Random Job search question

Should you even consider applying for a technical position that requires you to send your resume through snail mail?

Only a quarter the way through it...

and thought it was a good idea to make sure people read and see this story from the NYT.

An interesting perspective from someone caught in the middle of everything.

Comedy show episode thoughts...

I won’t waste anyone’s time with saying I have not posted and all that jazz. One thing peaked my interest recently when I was watching the clips of CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer on the Comedy Channel’s The Daily Show. I am not going to get into the media fueled feud and state some random points. They talked in three segments discussing Stewart’s complaints that CNBC did not expose the debt to asset ration the banks carried for years on mortgages. Stewart felt they should have done a better job of exposing the leverages and done way less discussing the stocks and showing them off to be good companies. Cramer – who is known for his TV show - used manage a hedge fund and has made more money off the stock market than most of us can imagine doing so in our lifetimes.

Several thoughts…

After watching the interview, I was taken aback how relaxed Cramer took the onslaught from Stewart. The more I thought it though, it made complete sense. Cramer had no way of winning an argument on that show. The only benefit for him is simply attracting some from the “Daily Show” audience.

Stewart makes the same statement I have heard a million times - those banks with large debt to asset ratios should take the responsibility for selling adjustable rate mortgages to homeowners. I am still waiting for someone to clarify the relationship between the two parties. Did someone make those people take mortgages they would eventually not afford? How does the way banks manage their assets and debt impact what people decide they can afford for their living quarters. It does not and never will.

Stewart shows videos from 2006 with Jim Cramer discussing how hedge fund managers can influence prices in the stock market. In short, they can bring down and push up prices by reporting different things that may not be accurate. What is concerning is Jon Stewart’s take shows something significant – he has never done any reading on the stock market or people in general. The reporting of inside information is a very old practice that has been going on for some time – like since the stock market came into play. Stock prices go up and down based on news which a good percentage of it is rumors and speculation. Regardless of what happens now, this practice will never stop and will become more prevalent the more media coverage the stock market receives as well other world news. That is an undeniable fact.

Stewart thinks the media should take responsibility for not exposing the leverages a long time ago. I would like to ask when people are going to start requesting the Big 4 auditing firms take some responsibility for not exposing and stopping the practice of leveraging loans. Most firms claimed the derivatives were tough to account for and these companies are stocked with Ivy League MBA’s, the supposed best and brightest. Everyone looked the other way and had a good time.

One last thing is Stewart is funny because he was so busy pointing the finger except at the man in the mirror. I would be interested in finding out how much Stewart made in the stock market during the uptick years. That was not ever even discussed but his poor mother I guess has lost a lot of money according to the end of the interview. If your mother was completely invested in the stock market and not in conservative investments based on her age… Shame on her. Shame on Stewart because I guess he must be watching his mother be destitute as he continues to host a TV show.

And there you have it.