incessant
#wordoftheday

This is too hilarious to ignore.

Person dressed in a bear costume to fake attacks on cars for insurance payout, California officials say

I applaud their creativity, but deduct major points for the lame execution.
The list of last names is especially entertaining.

Ruben Tamrazian, 26; Ararat Chirkinian, 39; and Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, all of Glendale, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, of Valley Village, were arrested on charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy, the department said.

I'm somewhat disappointed though, I would expect a higher level of execution from a person with Zuckerman last name.

#NewsOfTheDay

2010 год. Армяне. Мошенническая схема. Создали 118 фиктивных клиник и доили Медикейт (государственная мед страховка) на 163 ляма. 35 лям успели получить. 73 обвиняемых. Сроки.

2024 год. Три армянина и один еврей. Устроили шоу в шкуре медведя и ломанулись в авто с целью трухануть страховку. Не фартануло. Не знаю кто писал сценарий, а кто режиссер, но то ли армяне уже не те, то ли опять евреи виноваты.

In 1902, the U.S. purchased the rights and assets to the Panama Canal project from a French development company for about $40M in gold. The initial asking price was $100M. In 1903, the U.S. paid Panama, a newly created state plucked away from Columbia with Uncle Sam's help (fascinating story on its own), $10M + $250K in annuities. In nominal terms, that is greater than the combined sum of all the previous land purchases combined:
- Louisiana in 1803 for $15M
- Florida in 1819 for $5M
- Alaska in 1867 for $7.2M
- Philippines in 1898 for $20M

The key figure in negotiations with the French, who happened to convince Theodore Roosevelt to select the Panamian project vs. the Nicaraguan alternative, was J.P. Morgan. If one would ask Gemini for the reasons behind his involvement, a list of generic answers would appear. Financial interests, political influence, strategic importance, and patriotism. Although these were generally correct for almost anything J.P. was professionally involved with throughout his career, AI fell short in identifying the reason.

Teddy, who assumed the presidency in 1901 after McKinley's assassination, turned out to be quite a different politician than business elites were counting on. He aggressively pursued anti-trust policies. To that end, he opposed the merger which created the Northern Securities Company, a railroad trust formed in 1901. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was applied. This was a direct blow to the House of Morgan. Especially humiliating was that it came from an unelected official.

Morgan desired to restore his reputation and favorable regulatory regime first and foremost, which forced him to make inroads with T.R. When J.P. learned about Teddy's drive for a canal and the treasury's inability to finance such purchase he lobbied for a meeting and ultimately was successful as strategic planner, negotiator and financier.

#AmericanImperialism #history
November 2024

• At $63 trillion, the total value of US stocks is now four times bigger than all of Europe’s bourses combined. Ten years ago it wasn’t even twice the size.
• Europe doesn’t have a single public company valued at more than $500 billion. The US has eight worth more than $1 trillion.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index is trading at a record 40% discount to the S&P 500 and this year’s underperformance is on track to be among the worst on record. The euro has slumped to its weakest level in over a year.

#finance
November 2024

epitome
#wordoftheday

Манхэттен. Приличный концертный зал. Пять минут до начала выступления. Публика в ожидании. Вдруг громкое приветствие через весь балкон.

- Изя, у нас тут два свободных места, идите к нам!
- Моня, спасибо, нас четверо.
- Изя, у нас хорошие места!
- Моня, нас четверо.

Все два часа Моня втыкал в телефон. Размер шрифта был таким, что можно было читать его переписку за несколько рядов. Почти под занавес, Моня резко подскочил со своего места и продемонстрировал эксцентричные движения в ритм музыки. Доставив много положительных эмоций сидевшим рядом. Но творческий запал быстро иссяк. Не дождавшись окончания композиции, бухнулся в кресло и вернулся в телефон.

Выступала DAGAMBA. Свежо, драйвово и динамично.

#BrightonBeach #twotypesofpeople
November 2024

snooty
#wordoftheday

discombobulation
#wordoftheday

Meanwhile in Brooklyn
6 Sheep Seen Sprinting Through Brooklyn Friday | Brooklyn, NY Patch
https://patch.com/new-york/brooklyn/live-sheep-seen-sprinting-through-bushwick-friday

maven
#wordoftheday

tinge
#wordoftheday

blithe
#wordoftheday

30 лет в Америке!
#factoftheday

resuscitation
#wordoftheday

gumption
#wordoftheday

declenchement
#wordoftheday

Методичка популиста.
1. Обозначить цель для конфронтации, которая и так никогда не произойдёт. Публично предостеречь мнимых врагов. Цена – 0.
2. Подождать. Цена – 0.
3. Через время заявить избирателю о победе - враги не добились своей цели. Profit. Политические очки в корзину.

Именно в таком ключе стоит понимать следующую цитату Трампа.

The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER. We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy

С таким же успехом можно предостеречь инопланетян от попыток изменить ротацию Земли, а позже отчитаться о достигнутых успехах в противодействии им. Сторонники плоскости нашей планеты и креационизма будут рукоплескать.

#politics #twotypesofpeople

For some, the phrase "I don't understand" is a call to action. To learn, to develop and to acquire understanding. For others it's an excuse.

#twotypesofpeople

Trade wars always hurt exporters more.

Back in 1930 the Smoot–Hawley Tariff act was signed into law. During 1920s, due to improvements in production, agricultural output in the U.S. soared and prices went down. Farmers were experiencing lower standards of living, due to a widening gap between prices for their produce and goods they were buying. During 1928 Republicans maintained majorities in the House and in the Senate. Hoover was a Republican too. The same trifecta we're having today. Both chambers passed the legislation, lobbied by farm interests, with wide margins.

The problem was that the U.S. was actually running a trade surplus at the time. It was an exporter of manufacturing goods and agriculture to the rest of the world, just like China is today. Without abilities to sell to US market, other countries were not receiving cash to pay for their imports, mostly from the U.S. Many countries retaliated in kind. Global trade collapsed. Manufacturing sector, which was already far more important, took a plunge. This was one of the major causes for the Great Depression.

Keep that in mind when you hear proposals to raise tariffs on goods from Mexico. US actually has a sizeable trade surplus with its southern neighbor.
https://ritholtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/12/mexicoimports.png

#economics #politics

December 2024