The Jaded Developer

Peter Schiff vs. Everybody

2008-11-14T13:42:00.003-07:00

Here's a recap of some so-called debates between Peter Schiff and various talking heads. We shouldn't let this be forgotten.

Watch Ben Stein call Merrill Lynch a buying opportunity of a lifetime at $76 in Aug 2007. It's under $14 at the moment.

Time Magazine vs. an Auto Bailout

2008-11-13T09:13:00.002-07:00

Is General Motors Worth Saving?

But ultimately, whether GM is dead or alive, the taxpayers are on the hook for billions, for everything from lost tax revenues to higher unemployment costs to taking over GM's pension obligations. The decision that Washington has to make is whether we pay for GM's survival or for its funeral.

Time provides an overview of what happens if GM is allowed to fail.

Quantum of Bonds

2008-11-12T10:42:00.004-07:00

I appreciate a good trailer mashup, even if they're messing with Bond. This is from the people behind Journey at the Center of the Earth and Battle of the Batmans among others.

Via FilmDrunk

Friedman vs. an Auto Bailout

2008-11-11T22:10:00.005-07:00

How to Fix a Flat

They were interviewing Bob Nardelli, the C.E.O. of Chrysler, and he was explaining why the auto industry, at that time, needed $25 billion in loan guarantees. It wasn’t a bailout, he said. It was a way to enable the car companies to retool for innovation. I could not help but shout back at the TV screen: “We have to subsidize Detroit so that it will innovate?”

Heart of Gears

2008-11-11T09:02:00.001-07:00

Greenspun vs. GM

2008-11-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

Let G.M. go bankrupt

The rest of America will be taking pay cuts, losing jobs, giving discounts to customers, etc. What is special about G.M. that they should be able to live as though 2008 never happened?

Cornerstone vs. Versions, Again

2008-11-07T22:05:00.001-07:00

I've updated and expanded my comparison of the two best Subversion version control clients for Mac OS X. Short story, I've switched to Cornerstone.

Voting Machine Horror

2008-11-03T15:24:00.001-07:00

From Diebold touchscreen Voting machine - not fit for purpose?

If you’re like me, you may have read about the usability problems with the Diebold touchscreen voting machines in the States. Before I saw this video, I didn’t realise quite how serious the problems are.

Mark Cuban vs. the so-called-experts

2008-10-28T14:50:00.001-06:00

The Stock Market: The New Normal ?

“Past Performance is No Indication of Future Results”. Its a statement attached to every financial salespitch ever offered. So why is it no one believes it ?

Paul Graham vs. the recession

2008-10-17T09:09:00.001-06:00

Why to Start a Startup in a Bad Economy

And if you're worried about threats to the survival of your company, don't look for them in the news. Look in the mirror.

Line Eater

2008-10-16T19:23:00.003-06:00

There is a batch file that we run to create a version of RPM that's ready for deployment. It does some optimizations on some files among other tasks. I recently needed to have it remove the first line of every JavaScript file. After trying some unsuccessful batch file tricks, I figured it would be faster to whip up a little app to do it.

So if you need a command line utility to remove lines from the start of a file, be my guest: Line Eater.

Tory Minority

2008-10-14T21:25:00.003-06:00

A minority government for the Conservatives - not a horrible result. Canada has a lot of things that going well, so I can understand why people vote for the status quo. I don't mind the Conservatives much myself, with two major exceptions. First is their scary design for copyright. Second is my personal vow to never put an x by ~~my candidate~~ my representative out of respect for Maher Arar. Those reasons aside, my motivation for a protest vote was mostly from a desire for a reform of the whole election and representation system. And a frustration for not having any party I really like.

At least there's little doubt that Dion was a bad choice as leader of the Liberals. What were you reds thinking?

Best Show Ever

2008-10-12T21:50:00.004-06:00

Just finished the series finale of The Wire, and I will say it's the best TV drama I've seen. I can't even watch Law & Order anymore, and that's big for me. If you're going to give The Wire a try, please watch it from the beginning. Your reward will be an HBO series that ends even stronger than it starts. Finally.

Get Your War On

2008-10-08T13:49:00.003-06:00

Bailout?! and Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits are my favorites. Yes rape is a serious subject, but that's point - know your candidates. I would hope the reality would be more shocking than the comic.

The US election is much more ~~interesting~~ entertaining than ours.

Oh yah, there's an election here too

2008-10-07T13:25:00.003-06:00

The four parties are each unappealing. Green seems like a possibility for a protest vote, but wouldn't it be great to actually have someone to vote for?

At least I see my Green candidate is actually an engineer and business owner.

166 Economists vs. The Bailout

2008-09-26T09:08:00.001-06:00

Hundreds of Economists Urge Congress Not to Rush on Rescue Plan

More than 150 prominent U.S. economists, including three Nobel Prize winners, urged Congress to hold off on passing a $700 billion financial market rescue plan until it can be studied more closely.

Including this interesting opinion:

``I suspect that part of what we're seeing in the freezing up of lending markets is strategic behavior on the part of big financial players who stand to benefit from the bailout,'' said David K. Levine, an economist at Washington University in St. Louis, who studies liquidity constraints and game theory.

Mark Cuban vs. The Bailout

2008-09-23T20:39:00.001-06:00

700Billion bailout ? Ebay it !

On the subject of executive compensation, if they need government bailout money, take away 100pct of exit pay and any bonuses. Let them quit if need be.

Ron Paul vs. The Bailout

2008-09-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

Commentary: Bailouts will lead to rough economic ride

I am afraid that policymakers today have not learned the lesson that prices must adjust to economic reality. The bailout of Fannie and Freddie, the purchase of AIG, and the latest multi-hundred billion dollar Treasury scheme all have one thing in common: They seek to prevent the liquidation of bad debt and worthless assets at market prices, and instead try to prop up those markets and keep those assets trading at prices far in excess of what any buyer would be willing to pay.

Sen. Bunning vs. The Bailout

2008-09-23T11:09:00.001-06:00

Bunning Declares The Free Market Dead

My great grandchildren will be saddled with the estimated $1 trillion debt left in the wake of this proposal.

Sen. Sanders vs. The Bailout

2008-09-22T15:10:00.003-06:00

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Robert Scheer and Dean Baker on the Proposed $700 Billion Bailout of Wall Street, the Largest Government Bailout of Private Industry in US History. All are good. This quote from Sanders in particular:

For years now, they’ve told us that we can’t afford—that the government providing healthcare to all people is just unimaginable; it can’t be done. We don’t have the money to rebuild our infrastructure. We don’t have the money to wipe out poverty. We can’t do it. But all of a sudden, yeah, we do have $700 billion for a bailout of Wall Street.

Newt Gingrich vs. The Bailout

2008-09-22T12:32:00.001-06:00

Before D.C. Gets Our Money, It Owes Us Some Answers

Congress was designed by the Founding Fathers to move slowly, precisely to avoid the sudden panic of a one-week solution that becomes a 20-year mess.

Mish vs. The Bailout

2008-09-22T08:58:00.003-06:00

Open Letter To Congress On The $700 Billion Paulson Bailout Plan. This letter that sums up a lot of his writing over the past year. Some choice quotes:

If printing money was the solution to all problems, Zimbabwe would be the most prosperous country in the world.

...taxpayers who pay their mortgages on time should not be subsidizing those who don't!

It should not be the role of Congress to promote housing vs. renting. The very act of doing so creates an artificial demand for housing.

And, his prediction is coming true:

The government/quasi-government body most responsible for creating this mess (the Fed), will attempt a big power grab, purportedly to fix whatever problems it creates. The bigger the mess it creates, the more power it will attempt to grab.

But it's not just warnings and I-told-you-so, he presents alternative ideas.

Reduce the capital gains tax by 50% for any investor willing to cash out stocks and invest in 5 year bank CDs. Eliminate the difference between long term and short term capital gains. Eliminate taxable interest on savings accounts, CDs, and US treasuries.

It is no secret that infrastructure in the US is decaying and needs to be fixed. A collapsing bridge in Minnesota is one key example. And what out our aging energy grid? Instead of giving $700 billion to banks that deserve to go under, I would rather give half that for jobs programs.

Water Shrews

2008-09-21T12:29:00.001-06:00

Collider webcams

2008-09-11T20:30:00.003-06:00

Who knew the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator would be so boring.

J.D. Power and Associates Reports 2008

2008-09-09T15:50:00.002-06:00

2008 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and 2008 Initial Quality Study