patrick.net

Patrick, I still have the problem that I cannot make paragraphs when I create a thread-level post, but no problem when I write a comment/reply in a thread. Feel free to intervene or educate if you can tell why this is occurring.

[Here is what the post should have looked like.]

Give it a day or two for those knowledgeable in accounting gimmicks to figure out how real these accounting charges are.

My guess is that AT&T and others are taking advantage of the situation in order to (a) manage earnings or (b) using Obamacare as an excuse for underfunded retiree health plans or hiding some other losses, and (c) making Obamacare look bad.

Does anyone remember the so-called Asian Flu economic downturn of 1997? At that time, a large number of US companies suddenly starting non-cash write-offs left and right, such as inventory writedowns, and blaming the downturn.In reality, they were sitting on bad inventory long before the "flu" set in, but the optics of blaming it on the flu was better and removed responsibility of the bad decisions from management to some external entity.

Now, this time around, my guess is that what the big corporations are doing is to clean up their underfunded retiree health care plans, all the while conveniently blaming Obamacare. Anyone care to bet against me? The truth will soon be out, courtesy of Teh Internets.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/att-to-take-1-bln-charge-on-health-care-bill-2010-03-26-1411190?dist=countdown

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acZ3FfZU_xOU&pos=2

AT&T just gets worse and worse. Customer service is an oxymoron for these people. I've never dealt with such an arrogant bunch of jerks who are supposed to be competing for my business. They jack up my phone bill a buck or two every month and there is no recourse no matter how much you call to complain. They always have an excuse. They tell me that I'm getting "a great deal" when actually I'm in the process of dumping them for a better company with better service for less money.

I hope that the albatross that is AT&T rots into oblivion.

Image upload doesn't work too well for me, either.

That is, it works for comments but not for posts.