the fortune cookie chronicles (my life)

So yesterday I go out to dinner and get a fortune cookie (which by the way were originally Japanese cookies that, thanks to internment camps during World War II became Chinese "fortune cookies"). That "fortune" said that (and I am paraphrasing here) I have a "major talent" that I am not using. Somehow, this struck home.

And I know this sounds prideful and arrogant, but I do feel like my abilities are not being fully utilized. Don't get me wrong, I am so lucky to have a job, especially a good one where I have as much fun as possible when you work 8-13 hours a day. And it is intellectually stimulating; I also have learned so much in the past year or so. Yet somehow, there is this sense I have that I am missing something. Perhaps this is related to my sudden desire to have a hobby.

Has a fortune cookie ever struck a chord with you?

the end (of the year) is neigh

For some reason, editors are forcing their writers to compose "best of" and "worst of" lists for the 2000s, even though this decade started in 2001 and ends in 2010. Nevertheless it is worth dwelling on this period because (a) it just happened and (b) the world feels like it is rapidly changing.

Through shortsighted greed, both financial and political, we ended up with a series of economic bubbles where very few people got extremely wealthy on paper and not a whole lot positive resulted from this greed. Sure, lots of marble countertops were made and stainless steel appliances, along with acronyms for financial products that did nothing but rake in fees for large banks, but people have lost their retirement funds, their jobs, and their lives in ill-conceived wars and policies that left us as a whole worse off.

I am reminded of this fact nearly every day that I enjoy a great job, with health insurance and fun co-workers. How can one not feel a bit guilty to have so many blessings while others around you suffer due to the poor choices of those in New York and Washington, D.C.? Worse still, almost none of them have been been adversely affected by their piss poor decisions.

Here is but one example of what I am talking about:

[B]etween 2004 and 2006, [Credit Suisse] was not above making more than $3 billion of senior secured "predatory" (according to one judge) loans to high-end real estate developers operating mostly in the western United States.

Within the last year, at least eight of the real-estate developments that received the Credit Suisse (CS) loans are either operating under bankruptcy court protection, have been liquidated or have been foreclosed upon. ...

The portfolio of loans was the brainchild of David Miller, a Managing Director at Credit Suisse, who was co-head of the U.S. capital markets business within the syndicated loan group. When Credit Suisse made the loans, it got paid millions in fees and then syndicated them all off to investors, who will be fortunate to get back pennies on the dollar during the various bankruptcy proceedings. (Credit Suisse currently has a minimal exposure to the original loans.)

Miller was well aware of the golden goose he had on his hands. In an August 2005 email to a colleague, Miller wrote, "[T]hese are aggressive deals and it is in all of our best interests, that the investors are protected, because if one of them should blow up, you will see these investors pull out of this land development mkt [market] and our gravy train will stop."

[...]

As for David Miller, he remains at Credit Suisse and was recently promoted to co-head of the firm's U.S. Loan Syndication business. [CS spokesman Brian] King declined to make Miller available to be questioned about the loan to the Yellowstone Club, the judge's decision in the case or whether the "gravy train" had ended.

Credit Suisse created CLOs (Collateralized Loan Obligations) that blew up in every resorts face. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs raked it in with CDOs (Collateralized Debt Obligations), which they proceeded to bet against at the same time. The only God's Work that goes on here is that these i-bankers were treated like gods and no one seems willing to punish them for the destruction that they wrought.

Youth in Asia

I don't always agree with Howard Dean. In fact, I still dislike him on a number of fronts since 2003. But he is making some good points, as are the people still supporting what is left of the health care bill, whenever Megolmaniacs Lieberman and (Ben) Nelson are done adding new provisions to make it even worse.

It makes one wonder if these two members of the Democratic caucus are doing this for political posturing for reelection, preening self-importance, or desire to make the bill so unpalatable that party stalwarts like Kerry can't stomach the final product. Another possibility is they want to show their superior power to that of say Brown or Sanders.

Principle clearly has nothing to do with it. Nelson said nothing about abortion until Stupak. Joe was for Medicare expansion before Liberals said it was better than the public option. Niether nixed Medicaid expansion until now.

With the announcement that Rahm Emmanuel, Harry Reid, and ultimately Barack Obama allowed Joe Lieberman to kill any hope that health care reform would include meaningful ways of controlling healthcare costs and abuses of the industry via competition, it worth remebering something.

Al Gore and John McCain are both great Americans who served our country with honor but made two terrible decisions and miscalculations of character in the name of political expediency. They picked Joe Lieberman and Sarah Palin for their VP nominees.

Once both Joe and Sarah got a taste of the big time, there was no turning back. Their need for attention and relevance and self-importance became all consuming. Joe is seeking to once again (see Dept of Homeland Security and Iraq War, 2002) destroy caucus' chances of electoral sucess in the name of poor policy. Sarah is slowly destroying hers as well (see Hoffman, NY23).

On Scott McCoy

Senator McCoy, who I am proud to say is my state senator is resigning to focus on his day job as a lawyer. I can tell you from doing research on legislative history of statutes that he was often the loan voice of reason trying to explain to his colleagues why the bill wouldn't do what they wanted it to do. I am a sad to see him go for many reasons and wish him luck in his trial.

One of the main reasons why I am sad is selfish. To me it means that any thoughts of getting more involved in politics means giving up my practice and therefore means I should be giving up on politics. That's the decision my father made it seems but we were both bit by the politics bug. Do you think both can be done?

Another reason is not that I thought he was a maverick but that he was a good state senator. Sounds corny I know but I am a corny guy. Just ask my friends who have to endure some of my "jokes".

It is not mavericky

You are not a maverick if you call yourself a maverick.  Then you are a shameless self-promoter.

You are not a maverick if you leave your elected office less than half way into the position for no reason.  You are a quitter

You are not a maverick if you have other people write your book for you.  You are a person who falsely takes credit (and money) for other people's labor.

You are not a maverick if you don't show up to speeches or rallies you are scheduled to attend, or if you bail mid-way through a book tour event. It means you are selfish inconsiderate and irresponsible. By the way, Palin is scheduled to be at the Salt Lake Costco on December 9, from noon until 3 p.m. I know where I won't be on December 9th.

The self-described "maverick" is scheduled to visit 31 cities in 25 states, mostly Republican strongholds. Salt Lake City is her only stop in Utah, and she is scheduled to be in Reno, Nev., that evening.

Also, it is not mavericky to go to friendly territory for book signings.

Will-fully ignorant

You know what grinds my gears while I can't sleep at night? People who state false or misleading things that they KNOW are false and misleading, but apparently it is their job to that in DC. I can understand a dumb congresscritter or Sarah Palin making such statement because they are just repeating talking points.

But people like George Will, who is obviously intelligent and a good writer. He intentionally omits key details, misrepresents information, and many other debating no-nos to support his argument...when he clearly understands that the average reader/viewer will only agree with him if they get that particularly distorted view of reality. If said reader/viewer got the whole picture, however, they would disagree.

Such dishonesty is hard to swallow for me. It is one thing to make your case, it is another thing do it underhandedly on a weekly basis. How do they sleep?

A GOP congresscritter spoke to me: "if you are flipping the channel back and forth between football and CSPAN, and you only are hearing the majority speak, it sounds like a great bill...." I am probably one of the few people he is talking about.

Shurtleff drops out for the right reasons

Faithful readers know I get a kick out of beating up on Mark Shurtleff. And I usually don't like the "family reasons" excuse for sudden political moves (not running for reelection, dropping out of race etc.) However, after reading a few articles about the AG's situation with his daughter, I got to say my heart goes out to him and his family. Although maybe he shouldn't have ran for the Senate in the first place if his daughter's mental health was such an issue.

I also feel bad for the daughter whose struggles with depression, which would otherwise be totally private, have been splashed on the pages of the newspapers for all to read. Her suicide attempts, her therapy, her medications, a story of the AG having to forcibly take a knife away from her after she had cut her wrists at a church youth group outing.... I am purposely calling her "the daughter" because I don't know if she wants to be a spokeswoman for mental illness or it was foisted upon her because of her dad's political ambitions.

Sadly, the whole thing doesn't make me think much more of the AG as person. Although I am glad he used the family reason when it actually was a family reason. Politicans shouldn't use that excuse unless it is actually true. I just hope that his family can get through this and that his daughter can get better.

Remember in 2001 when Dems won the VA Gov and NJ Gov races a few weeks after 9/11 and then Democrats went on to win legislative and electoral battles in 2002-2004? Me neither.

Point is, you can overlearn lessons from off-year elections. This year, Obama voters stayed home in VA. What does it mean? I leave that for other pundits to read too much into.

The similarities between a section 341 meeting for chapter 7 bankruptcies and a criminal arraignment are striking. And in both cases, most of these people have no money and their attorneys don't know them.

I need a hobby.

Every good attorney has a side obsession to relieve the stress of the job, whether it be woodworking, gardening, river-rafting, fishing, skiing, hiking, scouting, astronomy, etc. Not that if I have one I will be good, but I think you go crazy if your life is just work, eating, and sleeping.

So what should it be? I haven't blogged much lately because I haven't felt like I had anything original to say. Is there an area you would like me to blog about? Any hobby suggestions?

Correction

In a prior post via SMS, I stated that Dallin H. Oaks equated the current and former treatment of Mormons to the Holocaust. Not so, he equated the current treatment of Mormons with regard to Proposition 8 to the treatment that African-Americans in the South in the 1960s faced. I still think it is a stupid analogy, one that he should have stayed away from. And I still think that comparing the current persecution and discrimination of Mormons to that of Slavery, Jim Crow, or the Holocaust is not wise. Bagley nicely summarizes a reply I wish I had come up with.


(Copyright 2009, Pat Bagley for the Salt Lake Tribune)

As for how the Mormons were treated in say Missouri in the 1840s when there were attempts by the state government to wipe them out, well, perhaps that is closer to the Holocaust, where Hilter attempted to wipe Jewish people off the face of the Earth and murdered 6 million of them. Nevertheless, if you start talking about the Holocaust and Hitler, you start distracting from your argument that your people have been treated very badly.

Godwin's Law is a good one for all speakers to keep in mind. Hitler and Holocaust have become to mean the worst of the worst. By comparing the Missouri period to the Holocaust, you are inviting people to dismiss your argument as being over the top.

It is better to point out the fact of say the Missouri period and all can agree that what the Governor did was genocide without having to argue whether this atrocity measures up to the systematic murder of 6 million Jews.

And remember, Oaks is whining about the grassroots response to the LDS Church's heavy handed intervention into California politics, not about the events that lead up to the Saints migrating to Utah.

Telephone Townhall with Congressman Jim Matheson Today

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October 19, 2009

Dear [Oldenburg],

 

Tomorrow! Tuesday October 20, 2009.  Telephone Town Hall Meeting

with Congressman Jim Matheson.

 

What:  Telephone Town Hall Meeting to discuss pressing national issues.

 

Who:    Congressman Jim Matheson and Utah constituents.

 

When:  October 20, 2009 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

 

How:    To join the call at or after 7:00 PM, call (877) 229-8493.  When directed, enter the PIN # 13304.  You'll be able to listen in toll-free for as long as you like and, when prompted, ask the Congressman questions on the topic of your concern.

 

Sincerely,          JIM MATHESON        Member of Congress   Please do not reply to this email, as this box is unattended.  Instead, please use the webform on my website if you have any further comments Contact Information: 2434 Rayburn HOB | Washington, DC 20515 | Phone: (202) 225-3011 | Fax: (202) 225-5638 240 East Morris Ave. #235 South Salt Lake, UT 84115 Phone: (801)   486-1236 Fax: (801) 486-1417 321 North Mall Dr., #E101B St. George, UT 84790 Phone: (435)   627-0880 Fax: (435) 627-1473 Carbon County Courthouse 120 East Main Street Price, UT 84501 Phone: (435) 636-3722 Fax: (435) 613-1834 Toll-Free Number 1 (877) 677-9743

 

Dear Elder Oaks,
No matter how badly you think Mormons have been treated, comparing their treatment with the Holocaust just makes people belittle and ignore your point. The Holocaust and Slavery (or Jim Crow era Lynchings) are two things people should never compare their situation to if they want to be taken seriously.

Oh and the Church should be criticized for their support of Prop 8. Harry Reid, the most powerful Saint, agrees with me.

Join me in not watching cable news channels, makes you angry and dumb. I feel much better after stopping.

Can someone explain to me why every day there is an article in a local paper that is essentially "Hatch spews partisan talking point"? Why is that news? All I have to do is watch cable news (which I have quit and my sanity has vastly improved), find some GOP hack's statement, and call it Hatch's statement. If you compare his actual statements, there is little if any difference. That's because Hatch is a partisan hack. The times he stopped being a hack was when he worked on stuff with Kennedy. Now that Teddy is dead, that good part of Orrin died with him. That too is sad. Sadder still is the local media's fawning over the old, bitter man that is our senior senator.

Exchange of the day

At today's Senate Finance Committee's markup of the Baucus health care bill:

ROCKEFELLER: This is a very very important amendment, and it’s a very very bad amendment. If there’s anything which is clear, it’s that the insurance industry is not running this markup, but it is running certain people in this markup. [...]

CORNYN: With all due respect, senator, I don’t know what amendment you’re referring to —

ROCKEFELLER: I’m referring to yours.

CORNYN: — you’re certainly not referring to my amendment —

ROCKEFELLER: I am.

Wow, Jello Jay, I didn't know you had it in you.

Still too large for an insane asylum

"South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum"

-- James Louis Petigru, 1860.

While that famous quip was made in response to South Carolina's succession from the Union in 1860 upon the news of the election of Abraham Lincoln, the quip seems to be relevant again in 2009.

Exhibit A: South Carolina Mark Sanford (R). He rises to prominence by refusing stimulus money for his state that desperately needs and wants it. The Republican-controlled Legislature overrides his veto, he still refuses to allocate the money, contorting the bill to only authorize him to accept the money. The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously disagrees, and orders him to comply.

And then he goes "hiking on the Appalachian Trail" to see his lover in Argentina, whom he has visited in the past using taxpayer dollars. The Legislature seems to have started floating trial balloons about impeachment.

Exhibit B: US Senator JIm Demint (R-SC)

When [Glen] Beck said that we are seeing “a fundamental transformation into a new system where the executive branch is almost if not all powerful,” DeMint replied:

DEMINT: We’re just, we’re coming down to a matter of days. If we lose the health care battle, I think we’ve lost it all. [...]

And that’s why I’ve said strong things like Waterloo and other things. This is, the nation has to focus on this because the czars and other things are secondary in a way if we lose health care, the president’s going to be so emboldened, we’re going to see so much more of the growth at the executive branch level that, I don’t think we’ll be able to stop it. But if we stop him on health care then I think we have the opportunity to maybe realign the whole political system in our country.

DeMint then said that he doesn’t “care which party it ends up being,” but quickly added, “I hope it’s the Republicans.” Listen here:

Exhibit C: US Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Yells out "You Lie!" during a joint session of Congress when President Obama says that his health insurance reform bill will not give coverage to undocumented workers. However, Obama wasn't lying and Sen. Baucus (D-MT) changed his bill to be doubly sure that no such persons could get health care.

And to tie it back to 1860, Rep. Wilson, while a state legislator in 1999, was one of only seven who voted in favor of keeping the Confederate flag flying over the state capital.

I rest my case.

it gets more interesting (part duex)

(Image/Fair Credit: Greater Avenues Community Council)

Ah, the Avenues Street Fair, a place where you can sign petitions (single payer health care and redistricting commission), join the ACLU, buy organic clothes of Obama turned into Che, along with lots of food options. I foolishly pushed the stroller up I Street from 3rd Avenue to 9th and thanks to my new lifestyle, I was a tad winded by the time I got up to the fair.


(you can see Obama/Che in the middle of the left side. Image credit: GACC)

All of the candidates for city council had a presence there.


(JJJ's booth; Image credit: GACC)

Some had volunteers/staffers roaming the fair for potential supporters, others had a cooler full of water to lure in potential voters. State Sen. Scott McCoy had a big booth even though he isn't up this fall. I saw my friend Yossof (I didn't see the other candidates but i just glanced at the candidates' booths) and he said that my last post on the race wasn't exactly very favorable to him.


(McCoy's Booth; Image credit: GACC)

After my post, I did notice his "Vote Yo!" signs, which are eye-catching and memorable despite their diminutive size. He explained to me his micro-targeting strategy, but I don't think he gave me permission to put it on the internet, so I will just leave it at that. And before I forget, congratulations Yossof on having a little one on the way. I was too hot to remember my brain and manners.

A saw another friend from church who is now a 3L at the University of Utah in full Kenyan garb. She explained that she has been selling stuff at this booth for 7 years now. I said she should have stolen Lisa Allcott's Obama cardboard cutout since he is an adopted son of her native Kenya. [That's right Birthers, ADOPTED. He was born the in 49th state of the union, Hawaii] Then I realized that all of the people I saw and recognized at the fair were associated with law school and felt like a big dork. Even while I was trying to feed my baby after leaving the fair, I saw Prof. Medwed.

Yossof reminded me and I will in turn remind my readers that tomorrow is election day for the city council...it is runoff day! Feels like it will be a low turnout affair, even less than 2007. Becker started to pull ahead right about this time and understood that his target audience was Democratic primary voter, and it took him over the top. Who will it be this year? Without polls, the only metric I have to go by without putting in some serious effort are signs I see walking the dog/baby. That portends a close race, but it is completely unscientific. Best of luck to all of the candidates.