Face Bigelow #85 - Market Analysis

This market is a mess and I basically got out of it back in early October after earlier sell offs in mid-September. Glad I'm out, but I can't believe all the rhetoric going around telling people to keep their money in this game. Maybe it's just me, but hasn't anyone looked at the times when the market has tanked badly, it usually takes about 2 or 3 years to hit bottom? At least that's what I see. Until it turns into a long term market again, I'm staying out.

Transcript:
Title: Market Analysis
Big: The stock market is a great long term investment even when it's going down...
Big: You have to look at it from a historical perspective and not day to day.
Big: Look at this stock's low price. You can't sell it now. How much lower do you think it can go?
Victor: Try Zero! Then Buffet walks away with the preferred stock and reissues the regular stock...

Face Bigelow #84 - Blame Game

Transcript.
Big: It's all Clinton's fault.
Big: He changed the lending rules which lead to this entire mess.
Victor: Didn't you hold the presidency and a majority part for six years after Clinton?
Big: That wasn't enough to change those failed policies. He ruined everything. Now just look at the mess he created. What are we going to do? The world is going to end!
Big: Quick. Throw all the money overboard before we sink...
Victor: First things first. Let's stop with the policies of fear. Second, put the money bags away.

Face Bigelow #83 - Bureau Of Bailout Needs A Bailout...

This is completely insane. Paulson Backs off asset plan; crisis deals at risk. I agree with trying to put the train back on the tracks, but standing in front of it while it's still moving might not be the best idea after all. Did we all get sold an $800 Billion bottle of snake oil? Do we want to buy some more?

Transcript:
Big: We gave all the bailout money to the banks.
Big: None of it is going to relieve mortgage debt like we said it would.
Big: The banks are now hording the cash or using it to buy their competitors.
Victor: Your plan was to fix a greed problem by giving the greedy people more money?
Big: We need another bailout plan to bailout the first bailout plan.
Victor: Maybe we should stop and do an audit. Let's start with your account...

Face Bigelow #80 - Bonus Check

This bailout money looks like it is well spent.... If you are on the hook to receive bonuses from the bailed out companies.

Bailed out banks ordered to reveal executive compensation.

I thought Wall street teaches us not to throw good money after bad, so why is it that the market is rallying when the government is the one throwing the money? Do we think that these investments can't go bad now that the feds (the regulators) are part of the institution? I'm really confused. To me it just looks like the federal government has now tied itself to the boat anchor these executives threw overboard.

Transcript.
Title: Bureau of Bailout
Big: Hey Victor. Here is your bonus check...
Victor: Bonus? I thought we almost went bankrupt last quarter?
Big: This is your bonus for getting that bailout money from the Bureau Of Bailout.
Big: Now we just have to figure out how to survive this quarter after we spent the money on bonuses. Will you ask BOB for our next installment? It could mean another bonus!

Face Bigelow #78 - R Word

It's time for some truth and a lot less of the avoiding blame game.
http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/10/16/afx4225690.html

Transcript.
Title: Mr Treasury
Big: Housing numbers are bad. Really bad.
Big: The economy is at a point of "correction".
Victor: Doesn't negative growth mean "recession"?
Big: The current administration doesn't allow me to use that word so we are just seeing a "correction" for a few quarters.
Victor: Must be some new form of transparency in government...

Face Bigelow #77 - Bad Debt

I understand making sure regular banks have capital and insuring deposits, but when we bail out investment banks and Wall Street companies that have serious financial problems is that really wise? Even if it hurts us all isn't it better to teach these firms and all their analysts who said everything was AAA a lesson? What message are we sending when we give them 75 billion one week, they throw a big party and ask for another 30 billion a few weeks later? Are we just covering an interest payment and making the problem even worse? What a mess.

Transcript
Big: Victor, you are my closest friend. We are almost like family.
Big: I've maxed out all 75 of my credit cards and have gone underwater on the seven homes I own.
Big: Would you be willing to take over all of that bad debt so I can get back to the spending spree?
Victor: Sorry Big. I keep my finances balanced. You'll have to talk to the Bureau of Bailout. They'll take it over. They are already doing that with Wall Street.

Face Bigelow #76 - AIG vacation

Inspired by real world events where AIG is caught spending tax payer money on an extravagant retreat. That's what I typically do when I'm on the brink of bankruptcy, plan a five star vacation...

Transcript
Big: Hey Victor. They bail out check is here.
Big: We are headed to California to spend some quality time deciding how to spend all the money.
Big: We can just wait out the crisis in style! No worries.
Big: Open bar, $600 rooms, everyone gets a massage... Crisis? What Crisis?
Victor: With the $85 billion from the government you could do this all winter. Great prep for your jail term...

Face Bigelow #75 - Haliburton 2.0

Transcript:
Title: War On Terror 2.0
Donald: We are on the trail of the WMDs (Wreckingballs of Massive Debt). The trail has brought us to the doorstep of Haliburton.
Donald: I suggest we bring in heavy artillery and storm the building. Mr. President, do you concur?
Big: I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we stepped back and talked with them first.
Big: In fact, here is a ten billion dollar contract so Haliburton can investigate this problem for us. Please go back to pinning this problem on Osama.

There is a typo in the cartoon and it's a pain to fix so I'm going to leave it. Sorry not that many people read this anyway.

Face Bigelow #74 - War On Terror 2.0

The more I hear, the stranger it gets.... Or is it just me?

Transcript:
Big: My fellow Americans. I've hired my good friend Donald to seek out and destroy these economic terrorists that have caused this financial crisis.
Big: He will also find the WMDs (Wreckingballs of Massive Debt) and destroy them. Donald, please give the American people an update on the situation.
Donald: We understand the Osama Bin Laden was originally working at a training camp in Countrywide where he trained many cells of economic terrorists.
Donald: We have not yet located the WMDs, but we feel confident that they will turn up soon. As for Bin Laden, he has since crossed the border into Pakieystan and we will find him soon...

Yes, the spelling was on purpose to show odd pronunciation the people in this administration use. It would be a sad day, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Donald chosen for this type of job. He already got to oversee a trillion dollars in waste, why not give him another 800 billion...?

Face Bigelow #72 - War On Financial Terror

All these scare tactics are getting very tiresome...

Transcript:
Title: War On Terror 2.0
Big: My fellow Americans. We will solve this financial crisis as soon as Congress agrees to my terms.
Big: We will go to war against terrorists in our financial institutions. We will be victorious.
Big: With the $700 billion and only with the $700 billion we will find and protect all Americans from these Wreckingballs of Massive Debt.
Big: These WMDs will be found and will be dismantled as soon as Congress agrees with this War on Financial Terror on Wall Street...
Victor: Uh Oh. I'm sensing a sequel...

Face Bigelow #71 - Bureau Of Bailout - House Free

I know there are probably a lot of people who were taken advantage of during the mortgage boom, but there were also many people who took great advantage of the situation and are still doing so. This comic is targeted at the later. The ones who worked in collusion with Wall street to swindle us all.

Transcript
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Scam Artist: Wow, this is great! I bought this place with no money down.
Scam Artist: I defaulted on the mortgage so I didn't have to pay anything for a year until they finally kicked me out.
Scam Artist: And now that BOB stepped in to save me I can afford to buy a second house on pure speculation! BOB even offered to pay off my credit card bills!
Big: Here's your check
Scam Artist: Gucci here I come!

Face Bigelow #70 - Bureau Of Bailout - Kalifornya

During this financial crisis California finally passed a $103 Billion California State Budget. It dawned on me that the amount they are requesting to bail out these financial firms is almost six times the budget of the worlds sixth largest economy! It's like trying to think of the distance from hear to the nearest neighbor galaxy. You just can't fathom the amount. This just can't be right...?

Transcript:
Title: Bureau Of Bailout
Big: Okay, Okay. The crisis was a big ruse to get my house in the Hamptons and make sure my Goldman shares didn't disappear.
Big: But now I have this extra $600 billion to deal with. What to do? What to do?
Big: Wow, look at that! California just signed a $103 billion dollar budget and they are having all sorts of financial problems...
Big: Victor! Get Schwartzie on the phone. I want to see if he'll sell Kalifornya for $600 billion?
Victor: Or maybe we'll just call it a bailout..?