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May
16

Investing in Chemicals

With the mainstream media and TV economy celebrities always pitching investing in gold, silver, or oil, you may not realize that investing in chemicals is also a viable move. This can be done through a a chemical investment bank, such as The Valence Group, which is a specialist investment bank offering chemical advisory to companies and investors in chemicals, materials and related sectors. The chemical industry has a different set of technical and operational issues than investing in gold.

They specialize in chemical mergers and acquisitions as opposed to taking the generalist approach. This enables them to be more in tune with the business cycles and trends of chemical investments. The Valence Group is independent and free from conflicts of interest. Offices are located in London, New York and Shanghai.

Mar
28

How Penalties will lead to Premiums

So, one of the things I heard about during the Supreme Court deliberations over the Obamacare mandate was whether or not the penalties in the law are constitutional.

While listening to various discussions on this topic on talk radio and the news, it occurred to me that no matter what happened, the Obama administration and supporters of Obamacare were going to win. How is this possible? Well, let’s play out the scenarios shall we?

Oh, and by the way, I don’t know whether or not the Supreme Court will find this constitutional. I sense this is irrelevant. The way I figure it, Obamacare is already here to stay. The only thing I have to say is it better work.

Anyway, let’s play out the scenarios:

- Scenario number 1: the Supreme Court finds that the penalties are constitutional

Well, in this case, it’s a straight up win for Obamacare supporters. The law remains intact, and the government gets money for nothing. Literally.

If you think about it, though, the fact that people are penalized for not buying insurance does not solve the problem of those people not having insurance. If a person pays a penalty in 2015 and then gets injured in an accident, they still don’t have health insurance to help cover their costs. They still don’t have coverage.

Is this what Obamacare supporters really want?

This leads me to…

- Scenario number 2: the Supreme Court find the penalties to be unconstitutional

Under this scenario, Obamacare remains and people who don’t want to buy insurance are not penalized. Congress is not going to stand for that. The federal government is counting on those penalties to come in as revenue. Obamacare cannot exist without the penalties. So what to do?

How about repeal Obamacare?

At this point, I think Obamacare supporters will push for a Medicaid-for-all system. They will try to erase the word “Penalties” in the law, and substitute it with the word “Premium.” In initial years, they’ll probably only offer catastrophic coverage to those who do not have any kind of health insurance. As the years go by, the premiums will increase, and so will the level of coverage, until full coverage is available for all.

The job of providing Medicaid will be outsourced to the big insurance companies. So, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Health and others will get a piece of the pie.

Seems like it’s all part of the plan.

- And now Scenario 3: the Supreme Court rules that they cannot judge the penalties until someone is forced to pay a penalty in 2015

For those who support a Single Payer Plan, this may actually be the best possible scenario. By 2015, Obamacare will be up and running, the State Exchanges will be selling health insurance, and there will be no turning back.

Congress will be forced to do something. They will magnanimously say we will offer “Premiums” instead of “Penalties” for that money that they brought in from the uninsured. “That money will not go towards nothing. It will go towards insurance.” And everyone will have coverage. And all the Obamacare fans will live happily ever after.

So, get ready for health insurance if you don’t have any. Or, at least, get ready to pay into the system, and get nothing in return. And, let me once again state, that I am rooting for Obamacare to work, because I know we’re all going to have to live with it. I’m okay with everyone paying into the system, in theory, if it means people get the care they need. I just hope that this change works out.

I don’t see how it will, but, yeah. I’m hoping.

Mar
01

Natural Gas: The Second Half of America

So, I learned a few things last week listening to Bloomberg Radio:

1. The sale of Hybrid vehicles are starting to taper off. Why ™? The reason is that comparable gas engine cars get pretty much the same mileage and cost far less.

Duh. Why would I buy a Prius for $30k when I can buy a Corolla for $15k? The benefit of slightly higher mileage does not outweigh the cost for consumers.

This is the second time in my memory that the car industry has tried to push electric cars on the public. I think Hybrids are a bridge technology to get us to cleaner burning fuels, like Natural Gas.

T. Boone Pickens has been promoting Natural Gas as an alternative to oil for years. This leads to the second thing I learned on Bloomberg this week:

2. The United States has a twenty year competitive edge on the rest of the world when it comes to Natural Gas resources

I also learned that:

3. The auto industry blames the Oil Industry for the sharp decline in car sales a few years back

So, the auto industry is now okay with higher MPG standards because the high cost of gas gives them an incentive to build more efficient engines. In addition, the auto industry wants to build Natural Gas vehicles in order to give customers more options. They actually want to build cars that have a switch that allows you to use Natural Gas or regular 87 Octane, depending on what you want.

Talk about great news for the consumer. More options should help us with our fueling costs.

And, with all the natural gas available in the United States, that should help the economy. Assuming the industry can find a more environmentally-friendly method for getting to that Natural Gas (fracking is a tough sell), we should see a general boost to the economy that will help everybody.

Jan
23

Did Joe Paterno die of guilt?

It’s pretty obvious that the stress of losing the job he had for 50+ years, as well as being associated with a pedophile, was too much for Joe Paterno’s 85-year-old body to handle.

To me, there are two different possibilities:
1. He knew what Sandusky had done, and the guilt finally killed him
2. He had been incompetent, mentally, for the past two decades, and was thoroughly shocked to be fired from his job.

I tend to believe the latter. I recall hearing that he wasn’t the same Joe Paterno back in the mid 90′s. I know ESPN and WFAN keep saying that he was in his prime in 1998, but I recall hearing that Paterno was too old to coach at least 15 years ago, and maybe longer.

I would argue that Paterno was like that Star Trek Original Series character who was a figurehead, and you come to find out that he was drugged to keep him under control (ed. note: the episode was Patterns of Force). He was propped up to give speeches, but the drugs caused him to no longer be there mentally. In the case of Paterno, his mind has been ravaged by that human condition we all face: age.

Now, back to possibility number 1. You could argue that Paterno, pre-1998, when he was still aware, probably knew Sandusky was a sick individual. Paterno, instead of turning in his defensive coordinator, used 1950′s style Lazy Man’s Ethics, turning a blind eye to Sandusky’s behavior. I’m not saying Paterno witnessed anything first-hand. However, I’m sure he heard rumors and innuendo that he did not take seriously.

I believe that the University Officials kept Paterno in charge long after his mind was gone because the Paterno name was useful for recruiting good football players to Penn State. They kept him propped up for the sake of the football program.

I also believe that, back in the 1980′s, Paterno chose to keep Sandusky around because he could coach linebackers, despite any rumors he might have heard.

I think the guilt of what he had done in the 1980′s, ignoring and possibly covering up for Sandusky, finally caught up with Paterno’s age-addled mind. Also, the job that Paterno had become part of him was ripped away suddenly, and he couldn’t handle the shock.

I think Paterno’s death is the final chapter in a Shakespearean tragedy. I have no sympathy for Joe Paterno. My condolences to his family, but no sympathy for Joe. He apparently had no sympathy when he heard stories about children that were molested by Sandusky.

It seems Paterno had the power to do something three decades ago, but he decided that coaching linebackers was more important than sparing children the living hell of being molested by his defensive coordinator. Nope. I cannot sympathize or apologize for the man.

Jan
21

Costa Concordia: Depravity Central

The Costa Concordia became depravity central when it sank the other night.

First of all, you had a Captain Francesco Schettino, who refused to go down with the ship. He showed no integrity, no honor. Instead, he basically demonstrated that he was all about the money and all about living. He decided to get off the boat, save himself, and take his chances with the Italian Court System. The guy sounds like a politician, talking about how he tripped into the lifeboat. If he gets out of this, he’ll probably run for Prime Minister someday.

Then you had the crew, who happily took the lifeboats and fled.

Then you had stories of old people kicking and shoving women and children aside, so they could save their lives.

All in all, we see that Lazy Man’s Ethics, which is the ethic of being selfish, was practiced to the hilt on this boat. And we see that there is no honor left in a world where the love of money is the root of all motivation.

Jan
06

2011 Yeti Award Winners

At last, the moment has arrived. After tons of feedback, and much pondering and consideration, we here at the DailySkew are ready to announce the 2011 Yeti Award winners.

This year, we split the award into five categories: National, International, Economy, Sports, and Tech. In future years, we may expand or not. It is beyond our control. One never knows when a Yeti might appear.

Yeti Ski Free

Surprise! Yeti time!

National:

Jared Loughner

Wanna-be Joker. Total LOSER.

Jared Lee Loughner – A wanna-be Joker. A “Deep Thinker” who some thought was capable of being a “Serial Killer.” Once again, a mentally deranged fool is allowed to roam the streets and fulfill an insane manifesto. Anyone who says they knew he was a killer-type after the fact is like a time traveller who does nothing to alter the timeline.

Economy:

Jon Corzine

Thief. Fraud. Politician.

Jon Corzine – This man was trusted by customers of MF Global. He betrayed their trust, as well as the trust of 1,066 employees who lost their jobs due to his malfeasance. This guy is more proof that politicians are crooks. He ruined thousands of lives, betting on Europe and then stealing money from people’s accounts. Let’s hope he goes to jail for a long, long time.

International:

TEPCO Tsunami

TEPCO did not heed warnings.

Japan Tsunami and TEPCO – It’s bad enough that the tsunami wiped out entire towns and killed thousands. The nuclear meltdown aftermath was a complete disaster that will have consequences for years to come. The decision makers at TEPCO should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for building a nuclear facility in Fukishima that was too weak to stand up to Mother Nature. They should have been more proactive and cautious with the Power Plant. Instead of worrying about saving money, they should have planned for a Tsunami which was predicted to happen.

Sports:

Sandusky

Still talking defense, even after molesting children. What a SCUM.

Jerry Sandusky – So we learned that pedophiles like to be sports coaches. Sandusky needs to burn in hell for eternity for founding a charity that gave him access to children to molest. All those at Penn State who turned a blind eye to his actions should join him in the fiery abyss. I cannot believe this guy was caught on tape talking about, “The best possible defense….” He still thinks he’s coaching linebackers. What an absolute low-life.

Tech:

Netflix drops

This is what happens when you double your price overnight.

Netflix – Folks, if you have a business, here’s a piece of advice: do not double your prices overnight. There will be a backlash. You will lose business and be in big trouble. You will have difficulty regaining trust. Netflix dropped to the level of Comcast and AT&T on my list of companies. They are more hated than ever. It’s a shame: my wife and I miss getting two DVD’s in the mail, for movies that are not available for streaming. I just refuse to pay the usury that Netflix is charging.

Click here for a great explanation of the Yeti Awards by Damian.

Sep
20

Why I Support USDOR: #OccupyWallStreet

UPDATE 11/18/11: Due to the violence, rapes, police provocations, unsanitary conditions, and communist rhetoric that I have heard and read from OWS movements around the country in recent days, I can no longer support  Occupy Wall Street.  While my original thesis about the banks remains, it is clear that the leaders of the Occupy Wall Street movement no longer care about my interests; nor do they care about protesting peacefully.  Just because some police officers have attacked protesters does not mean protesters can start fighting back or attacking businesses.  Two wrongs don’t make a right.

I have a friend from Haiti who lived through some revolutions; he said these protests remind him of how those revolutions started.  I am against revolution.  I support doing away with the derivatives market.  I support electing representatives that care about the people, not special interests.  I love the United States of America.

And now, my original post:

 

It all started with Glenn Beck.

You see, I’d recently started following some folks on Twitter who kept talking about #Sept17, #USDOR, and #OccupyWallStreet. I looked up US Day of Rage, and learned that the people behind the protest wanted to make it illegal for corporations to donate to political candidates, and change the rules so that a citizen could only donate $1 per political candidate for elections. Talk about campaign finance reform!

It seemed cool, and I liked the tweets from people like @ghostpickles. Still, I wanted to hear what the other side had to say … you know, to be “Fair and balanced.”

So, I googled “US Day of Rage Glenn Beck” and came up with a Blaze article that offered a, uh, different point of view.

Quite frankly, it felt like I was reading The New Frontiersman.

WATCHMEN: Metro newspaper as The New Frontiersman [front page]

Basically, I learned that SEIU’s Stephen Lerner was involved in organizing the Day of Rage protest at Wall Street. SEIU is a kind of buzzword on right-wing radio. It makes Homer Simpson froth at the mouth.

They quoted Lerner as saying:

So, a bunch of us around the country are thinking about who would be a really good company to hate? We decided that would be JP Morgan Chase. …. And so we’re going to roll out over the next couple of months what will hopefully be an exciting campaign about JP Morgan Chase that is really about challenge the power of Wall Street.

JP Morgan Chase. Once I read who he was protesting, I was sold.

You see, I attempted to get a loan modification from JP Morgan Chase. Like many people in this country, I filled out applications, waited, was told to fill out applications again, waited some more, made some good-faith payments upon the request of the bank, filled out the same applications one more time, wash-rinse-repeat. This went on for over a year.

Finally, I found a message board that claimed to have Jamie Dimon’s (Chase’s CEO) email address. I sent an email explaining my situation, and actually heard back from someone in “The executive office.” One thing led to another, and my case was assigned to someone who promised to help me.

At this point, you might be wondering why I was behind on my mortgage payments. My son has a Combined Immune Deficiency and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. He is on many medications that keep him relatively healthy in the short run while we wait for a donor match. Full story here.

So between medications and traveling to see doctors in Miami, Durham, Bethesda, and New York; and with my wife being a full-time care-taker for my son, we fell behind on our mortgage payment.

You would think reducing our principal and interest rate, given the real estate market and our unique situation, would be a no-brainer for the folks at Chase. Think again.

Back in June of this year, I finally received a loan modification offer. The principal on my loan was INCREASED, and I was asked to pay $5,000 up front, for legal fees.

I was angry. Shocked. Run over. To paraphrase my partner here at the DailySkew, Damian Hospital, “How could I stand up to a machine so strong?”

The Chase rep from the “Executive Office” blamed the government. “We can only do what the Treasury tells us we’re allowed to do.”

Yeah, right. Wanna know why I think they didn’t help me? Because they were afraid that by helping my family, going outside whatever “Rules” they were “Forced” to live with, they would set a dangerous precedent. You know, Odin forbid if Chase actually, I don’t know, MODIFIED LOANS FOR NEEDY FAMILIES! LOL

So, getting back to Lerner from SEIU, and his organizing a protest against JP Morgan Chase: yes. I wholeheartedly support protesting that bank, and all the other banks on Wall Street.

Why am I telling you this? Because I kept hearing the MSM and wanna-be-right-wingers today say that, “Oh, these people don’t know why they’re protesting … they don’t have a reason,” or “Their demands are murky.”

Well, protesters and MSM, if you need a reason for #OccupyWallStreet, let me be the reason. Let my son, Simon D., be the reason. Let my family be the reason. Let all the families that have lost their homes to foreclosure since 2006 be the reason.

As for the demands, here’s a list:

- Give the foreclosed homes not auctioned off back to the families that were kicked out, for $1
- Modify all mortgage loans to 75% of the current market value
- Cut a check for all the families that were foreclosed on since 2006 and their home has already been sold off

Sound crazy? Well, when you consider that banks like JP Morgan Chase are collecting PMI on foreclosed homes, whether they modify the loan or not, I think my demands are quite reasonable.

Let me say that again: banks like Chase are collecting the FULL VALUE OF THE MORTGAGE through PMI insurance. They have ZERO FINANCIAL INCENTIVE to modify our loans because they are already covered by insurance.

Is it any wonder that AIG, holder of many of these PMI policies, was bailed out by the government?

I have zero sympathy for the banks. They were bailed out by the Government with the TARP program, AND they collect insurance on the back end by AIG. If you or I tried to do this, they’d throw us in jail.

I have zero faith in politicians. They might pay us lip service, and claim they are protecting our interests, but in the case of the mortgage crisis, they have not. They did not create an incentive for the banks to provide loan modifications for people. The government FAILED US.

So, I support the protests. If I can find time and make it up to New York one of these days, I’ll show my support.

For now, if any of you protesters want to talk or leave a message, just call the DailySkew hotline at 716-791-7539. I’ll take the best calls and include it in the Podcast, and I may create a site for each of the calls, if time allows. I support your efforts, and if there is any way I can help get your message across, let me know.

Sep
06

9/11 DailySkew Tribute

Damian and I were already talking about doing a website back in 2001, when 9/11 happened. The DailySkew was born in the aftermath, during a brief time when Americans stood united against terrorists. Back then, every car had an American flag waving from the window; it was practically impossible to find the ole’ Red, White, and Blue for sale at the mall in the weeks that followed the attacks on the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and Flight 93.

I’m sure this website would have been born anyway, but I can honestly say that 9/11 altered the initial trajectory of this website forever, along with the entire timeline we were living in. I’ll never forget the front page on that first Geocities post by Damian, which had a photo of Mullah Omar on the left sidebar of the page. The Taliban was already known by us because of their desecration of historical Buddhist sites; 9/11 only added fuel to our fire.

WTC Twin Towers, June of 2001

Never Forget.

Anyway, as the months passed, and the Patriotic fervor died down, it became very clear that we had entered a new timeline that we called Earth Zero. It seemed like the lunatics felt free to act out in extreme ways. Who can forget the Anthrax letters mailed by a mad scientist? Or how about the shoe bomber? A fifteen-year-old flying a Sesna into a Tampa building? We just knew something was off with reality … as evidenced in the sports world by Arizona winning the 2001 World Series.

Damian and I sought solace, comfort, and perspective by writing parodies, like:

- Time Traveler Predicts 2002 World Series Victory [Ed. Note - Believe it or not, he really did predict the Angels would win]
- 9/11 Survivors who called in sick are part of sick conspiracy?

Over the years, we also wrote editorials, trying to express opinions and make sense of it all, like:
- 9/11 does not equal Watchman
- Spanking is to War…

And let’s not forget this triple editorial, with guest writer G.A.V.:
- Illuminati vs. Skulls
- A Response to Illuminati vs. Skulls
- A Devil’s Advocate Response

So, this website was shaped and influenced by what happened ten years ago, and the aftermath. I suspect one reason we carry on here, despite all the changes on the Internet, is because the DailySkew was born during that time.  We feel compelled to share our Skew with you, in the hopes that, somehow, something we’ve written will help others gain perspective on the world around them, for the betterment of all living beings.

Also, I should note that Damian and I are original New Yorkers: he’s from Brooklyn, and I’m from Queens. We felt the 9/11 tragedy in our heart and soul. There is no question that the DailySkew gave us an outlet to express our feelings after what happened.

To the families directly affected by the 9/11 tragedies, our thoughts and prayers go out to you.

To all members of the military serving at home and abroad, our prayers for safety and success go out to you.

Aug
26

Queens native remembers Hurricane Gloria

I remember the day Hurricane Gloria hit was a school day, and my teacher’s birthday. Mr. Cohen, my 6th grade teacher, joked the next day about how the school system closed in his honor. He overcame our fears about his legendary temper with his great sense of humor.

Anyway, it was just my mom and I, sitting at home. My dad had taped up the windows the day before (we didn’t know any better) and went to work that morning, as Hurricane Gloria loomed. He worked at Fairview Nursing Home, and just knew he had to be at work to help out the patients there. Men from his generation didn’t have to feel compelled to do the right thing. They didn’t need the right motivation; they just went out and did what was right.

There I go on a tangent again. No wonder I’m only published in obscure independent mags.

Hurricane Gloria hitting Queens

I remember going outside in Ozone Park as the eye of the storm passed overhead.

So, the actual Hurricane. I remember being terrified. I was not into horror movies or thrillers. A year later, I was watching Aliens in the back row of a theater with my parents, expecting a monster to kill me from behind.

Anyway, I was scared. The weather folks made Hurricane Gloria sound so scary. I’m pretty sure someone called it the storm of the century. Oh heck, the guy who would come on WNEW Channel 5 every night and say, “It’s 10pm. Do you know where you’re children are?” scared the heck out of me. There were parents who didn’t know or care about where their kids were? There were kids who were lost? What?

Back to the point. The winds picked up; they were really, really loud at times. I remember learning somewhere (probably from a library) that tornadoes sounded like freight trains. There were several times I thought a tornado was approaching. Luckily, no tornadoes hit.

I also remember how dark it was, even though it was daytime. Hurricane Gloria knocked out the power pretty quickly. My mom and I were on the ground floor, just hanging out, listening to the radio while the wind and rain beat and slapped the house. We looked outside on occasion, watching the little tree on our front yard get thoroughly blown through.

I don’t recall how long we were without power; I’m pretty sure it was restored shortly after Hurricane Gloria passed. Either Con Ed really had their act together, or the damage was really light in Ozone Park. Given my experiences with FPL after Hurricane Wilma, I’ll go with the latter.

My dad came home from work, and it was like nothing happened.

Having lived through Hurricane Wilma as an adult, another storm that hit during morning time, I can tell you I still find sitting through a hurricane as it knocks down trees to be an eery, creepy feeling. It’s like some crazy event is going on around you, it’s real, and yet you’re just watching from behind the window, in the relative safety of your home, wondering when the storm outside will blow the roof off and draw you onto the cataclysmic stage performance.

Oh, before I forget: I remember when the eye of Hurricane Gloria passed overhead. That was my favorite part of that day. The calm withing that eye wall was reassuring. It was a reminder that this storm would pass. I knew we were halfway through, and things would likely be better soon.

And it was.

So, my thoughts and prayers go out to all the New Yorkers awaiting Hurricane Irene. Please take the proper precautions, evacuate if asked to, and be patient while sitting out the storm. The odds are you’ll be okay, as long as you stay inside.

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