777 welcome !

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Dow Jones index today dropped nearly 778 points - the highest drop ever on Wall Street, including Great Depression, 9/11 and 1987 collapse. It was result of Congress disapproval another 700 Billion golden parashute for wrongdoing corporations.

I am wondering, how this may affect checkers ? In 1930's / 1940's during and right after Great Depression, checkers popularity jumped up signifcantly, because people started playing checkers after losing their jobs.

Regards,

Alex

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Lets make it straight - people who has money should buy a gold, and rest should vote for Barack Obama

All losses which you mentioned - were just gains from the last couple days after bailout announcement. If you look at prices of stocks which you mentioned several days ago - you find them the same as today. And if some wrongdoing companies and banks should fail - so be it. On long run it works better for economy rather than government intervention and money injection. If corporations recieve this golden parashute today - wrongdoing will be continue and we continue to help them from time to time with many billions. The tendency must be stop.

Money don't come from air - they are taken from future generations which will pay off this debt. As parent of three I can't approve this.

The companies which generate or at least keep jobs in USA must be awarded, other - penalize.

Regards,

Alex

[Alex_Moiseyev]

...

[Jay Bailey]

Amen, Alex!

You're right, the 777 was merely a market correction of the false raise of the market due to the bailout expectations. Once again, the "conservative" G.W. Bush pushed big spending and it ended up screwing a lot of people. Fortunately, the House was wise enough to not pass this bill, but unfortunately it had the necessary negative consequences. As for checkers, it may receive a boost once McCain loses this election and has no political career left, so has to resort to checkers to help pass his remaining years.

[Jay Bailey]

Well to be fair Alex, checkers before the great depression was more popular than it is now. As the stocks drop, people will spend more money on alcohol. My stock portfolio really took a hit. It's pretty diversified...but look at this

MetLife $-10.50
ExxonMobil -6.59
IBM -4.96
VFC -4.55
ImClone -1.42

Insurance, Gas/oil, technology, clothing and medical science research companies all down. Even the Molson Coors Company took a hit today. Right now, instead of checkers I'm making investments in Svedka. Just a cheap as Smirnoff and way cheaper than Grey Goose or Absolut. Plus you can get acouple svedkas for the price of a goose.

on a side note though, the price of gold rose 23 dollars

Just wasted my last bottle of Svedka, actually. During these hard times, I prefer to make screwdrivers with cheap orange juice and cheap brand (ex: McCormick's) vodka.

[Ingo_Zachos]

Well, 778 points r just a tiny percentage.
Don't forget 778 from 10.000 is less then 8 from 100!
It is not the sharpest drop on fiancial markets I have witnessed, given in percantage.
I expected much more, but wait until tomorrow...
A lost depends if the US markets have a spin to other markets, like it had in the 1920's and 1930's.

Concering Checkers, well it won't have any big impact, as the Checker "fraternity" is small and poor in general.
In the 1930's times were different.
There was radio, and no TV, newpapers (Checker columns!) were still information gatekeepers, and there were not so much spare time activities then today (Board games were still more popular then computer games).
But in fact, Checkers in the USA began to decline then, as the numbers of new members began declining.
Some blamed it on the higher prices for books and magazines, as the printing costs increased dramatically and that made the promotion of the game harder.
But I think Checkers had reached the peak of popularity close to WW II in the USA (close to WW I in the UK where the decline began earlier!), and it is a coincidence that the Great Depression was in the 1930's.
Checkers would have been on the beginning of a decline in the USA then with or without economical "stimulous".
Today it won't have much impact on the Checker scene as well, as the Checker community is a sworn-in, but rather small group.
It may be on a modest rise internationally due to the fat that it is popularized by internet now.
And that will continue even with a financial crises.
Rising energy costs will have more impact, as it makes the internet and travelling more expensive.
But energy costs r on the rise, as the resources of oil and gas r limited, no matter how deep you drill and no matter how much oil or gas is on the market now.
A change to other energy resources will happen in the mid-term future, and that will not happen without higher energy costs.
Like the swift from coal to oil in the early 20 century, and the swift from wood to coal in the 19 th century.

Greetinx from Cold Europe (hope it's warm in Beijing),

Ingo Zachos

[tommyc]

As for checkers, it may receive a boost once McCain loses this election ....says JH

Looking on the bright side Mc Cain can run again for President in 4 yrs time .............. ACF President........LOL

[Patrick Parker]

svedka ....if i spelt that right is a vodka i approve of
its swedish i think and it works well good investment
however u make it
time with the bottle or playing high stakes poker on the market