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[Mr. Palau]

That big JPMorgan fuck-up may eventually result in losses amounting to 9 Billion.

While  worrying, especially given the recent finiancial crisis, this is not a threat to JPMorgan. They have very, very large capitial reserves. What they did, was a legitimate hedge. It was a dumb hedge, but it was a hedge non the less. They are just going to have almost no profit this quarter. A legitimate consquence of stupid decisions.

It is, but considering that the government, in extension every taxpaying US citizen, will throw money at a bank if it digs itself into a deep hole... also known as 'too big to fail'... well, you get the idea don't you?

Though, when you think of it... its like welfare, but with more money thrown at less people...

Well yeah, but you could not get a systemic bank collapse resulting from a losses on hedges.

[SalmonGod]

Interactive map showing foreclosure, unemployment, and median household income rates across the U.S. by county.

[Trollheiming]

Interactive map showing foreclosure, unemployment, and median household income rates across the U.S. by county.

Go to Plymouth, MA.
1 foreclosure in 776
1776

Granted, this would be better in Middlesex, near Lexington and Concord, but still...

[Mr. Palau]

NYC looks like it is doing pretty well for itself. Having a tech and finiancial clusture sure is a boon to a town. (tech industry is second only to silicon valley).

[Itnetlolor]

God, Armies of Heaven, please protect this man. We have a ray of hope in Congress. Let's hope he got through to them big time.

[Mr. Palau]

God, Armies of Heaven, please protect this man. We have a ray of hope in Congress. Let's hope he got through to them big time.

Did you not know Bernie Sanders existed before that speach? He gave an 8 and 1/2 hour filibuster on this stuff once that is going to be made into a book. (appearently it wasn't actually to block anything, so it techically wasn't a filibuster, but it was in the tradion of a filibuster, being a speach that was 8 and 1/2 hours long.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders (see tenure, under senate.)

[Itnetlolor]

I'm not a fan of politics in general, so naturally I wasn't aware. But this guy is all kinds of awesome for giving our government a Reason You Suck Speech and What The Hell Hero at them. All the more awesome this guy is an Independent as well. Why don't we have one as our president yet? Why are they always "wasted votes"?

[Lagslayer]

Why are they always "wasted votes"?

Because, historically, Third party candidates have not done well in this country. And since it would take a very large, coordinated effort to change this, people go with the safer bet. Unfortunately, this safer bet has become choosing the "lesser evil", as opposed to choosing someone you can agree with 75% of the time. Unfortunately, I don't see this changing. People respond too well to having money thrown at them (it all starts with the people...), and having to enforce such organization means you hand that power over to the people who do not want it in the first place.


Unless this was a cynical statement, in which case... there it is anyways.

[Mr. Palau]

I'm not a fan of politics in general, so naturally I wasn't aware. But this guy is all kinds of awesome for giving our government a Reason You Suck Speech and What The Hell Hero at them. All the more awesome this guy is an Independent as well. Why don't we have one as our president yet? Why are they always "wasted votes"?

I hate to burst your bubble but he votes Democratic 98% of the time.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

He's also the only and first member of Congress who self-identifies as a socialist.

[Itnetlolor]

I'm not a fan of politics in general, so naturally I wasn't aware. But this guy is all kinds of awesome for giving our government a Reason You Suck Speech and What The Hell Hero at them. All the more awesome this guy is an Independent as well. Why don't we have one as our president yet? Why are they always "wasted votes"?

I hate to burst your bubble but he votes Democratic 98% of the time.

As long as he gave our government the swift kick in the butt they needed, seeing as they weren't willing to listen to the people they should be responsible for, but instead their wallets and those that hold them hostage, he's alright in my books. If he was heard, and motivates them to change for the better, and start taking risks that will be guaranteed to improve things, then more power to him for that one.

And opinion-wise, background and political position notwithstanding, as long as they (any political figure(head)) do the right thing more than the wrong thing by a sufficient margin, that's what matters to me. I have no interest in politics, but it was reassuring to hear someone verbally beat the crap out of everyone within the high ranks with common sense.

ADDENDUM:
A disturbing thought came to mind regarding how our infrastructure is crumbling, and an oil pipeline is still being worked on that crosses our country. What puzzles me is, although it's on land, have they not learned from the BP oil disaster? Let's not forget, we have a water table/aquifer under where it crosses. Repeat BP, and bust a valve or few "by accident" and that's a rather effective way of taking care of citizens you're having a hard time with, and use plausible deniability of it being an accident, bad engineering, or whatever. No matter what, the damage is done, and an environment as well as an entire water supply would be screwed.

Maybe I'm not up to scratch on the geology and whatnot there, but that was something about this plan, and how much they've been enforcing it more than our infrastructure, that has got me a little concerned. And when things go ass-end-up caused by a leak; it can always be blamed on TERRORISTS!!!, or our failing infrastructure, and wondering why we haven't patched things up in the areas affected yet; as they did about the job market; no support for making jobs, asks why we have no jobs, or more like, why don't we get a job?

Maybe I'm paranoid, or maybe I've watched Die Hard a few too many times to think of how this method of oil collecting can be weaponized ecologically against political opponents at macrological scales, especially the populous, than the politicians (at least thinking as if I were writing another episode to the Die Hard movies, or a Tom Clancy novel). It seems too easy to abuse; especially if you can repeat the BP oil spill on land, and especially on top of a main water supply (holding it hostage to millions of innocent people), except make an intention look like an accident or terror strike, ??, Profit whats left of a dying country, and escape before you're arrested for crimes against humanity.

EDIT:
At least, if I were a major backer to this project, which also happens to be 'devil in the flesh' evil supervillain bastard level; that's exactly what I would do. Hell, if I could do such a thing in a Sim game or Civ, I can play Kefka, and kill millions by poisoning an entire water supply this way, and just say "Oops." and apologize, and avoid a shitstorm from an angry nation that wants me given the Rasputin treatment.

I mean, is this to supply oil to us, or to be used as a weapon against a nation of people that can no longer be swayed? I gotta become a supervillain, I've got the creativity to be effective. I mean, I found a way to weaponize that, although I'll admit, that wasn't too hard to weaponize. To hide involvement, now that's the challenge. Unfortunately, I'm not rich enough to buy a government.

[Osmosis Jones]

A disturbing thought came to mind regarding how our infrastructure is crumbling, and an oil pipeline is still being worked on that crosses our country. What puzzles me is, although it's on land, have they not learned from the BP oil disaster? Let's not forget, we have a water table/aquifer under where it crosses. Repeat BP, and bust a valve or few "by accident" and that's a rather effective way of taking care of citizens you're having a hard time with, and use plausible deniability of it being an accident, bad engineering, or whatever. No matter what, the damage is done, and an environment as well as an entire water supply would be screwed.

Not sure if serious...   

1) It's a lot less prone to spreading on land than it is in water, and damage would be limited to the immediate neighbourhood of any break.

2) The major difficulty with the BP rig was that they couldn't access the well head to shut off the flow. On land, not only can you literally walk up to the site of any breach, the pipe in either direction can be instantly sealed off with the turn of a valve/push of a button. Hell, throw in some sensors, and you could even have the system shut itself off if there is any sudden loss of pressure.

3) RE; using it as a means of oppression... do you know how much oil is worth? It would be cheaper to buy the entire town off/hire individual assassins/genetically modify winged monkeys to carry them off, than it would be to waste that much oil

I'm not a fan of politics in general, so naturally I wasn't aware. But this guy is all kinds of awesome for giving our government a Reason You Suck Speech and What The Hell Hero at them. All the more awesome this guy is an Independent as well. Why don't we have one as our president yet? Why are they always "wasted votes"?

I hate to burst your bubble but he votes Democratic 98% of the time.

Nothing wrong with that. I assume it's similar in the US, but here in Aus we have political parties big on solidarity; parties often force individual members to vote the party line rather than their personal or electorate's preferences. Having someone who is an independant that shares their views is a good thing; they can support each other on important issues, but at the same time allow votes of conscience which would be otherwise be suppressed by mainline party policy.

[Putnam]

It's not as big, but it's kind of a thing.

[Itnetlolor]

Well, considering my theory there weaponizing the pipeline has enough scare force behind it, it should at least scare politicians as badly informed about how certain machines and parts of nature works as I apparently was (I'll admit, some of my old classes (geology and whatnot) leaked out of my memory) out of supporting it any further considering any kinds of flaws and potential terror threats that would have, considering it being an extremely valuable target otherwise.

If common sense won't work, then terrorists. If they can use terror as a scapegoat reason to back a claim (like copyrights, somehow), then why can't we? I mean, politics has pretty much come down to, where you want things done; if all else fails, terrorism (claiming it, or the possibility of, not committing the act). Want to persuade them, think like them.

EDIT:
It was partially serious before (just a concern), but even I thought it was a bit 'out there' to have a chance to work. Still would make for an interesting piece to add for any terror/supervillain-based plot for a story, however. It would work for a current generation action movie.

[SalmonGod]

A homeowner's bill of rights has passed the senate in California.