We all go through periods of depression; and in fact, it's a good sign that you are fully engaged with reality. But wallowing in feelings of helplessness and despair cedes power to those who wish to control the destiny of many. It's not always easy to pull yourself out of a tailspin, but anyone who has followed real news for a while knows that these waves come and go.
As individuals, we are not helpless. Be sure to check in on the main page for usexpat's posts. He's finding lots of positive information, so avail yourself. All people of good will deserve and can create something much better, but corruption still stands in the way. This is the problem that must be exposed and dealt with. Decisively. Permanently. And that is the work before us today.
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17
10.17.2008
Urban Survival: Next: The Shipping Plunge
I don't recall if I mentioned that a source in China had told us about week back that China had shipping stacked up several miles out to sea with nothing to do, no cargoes to load, and hence they were just swinging at anchor waiting for work?
No worries -- that particular story is staring to go mainstream as Bloomberg headlined today that "China's shipping traffic may plunge as exports slow..."
I've been saying this for a good long time - a couple of years in fact -- If you need something that's not Made in the U.S.A. it might be a good idea to get it while you can.
Is Martial Law Imminent?
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 15,000 federal troops patrolled the streets of New Orleans. We were told that they were there to stop the looting and perform humanitarian duties. Of course, the widespread looting was brought under control, but under that control, many law-abiding citizens lost their rights as well. Soldiers as well as armed Blackwater contractors went house to house, detaining citizens and confiscating their firearms…Martial law had come to New Orleans.
The worst scene I can remember from those terrible days was of a patrol of U.S. soldiers arriving at the home of an elderly woman. The soldiers forced their way into the woman´s home, wrestled her to her kitchen floor, handcuffed her, and confiscated her revolver (her only protection against the violent criminals in that city). The woman cried and pleaded with the soldiers to allow her to protect herself.
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The worst scene I can remember from those terrible days was of a patrol of U.S. soldiers arriving at the home of an elderly woman. The soldiers forced their way into the woman´s home, wrestled her to her kitchen floor, handcuffed her, and confiscated her revolver (her only protection against the violent criminals in that city). The woman cried and pleaded with the soldiers to allow her to protect herself.
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The Master Debate: McWTF?
Haldol side effects include blurred vision, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, and grabbing people's asses.
This wasn't Photoshopped. Or more accurately, the entire Republican campaign is a Photoshop effort, and this image slipped past them somehow. It happened when McCain couldn't figure out how to greet Bob the Moderator.
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Whitney: The end of Friedmanite Economics
1--On Monday, the stock market recorded its biggest one day gain in history on news that the G-7 had settled on a plan to recapitalize the banking system. The Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BOE) all agreed to make direct capital injections into "systemically important" banks so they could resume lending and reduce stress in the credit markets. They also decided to insure deposits and to guarantee interbank lending. Do you think that these unprecedented steps will be enough to avert a meltdown of the financial system?
Robert Pollin: Of course, by Tuesday, the Dow fell again by over 733 points. Meanwhile, the Niekkii in Japan fell by 10 percent on Wednesday. So, thus far, the answer to whether these steps are enough, on their own, to avert a meltdown is a resounding “no.” At the same time, to be fair, these measures have yet to have any real effect on banks’ balance sheets. Thus far, the stock markets are only responding to their own guesses as to what benefits, if any, these measures will have on stabilizing the balance sheets of financial institutions.
But there is another element that came into play especially over the past day. That is the reality within financial markets that the economic crisis has spread beyond Wall Street itself. It is now clearly becoming a crisis—a recession or depression, choose your own term--spreading into the realm of jobs, incomes, public sector budgets, and private non-financial profits as well. This means that averting a meltdown of the financial system will also require a massive stimulus of the non-financial side of the economy. We haven’t heard yet about any significant plans along these lines.
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Robert Pollin: Of course, by Tuesday, the Dow fell again by over 733 points. Meanwhile, the Niekkii in Japan fell by 10 percent on Wednesday. So, thus far, the answer to whether these steps are enough, on their own, to avert a meltdown is a resounding “no.” At the same time, to be fair, these measures have yet to have any real effect on banks’ balance sheets. Thus far, the stock markets are only responding to their own guesses as to what benefits, if any, these measures will have on stabilizing the balance sheets of financial institutions.
But there is another element that came into play especially over the past day. That is the reality within financial markets that the economic crisis has spread beyond Wall Street itself. It is now clearly becoming a crisis—a recession or depression, choose your own term--spreading into the realm of jobs, incomes, public sector budgets, and private non-financial profits as well. This means that averting a meltdown of the financial system will also require a massive stimulus of the non-financial side of the economy. We haven’t heard yet about any significant plans along these lines.
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Half the world's heroin supply has gone missing.
Editors' Note: for those who are new to LATOC, in order to understand the weight of the news story we're about to discuss, you need to know a few things. If you're a longtime LATOC reader and/or a former FTW reader, you can probably skip past points #1-#8 below. If not, then the only way to understand why this story is such a bombshell - maybe as important as any article I've posted here in the last 2 months - is to read through the following:
#1) narcotics are the world's third biggest industry behind only energy and weapons;
American Goy: Obama will not win. Why? Rednecks.
The real America
Do you think that America is what you see in the big cities, with educated, centrist elite who are smart, erudite and surf the web for news?
Who read the blogs and sneer at FOX "news"?
Who can tell bullshit from the propaganda from the truth?
No, my friends.
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Lindsey Williams dire economic forecast coming true
In a July 2008 broadcast on the Alex Jones radio show Lindsey Williams, author of “The Energy Non-Crisis” and former Chaplain on the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline told about his conversation with an un-named insider about the IMF’s plan to crash the world’s economy by flooding the world oil market with cheap oil. When most experts were predicting oil to get to 200 dollars a barrel, Lindsey Williams said he was told that oil would be as low as 50 dollars per barrel. Recent oil discoveries (Reuters article) along with falling oil prices seem to be backing up his claim. Mr. Williams also predicted that John McCain would be their man in the White House, even if “an event” would have to be staged to insure that happens. Other guests include Dr. Stanley Monteith and Bob Chapman of the International Forecaster.
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Paulson REGRETS mistakes on economy
They always express 'regret' after screwing us. Also, they like to say that 'no one could have foreseen....' I was waiting for it. - Ed.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Thursday expressed regret for the many errors made that led to the biggest financial crisis in seven decades, but he insisted the administration is pursuing the correct course now to end the debacle.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Thursday expressed regret for the many errors made that led to the biggest financial crisis in seven decades, but he insisted the administration is pursuing the correct course now to end the debacle.
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What would $300K debt forgiveness mean to you?
Deliveries were scheduled yesterday.
BUSH and allies blocked deliveries again yesterday.
BUSH and the D.C. Politicians are blocking distribution of the "Marshall Plan Money" to AMERICAN CITIZENS as called for in the ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS and program funding and in turn the world funding of the prosperity programs.
The money left over after the reconstruction of Europe after World War II, having been "traded" for decades, is a huge sum of money distributed by BUSH to the Vatican, the Queen, Queen Beatrice and others and subsequently recovered and made ready for delivery to the American people in the form of debt forgiveness.
Each American is to have up to $300,000. in debt forgiven be it credit card debt, student loans, auto notes, mortgages, etc. etc..
Chavez says 'Comrade Bush' turns left in crisis
CARACAS (Reuters) - Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mocked George W. Bush as a "comrade" on Wednesday, saying the U.S. president was a hard-line leftist for his government's intervention of major private banks in the U.S. financial crisis.
Chavez, who calls capitalism an evil and ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, ridiculed Bush for his plan for the federal government to take equity in American banks despite the U.S. right-wing's criticism of Venezuelan nationalizations.
10.16.2008
Corporate Psychopathy
In psychiatry there is a diagnostic entity variously known as psychopath, sociopath and antisocial personality disorder. The central feature of this disorder is the failure to develop any ethical standards of social behavior, The concept of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is foreign to the psychopath. That remarkable advice is replaced by "do unto others as it pleases you regardless of consequences." We do not know for sure the cause of such behavior, whether it is genetic in origin, the result of early developmental trauma, or a combination of the two. The outstanding feature is that the psychopath has a natural talent for using and exploiting others and does so with such skill that true motives remain concealed by ingratiating ways and apparent normality. At some point the bubble bursts and the victim awakens to the reality that they have been taken.
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Mass Demonstration planned on Wall St
Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez are bringing their Independent Presidential campaign to New York City October 15th & 16th! The Nader/Gonzalez campaign stands with people of all political stripes — Greens, Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, independents, and Constitution party members — disillusioned with the two political parties that were behind the bailout of Wall Street crooks.
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3 Charged in Pikesville Vandalism
A 19-year-old member of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation was being held yesterday after being charged in connection with the spray-painting of a swastika and the word "Nazis" at the synagogue in Pikesville.
Matthew Ian Saunders, whose family worships at the temple, and two other young Jewish men - Daniel Alexander Diaz, 19, and a 17-year-old who was not identified by police - were charged with two counts of destruction of property and damaging the property of a religious entity.
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Matthew Ian Saunders, whose family worships at the temple, and two other young Jewish men - Daniel Alexander Diaz, 19, and a 17-year-old who was not identified by police - were charged with two counts of destruction of property and damaging the property of a religious entity.
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Must read: It's too soon, and it's too late
The Fallacy of Insufficient Cynicism strikes the American people again, especially the younger ones. - Ed.
It's too soon, and it's too late.
In "A Bill That Can Never Be Paid," WP asks how come the American people don't rise up in anger. It's because they can't imagine what's coming down on them. They think this isn't going to be any worse than, say, the S&L screwing they took during the '80s.
Then there's the fact that the Reagan Revolution is now thirty years old. Those of us over 30 years of age are living with an entire generation that, collectively, have no memory of the world that was before Reagan. So far as they're concerned, we haven't lost a thing and they don't yet understand what we older folks are all upset about.
Reaganism, so far as I can tell, has succeeded beyond even Rappin' Ron's wildest hopes. Between GOP liars, talk-radio hate merchants, and free-market mythology, the political landscape is changed so that electing liberals is impossible. Democrats have been forced so far to the Right that the two parties are now effectively one and that one is Reaganite conservative. Politicians no longer squabble over ideology. They squabble over loot.
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It's too soon, and it's too late.
In "A Bill That Can Never Be Paid," WP asks how come the American people don't rise up in anger. It's because they can't imagine what's coming down on them. They think this isn't going to be any worse than, say, the S&L screwing they took during the '80s.
Then there's the fact that the Reagan Revolution is now thirty years old. Those of us over 30 years of age are living with an entire generation that, collectively, have no memory of the world that was before Reagan. So far as they're concerned, we haven't lost a thing and they don't yet understand what we older folks are all upset about.
Reaganism, so far as I can tell, has succeeded beyond even Rappin' Ron's wildest hopes. Between GOP liars, talk-radio hate merchants, and free-market mythology, the political landscape is changed so that electing liberals is impossible. Democrats have been forced so far to the Right that the two parties are now effectively one and that one is Reaganite conservative. Politicians no longer squabble over ideology. They squabble over loot.
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Fire or Ice: Are we headed torward hyperinflation or deflation? Stagflation? Mental breakdown??
The most important debate among economists, high-level investment advisors and financial experts is whether the U.S. economy will heat up or cool down - that is, whether it will go into runaway inflation or deflation.
"Hyperinflation" is runaway inflation. This is what Germany experienced in the 1920s's, where people had to literally pay barrels full of German marks to buy a loaf of bread.
More information on Christopher Story report of 10/11
UPDATE: 16th October 2008:
THIS REPORT WAS 'SNIPPED' AT A CRITICAL POINT, HIGHLIGHTING A SENSITIVE ISSUE
Yesterday evening, this report was found to have been illegally 'snipped' and severely truncated by NSA/CIA mental defectives. Whenever these fools do this, they reveal that what we have posted is ACCURATE AND TO THE POINT. By illegally interfering with what we publish, and cutting out parts of the text to which they take objection, they REVEAL THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT LINES. Anyone who is not sitting on their brains, as clearly these low-level idiots are, can work that one out.
In this instance, the 'snip' occurred at the point where we highlight the G-7's requirement that the large international banks must have an 'international college of supervisors' attached to them, to ensure that their criminal financial operations do not resume.
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THIS REPORT WAS 'SNIPPED' AT A CRITICAL POINT, HIGHLIGHTING A SENSITIVE ISSUE
Yesterday evening, this report was found to have been illegally 'snipped' and severely truncated by NSA/CIA mental defectives. Whenever these fools do this, they reveal that what we have posted is ACCURATE AND TO THE POINT. By illegally interfering with what we publish, and cutting out parts of the text to which they take objection, they REVEAL THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT LINES. Anyone who is not sitting on their brains, as clearly these low-level idiots are, can work that one out.
In this instance, the 'snip' occurred at the point where we highlight the G-7's requirement that the large international banks must have an 'international college of supervisors' attached to them, to ensure that their criminal financial operations do not resume.
Read full story
The latest figures on Israel's 2008 American Congress
As part of their continuing campaign to keep John Sununu out of the U.S. Senate—an effort which failed in 2002, when then-Representative Sununu (R-NH) was first elected to “the world’s greatest deliberative body”—pro-Israel PACs bestowed a whopping $44,000 on would-be Democratic opponent Katrina Swett in 2007. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, Swett is the daughter of the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), who was one of Israel’s most ardent champions in the House. Her husband is former Rep. Dick Swett (D-NH), who, after two terms in the House and an unsuccessful Senate bid, managed to amass a respectable $95,500 in pro-Israel PAC contributions. Will Sununu’s Democratic opponent, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who received $72,022 in pro-Israel PAC contributions to oppose Sununu in 2002, find it in herself to rise above the spurn?
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The Godfather: Paulson makes offer banks can't refuse
The theme of the day...corruption. - Ed.
Here’s part of an email that I sent to someone a couple of days ago:
I’ve never been as close to honest to god mobsters as I was when I was
contracted out to [Wall Street firm]. No shit, pinky ring wearing,
Hey-Tony, fuggetaboutit mobsters.
When that stuff went down, the night before the paper dump… And no law
enforcement was involved in the investigation. Man, that was it. You
just knew that this was going to be handled off the books.
Bush exceeded power by withholding Cheney comments, report says
Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush overstepped his authority by withholding an FBI interview of Vice President Dick Cheney from a congressional panel probing the leak of a CIA agent's identity, a draft bipartisan House report said.
The interview may shed light on who disclosed former CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity, the draft report said. The report was circulated by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, and Virginia Representative Tom Davis, the panel's senior Republican.
Whistleblower: Oil watchdog agency 'cult of corruption'
HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- Bobby Maxwell kept a close eye on the oil industry for more than 20 years as a government auditor. But he said the federal agency he worked for is now a "cult of corruption" -- a claim backed up by a recent government report.
"I believe the management we were under was showing favoritism to the oil industry," Maxwell told CNN.
Maxwell is referring to a tiny agency within the Department of the Interior called the Minerals Management Service, which manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on federal lands.
Les Vis: The pregnant tick and tock of the reality bomb
Where I live you can buy fresh broccoli for about .50 cents a pound; eggplants at .45 cents a pound, tomatoes fresh from the garden for .50 cents a pound. You can pay even less if you know where to go. Fruit and vegetables are very inexpensive and my olive and almond trees provide more than I can use which is good for my friends. I live on a dead end road at the end of a maze. You’d think I was way out in the boondocks but two thriving towns are around 4 kilometers away, equidistant in opposite directions. Two large seas are not very far away.
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10.15.2008
Iran: Enemies won't dare to attack
A senior Iranian military official has rejected the speculations that the US and Israel might launch an attack against the country.
"The enemy does not have the courage to carry out military action against our country. The risks of attacking Iran have increased dramatically in the enemy's calculations," Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval commander, Admiral Morteza Saffari told reporters on Tuesday.
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"The enemy does not have the courage to carry out military action against our country. The risks of attacking Iran have increased dramatically in the enemy's calculations," Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval commander, Admiral Morteza Saffari told reporters on Tuesday.
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The God That Failed: The 30-year lie of the Market Cult
This is exactly the 'aha' moment that people need to have. - Ed.
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Perhaps the most striking fact revealed by the global financial crash -- or rather, by the reaction to it -- is the staggering, astonishing, gargantuan amount of money that the governments of the world have at their command.
In just a matter of days, we have seen literally trillions of dollars offered to the financial services sector by national treasuries and central banks across the globe. Britain alone has put $1 trillion at the disposal of the bankers, traders, lenders and speculators; and this has been surpassed by the total package of public money that Washington is shoveling into the financial furnaces of Wall Street and the banks. These radical efforts are being replicated on a slightly smaller scale in France, Germany, Italy, Russia and many other countries.Read full story
"A Coming New Currency!"
What can we say?
We are experiencing the most severe financial crisis since 1929. It hurts. There appears to be no relief in site. What began with mortgage defaults has now spread to the derivative markets.
You will hear the term “credit default swaps” by the hour as this mess deepens and worsens. What are credit default swaps?
A credit default swap (CDS) is the most common type of derivative. A credit default swap is similar to an insurance contract protecting the owner against certain financial risks. Are you confused? These types of derivative are very complicated and not even totally understood by those who create them and profit from them. Of course right now these derivatives are failing and no one is profiting. And because of the volume of these derivatives is the reason our banking system and financial institutions are falling apart.
Understanding Friday, October 10, 2008
U.S. BUYING INTO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
This move, announced today, is absolute confirmation for me that this is an intentioned shut down of the economy. Each bank or financial institution that the Treasury buys into will give it (and Goldman Sachs) the power to shut each bank down and to decide when it shuts down. It couldn't be more transparent. They're going to turn out the lights in an orderly fashion and it's obviously an attempt at a controlled fast crash. They've only got three months left in office. That would essentially make Barack Obama an economic janitor employed by the same firm. I can just hear Bush and Cheney cracking a joke about it.
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This move, announced today, is absolute confirmation for me that this is an intentioned shut down of the economy. Each bank or financial institution that the Treasury buys into will give it (and Goldman Sachs) the power to shut each bank down and to decide when it shuts down. It couldn't be more transparent. They're going to turn out the lights in an orderly fashion and it's obviously an attempt at a controlled fast crash. They've only got three months left in office. That would essentially make Barack Obama an economic janitor employed by the same firm. I can just hear Bush and Cheney cracking a joke about it.
Read full story
Civil or international war could be triggered if the pugs steal the election, McCain dies, and Palin becomes President
Actually, a civil war (whatever form it takes and however gradually it picks up momentum) could even be catalyzed if the pugs blatantly steal their 3rd Presidential election.
It’s obvious to life forms on Jupiter that the ONLY way McCain/Palin could win this presidential election (my God, look at the poll numbers!) would be if Diebold black boxes (dem in, pug out) and thousands of Republican strategies to discount, miscount, or intimidate Democratic voters, killed the soul of Democracy once again at the voting place.
McCain and Palin are playing with fire
by Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Spendid Suns
I prefer to discuss politics through my novels, but I am truly dismayed these days. Twice last week alone, speakers at McCain-Palin rallies have referred to Sen. Barack Obama, with unveiled scorn, as Barack Hussein Obama.
Never mind that this evokes -- and brazenly tries to resurrect -- the unsavory, cruel days of our past that we thought we had left behind. Never mind that such jeers are deeply offensive to millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslim Americans who must bear the unveiled charge, made by some supporters of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, that Obama's middle name makes him someone to distrust -- and, judging by some of the crowd reactions at these rallies, someone to persecute or even kill. As a secular Muslim, I too was offended. Obama's middle name differs from my last name by only two vowels. Does the McCain-Palin campaign view me as a pariah too? Do McCain and Palin think there's something wrong with my name?
But never mind any of that.
Americans' BS detectors off charts with Palin
by Garrison Keillor
We are a stalwart and stouthearted people, and never more so than in hard times. People weep in the dark and arise in the morning and go to work. The waves crash on your nest egg and a chunk is swept away and you put your salami sandwich in the brown bag and get on the bus. In Philly, a woman earns $10.30/hour to care for a man brought down by cystic fibrosis. She bathes and dresses him in the morning, brings him meals, puts him to bed at night. It's hard work lifting him and she has suffered a painful hernia that, because she can't afford health insurance, she can't get fixed, but she still goes to work because he'd be helpless without her. There are a lot of people like her. I know because I'm related to some of them.
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We are a stalwart and stouthearted people, and never more so than in hard times. People weep in the dark and arise in the morning and go to work. The waves crash on your nest egg and a chunk is swept away and you put your salami sandwich in the brown bag and get on the bus. In Philly, a woman earns $10.30/hour to care for a man brought down by cystic fibrosis. She bathes and dresses him in the morning, brings him meals, puts him to bed at night. It's hard work lifting him and she has suffered a painful hernia that, because she can't afford health insurance, she can't get fixed, but she still goes to work because he'd be helpless without her. There are a lot of people like her. I know because I'm related to some of them.
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Study finds that searching the internet increases brain function
Just think of it as trying to solve the biggest Rubik's Cube EVAH... - Ed.
UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.
The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, is currently in press at the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and will appear in an upcoming issue.
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UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.
The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, is currently in press at the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and will appear in an upcoming issue.
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A Cash and Investment Society
It is now time that the people truly owned government, not the other way around. A society where government worked for the people with the people being the true owners of government.
Where the wealth generated from society is kept by the people and the productivity generated therefrom directly benefited "We the people" of the United States of America as true owners.
TaxRetirement.com is the conduit that will and is making this transition happen and possible. At present we have a Cash, Taxation, and Investment society. After transition into the TRF "what will be" in place is a Cash, and Investment society. The word Taxation, rightfully so will become a word of the past.
Visit website
Where the wealth generated from society is kept by the people and the productivity generated therefrom directly benefited "We the people" of the United States of America as true owners.
TaxRetirement.com is the conduit that will and is making this transition happen and possible. At present we have a Cash, Taxation, and Investment society. After transition into the TRF "what will be" in place is a Cash, and Investment society. The word Taxation, rightfully so will become a word of the past.
Visit website
10.14.2008
Enjoy it while you can
The Dow Jones Industrials soared on Monday in their biggest one-day gain in about 70-years, but somehow, I'm not standing up applauding the market's move. Why? Because it lacks substance.
When I say substance, what does that mean? Oh, little things like a large number of new products coming to market, or being announced, that will open up a whole new kind of business. None of that was evident yesterday, other than the usual flurry of high tech incremental developments, none of which comes anywhere near making "Mr. Ure's Absolutely Gotta Run Out and Buy One" list. Not even.
Army orders pain-ray trucks, new reports show 'potential for death'
“As a consequence, the ADS provides the technical possibility to produce burns of second and third degree. Because the beam of diameter 2 m and above is wider than human size, such burns would occur over considerable parts of the body, up to 50% of its surface. Second- and third-degree burns covering more than 20% of the body surface are potentially life-threatening – due to toxic tissue-decay products and increased sensitivity to infection – and require intensive care in a specialized unit. Without a technical device that reliably prevents re-triggering on the same target subject, the ADS has a potential to produce permanent injury or death. ”
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German finance minister ambushed over settlements
IT'S NOT WYSIWYG (WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET): IT'S TWO DIMENSIONAL
There are two dimensions to the prevailing 'response' to the international financial crisis, which is really the global fraudulent finance crisis: (1) What is being promulgated for public consumption out of Washington, London, Paris and Berlin; and: (2) What is happening/will be happening behind the curtain which divides the perception fed to the world's press and thence to the general public, from the actual objective reality and solution.
Since the Editor is concerned with (2) and has been the sole outlet for authoritative information on the 'wholesale' Settlements programme, and since this matter is 'in process', it is not considered appropriate for us to elaborate on this further at this stage, except that we CAN NOW CONFIRM that matters are proceeding very satisfactorily.
The resolution of (2) is THE REAL ACTION, and so (1) is for global public consumption. HOWEVER, this theatre would be ridiculed even by the 'mainstream' media', if it did not contain SUBSTANCE. So, the theatrical display is packed with brand new 'goodies', with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, having just desported himself today at a glossy Paris Press Conference as a 'responsible leader', maximising the potential for the familiar EU knee-jerk official refrain that 'this crisis has brought Europe closer together' (the reverse is the case), and generally emphasising how 'clean' and 'responsible' the European Union Collective is showing itself to be, when in reality:
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There are two dimensions to the prevailing 'response' to the international financial crisis, which is really the global fraudulent finance crisis: (1) What is being promulgated for public consumption out of Washington, London, Paris and Berlin; and: (2) What is happening/will be happening behind the curtain which divides the perception fed to the world's press and thence to the general public, from the actual objective reality and solution.
Since the Editor is concerned with (2) and has been the sole outlet for authoritative information on the 'wholesale' Settlements programme, and since this matter is 'in process', it is not considered appropriate for us to elaborate on this further at this stage, except that we CAN NOW CONFIRM that matters are proceeding very satisfactorily.
The resolution of (2) is THE REAL ACTION, and so (1) is for global public consumption. HOWEVER, this theatre would be ridiculed even by the 'mainstream' media', if it did not contain SUBSTANCE. So, the theatrical display is packed with brand new 'goodies', with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, having just desported himself today at a glossy Paris Press Conference as a 'responsible leader', maximising the potential for the familiar EU knee-jerk official refrain that 'this crisis has brought Europe closer together' (the reverse is the case), and generally emphasising how 'clean' and 'responsible' the European Union Collective is showing itself to be, when in reality:
Read full story
A bill that can never be paid
They were gambling on the riskiest of "investments", building worthless portfolios whose values just kept increasing; and lured by the awesome power of greed they forgot the most basic rules of the market: [1] Don't gamble with money you can't afford to lose, and [2] It ain't worth nothin' if you can't sell it.
So they put everything they had into building imaginary wealth, and when the wages of their sin came due, they handed the bill to you. It's a bill that can never be paid.
Instead of admitting that they had done wrong and going to the wall with some semblance of honor, they said to the governments of the world, "Without our cooperation, your society would turn to chaos overnight."
And the governments said, "What do you want?"
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So they put everything they had into building imaginary wealth, and when the wages of their sin came due, they handed the bill to you. It's a bill that can never be paid.
Instead of admitting that they had done wrong and going to the wall with some semblance of honor, they said to the governments of the world, "Without our cooperation, your society would turn to chaos overnight."
And the governments said, "What do you want?"
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The final shoe on American consumerism is about to fall
America’s bedraggled, debt slave consumers are about to reap the final whirlwind which will finally unwind what is left of their consumer materialist society. This final shoe will come in the form of the cheaply made and cheap priced and often poisonous Chinese consumer goods. It is these very goods that not only have stuffed American households in a gluttony of soulless, Christless consumerism but have equally driven those same mindless consumers out of their middle class manufacturing jobs and into the lower class that make up the vast vast masses of service sector jobs.
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Don't be so sure this will work
Last night Trichet and other policymakers in Europe basically forced Bernanke's hand, initiating 100% guarantees of interbank lending.
This forced Bernanke to follow suit early this morning, lest the US markets and US credit system implode into a smoking hole instantly.
This was not a position Bernanke was willing to take on his own, or he would have. But when the rest of the world has done it, you literally have no choice, unless you intend to be turned into an instantaneous credit island - an event that the United States would literally not survive.
So the die was cast and Paulson and Bernanke's refusal to endorse this step in the G7 meeting Friday was literally rammed down their throat.
Now, however, we have a new problem.
The economy: good news and bad news
The stock market has reacted favorably to the European and American emergency economic plans launched over the weekend, with its biggest 1-day rise ever.
But as everyone knows, the stock market doesn't give the real picture . . . it only provides a superficial snapshot of investor mood (and - perhaps - a shove from the PPT).
So what is really going on underneath the surface?
Who is behind the financial meltdown?
The market is heavily manipulated. The driving force behind the meltdown is speculative trade. The system of "private regulation" serves the interests of the speculators.
While most individual investors loose when the market falls, the institutional speculator makes money when there is a financial collapse.
In fact, triggering market collapse can be a very profitable undertaking.
There are indications that the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) regulators have created an environment which supports speculative transactions.
There are several instruments including futures, options, index funds, derivative securities, etc. used to make money when the stock market crumbles.
The more it falls, the greater the gains.
Those who make it fall are also speculating on its decline.
The long disputed war is over
Excerpt:
- On the Plus-Side: The extremes which this crisis has produced have inadvertently shown the pubic some of the many ways that they we can effectively begin to hurt these creatures where they live-in their oh-so-sacred treasure-troves of profit!
- We can cut down everywhere, on everything that is non-essential: When we must purchase something do it at a local store, boycott every corporate chain without exception, and do whatever you can to keep your purchases within the local economy. When traveling, try walking or take a bike, if distance is involved use public transportation. This is already what has brought down the price of gasoline. You might have noticed that there is no effect on the prices at the pump that can be related to the price of a barrel of oil. The oil companies have a lot of double-talk that they use to explain this: but the fact is whenever people voluntarily use less gasoline the price at the pumps will come down. This is not some crackpot suggestion it has already been at work, and prices have come down, because people do NOT have the money "to burn" that they once thought they did.
The ongoing demonization of Arab people
Dr. James Zogby says "Enough is enough!"
We are disturbed by the degree to which 'Arab' has become the metaphorical mud to sling against your opponent. This week, for example the Republican Jewish Coalition released a document in which they use the term Pro-Arab as a pejorative accusation. For his part, Rush Limbaugh has joined in by declaring that Obama is in fact an Arab American. Then, on Friday, after a supporter called Senator Barak Obama "an Arab", Senator John McCain came to the defense of of his political opponent by saying "No, ma'am. He's a decent family man and citizen...." From this we are left to infer that an Arab man is less then a "decent family man"
10.13.2008
German finance minister ambushed over settlements
Excerpt:
THE REFUNDING PROGRAM THAT IS THE EXCLUSIVE ANSWER TO THE CRISIS WE PREDICTED
The Refunding Program involves special Capital Markets Instrument operations to be conducted transparently ON-THE-BOOKS with a group of financial institutions, centralised but in the private sector, with all proceeds fully taxed, yielding massive ongoing accruals to the US Treasury.
The United States is bankrupt and is essentially in the hands of its creditors. The Refunding Program, which should have been kick-started in June 2006, will address and rectify this state of affairs, providing both immediate and long-term relief to the American people and the whole world.
This Program was hijacked in collusion with President George W. Bush Jr. and his father, George H. W. Bush Sr., in June 2006, by the Secretary of the United States Treasury, Henry M. Paulson Jr., who procured the placement with Goldman Sachs of the $4.5 trillion of funds remitted during May 2006 from China that were constantly referenced in our 'Wantagate' reports (terminated on 18th March 2008). Since Paulson had been CEO of Goldman Sachs until his sudden appointment as US Treasury Secretary in place of John Snow, this corrupt act has represented the most extreme instance of an official, criminal conflict of interest in financial history, as we pointed out at the time.
After we had kicked up a huge stink about this, Paulson had the funds abruptly removed to another institution, not least since Goldman Sachs was being accused of criminal conduct by this service.
Paulson and friends then proceeded to exploit, leverage, hypothecate, multiply and finally steal
these funds, which were intended by the remitter for The Refunding Program.
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THE REFUNDING PROGRAM THAT IS THE EXCLUSIVE ANSWER TO THE CRISIS WE PREDICTED
The Refunding Program involves special Capital Markets Instrument operations to be conducted transparently ON-THE-BOOKS with a group of financial institutions, centralised but in the private sector, with all proceeds fully taxed, yielding massive ongoing accruals to the US Treasury.
The United States is bankrupt and is essentially in the hands of its creditors. The Refunding Program, which should have been kick-started in June 2006, will address and rectify this state of affairs, providing both immediate and long-term relief to the American people and the whole world.
This Program was hijacked in collusion with President George W. Bush Jr. and his father, George H. W. Bush Sr., in June 2006, by the Secretary of the United States Treasury, Henry M. Paulson Jr., who procured the placement with Goldman Sachs of the $4.5 trillion of funds remitted during May 2006 from China that were constantly referenced in our 'Wantagate' reports (terminated on 18th March 2008). Since Paulson had been CEO of Goldman Sachs until his sudden appointment as US Treasury Secretary in place of John Snow, this corrupt act has represented the most extreme instance of an official, criminal conflict of interest in financial history, as we pointed out at the time.
After we had kicked up a huge stink about this, Paulson had the funds abruptly removed to another institution, not least since Goldman Sachs was being accused of criminal conduct by this service.
Paulson and friends then proceeded to exploit, leverage, hypothecate, multiply and finally steal
these funds, which were intended by the remitter for The Refunding Program.
Read full story
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