Jack Hollis

On 20 Sep 2008 00:49:17 GMT, Carbon <>
wrote:

>On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:46:06 -0400, Jack Hollis wrote:
>> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:11:45 -0500, Lloyd Parsons <>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Meanwhile, with all your good news, Joe Sixpack is either out of a job,
>>>or working for less, car dealers can't give away the cars, all the
>>>retail chains are crying....
>>
>> Actually the discount stores like Walmart and Cosco are doing pretty
>> good.
>
>The fundamentals of the economy are strong, are they?

Things would be a lot better if the US was pumping 5 million more
barrels of oil a day than it is now and even better than that if it
was 10 million.

Jack Hollis

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:52:56 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
<> wrote:

>In case you hadn't noticed, the discount stores aren't the entire retail
>economy. And not all of them are doing that well either. Low ticket
>items mostly, all bigger ticket stuff is gathering dust.

If things are so bad, why did the GDP grow at an annual rate of 3.2%
last quarter?

Lloyd Parsons

In article <>,
Jack Hollis <> wrote:

> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:52:56 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
> <> wrote:
>
> >In case you hadn't noticed, the discount stores aren't the entire retail
> >economy. And not all of them are doing that well either. Low ticket
> >items mostly, all bigger ticket stuff is gathering dust.
>
> If things are so bad, why did the GDP grow at an annual rate of 3.2%
> last quarter?

Maybe because GDP has nothing to do with retail sales, jobs or wages.

Lloyd Parsons

In article <>,
Jack Hollis <> wrote:

> On 20 Sep 2008 00:49:17 GMT, Carbon <>
> wrote:
>
> >On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:46:06 -0400, Jack Hollis wrote:
> >> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:11:45 -0500, Lloyd Parsons <>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>>Meanwhile, with all your good news, Joe Sixpack is either out of a job,
> >>>or working for less, car dealers can't give away the cars, all the
> >>>retail chains are crying....
> >>
> >> Actually the discount stores like Walmart and Cosco are doing pretty
> >> good.
> >
> >The fundamentals of the economy are strong, are they?
>
> Things would be a lot better if the US was pumping 5 million more
> barrels of oil a day than it is now and even better than that if it
> was 10 million.

I know that is the line, but come on, the supply is fine and the demand
isn't up much. It is a twiddled marketplace if there ever was one.

Oil at about $97 a barrel today should give us $2.50-$3 gas, but it
doesn't 'cause they CAN charge as much as they are and get away with it.
A little book fiddling here and there to show they aren't ripping us off
and you've got it.

BTW, we could be pumping that much more from the small wells if an
article I read recently is true.

In the meantime, the oil companies want to drill offshore, closer than
50 miles, but won't develop the fields they already have leased. I
think maybe the gov't should say, OK, we'll take the lease back and let
someone else have that access and you can trade that for drilling closer
than 50 miles.

The oil companies will never go for it!

Bar

Lloyd Parsons wrote:
> In article <>,
> Jack Hollis <> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:11:45 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> Meanwhile, with all your good news, Joe Sixpack is either out of a job,
>>> or working for less, car dealers can't give away the cars, all the
>>> retail chains are crying....
>> Actually the discount stores like Walmart and Cosco are doing pretty
>> good.
>
> Wow! You are a never ending sunshine boy, aren't you?

I'll bet you have to turn down dinner party invitations every night of
the week?

> In case you hadn't noticed, the discount stores aren't the entire retail
> economy. And not all of them are doing that well either. Low ticket
> items mostly, all bigger ticket stuff is gathering dust.

How many washing machines do you need to purchase every year?

Jack Hollis

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:31:36 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
<> wrote:

>> If things are so bad, why did the GDP grow at an annual rate of 3.2%
>> last quarter?
>
>Maybe because GDP has nothing to do with retail sales, jobs or wages.

Actually it has a lot to do with those things.

Lloyd Parsons

In article <2o2dncOZCZqKyknVnZ2dnUVZ_h->,
BAR <> wrote:

> Lloyd Parsons wrote:
> > In article <>,
> > Jack Hollis <> wrote:
> >
> >> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:11:45 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
> >> <> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Meanwhile, with all your good news, Joe Sixpack is either out of a job,
> >>> or working for less, car dealers can't give away the cars, all the
> >>> retail chains are crying....
> >> Actually the discount stores like Walmart and Cosco are doing pretty
> >> good.
> >
> > Wow! You are a never ending sunshine boy, aren't you?
>
> I'll bet you have to turn down dinner party invitations every night of
> the week?
>
No but I have a selection of people to get a round of golf in every day.
Lots more fun, and not a bit fattening! <G>

> > In case you hadn't noticed, the discount stores aren't the entire retail
> > economy. And not all of them are doing that well either. Low ticket
> > items mostly, all bigger ticket stuff is gathering dust.
>
> How many washing machines do you need to purchase every year?

I dunno, but maybe a TV or computer or some other items that aren't
twofers?

R&B

"Jack Hollis" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On 19 Sep 2008 13:04:15 GMT, Carbon <>
> wrote:
>
>>McCain said the fundamentals of the economy were strong.
>
> In reality, they are. Last quarter saw a 3.2% annual growth in GDP.
> Unemployment at 6.1%. Corporate profits are strong. Core CPI is at
> 2.5%. And the stock market went up this week.


And earnings are down.

This, as John McCain backpeddles from his often-repeated refrain of the
"fundamentals" of the economy being strong, trying to spin it into "the
American workers are the fundamental of the economy."

If they're the fundamentals of the market, then why are their earnings down?

Randy

R&B

"Jack Hollis" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:11:45 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
> <> wrote:
>
>>Meanwhile, with all your good news, Joe Sixpack is either out of a job,
>>or working for less, car dealers can't give away the cars, all the
>>retail chains are crying....
>
> Actually the discount stores like Walmart and Cosco are doing pretty
> good.


Because nobody can afford to shop anywhere else.

Randy

R&B

"Jack Hollis" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:31:36 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
> <> wrote:
>
>>> If things are so bad, why did the GDP grow at an annual rate of 3.2%
>>> last quarter?
>>
>>Maybe because GDP has nothing to do with retail sales, jobs or wages.
>
> Actually it has a lot to do with those things.


Can you make your house payment with the GDP?

I didn't think so.

The only economic yardstick the average American gives a shit about is
earnings.

Earnings have plummeted during the Bush years.

And that, sir, is the bottom line.

Randy