Have a great day!
Shelly and Alex Hyde-White
My cousin Jonathan is a funny guy, a good writer, baseball player and working member of the entertainment industry. He has a great take on the current political cycle with his new line of "Old Skool" T-Shirts. Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/POLITICKLETEEZ and tell them we sent you. Have a great day, and let's try and support both tickets!
Bill Gross is one of the smartest economists in the land, as well as a friend.
Below is his Washington Post editorial.
How Main Street Will Profit
By William H. Gross Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Capitalism is a delicate balance between production and finance. Today, our seemingly guaranteed living standard is threatened, much like it has been in previous recessions or, some would say, the Depression. Finance has run amok because of oversecuritization, poor regulation and the excessively exuberant spirits of investors; the delicate balance has once again been disrupted; production, and with it jobs and our national standard of living, is declining.
If this were a textbook recession, policy prescriptions would recommend two aspirin and bed rest -- a healthy dose of interest rate cuts and a fiscal package that mildly expanded the deficit. That, of course, has been the attempted remedy over the past 12 months. But recent events have made it apparent that this downturn differs from recessions past. Today's housing bubble, unlike that of the stock market's before it, was financed with excessive and poorly regulated mortgage debt, and as housing prices began to tumble from the peak, the delinquencies and foreclosures have led to a downward spiral of debt liquidation that in turn led to even lower prices and more foreclosures. And so, instead of mild medication and rest, it became apparent that quadruple bypass surgery is necessary. The extreme measures are extended government guarantees and the formation of an RTC -like holding company housed within the Treasury. Critics call this a bailout of Wall Street; in fact, it is anything but. I estimate the average price of distressed mortgages that pass from "troubled financial institutions" to the Treasury at auction will be 65 cents on the dollar, representing a loss of one -third of the original purchase price to the seller, and a prospective yield of 10 to 15 percent to the Treasury. Financed at 3 to 4 percent via the sale of Treasury bonds, the Treasury will therefore be in a position to earn a positive carry or yield spread of at least 7 to 8 percent. Calls for appropriate oversight of this auction process are more than justified. There are disinterested firms, some not even based on Wall Street, with the expertise to evaluate these complicated pools of mortgages and other assets to assure taxpayers that their money is being wisely invested. My estimate of double -digit returns assumes lengthy ownership of the assets and is in turn dependent on the level of home foreclosures, but this program is, in fact, directed to prevent just that. In effect, the Treasury will have the fate of the American taxpayer in its hands. The Resolution Trust Corp. , created in the late 1980s to deal with the savings and loan crisis, dealt with previously purchased real estate, which was flushed into government hands with a "best efforts" future liquidation. Today, the purchase of junk mortgages, securitized credit card receivables and even student loans will be bought at prices significantly below "par" or cost, and prospectively at levels allowing for capital gains. This is a Wall Street-friendly package only to the extent that it frees up funds for future loans and economic growth. Politicians afraid of parallels to legislation that enabled the Iraq war are raising concerns about a rush to judgment, but the need for speed is clear. In this case, there really are weapons of mass destruction -- financial derivatives -- that threaten to destroy our system from within. Move quickly, Washington, with appropriate safeguards.
The Treasury proposal will not be a bailout of Wall Street but a rescue of Main Street, as lending capacity and confidence is restored to our banks and the delicate balance between production and finance is given a chance to work its magic. Democratic Party earmarks mandating forbearance on home mortgage foreclosures will be critical as well. If this program is successful, however, it is obvious that the free market and Wild West capitalism of recent decades will be forever changed. Future economic textbooks are likely to teach that while capitalism is the most dynamic and productive system ever conceived, it is most efficient over the long term when there is another delicate balance -- between private incentive and government oversight.
The writer is chief investment officer and founder of the investment management firm PIMCO. © 2008 The Washington Post Company
Just back from the Mona-Vie Annual Conference in Salt Lake City (pictured w/ Dr. Julia Pennington): to the front page article in today's Sunday L.A. Times how the Acai berry is a "global wonder berry." Follow the link below:
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-acai21-2008sep21,0,4845899.story?track=ntothtml
Our Mona-Vie has the highest grade Acai compared to most all of the other mass produced products. It's all good, but Mona-Vie is best. Please consider how we may help you achieve your short term goals of becoming Star 500 by helping you host your own tasting, or bring your prospects to our next one. We are all on the same Team. Your success is vital to our success.
Please Drink it, Feel it, Share it. Consume, Merchandise, Teach.
Best wishes from Team TMG,
Shelly and Alex
The Number One brand in the fast growing Acai berry segment of the functional beverage industry
Producer Victor Bardack is planning the West Coast premiere of
"Jefferson and Franklin".
<= is a wardrobe picture and invite from our NYC Spring workshop reading hosted by, and at, The Coffee House.
The Coffee House - 20 West 44th Street (Sixth Floor) - New York, NY 10036
DRAMA AT THE CLUB…
Wednesday, March 12
The play:
Franklin & Jefferson—Sex, Politics & the American Revolution
The playwrights: Victor Bardack and James Gabler
Alex Hyde-White and Ed Bell will be performing in a costumed one-act of this new work bringing to life not just the memorable events of the 12 years from the appointment of George Washington as commander-in-chief to Franklin's return from France, but also Jefferson's and Franklin's embarrassments, disappointments, intrigues, and, yes, among other things, women.
Wine bar opens at 6 p.m. Program: 6:45 p.m. Dinner following ($40)
$10 door charge (waived if you stay for dinner)
Please reserve for the dinner - 212 391-5609 or
coffeehouseclub@hotmail.com
Having just seen the Batman movie, here are my questions to self. Is it the ID unchecked, does it celebrate pure joy thru, traveling on the impregnable vehicle called mayhem. If, as we are told, the strength of a story lies in its villain then this is a strong story all right. That we celebrate the joyous nature of the actor's performance is something to think about, perhaps, for a moment. The character has all motive removed from his nature, allowing him to act unfettered like a baby. Only this is one smart baby who seems to be saying, "if you remove the rules, then you are unbeatable." Remember when McEnroe was the darling of US tennis, the brash American? We marveled at his game and, for me, anyway, justified his antics as being necessary for the result. The end justified the means, if the means was to win championships. But for him, it seemed then that he had issues and in his joy, his angst ridden joy, of playing tennis at the highest possible level he was "working them out." Much is the same here of the Joker. He's not evil incarnate, whatever that means, but sympathetic in a humanistic way as he bluffs and feints his way thru one chaotically destructive moment to another. It's just a movie, yes, but whatever our grand contribution is to the global psyche, our greatest American exportable resource is probably, at this point, digitally encoded information designed to entertain and generate commerce. Film (although it's not film anymore), Television, and other pop culture delivery systems. Rarely does art and commerce converge for two-and-a-half hours as it does in this case and the results are certainly satisfying to both houses thanks to the presumed moral compass of the captain, the director. How he navigates the project thru the Time Warner conglomerate is a faithful reassurance of the big-box theory of entertainment creation, the studio system. For this picture is clearly not a result of a committee, rather a technically gifted group who have nurtured their baby and now, like the rest of us, sit back and watch. They have, both, prepared him to comingle as much as they have let him loose on the world. Sadly the actor who crafted this graceful, terrifyingly joyful performance is not here to help us frame it, perhaps to give it context, even if it would be to say, "Hey, I had fun with this! It's art, don't try this at home." For those of us who live in world of entertainment and pop culture as a business and, for those of us who further appreciate the fleeting opportunities to "enjoy the show", this filmed story may give us a bridge which, when crossed, may help further the cause of personal involvement; involvement in self, family, community and the world at large. The id unchecked knows no balance and ultimately no joy, without other elements by which to reflect off of. But yes, it is fun, more than fun, to watch. It's the nagging feeling that the "more than fun" part is elusive enough to find a bottom before it finds a top that may be worrisome, if you are in law enforcement anyway. Not show business.
Saturday June 7, 2008:
Day One of the tourney was hot and a golfing struggle. I did enjoy the company of former Senior Tour player Dick Goetz, and his wife, as well as being paired with Jim Hart and Gorman Thomas, however. Also, my caddie Tom and his son Tommy were a joy to be with. The evening's "Family Night" at Hill Field was warm and friendly. We sang "God Bless America," led by Doug Flynn, to the crowd assembled for the fireworks. (See accompanying pictures) My good friend Michael Teig joined me this week in the BOQ, caught up on pressing TigerLight web-work, and enjoyed the fellowship and great cause on offer at the Marine Corps Celebrity Classic. Please see www.tigerlight.net/t100 for the new light/spray combo given away.
Sunday June 8, 2008:
Paired with John Congemi and Buddy Shelton, the trick shot artist, on the final day was great. John is a very good player, a la Freddie (Couples.) Being the first tournament back after January's ski injury at Park City, expectations were low and my subsequent scores were high. Not traveling my bag meant easier airport transfers but I missed my Bridgestone Irons and Bobby Jones woods. Did play nine holes, however, at today's final round with the new El Diablo driver from Krank Golf, new equipment sponsors at the Marine Corps Celebrity Classic, having borrowed it from Chris Mohr's son Garrett who won it at Silent Auction night at the New River Hanger. Birdies on Paradise Point's Par 4 8th and Par 3 16th helped the golf part end on a good note. My friend from MCCC One (2004), Marine Captain Mike Bradford picked me up from the Bachelor's Officer Quarters for a comfortable ride to Jacksonville Airport. Their daughter Devon is graduating from high school and they have a busy week ahead. Mike has done four tours as an infantry Captain, in Fallujah, Ramadi and other hot spots and I was happy to hear that on the last tour he lost no Marines to combat casualty, a sign of relative calm for sure. His new posting is as a trainer at the new MARSOC (Marine Special Ops) Facility being readied for this September.
Below: Jim Hart, Alex Hyde-White, Dick Goetz, Gorman Thomas: MCCC Day One Pairing
Family Night at Hill Field: Osprey (above), Fireworks (below)
Welcome to Team TMG, a fast growing network of distributors in the fastest growing company in the functional beverage industry, Mona-Vie. Team TMG is a Santa Monica based distributor dedicated to helping you grow your own Mona-Vie business. We are part of Team Abundance; Grayson Marshall's Florida based team of trainers, and under the direct supervision of Team Massive Passive; the dynamic New Zealand team headed by our good friends Corinna and Phil Jones. Some of you met them when they co-hosted our Home Tasting last month and found them to be genuinely dedicated to empowering us all to great success in Mona-Vie. Their philosophy is our philosophy, by understanding and emphasizing the health benefits that regular consumption of Mona-Vie provides, it is easy to let the business aspects of the conversation follow. Think of it as you being a veteran real estate broker, an expert in Bel-Air homes: all you need is a clean car, your cellphone on vibrate, a calm and confident disposition and you will gracefully achieve your goal, they will tell you what house they want to buy as they are all good—such is the way of Mona-Vie. It is a great product in an easy to use container. Please consider how we may help you achieve your short term goals of becoming Star 500 by helping you host your own tasting, or bring your prospects to our next one. We are all on the same Team. Your success is vital to our success. Please Drink it, Feel it, Share it. Consume, Merchandise, Teach. Best wishes from Team TMG, Shelly and Alex
Thursday Apr. 24, 2008: Santa Monica-
We had a welcome wine and Mona-Vie tasting party at our place for our delightful Kiwi friends Corinna and Phil Jones. A dozen of our friends came together on a beautiful Spring evening, on our new hardwood floor. Ol' 16th St homestead looked nice and sleek. The health benefits and superb business of Mona-Vie, the super-juice blend, were discussed among interested and sophisticated parties. Johnny Disco wore his spats and did a bit of a moonwalk, Mary Lindes, Ida Mason, Shannon Sturgess and Mary-Beth (who shared her moving story about first drinking Mona-Vie, aiding in healthy recovery) along with our son Garrick and cousin Jonathan. We adjourned at 8:30 when we took them back to the Sofitel, stopping at Dolores for a good grub up. Go to www.mymonavie.com/tmg to learn more about the juice.
Saturday Apr. 26, 2008:
British Consulate- June St, Hancock Park: British Consul General Bob and Sharon Peirce welcomed a few hundred of their friends to the BritWeek tea party on a warm Saturday afternoon at the consulate, which had a decidedly Epsom Derby air. Women in hats, men in suits and open collars, good food and music made for a festive and charming day. I was happy to see Ruth McCartney, JoAnn Lichtenstein, Gillian Campbell, Mindy Gail, Anna and Barry Harvey, Michael Laine, Paul Wright, Ollie Dunning, John and Stephanie Mowbray, Ross King and Brianna, Julian Stone, Nicola and Gavin Scott, and make some new friends. There is a vibrant British community in Los Angeles and I am happy to keep up with them. See enclosed pictures of the lovely afternoon. Afterwards, we had a light supper at Orso with Wayne Tempero, the New Zealand self-defense expert who may be doing some TigerLight work with us quite soon. Check the News on this site to keep up with that, and on http://www.tigerlight.net/.
The calendar reminds us chill no longer in the air
Cold days are getting longer warmer feelings everywhere
It's been a while since Punxsutawney had his fill of darker hue
The beach starts to look inviting as we lace our baseball shoe.
Lenten season soon left wanting comes again to stir us all
Those Sunday morning soulful soirées do prepare us for the call
But for all those many splendors stands out one, O greatest joys
March brings with it celebrations of our two, our Greatest boys.
The one he is a jumper and the other turns a phrase
They both soon know the other more than just a passing phase
Be they mugging for the camera or firmly standing, like a boy
They hang like a Christmas stocking filled with insulated joy.
Watch them when they're not looking and you'll see them at their best
When they're dealing with a colleague getting something off their chest
It may look like something simple to our oh-so sketchy eye
For in playground negotiation lays our future bye and bye
We all want something better and for this keep do we try
Another generation for another piece of pie
We have so much to give that it seems endless does our love
For it comes from somewhere deeper and it rains down from above
There's no reason for any goodness as there's no reason for the bad
One dines on what is on the table and washes with the fad
Be honest to goodness youth firm and bold in word and deed
The love you give us parents is the only thing we need.
So ring in one and twenty come again soon sons thirteen
The calendar lays open….
We had our second game of the new Little League season today, under a warm and clear sky at Stewart Park in Santa Monica. Scoring 10 runs against the Mariners, it felt like Spring! Joshua Segal's mom Joanne brought pizza for after the game, Miller had visitors in from Toronto, and the Eliot boys from England dropped in for a visit, and were most welcome. They practiced with us on Friday, Michael getting a nice hit. I do like those Friday practices, a nice way to end the week and a great way to prime the body and mind for the weekend's game. With three weeks off for Spring Break, it is best to categorize these last two games as " training" practice games. A new division for Santa Monica Little League, "A" ball is machine pitch, with one umpire standing next to the machine. Everyone bats, but only ten players take the field on defense. Frank Gress has good hands and looks comfortable at second base. Ben Rothenberg has the steady manner of a first baseman. The infield is big so none of our charges can be expected to make too strong a throw from third base or shortstop, but both William and Jack look good over there. Catchers are Chris, who had a great game today going three for three, that he easily won the game ball; Miller, William, Jack, Joshua and…anyway, there is a healthy group of willing catchers.
"Learning to walk before running" has been the motto of the first two weeks. Now, with ten runs on the board after the second game—the result of some key base hits due to speedy running to first—the Santa Monica A Ball Yankees may indeed come back after the break a cohesive hitting and fielding team that employs fair play, good sportsmanship and healty age-appropriate competition. Scoring is kept at the division level with runs tallied but there is no loser. Having said that, our boys do want to "win" and, if parents can take them out in the late afternoon sun now that Daily Savings time kicks into it's Spring mode, and throw and field then we will be far along our happy season's journey.