"The Mortgage Leader Cruise is being rescheduled due to current market conditions. Please look for an announcement in January regarding the date, new ship and exciting enhancements!"

Even back in April, before the SHTF, this seemed a bit of a stretch...

But hey, if the bailout goes through, who's to say there won't be a "new ship and exciting enhancements?"

Prices on Connect Registration go up next week, so if you register today you'll save yourself some dough.

We've been really busy putting together a great program for Connect and we have some really exciting news to announce next week, as we're starting to line up some fantastic speakers for all of you too. 

Buying a full-conference pass means you get in the door to one of our popular pre-conference workshops; this year we're running Bloggers Connect, our Internet Marketing Bootcamp and the brand new Digital Video Summit. Make the most out of your trip to New York and snag one of these workshops and seating is limited this year, so once the room is full the doors are closed. Book now and make sure you get in. 

"Good evening. This is an extraordinary period for America's economy.

"Over the past few weeks, many Americans have felt anxiety about their finances and their future. I understand their worry and their frustration..."

A tag cloud of the full text of the President's speech.

Via Wordle.

[h/t Paul Kedrosky]

***

What's your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor.

Film footage courtesy The Dark Knight.

Connect NY '09 is only a few months away; and you only have until Friday to save over $300 on registration. 

We've been working hard to make sure that this Connect is the best one yet.  Feedback has been gathered from attendees, vendors, speakers, anyone willing to give it, all so that a program could be put together that you'll find both informative and rewarding.  You should learn more, network more, and go home with more takeaways than ever before.  

Of course, it never hurts to get more input, right?  Now that the conference program is taking shape, and the workshops are coming together, we'd love to have some discussion about Connect NY 2009.  Check out the Connect NY 2009 group in the Community section.  There are a few topics there, but don't be afraid to start your own--  What are you looking forward to?  What do you want to see?  What works?  What doesn't?  It's all up for discussion in the Community.  

So, tell us what you think, and don't forget to register for Connect NY 2009.  You won't want to miss it.  

A demonstrator at yesterday's hearings on Capitol Hill lets Bernanke and Paulson know what he really thinks about the bailout plan: See photo here.

The blogosphere keeps expanding. in June 2008, Technorati tracked blogs in 81 languages.

From Technorati's State of the Blogosphere 2008 - a five part series, published starting today.

My daughter Liz and her husband Phil closed on a house last week, as Wall Street melted down. We had a house warming party Sunday night and throughout the weekend the neighbors stopped by to welcome them to the neighborhood. Phil and Liz saved to buy the house and discussed how they must watch their spending, but that is OK because they love the little two-bedroom home.

That is how it works, nothing more and nothing less.

I recently heard about a big real estate brokerage owner who was selling his house and going to rent. He often rants about buyers not realizing it is a good time to buy.

That is why things don't work.

"You save the banking system, now what are you going to do with all this distressed property?"

--Dennis Hedlund, president and founder, iEmergent, "$700 billion question: fate of bad loans," Inman News.

"There is only one thing necessary to understanding what is happening and it is this: no one at U.S. Banks, no one at the Federal Reserve and no one in politics can accept the reality that real estate assets in this country remain oversupplied, overpriced and overleveraged."

--Kevin Depew, executive editor of Minyanville.com, "Will the Bailout Succeed?"

"Short-sellers ensure that bad news is more quickly reflected in market prices. Capital is thereby allocated to more productive uses. If there had been more short-selling of Northern Rock during its ferociously irresponsible expansion based on borrowing money in the wholesale markets and lending it out as mortgages, much public money might have been saved later on."

-- former hedge fund manager Oliver Kamm, "In defence of the herd of greedy pigs," The Times of London.

Connect has gone Global and the conference program is now online. If you haven't been to the events web site recently (it's under the events tab on Inman.com) - go check it out. Here's just some of what you'll get out of coming to Connect this January:

1. Find out what's going to happen in 2009.

2. Learn how the top companies are cutting costs, getting lean and staying profitable.

3. Hear how US brokers and agents are tapping global real estate markets.

4. Master marketing your listings to the world.

5. See innovators, new business models and best practices you've never seen before.

6. Discover new technologies that will help you tap global buyers.

7. Get what it really means to build a killer web site.

8. Meet and network with hundreds of global innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, executives and brokers and agents.

9. Bloggers Connect is back!

10. Check out our inaugural Digital Video Summit.

But enough sizzle, let's cut to the meat of this post...

There's only 5 days left until the price increase on Friday, so make sure you get your registration in today and save some money!

And sponsors - make sure you check out all of our available packages. There's still time to reserve your space at Connect.

See you all in New York.

Attentive room at Connect SF 2008