - literally - coming from West Virginia. Moved North during the industrial revolution and made a life. Unions were part of how people like my parents could do so, same in Michigan with the auto industry. The story; circa 1983-4. I worked at a local (Cornhole, town in the sticks of NW Ohio) manufacturer who made cranes. They got a huge order from the military and built a couple hundred machines. They were making huge money. This was an example of $200 dollar o-rings. The workers wanted more money so the union threatened to go on strike. The contract was in play too, because they "collective bargained" every so many years and the timing was right. It took a while to play out, but it got there. While we ate lunch one day close to the deadline, the union president was going all preacher on us, telling how he was going to kick their ass here shortly. He was called to the office for the big meeting over the loudspeaker. Rah, rah, rah, off he went. Charge! He wimped out like a dead fish flopping around on a beach once in the room, and that's being kind. The funny part - they never turned off the mic - so the entire conversation was broadcasted to the workers. Brilliant, if you are company. He came out with the same bravado, but once he found out he was fucked - he shot out the door. He did come back (not the same day). I really thought the guys would string him up. There were some crazy dudes there.

I've been buying short term bonds just because it's fun pushing a button. I could check a box, but that's no fun.

Let me disclose up front, I haven't followed this rail thing much. I only have two questions. Did .gov pass a bill to prevent a strike? What does it do for the sick days thing?

A follow up while I try not to puke. I admit up front I didn't watch this; my blood pressure couldn't handle it. They should have perp walked this dickhead to jail, but not here. Instead we put the SOB on TV and give him a tongue bath. This is the second Tweet I read by two people who were mainstays of Bubblevision at one time.

Too many get hung up on an ideology and miss the bigger picture, but that's the narrative. It's easy, expected, and good politics to pigeon hole people into a corner to further the tribal warfare. We should focus on the message and not the tribe.

Thanks for the eyes. Pinto... I drive by a house that has a Pinto sitting beside the house on a little flat driveway. Almost like a monument it seems. Crazy to see one today. This one is basic blue and white. They were a POS. 1971 to 1980, so it's 40 to 50 years old.

This is why we aren't.

Off topic again, but the racing audience might like this. I follow this guy on Twitter & Youtube. He is incredible.

The one I saw was cropped to just those two. Looks like Valerie Bertinelli on the left (could be wrong), but I don't think that's EVH if it is. 🙂 Could be wrong about that too. I can't read the small print under the picture. I need new glasses.

Going back to this.. WKRP also had the Gilligan's Island thing. Ginger or Mary Ann. Bailey vs. Loni. I couldn't find it, but I saw a picture of Howard Hesseman with Jan Smithers sitting on his shoulders (somewhere), circa WKRP days it looks like. I'll bet they had a ball making that show. I loved that show.

So fill me in here. Where is the proof we have tried to bargain to halt this war? I think I read "behind the scenes" but I don't know what exactly that means.

I thought about how I wanted to respond to this, but I couldn't come up with anything. Too many things to cover, but I guess "it sucks" kind of sums it up. For the record; the response to the pandemic was a giant cluster fuck from day one, and still is. By everyone calling the shots (no pun intended). Millions of people unnecessarily died because of ineptness, politics, lack of readiness (this was not a Black Swan), and of course money. So people will continue to die because we have adapted an acceptable death rate - so all is good. There are too many people anyway, and way too many old ones, and they aren't productive anyway. If all these fucking pukes worked as hard at helping us (the people in charge, not the people who have to deal with this insanity on a daily basis - the real foot soldiers) instead of getting everyone to hate each other.... But I digress. We should be better than this.

Wow, a little bit of truth bomb from the typical mouth organ Politico. Dumped on Thanksgiving eve no less. Europe accuses US of profiting from war NO! Tell us is ain't so. Maybe these dumbasses are as bad with history as so many others. Back in 2014 when our busy little CIA and neo-con war criminals had their noses buried in the cesspool of corruption and money laundering operation known as Ukraine, someone fucked up. Neo-con war monger Victoria Nuland (currently Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, married to Robert Kagan, co-founder of the PNAC) accidentally told the truth. "Fuck the EU" she exclaimed. Why, yes, it is all plain now Vicky baby. Leaked audio reveals embarrassing U.S. exchange on Ukraine, EU - from 2014 But struggling Americans and Europeans get to pay the price. Insanity by insane people. May you rot in hell.

That's the problem. Too many places push things they are paid (more) to push. It's hard to avoid, which if you can do it yourself, you are better off. That is a lot of work and time. My broker account has screeners to help. They do, but still a lot of time and study to find what you want. Investing of any type is a lot of work.

So you have nothing. That's what I figured. Please continue with your fantasies and insults. That's all you know. Oh, and I'm hardly slipping Gomer. I don't stoop to hiding behind an "ignore" button like a coward while taking potshots at someone I put on ignore. Do you have small hands too?

Financial people can be very useful. I have talked to my broker (funny they call them that) to help me find the kind of investments I am looking for. For example, bonds; duration, type, and risk.

Can you explain exactly how people who say Ukraine is not winning this war get paid by Russia, Gomer? Like how do they transfer the money? I can't seem to find the checks. Damn! Or under the influence? Do people have a hotline to Putin? Like direct T1 connection to share intelligence real fast? Maybe it's through Musk and Starlink - yea, maybe that's it. Please do tell. Oh, I forgot, I'm on your ignore list. Maybe someone can answer those questions - how am I (and many others) get paid and/or under the influence of Putin/Russia? Or is Gomer once again FOS. How's Ukraines electric grid doing by the way? Hard to win a war when you don't have an electrical grid that works.

RE: FTX crime. I don't know why anyone isn't in jail over this scam, but if there is any doubt we are not a nation of laws, here is another example; If you are not familiar with Sorkin, he works for the NYT as well as a morning anchor on Bubblevision (CNBC). Nothing is off limits so he says. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That little fucking creep wouldn't know a tough question if it hit him upside the head, but that's really not the point. The SBF guy should be in jail already, but they are going to include him (along with other celebrities) as part of this summit put on by the NYT so Sorkin can lob softballs at the creep. Hey Sorkin and the NYT, why don't you ask Gensler or Garland why this dick is still walking the streets instead of helping him cover up and wash away the crimes. Nation of laws my ass.

No Thanksgiving is complete without;